Vulture Souls

This is a spreadsheet from Old Kingdom Egypt, written about 4500 years ago. It was part of the diary and logbook of Merer, an inspector responsible for the transportation of materials to Giza for the construction of Khufu's pyramid. There's something beautiful about the organization here, how his rows and columns would fit in just as well in Excel as any modern spreadsheet of delivery records. Across the yawning gulf of ages, we're united by this mundane and incredibly human task. I love reading things like this. They remind me of the fundamental similarity of humans across time. They were no less intelligent or skilled than we, and oftentimes had to be moreso, to account for the many technological aids they lacked.

Irish Gold Ribbon Torc from 3rd century BC,

Siscovered near Belfast.

Bowl with Face, Mississippian, Missouri, United States,

11th–14th century,

Ceramic, H. 4 in. x diam. 6 3/8 in. (10.2 x 16.2 cm)

The opening of the Gospel for Palm Sunday, 11th-century

Anglo-Saxon manuscript (BL Stowe 944)

Qur'an of Ibn al-Bawwab, Headings for Al-Fatiha, and for Chapter 2, Al-Baqara, Baghdad, c. 1000. Chester Beatty Library Ibn al-Bawwāb (Arabic: إِبْن ٱلْبَوَّاب), also known as ʿAlī ibn Hilāl, Abū al-Ḥasan, or Ibn al-Siṭrī, was a distinguished Arabic calligrapher and manuscript illuminator active in Baghdad. He is best known for popularizing the use of round scripts in the transcription of the Qurʾān. He likely died in Baghdad around 1022 CE.