Papua New Guinean body adornment practices

The majority of us may choose to wear jewelry or other adornments because we like them, believe they look nice on us, or because a loved one donated them to us, but the people of Papua New Guinea have an entirely different perspective.

Rimbu. Bilas Exhibition at the Australian Museum. Image credit: Wylda Bayrón

Since the beginning of time, people have worn objects as talismans, status symbols, or to stand out from the crowd. stones, feathers, shells, and bones. gemstones, fabrics, and metals. Consider the numerous exquisite artifacts created by the ancient Egyptians, Romans, and Greeks and discovered during excavations at important sites and in the tombs of emperors and other powerful people. The wearing of these ornaments served as a type of language and communication that stated who the wearer was and where they were from. Papua New Guinea serves as the ideal illustration of this.

In Papua New Guinea, the practice of body modification is referred to as bilas. Bilas, which derives from the pidgin language Tok Pisin, honors how interconnected all living things and people are. Since ancient times, adornments have served to meet many social, spiritual, and physical demands. Some are used to symbolize authority or position, while others are used in cultural festivities and rites. They are made from a variety of natural resources, including shells, feathers, and plant fibers.

The Australian Museum's newest exhibit, Bilas: Body Adornment from Papua New Guinea, features a stunning collection of Wylda Bayrón photographs as well as items from its renowned Pacific cultural collections to highlight the beauty and diversity of body adornment and decoration from Papua New Guinea. The exhibition will examine the various meanings and interpretations of bilas as a practice from various cultural backgrounds, highlighting how closely connected PNG people are to their natural surroundings.

The stunning exhibition featuring photographs by Wylda Bayrón and a selection of objects from the world-renowned Pacific cultural collections of the Australian Museum. Image credit: Anna Kucera

An avid photographer

Wylda Bayrón, a Puerto Rican photographer working in the US, created 60 stunning images for the book Bilas: Body Adornment from Papua New Guinea. For her work behind the scenes on TV shows like Orange is the New Black, Billions, Madam Secretary, and most recently, And Just Like That, this multi-talented photographer is well recognized. But Bayrón's interest is far from a television, in places where culture and customs are still alive and well. Such a site exists in Papua New Guinea.

Papua New Guinea has been a destination for Bayrón on multiple occasions; her first visit (in 2013) turned into an 18-month adventure as she sought to photograph every community in the country's 22 regions. She even picked up pidgin so she could speak. Since then, Bayrón has returned numerous times. Her voyage into the heart of a nation, where communities welcomed her and shared their culture, led to the creation of the pictures that are on display in this exhibition at the Australian Museum.

“The peoples of Papua New Guinea are the curators of these images, and it is their cultures, traditions and customs that are being shared. These photographs document what I could not have when I was growing up – a photographic history of identity,” Bayrón said.

Images may truly tell a story when viewed through Bayrón's lens—a story of cultural continuity, resiliency, adaptability, and regeneration.

Defarim (headdress), Sanduan, Telefomin and Toea Armlet Milne Bay. Image credits: Australian Museum.

The presentation

Visitors to the Australian Museum can see the complex beauty and diversity of cultural decoration and body ornamentation from the many peoples in Papua New Guinea through the exhibit Bilas: Body ornamentation from Papua New Guinea.

The exhibition was created and curated by the Museum's Pasifika team, who worked with local communities and experts from the region. It includes Bayrón's arresting photographs as well as rare, never-before-exhibited cultural objects from the Museum's collection, which is one of the most significant in the world with over 60,000 objects from across the region.

The new items, which were acquired thanks to a gift from the Australian Museum Foundation, include the earliest instances of Enga (human hair) wigs, Kagua area wicker helmets, and Maring/Kalam "Glong" headdresses. The commissioning of these decorations for an Australian institution is a first.

Dr. Michael Mel, one of the exhibition's co-curators and a proud native of Kilipika Village in the Western Highlands, said: “In our culture, the body has long served as a ‘canvas’ for self-expression and to convey a multitude of messages to the outside world. Beyond being a vehicle for social communication and living art, there are also spiritual domains and meanings to the body adornment.”

The images from Bayrón that best represent Bilas are numerous. A Chimbu tribe chief's visage is painted in "Chimbu Roi" using charcoal and broken seashells. His nose piercing and headgear are decorated with bird of paradise feathers.

Additionally, Bayrón describes the image titled "Tumbuna," saying that the youngster would put on the bilas for the first time at dawn. The village chief, his grandfather, meticulously unpacks the feathers he has received from his forefathers and unfolds a tiny tapa (cloth made of bark) that he specifically fashioned for the occasion out of worry that he wouldn't live to see this moment. The youngster exults. He understands that these actions are important because they are passing on centuries-old customs to the next generation.

And that is the main idea of bilas.

Museum visitors admire the impressive headdress from Papua New Guinea. Image credit: Anna Kucera

Through the camera

Australian Geographic was also able to chat with Wylda Bayrón, whose photographs served as the inspiration for the Australian Museum display. We questioned Wylda about her love for PNG and its bilas.

What sparked your interest in photography?

“When I was a focus puller in 2004, I worked on a film in Singapore. I asked production to delay my return for a week as I wanted to visit Malaysia. The week turned into a year and a half travelling through Southeast Asia where I realised my passion for photography and tribal cultures.”

You have worked as a photographer/cinematographer on countless shows and movies. How do you juggle your passion for photography with the demands of film work?

“It’s a tricky balance because I love both parts of my work life and how distinct and different they are. They inform each other so in that sense it’s very rewarding. I try to work on shows that tell stories I love and think are important because each show is an all-consuming affair that can take up to six months of my life. With that money I buy my freedom to travel and invest in my passion for preservation of tribal culture. The cinematography and the photography are each a wing of a bird for me.”

What piqued your interest about Papua New Guinea?

“I’ve always had PNG in mind but the time had not come because I knew I had to go alone and I was in a relationship. I had seen pictures of the huli and a few other highland tribes and I was hooked. Little did I know I’d be spending a decade working with the people there.”

What happened on the first trip that sparked the passion for photographing and learning about the people of PNG?

“Pretty much immediately I was taken in by a family who were able to support me in my desire to capture as many tribes and Bilas as possible. My first “mum” travelled with me to some places initially and introduced me to her Motu family members and friends and that way I was able to use the wankot system to traverse and travel the entire island always having new families take me in and keep me safe. The project was born organically, fuelled by community desire for their own preservation.”

Baining Nature Powa and Chimbu Roi. Image credits: Wylda Bayrón

What resonates most about the peoples of PNG in your heart?

“What resonates most is that belonging to a place is not rooted in where you were born. PNG is my home and the people there are my family no matter what tribe or province they are from. Somehow, we always managed to connect and laugh and do the culture preservation work no matter where I was originally from. Once I learned the language and they knew that I understood them, the life and culture, I was one of them and they didn’t hesitate to accept me. It was always a homecoming even if it was new place. That’s pretty magical and you can’t fake that. PNG and I were written in the stars.”

What does the word bilas mean to you?

“Bilas is identity, community, ancestral knowledge and a core aspect of how we celebrate ourselves and the culture in PNG. The people and I have forged a beautiful bond. Their deep sense of identity and kindness is one of the parts that keep me coming back. It’s the immediate sense of family and community that made the journey so beautiful and I’m forever bonded with the people and the land.”

What is your favourite photo from your beautiful collection now on show at the Australian Museum as part of Bilas: Body Adornment from Papua New Guinea? What is the story behind it (the photo)?

“It’s so hard to identify a sole image as they are each representing a very special place and people. I do love my first photo shoot in the middle Sepik which yielded the image of the three men with a live crocodile around the main man. The first day we tried to shoot it rained and we had to cancel, but the men decided they would get dressed all over again the next day and then take me by canoe several hours north so that I would not miss my flight out as my visa was expiring.”

Blue plaque unveiled marking Egyptologist's birthplace in Barnsley

At the residence of an Egyptologist from Barnsley who found some of the early hints about the location of Tutankhamun's tomb, a blue plaque has been revealed.

Egyptologist and artist Ernest Harold Jones died from tuberculosis aged 34 before the tomb of Tutankhamun was found

According to Barnsley Council, Ernest Harold Jones, who passed away in 1911, "made significant archaeological discoveries that have largely been forgotten."

After discovering items carrying his name, according to the civic trust of the community, he stimulated curiosity about locating the pharaoh's tomb.

On Thursday 14th of September, the memorial was unveiled on Sackville Street, where he resided.

During a 1922 excavation in the Valley of the Kings, Howard Carter, a Jones acquaintance, famously found Tutankhamun's tomb.

If Jones had not passed away from illness at a young age, Prof. Joann Fletcher, an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of York, thought it was quite likely that he would have discovered the tomb before Carter.

"In many ways he was way ahead of Howard Carter," mentioned Prof Fletcher, who has studied the Egyptologist and artist's life.

"His funeral in Egypt was arranged by his friends Lord Carnarvon and Howard Carter, who were able to follow the clues Jones had found to finally discover the tomb in 1922."

Jones' Welsh-born parents moved their family to Barnsley, South Yorkshire, when Jones' father was appointed the school's first headmaster.

Councillor Robert Frost, council cabinet spokesperson for regeneration and culture, mentioned: "It is fascinating to discover the strong links between Barnsley and ancient Egypt - particularly around the research conducted by Ernest Harold Jones.

"It is important that his achievements are recognised and remembered."

8-Year-Old Discovers On the Beach, a 900-Year-Old Viking Artifact

While on a family vacation in Sweden, an 8-year-old kid discovered a 900-year-old Viking item on the shore.

An 8-year-old boy discovered a Viking artifact on a family vacation.Gotland County Administrative Board

On his walk to the beach, Bruno Tillema noticed an intriguing object and picked it up, according to a press statement from the Gotland County Administrative Board dated September 8.

"I just picked it up from the ground and thought, 'What is this?' " Tillema told the Board. "'Maybe some weird part from a house?' I went looking for fossils. Then mother came and asked what I had in my hand. Then I said, 'Some strange metal thing.'"

Andreas Tillema, Bruno's father, said in an interview with Newsweek that he and his wife had just handed Bruno a book about fossils and that as a result, he was "actively scanning the ground with his eyes."

To clarify what Bruno had found, the family talked to a relative who is an archaeologist.

"A video call later, it stood clear what [it] was," Andreas said.

An animal head-shaped bronze belt buckle from the Viking Age, which lasted between 800-1100 AD, was discovered by Bruno.

To report the relic, the Tillemas got in touch with the county government.

A second artifact, a ring buckle, was discovered after the Gotland museum conducted an investigation of the location.

Bronze was used to make both buckles. During the late Iron Age or the early Viking Age, they were applied on costumes.

Ring buckles were used for both men's and women's burials in Gotland, although animal head buckles were primarily found on women's graves. The Board stated that the buckle-related burials were presumably burned.

The National Antiquities Office will decide whether to display the buckles in a collection after the buckles have been maintained.

"I'm a little happy to be able to do it," Bruno said. "It feels like I've done something big and now I can share it with you."

According to Andreas, his son is pleased to finally share this tale, as he told Newsweek.

"We were asked to keep it a secret until the site was properly examined," Andreas said. "He has even started thinking about becoming an archaeologist when he grows up. His dream is to find a T. Rex skull."

The National Antiquities Office makes the decision about finder rewards.

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8,000-year-old Cave paintings found in Türkiye’s İnkaya Cave depict life and death

A number of cave paintings dating back some 8,000 years have been found in İnkaya cave in the Marmara province of Balıkesir during a field study conducted by Associate Prof. Dr. Derya Yalçıklı from Çanakkale (18th March) University, in 2015.

During the same studies, another cave located 5 kilometers away from the İnkaya cave was discovered. The discovery of both caves is known as the most important archaeological discovery made in Anatolia in recent years.

The cave paintings discovered in the Baltalıin and İnkaya Caves, which are situated in the Delice neighborhood of the Dursunbey district in the Balıkesir province of Turkey, offer information that sheds light on Neolithic Age life.

One of the remarkable findings showing that people in the Prehistoric Age were undeniably knowledgeable about the phenomenon of childbirth is the scene found among the cave paintings of İnkaya Cave.

The painting depicts a woman becoming pregnant, the pregnancy, and childbirth in an expression that has yet to be matched.

Fall of the Malacca Sultanate | How 1000 Portuguese Soldiers Toppled an Empire

Malaysian history often centers around the Malacca Sultanate. The Malacca Sultanate was a diverse and prosperous merchant empire with extensive trade networks throughout the Indian Ocean, but in 1512CE its capital city was captured by a small Portuguese invasion force. The event sent the Malacca Sultanate into a tailspin from which it never recovered.

Despite how important the event is to Southeast Asian and Indian history, few know the details. In fact, the Fall of the Malacca Sultanate is a story that involves many fascinating people, from feuding Tamil and Gujarati merchant lords to an imprisoned Portuguese soldier who managed to ferry secret messages to his comrades.

Ruins discovered in Iraq "could prove the biblical account of Noah's Ark to be true"

An Iraqi museum may have had evidence supporting the biblical account of Noah's Ark, according to a documentary.

The biblical narrative describes how a large boat rescues two of every kind of animal from floods. The Genesis narrative also describes how people started to construct the Tower of Babel after the flood. The enormous structure is used to describe how several human languages came into existence.

It claims that God confounded the workers' languages so they could no longer communicate in an effort to obstruct the building of the tower, which the Babylonians claimed could reach the skies. People were scattered across the surface of the world when the tower was never finished.

The Bible Conspiracies documentary now asserts that a find in Iraq's Babylon Province corroborates the story. The presenter describes how the discovery of a series of cylinders encircled by burned bricks led researchers to assume that the ruins matched the description of the renowned tower.

“The investigation goes on to explain how the Bible says the structure would later be destroyed by angels under God’s orders. Many believe the tower was destroyed by God, but the text actually tells us it was a strange race, referred to as the Anunnaki. These Anunnaki were described as coming from the heavens, sent to guide humans. In times gone by they were called angels, but today we might call them aliens.”

Bible Conspiracies has a rating of 2.5 stars and is available for free viewing for subscribers to the paid service. The documentary asserts that a Greek philosopher, not Jesus, was the real son of God. "Hidden in the Bible are ancient secrets. The marriage of Jesus and Mary and their children; the destruction of the tower of Babel by an alien race called the Anunnaki, and the hidden code that holds the revelation about future events."

One of the arguments is that a Greek philosopher who lived at the same time as Jesus has been mistaken for him. It's possible that Preacher Apollonius of Tyan was mistaken for Jesus in the Bible's accounts of his life and the miracles he worked in the New Testament. According to the series, Apollonius gained notoriety and a devoted following while preaching and working miracles.

It says: “There is, in fact, a man who can be found in text outside of the Bible after the church failed to eradicate him from history. His name is Apollonius and he was born in the 3rd or 4th year BC in Tyana in Cappadocia, Anatolia. He became a disciple of Pythagoras renouncing flesh, wine and women. He wore no shoes and let his hair and beard grow long. He reportedly restored life to the dead and spoke of things beyond the human reach. And, unlike Jesus, there is evidence to prove that Apollonius actually existed."

Ancient burial urn with skeleton bones discovered in Tiruppur, Tennessee, while building a road

On Thursday, September 14, workmen constructing a road for pipeline installation operations in Tiruppur city discovered a burial urn (Mudhumakkal Thazhi) containing skeleton bones.

Ancient burial urn dating back to more than 2000 years, was found during the digging for pipeline laying work in the heart of Tiruppur city.

Dr. K. King Narcissus, a former head of the government homoeopathic doctors association, told TNIE, “I saw a group of workers, who were engaged in digging land for pipeline laying works near my house in Kuppusamypuram talking about a pot they had found. I examined the pot and suspected it could be an ancient burial urn. Following this, I told them to stop work and informed the media and councillors.”

The Virarajendran Archaeological and Historical Research Centre's (VAHRC) Director, S. Ravikumar, confirmed the development by stating that “Kuppusamy Puram, Kottai Mariamman Temple and KSC school grounds were important places in ancient times. In 2014, six burial urns were found in the playground of KSC Government School. This new discovery is just 300 m from the old site. I believe more urns will be discovered here.” After inspecting the location, Tiruppur City Commissioner Pavankumar Giriyappanar stated that the urns would be brought to the treasury office.

A group of archaeologists from Coimbatore examined the urn in the interim. R. Jeyapriya, the archaeologist in charge of the Coimbatore region, told TNIE that “the size of the urn is very large and it contained skull and bones. Also, we found small pieces of broken pottery around the urn. We believe the urn is more than 2,000 years old.”

Sources claim that the urns discovered in 2014 at KSC Government School contained grains, rice bran, bones, and skulls. But they weren't delivered for a scientific examination. The urns are kept in the government museum in Karur. According to several sources, carbon analysis of comparable materials from burial urns suggested that they could be older than 2,000 years. These urns are kept in Madurai Kamaraj University's collection and archive. Urn burials were used by ancient Tamils before the third century AD, according to topic specialists. Tamils began cremating the deceased after the third century AD.

A recent "archaeological sensation" may disclose the whole extent of the Roman empire in antiquity

Recently discovered "archaeological sensation" in Switzerland may shed new light on the breadth of ancient Roman civilization's influence across Europe.

Aerial view of the current excavation in Cham-Äbnetwald with a view of the Alps. Under the tent is a part of the Roman building.

In the Zug Canton of Switzerland, archaeologists are painstakingly exposing stone walls from the Roman Empire that were constructed some 2,000 years ago. The walls appear to be part of a building complex with various rooms and occupy an area of at least 500 square meters.

According to the Office for the Preservation of Monuments and Archaeology in the Canton of Zug, "the discovery is an archaeological sensation," and it will give important new information about the Romans in pre-alpine Central Switzerland.

The elevation location of the area, according to scientists, may have provided residents of the building complex with "a view of the surrounding landscape".

The discovery of several iron nails by archaeologists at the site further suggests that the wall foundation may have been built from wood.

Gishan Schaeren, director of the Prehistory and Prehistoric Archaeology Department at the Archaeology Society Zug, added, "We were also amazed that the top bricks were even visible above ground."

It's still unknown what use the massive structure surrounded by walls served.

“Is it a villa with a view or a temple building? Finding out this will be the subject of further investigation,” researchers mentioned.

“Roman buildings of similar dimension were last excavated in Cham-Heiligkreuz almost 100 years ago,” explained Dr Schaeren.

Scientists claim that in contrast to other places, the pre-alpine region only has a small number of these architectural remnants from the Roman era.

Researchers believe that the latest discovery can shed more light on how the local civilization developed.

Small selection of Roman finds (from top left to bottom right): An amphora base, the shard of a rubbing bowl, the edge piece of a small bowl of Roman tableware with red coating (Terra Sigillata), four coins in found state, one of them made of silver by Julius Caesar, fragment of a gold object, pieces of a square bottle and a rib bowl made of blue glass

The comparatively good preservation of the remains is particularly amazing, according to Christa Ebnöther from the University of Bern in Switzerland.

In the same location, researchers have also discovered a Middle Bronze Age settlement and Late Bronze Age tombs, proving the area was of interest to locals throughout history.

“The fact that the gravel hill near Oberwil was already inhabited several times thousands of years before the Romans also testifies to the attractiveness of this location,” researchers wrote.

At the site, they also discovered commonplace items as well as more unique items, such as dinnerware, beautifully crafted glass containers, and gold shards that most likely belonged to a piece of jewelry.

“Fragments of amphorae, in which, among other things, wine, olive oil and fish sauce reached the Mediterranean to the Abed Forest near Cham, testify to the far-reaching trade in Roman times,” experts noted.

“These puzzle pieces make it possible to track down the lives of our ancestors and better understand our history,” said Karin Artho, Head of the Office for Monument Preservation and Archaeology.

Skeleton of 'Tall' 1,300-Year-Old Found at Construction Site with Knife

On the site of what will eventually be an Intel chip production facility in Germany, a body of a 1,300-year-old man was discovered.

Excavation site Germany. Excavators digging on an archeological excavation on the site of a planned new Intel chip factory near Magdeburg, Germany Ronny Hartmann/Getty

The find was made as a result of excavation operations that uncovered 50 building floor plans from a 3,500–4,500 year old community on the site, which is close to the city of Magdeburg.

According to Susanne Friederich, project manager and archaeologist at the Halle State Office for Monument Preservation and Archaeology, "the dead man was 1.65 meters long [5 feet, 5 inches] and quite tall for the time. The man wore a knife on his right thigh. The metal tip of a sword scabbard, a belt buckle and the remains of a bronze brooch that held the man's garment together have also been preserved."

The fact that there were weapons in the burial indicates that the deceased was most likely a warrior.

The body is thought to have come from the Dark Ages, also known as the Migration Period, which spanned from 500 to 1000 A.D. In order to flee the Huns' invasion from Central Asia, Germanic tribes moved throughout Europe during this time.

The settlement's homes are likewise unusual. The walls' elongated oval shape, according to Friedrich, is what makes them unique.

Although this kind of home has been documented throughout Northern Germany and Scandinavia, it is unusual to find one in Magdeburg.

The majority of the homes are 33 feet long and 13 feet broad, but one substantial one is 49 feet long and 16 feet wide. The location also has a pit house, a structure made from an underground pit with a roof over it that was probably used for crafting.

The Bronze Age, which lasted from 2500 to 800 B.C., is supposed to have left behind some of these homes.

As they continue to investigate the site, the archaeologists anticipate discovering more burials and indications of the settlement. On an area of about 300 hectares, there may be 100 to 200 homes by the end of the year, according to Friedrich.

However, because to the timeline for the construction of Intel plants, the team does not have much time to finish their excavations. The business intends to begin building its two new semiconductor facilities in 2024, giving the archaeologists till the end of the year to conclude their research.

"Then there will be nothing standing in the way of the Intel settlement," Friedrich mentioned.

Chichén Itzá: Pyramid Serpent Shadow Equinox Alignment

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The Politics of Fantasy Maps

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How ancient Rome was excavated in Italy in the 1920s. Unique rare videos and photos.

Photographs taken during archaeological work in the Italian capital in the late nineteenth century also include photographs from the excavation of the main harbor of Ancient Rome and presumably its first colony - Ostia, also at the Villa Nero in Anzio and at Villa Adriana in Tivoli.

The most extensive excavations of the ancient port began in 1938 on the orders of Mussolini and lasted until 1942. For five years, a significant part of the city was dug up and about 600,000 cubic meters of land were recovered.

In some places to get from the level of modern streets to the streets of the Roman periud had to go 12 meters deep. Watch the video for more!

The Punishment of Medusa: The Story of the Cursed Priestess

Dive into the enigmatic tale of Medusa, the cursed Grecian priestess. Venture through the marble halls of ancient Athens, witness forbidden love, divine wrath, and a transformation like no other. Beyond the monstrous facade lies a story of beauty, power, and resilience. Join us as we unravel the layers of Medusa's tragic narrative and discover the hidden strength within us all. Explore myths, question narratives, and embrace the hero within.

Highlights of the Istanbul Archaeological Museum

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Mysteries of the Ancient Giant Mound Builders: North America's Lost Civilization

Scattered across North America are enormous, mysterious earthworks that have been linked to everything from vanished Native American tribes to extraterrestrial visits, the fabled continent of Atlantis, and even a mysterious race of towering giants.

The legacy of ancient civilizations often lies in the structures they leave behind, and this is especially true of the mound-building societies whose obsessive construction of these cryptic mounds has left historians and archeologists baffled for ages.

Far from mere piles of earth, many of these mounds showcase advanced geometric designs, precise celestial alignments, and unparalleled mathematical precision. Such sophistication has led some to suggest that these ancient mound-builders may have held knowledge in specific areas that even surpasses our own.

Yet, these architectural wonders pose more questions than they answer. What purpose did they serve? And why did the masterful builders behind them seemingly vanish without a trace?

This is the story of North America's ancient mound-builders and the centuries-long quest to piece together the puzzle of their creations...

How Useful was the Great Wall of China Really?

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You wont believe how this ancient desert architecture feeds millions for free!

What are these tall buildings with hundreds of holes found all over the desert?

This unusual architecture can be found across many desert regions but what are they for? They look too narrow to house people and have so many holes? In this video we are going to find out what this curious design is for and I’ll give you a little hint, its connected to an ingenious way to survive in the desert....

These stunningly remarkable and unique looking buildings can be seen throughout The Middle East and North Africa in some of the most arid and hot deserts, they have been found in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, Egypt and finally in Iran where historian say they originate.

So we are going to take a more in depth look at why they started out in Iran to understand what these curious structures are for. When these towers were said to have been invented, Iran was known as Persia and due to it unique geographical location it was one of the cradles of civilization.

It is the 18th most populous country in the world with a population of approximately 82 million people. In terms of total land area, its the 2nd largest country in the Middle East and 17th largest in the world, covering 636,372 square miles. The country borders the Caspian Sea, Gulf of Oman, and the Persian Gulf.

At first glance its often mistaken as a completely arid country but in fact its climate and geography is extremely diverse, only about 22% of its land area is desert. Compared with its neighboring countries of Saudi Arabia with (95% desert), Turkmenistan with (80% desert) and Iraq with (40% desert).

The country boasts range lands, forests, including rain forests, wetlands and even glaciers however the country has no major rivers and streams with the only navigable river being the 520-mile long Karun.

The country also boasts curiously interesting ancient architecture such as wind towers which create the effect of air conditioning without electricity called Bâdgir, they also have these huge domes known as Yakhchāl to store and even make ice.

Both of which we have covered in previous videos, so today we are going to look at another ingenious architectural design that is so useful and integral to survival in this countries deserts.

Contin Parish Church: An archaeological investigation tries to reveal mysteries

The skirl of the bagpipes signaled a dire warning to the terrified women, children, and elderly people, telling them to run to the tiny church in the heart of the island and ask for assistance.

Contin Parish Church (Image: HES)

The ladies and kids of Contin village in the picturesque Strathconon countryside were easy prey for the irate MacDonalds while the village men were abroad.

The attackers stormed towards the church and closed its entrances after becoming enraged over the treatment of one of their own by the son of the Chief of the Mackenzie clan. They ignited torches, sealed the inhabitants inside, who were screaming, and torched the building and them to the ground.

The horrible massacre that occurred at Contin's Kirk in Rossshire in the fifteenth century was only one of many bloody assaults that happened at a location so rich in religious history that it has been termed "the holy isle of the north."

Although St. Maelrubha, an Irish Christian monk who founded a monastery in Applecross and used it as his base for about six centuries, started construction on the structure in the eighth century, little is known about the various churches that have since stood there and the surrounding area.

With an archaeological survey to find medieval and pre-medieval relics in the fields surrounding Contin Parish Church, it is now hoped that this might change.

The region overlooked by today's austere grey harled box-like kirk, which still has remnants of the 15th-century church attacked by the MacDonald clan, will be surveyed by specialists ORCA Archaeology during a geophysical survey next week.

A magnetic survey, which aids in locating charred remains and midden sites, will be conducted as part of the study, which is being organized by the local community as part of their Contin's Hidden History project. Additionally, a focused Earth Resistance survey will be conducted to help locate any buried structures.

A pre-medieval stone found in the kirkyard (Image: Phil Baarda)

The three-day study is anticipated to reveal traces of historic building foundations and indications of earlier settlements, potentially sparking additional archaeological investigations that may help reveal more about the long history of the kirk.

It's great to be doing this now, according to Phil Baarda of the local community council, who almost accidentally uncovered two pre-medieval carved stones in the kirkyard two years ago. "There has been very little archaeological work done at Contin, so it’s quite exciting to be doing this now. I’m pretty convinced we will find something. This is a fascinating place, but its history has been fairly neglected over the years with other sites seeming to take precedence. Yet the signs are that this must have been a well-known centre for many centuries," he adds.

The remnants of a chambered cairn, which is located inside the family tomb of the Mackenzie of Coul, and the Bronze Age Contin Henge, also known as Achilty Henge, are both nearby.

The monk's body is claimed to have been transferred there after he was ambushed and killed by robbers at Urquhart on the Black Isle, then taken to his monastery at Applecross for burial. The area is now overgrown and known as Preas Mairi, which means "the thicket of Maelrubha."

He was a descendant of Niall, King of Ireland, and originally from Bangour, County Down. In 671, he traveled to Scotland with a group of other monks as part of the second wave of missionaries that followed St. Columba.

The monk who founded the monastery and founded at least 22 churches while traveling from Applecross, in Pictish territory, via Skye, Lewis, and farther east to Forres and Keith, did so in 673. He was the man who gave Loch Maree its name.

Irish chronicles mention both his journey to Scotland and the founding of the monastery, indicating that his mission was thought to be particularly important in the spread of Christianity and Gaelic culture among norther Scottish Picts.

While a variety of traditions and customs were formed in his honor as a result of his influence, some of them persisted for generations after his passing.

The people of Contin continued to sacrifice bulls to honor the saint on his feast day, August 25, according to research presented in publications by the Ross and Cromarty Heritage Society, which was based on minutes of the Presbytery of Dingwall written in 1656.

The "mentally disturbed," also known as St. Mourie's afflicted ones, received the sacrificed flesh.

It continues that 22 years later, more sacrifices were made in an effort to help a sick woman, and that at the beginning of the 19th century, a fair day held in his honor, Feill Moire, involved "several days of drinking and fighting," prompting the local Laird, Sir George Mackenzie of Coul, to order the celebrations to be moved to Dingwall instead.

The burial cemetery of the Contin Kirk would have been safe from the attention of wild animals because it is located on an island in the Blackwater (Abhainn Dubh). An overpass over the road connects it to the remainder of the community.

A series of violent incidents have occurred there over the years, including an invasion on the saint's feast day in the ninth century that resulted in the massacre of some 100 men and women by either Danes or people from the Western Isle.

Contin Parish Church (Image: HES)

When word got out, the men of Ross came together to exact retribution, killing all but 30 of the 500 invaders.

After Kenneth of Kinellen, son of the Mackenzie clan chief and husband to a MacDonald woman, had a disagreement with his in-laws, the MacDonald clansmen brutally massacred women and children in 1477.

After the argument, he sent his one-eyed wife back to her family with a one-eyed servant, a one-eyed horse, and a one-eyed dog, further escalating the tension between the two households.

The kirk became the center of a religious dispute in the 18th century when its final Episcopalian pastor refused to become a Presbyterian.

Aeneas Morrison, sometimes known as "Black Angus," was preaching when someone attempted to have him removed from the pulpit after he had previously been charged with aiding in the Jacobite uprising of 1715.

He cursed the men who were dragging him down the aisle as the church bell rung out of the blue and immediately cracked from top to bottom.

The two fields that border the church that are the subject of the archaeological study scheduled for next week are believed to have never been tilled, which has led to expectations that fascinating details may be hiding just beneath the surface.

The results of the survey, which is a component of the Highland Archaeology Festival and is part of a larger community initiative supported by Historic Environment Scotland and EDF Renewables Corriemoillie Wind Farm Community Fund, will be presented to the locals in early October.