The Past in Pieces: Lego and Lost Civilisations

As I think I may have mentioned once or twice, I was a Lego-mad child. Of all the things under the tree on Christmas morning, Lego was always the most prized. Like many, I ‘grew out of’ Lego in my teens, only to come back to it as I’ve got older and had more disposable income. That distinctive rattle of a cardboard box full of little plastic bricks still has a Pavlovian effect on me, equal measures calming and relaxing. The cares of the world slip away and the inner ten-year-old is unleashed.

I’ve always concentrated my Legoine affections primarily on Space and Castle Lego, with occasional forays into Pirates. When I visited my mum last December, I dragged eight boxes of Lego from the shed and spent Christmas afternoon rebuilding a Space-themed Christmas present of 20 years earlier. By last week, the Castle itch was reasserting itself and I decided to indulge. For the first time in many years I bought some new Lego – my first new Castle sets since childhood. And I made a discovery.

Lego has double-axes now. And cows.

From there it was a small, obligatory step to this.

I showed it to other classicists and Aegean prehistorians, and calls for bull-leaping soon followed.

Making Ancient Pancakes

For my birthday this year I was given the British Museum’s Classical Cookbook, by Andrew Dalby and Sally Grainger. I haven’t had a chance to read through it fully yet, but it all looks very impressive (though could have done with more pictures – I don’t understand cookbooks without photos!) But this isn’t a review. Instead I’m going to document my first efforts at a piece of ‘authentic’ Classical cookery.

I decided to start with Greek pancakes. Because they’re simple and I already had all the ingredients – just flour, water, honey and sesame seeds to top. This recipe has been created from references in Galen and Hipponax.