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Malken-Hill Vessels

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The Malken-Hill tribes because of their bottle neck location on the ancient trade routes of El Castigine were great synthesizers of religions, customs and spices. There is much to learn from their exposure-bred equanimity.
Their crafts and belief systems are wholly unique — for example nowhere the world over, at any time, has there been a group of people known to split their year, half in mono-theism and half in poly-theism. Their song and verse contain simultaneous references to “Trickster” as well as “The God”, “The Gods” and “The Devil”. Even their leadership was particular, being neither patriarchal nor matriarchal but determined by a fairly obtuse “virtue rite” (determined by a “successful” visit to Hermit and the subsequent righting of “successful” song).
Such oddly principled circumstances made them nearly impervious to the undermining cancers of cheap nationalism but susceptible to the eventual takeover by the cunning Hacktick hordes. Nevertheless this complex, agrarian, quasi-karmic, mono/poly-theistic group of tribes was quite remarkable.

This small exhibition of ceremonial and utilitarian Malken-Hill jugs was made possible by the generous support of the Society for Archeological Independence and the Spring-Goldman Foundation. Most thanks however are due to the children of Dr. Judith Spencely for opening up her archives and personal collection to our curators loving arms. Grck klesp altu mina (In the Sun is virtue.)

Image:
Dr. Judith Spencely in the Field

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