Daily Archives: October 31, 2011

A true ghost story: The Slide Show

October 31, 2011UncategorizedUncategorizedGreg Laden

The McGregor Museum is a complex building with several wings surrounding an inner court yard, a multi-layered roof, balconies everywhere, and numerous trees in the court yard close in to the building. So, a cat can spend the heat of the day in the shaded crown of a tree, and the cool of the evening up on the building’s sun-warmed metal roof.

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The interior of the McGregor museum houses numerious exhibits. The old period rooms and hallways focus on the late 19th century, and other newer areas (not shown) have an excellent set of exhibits on archaeology, human evolution, and “San” rock art.

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Defending Kimberly.

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The dude in the kilt.

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The Gatling Gun. (A Gatling gun is an old fashioned machine gun.)

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A visitor to the museum checking for ghosts.

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Doing fieldwork in a game park.

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Possible “San” burial … which turned out to have no physical remains.

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Although no artifacts of note or bones were found in the burial, there were plenty of these. The scorpions were in a state of torpor, as it was winter.

The End

A True Ghost Story The End: How I captured the Ghost of the McGregor Museum

October 31, 2011UncategorizedUncategorizedGreg Laden

Finally, without any further interruption …
Continue reading A True Ghost Story The End: How I captured the Ghost of the McGregor Museum →

A True Ghost Story, Part 6: But first, since we’re talking geology …

October 31, 2011UncategorizedUncategorizedGreg Laden

Since we are talking about geology, I do not want to give up the opportunity to bring up one of the coolest stories of geology ever, given the present day discussion of science and religion. You will be asking for a source for this story. Look it up in Wikipedia, where all knowledge resides, and you will not find it there.
Continue reading A True Ghost Story, Part 6: But first, since we’re talking geology … →

A True Ghost Story Part Five: The Grave on the Hill

October 31, 2011UncategorizedUncategorizedGreg Laden

One of the main reasons we were staying in Kimberley at all was to assist the museum staff with a particular, and rather singular, survey and excavation. The location and circumstances of this field project were quite remarkable.
Continue reading A True Ghost Story Part Five: The Grave on the Hill →

A True Ghost Story Installment D: I see dead people. Hey, It’s my job!

October 31, 2011UncategorizedUncategorizedGreg Laden

I wrote earlier about the graves that were dug daily to receive the dead. In truth, the details of this procedure are still being worked out by archaeologists at the McGregor Museum in Kimberley, but when we were there on this particular trip, part of the grave yard to which I refer had been just discovered, accidentally uncovered during a public works drainage project. I’ve never seen anything quite like it in all my years as an archaeologist.
Continue reading A True Ghost Story Installment D: I see dead people. Hey, It’s my job! →

A True Ghost Story III: Who is that kilted man with the big gun?

October 31, 2011UncategorizedUncategorizedGreg Laden

Well, we were living with this ghost who would walk up and down the hall in the middle of the night, invisibly leaving behind only the sound of its footsteps. But before I tell you how this all came out, I want to tell you a related side story.

As I had mentioned, I had the “hallway extension” room. Let me explain.
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A True Ghost Story Part B: The Ghost In the Hall

October 31, 2011UncategorizedUncategorizedGreg Laden

So there we were in the Haunted Guest Quarters of the Old Infirmary, and I had already heard the ghost once. In the morning, my colleague and BFF Lynne who was staying with us for a couple of days noted that she had heard the mysterious footsteps as well….
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A true ghost story. Part The First: A City of Death and Misery

October 31, 2011UncategorizedUncategorizedGreg Laden

Everything I’m about to tell you in this story is true.¹ This is a long story, so it may span more than one blog post. You might not want to read this story while you are alone or while sitting in the dark.²

Continue reading A true ghost story. Part The First: A City of Death and Misery →

Action Alert: Tell Congress To Support Federal Funding For The National Science Foundation

October 31, 2011UncategorizedUncategorizedGreg Laden

I received the following email and urge readers to call your Senators and encourage them to support the National Science Foundation! Here’s why. Having worked in a Senate office, I can assure you that every call matters. The details:

Call your Senators by 5:00 ET today to urge them to support the House Appropriations Committee funding level of $6,859,867,000 (same funding level as for FY 2011) for the National Science Foundation (NSF) in fiscal year (FY) 2012.

Details here.

Dr Who Who’s Who

October 31, 2011UncategorizedUncategorizedGreg Laden

… the cast and crew special for the end of David Tennant’s tenure as the Doctor.

Tell Congress To Support Federal Funding For The National Science Foundation

October 31, 2011UncategorizedUncategorizedGreg Laden

I received the following email and urge readers to call your Senators and encourage them to support the National Science Foundation! Here’s why. Having worked in a Senate office, I can assure you that every call matters. The details:

Call your Senators by 5:00 ET today to urge them to support the House Appropriations Committee funding level of $6,859,867,000 (same funding level as for FY 2011) for the National Science Foundation (NSF) in fiscal year (FY) 2012.

Details here.