Saturday, November 20, 2010

WOGE 103

Mauseus's WOGE 102 turned out to be the mediaeval chapel built on the site of a Roman signalling station within the grounds of Scarborough castle, Yorskshire, England. So here is WOGE 103:






If you can identify this site and its main period of occupation, then post your comment below. You can always follow WOGE on the Facebook group.


The Rules of When on Google Earth are as follows:

Q: What is When on Google Earth?

A: It’s a game for archaeologists, or anybody else willing to have a go!

Q: How do you play it?
A: Simple, you try to identify the site in the picture.

Q: Who wins?

A: The first person to correctly identify the site, including its major period of occupation, wins the game.

Q: What does the winner get?

A: The winner gets bragging rights and the chance to host the next When on Google Earth on his/her own blog!

18 comments:

  1. looks like somewhere along the Euphrates...?

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  2. 'Tell' you what, I think that, maybe, that's what she wants us to think, . .
    . and of course, those wound not be the Zagros Mountains then?

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  3. Geoff - nice try again but, er, still no ...

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  4. Heather, the geological WOGE runs much quicker as your WhenOnGoogleEarth. Pictures in your archeological WOGE are hard to find, as you use a very small scale and you guys cut of the Copyrightinformation (which helps a lot to locate). If the picture cannot be found, after some days a hint is given. So people do not get frustrated if the don't find it. Please take this as some kind of help and not as critisism. Viel GLück.

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  5. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  6. Felix - Thanks for your commments. It's difficult for the one who sets the challenge to gauge how much interest there is. So when the challenge is not solved quickly you can't be sure if it's because it's really difficult, or simply because very few people are actually bothering. I suspect geological WOGE attracts more players? I also suspect that interest in the archaeological WOGE has waned - a recent challenge was around for a couple of months before being cracked.

    As for the scale, if you use too large a scale for images of archaeological sites, then you can simply end up with the key details which might help to identify it being completely invisible. For identification purposes I try to strike a balance between showing enough of the site to make it recognisable, and enough of the surrounding landscape so that those who don't recognise the site immediately can try to track down the region, based on the surrounding landscape. That's how I approach it, I can't speak for others. (Also, I think that leaving in the copyright info can make it too easy.)

    If there's no progress in the next few days then I'll certainly put up a clue (but I don't have Geoff's devious brain!).

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  7. WOGE is a difficult challenge, I have only once known the site instantly. We can't put up Stonehenge every time!

    As an archaeologist you can usually pick the period, and part of the world, the rest is legwork.

    Setting the competition is very difficult to get right; All the sites I set are well known in their period/country, most are world heritage sites and can located & linked from internet sources. I am usually genuinely surprised/embarrassed how long it takes to solve my WOGEs.

    I think the problem is a lack players, or perhaps a lack of players with the completive drive, or time to devote to the hunt.
    Personally, I have to restrict my participation, not just for the time spent, but also because it becomes boring if the same people win all the time. [Much as I enjoy playing against Heather].

    PS. I think scales are important.

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  8. Well, I found it, and it's second century BC mostly Greek! But I don't want to win again!

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  9. 37°10'N 69°24'E "Ai Khanoum"
    was founded in the 4th century BC, following the conquests of Alexander the Great and was one of the primary cities of the Greco-Bactrian kingdom. Ai Khanoum was one of the focal points of Hellenism in the East for nearly two centuries, until its annihilation by nomadic invaders around 145 BC. The major period of occupation was therefore around 250BC.
    Source: Wikipedia

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  10. . .or Ay Khanum; Nice one Felix, it is so much more rewarding when it's not really easy.

    My 'devious' / culturally biassed clue would be 'Mark Waugh'

    [Australian Cricketer; younger twin brother of Captain Steve Waugh, who was known as Afgan or Afghanistan - the forgotten War!]

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  11. Geoff: I found the spot some weeks ago, but as I am interested more in geology, I did not want to mix up the geological WhereOnGoogleEarth with your WhenOnGoogleEarth. Finding the spot was not difficult, as we were looking at a river intersection in an arid environment with the main river flowing from north to south.

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  12. Felix, please accept my apologies if I appeared to question your skills at WOGE.

    I must admit it was geology/topography, that gave its general location away for me. Looked like some form of high plateau, not well developed agriculture, on the edge of mountains, which were not the Zagros.
    This is also sort of on [the edge] of Heathers archaeological patch.

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  13. Ok, well done Felix - Ai Khanoum is right. So it's up to you to set the next challenge.

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  14. WhenOnGoogleEarth104 is ready for hunting. I think it should be not to hard to find.

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  15. Heather: thanks for the facebook entry. (I do not have an account)

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  16. Hi Heather,
    WOGE 105 is up at;
    http://structuralarchaeology.blogspot.com/2010/12/when-on-google-earth-105.html

    Please could you update the Facebook page.

    PS. I thought this a very good and interesting WOGE.

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  17. Hi Geoff - sorry I missed your last comment until now as I don't tend to look at my WOGE blog once it has been solved! But I think someone else has already updated the Facebook page. Thanks anyway!

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