I A N   F I R E S T O N E Web Developer  •  Publishing & Marketing Consultant  •  Dad

A R C H A E O L O G Y

When I was a theological seminary student in the 1980s, the curriculum contained subjects such as exegesis (extracting the intended, rather than wished-for, meaning from a document), Biblical languages (Greek, Hebrew), and an introduction to archaeology.  My mentors, some of whom were former archaeologists, explained to me the relevance of languages and writing systems adjacent to the Biblical ones (Aramaic, Ugaritic, Coptic, Cuneiform, Egyptian hieroglyphs).  Though the interest in theology didn't last, I was fascinated by the origins of cultures, religion, and the notions that weave throughout them.      Since that time I have been fascinated by ancient civilizations--Sumer, Ugarit, Elam, Egypt, Assyria, Babylon.  I'm also interested in studying the parallels between the civilizations that evolved apart from the cluster of early Mediterranean city-states, such as remote Asian and American societies (Mayans, Incas, and Aztecs, among others).  I especially dig the Bronze age, and have even collected a few artifacts from the period.  One of my favorite themes to study is the prevalence of ibex iconography.  The ibex is a Eurasian mountain goat, from which the domestic goat was bred prior to recorded history.  The ibex is the center of the Firestone coat-of-arms, and apparently has been the symbol of numerous, often connected, clans and guilds from southeastern Europe to the Mediterranean and eastward through the Himalayas.      If you ever wish to surprise me with a gift, I love 3,000 year old bronze figurines of animals from Luristan, a nice cuneiform tablet, coins from the Seleucid Empire, a terra-cotta bowl from the Indus Valley, or an Egyptian scarab.  My tastes are simple.

Copyright © 2009-2011 Ian Firestone
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Why are you down here?