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Tag Archives: artefacts
Destruction of Juukan Gorge: we need to know the history of artefacts, but it is more important to keep them in place
Juukan Gorge photographed May 15.
Puutu Kunti Kurrama And Pinikura Aboriginal Corporation
Jacinta Koolmatrie, Flinders University
A day before Reconciliation Week and the day Australia was meant to be acknowledging and remembering the Stolen Generations, news came of something that seemed to put Australia back a few decades in their journey towards "Reconciliation". Rio Tinto had detonated a 46,000 year old site known as Juukan Gorge.
This news was simply gut-wrenching.
Artefacts found at the site were among some of the oldest in Western Australia, making it incredibly significant not only for the Traditional Owners, the Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura people, but also for the history of this continent.
Rio Tinto just blasted away an ancient Aboriginal site. Here's why that was allowed
Also startling for many was this detonation had been in process for several years. The dating of the site to 46,000 years old had been uncovered through salvage excavation in preparation for this destruction.
I cannot speak for the Traditional Owners, nor can I speak on the complexities surrounding the approval of the blast, but the removal of artefacts from their place has impacted every single Aboriginal person on this continent. That is what I can speak on.
Salvage excavations
Salvage excavation is archaeological work conducted to record and collect all evidence of human occupation at a site that has been or will be impacted by development.
Excavation itself is destructive. The moment a trowel is inserted into the ground, the site has been destroyed. Salvage excavations, like all excavations, require this destruction to be worth it. Comprehensive recording of every aspect of an excavation is necessary, from changes in soil to recording each artefact found.
Archaeology also considers how artefacts will be cared for in the long term: where they will be kept and who will be caring for them. It is preferable for artefacts to remain at their location. In cases where this proves impossible, salvaging is required.
At a surface level, it seems unproblematic if everything was collected from the ground, analysed and placed in a box: those artefacts would be preserved for all of eternity. Now, they are no longer subject to erosion, animal activity or (the more perplexing argument) the threat of humans. But cultural institutions are not immune to disaster.
In 2019, Brazil's national museum was devastated by a fire. This summer, Australian galleries closed due to the potential impact of smoke on collections. The South Australian Museum has repeatedly discussed the threat of water leaks to their collections.
These institutions are built to preserve heritage but they should not be viewed as the only preservation option, especially for heritage heavily intertwined with place.
Why is place important?
There is a common narrative Aboriginal people wandered this continent aimlessly. Rarely is there discussion our ancestors moved with intention, demonstrated clearly in the ways they passed down generational knowledge to us. Why else would they have mapped this land?
It's taken thousands of years, but Western science is finally catching up to Traditional Knowledge
Where they chose to leave their presence should be viewed as intentional and as representation of that significance.
This significance has flowed through time, strengthening the connection of this place to us. In cases where there is a physical presence of our ancestors, it is integral we maintain the connection of this physical history to place.
For many, Juukan Gorge was mainly significant because of its early date. But not all Aboriginal heritage is afforded this same interest. Not all of our heritage can be dated that early, and a lot of our heritage simply is not tangible. A vast majority of our heritage is found in our knowledge of the land that traverses this continent. Mostly, this heritage goes unseen by our colonisers, making it easily overlooked in favour of development.
Sometimes, the tangible heritage found in these places is the only thing standing in the way of destroying a place. It is the only thing demonstrating we are a people who have deep connections to this land. Not only from a spiritual side, but also from a linear western view of time.
Aboriginal knowledges of these places, and how this knowledge links to the archaeological record, is what can fully contextualise the meaning of these places for our ancestors – and for us today.
The importance of empathy
Maintaining the connection of place with our ancestors' possessions found at these places may be solidified through the implementation of stricter laws. But if a company wants something and our heritage is standing in the way, those laws can always be bent. The value of destroying these places is much higher than the value of keeping them – at least in the eyes of our colonisers. A loophole will be found, and our communities will suffer and grieve another loss.
If we want something long lasting, something transcending laws, empathy needs to be much stronger, something embedded into the mind and heart. Not the type of empathy that emerges when one has to say "sorry", but the type existing before "sorry" is even considered.
With empathy, how could you justify the hurt Aboriginal people on this continent experience when we find out another culturally significant place has been destroyed?
Jacinta Koolmatrie, Lecturer in Archaeology, Flinders University
Leave a comment	| tags: Aborigines, artefacts, article, Australia, Juukan Gorge, mining, Rio Tinto, Western Australia	| posted in Aborigines, article, Australia, Juukan Gorge, Western Australia
Museums are losing millions every week but they are already working hard to preserve coronavirus artefacts
The Smithsonian Institute closed all of its museums due to the worldwide COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
Anna M. Kotarba-Morley, Flinders University
The COVID-19 pandemic has no borders and has caused the deaths of hundreds of thousands of citizens from countries across the globe. But this outbreak is not just having an effect on the societies of today, it is also impacting our past.
Cultural resources and heritage assets – from sites and monuments, historic gardens and parks, museums and galleries, to the intangible lifeways of traditional culture bearers – require ongoing safeguarding and maintenance in an overstretched world increasingly prone to major crises.
Meanwhile, the heritage sector is already working hard to preserve the COVID-19 moment, predicting that future generations will need documentary evidence, photographic archives and artefacts to help them understand this period of history.
Closed to visitors
The severity of the pandemic, and the infection control responses that followed, has caused great uncertainties and potential long-term knock-on effects within the sector, especially for smaller and medium-sized institutions and businesses.
A survey published by the Network of European Museum Organisations (NEMO) and communications within organisations such as the International Committee for Archaeological Heritage Management (ICAHM) show that the majority of European museums are closed, incurring significant losses of income. By the beginning of April, 650 museums from 41 countries had responded to the NEMO survey, reporting 92% of them were closed.
Large museums such as the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna and the Rijksmuseum and Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam are losing €100,000-€600,000 (A$168,700-A$1,012,000) per week. Only about 70% of staff are currently being retained on average at most of the institutions.
Museums (both private and national) located in tourist areas have privately reported initial losses of 75-80% income based on the Heritage Sector Briefing to the UK government. Reports are also emerging of philanthropic income fall of 80-90% by heritage charities with many heading towards insolvency within weeks.
Cambodia's Angkor Wat heritage site has lost 99.5% of its income in April compared to the same time last year.
Meanwhile, restorations to the cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris came to an abrupt halt due to coronavirus just prior to the first anniversary of the fierce fire that damaged it. Builders have since returned to the site.
The situation is especially dire for culture bearers within remote and isolated indigenous communities still reeling from other catastrophes, such as the disastrous fires in Australia and the Amazon. Without means of social distancing these communities are at much higher risk of being infected and in turn their cultural custodianship affected.
Coronavirus: as culture moves online, regional organisations need help bridging the digital divide
The right to culture
It is interesting to think about how this crisis will reshape visitor experience in the future.
The NEMO survey reports that more than 60% of the museums have increased their online presence since they were closed due to social distancing measures, but only 13.4% have increased their budget for online activities. We have yet to see more data about online traffic in virtual museums and tours, but as it stands it is certainly showing signs of significant increase.
As highlighted in the preamble of the 2003 UNESCO Declaration:
cultural heritage is an important component of cultural identity and of social cohesion, so that its intentional destruction may have adverse consequences on human dignity and human rights.
The human right of access to and enjoyment of cultural heritage is guaranteed by international law, emphasised in the Human Rights Council in its recent Resolution 33/20 (2016) that notes:
the destruction of or damage to cultural heritage may have a detrimental and irreversible impact on the enjoyment of cultural rights.
Article 27 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that:
everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits.
Protecting heritage is a human right
In the future, generations will need the means to understand how the coronavirus pandemic affected our world, just as they can now reflect on the Spanish Flu or the Black Death.
Preserving a pandemic
Work is underway to preserve this legacy with organisations such as Historic England collecting "lockdown moments in living memories" through sourcing photographs from the public for their archive. Twitter account @Viral_Archive run by a number of academic archaeologists is following in a same vane with interesting theme of #ViralShadows.
In the United States, the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History has assembled a dedicated COVID-19 collection task force. They are already collecting objects including personal protection equipment such as N95 and homemade cloth masks, empty boxes (to show scarcity), and patients' illustrations.
The National Museum of Australia has invited Australians to share their "experiences, stories, reflections and images of the COVID-19 pandemic" so curators can enhance the "national conversation about an event which is already a defining moment in our nation's history". The State Library of New South Wales is collecting images of life in isolation to "help tell this story to future generations".
Citizen science is a great way to engage public and although such work is labour-intensive it can lead to more online traffic and potentially fill in financial deficits by enticing visitors back to the sites.
The closed Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, Netherlands on March 22.
Priorities here
The timing of the COVID-19 pandemic – occurring in the immediate aftermath of severe draught, catastrophic fire season and then floods, with inadequate intervening time for maintenance and conservation efforts – presents new challenges.
The federal government reports that in the financial year 2018-19, Australia generated A$60.8 billion in direct tourism gross domestic product (GDP). This represents a growth of 3.5% over the previous year – faster than the national GDP growth. Tourism directly employed 666,000 Australians making up 5% of Australia's workforce. Museums and heritage sites are a significant pillar to tourism income and employment.
Even though the government assures us "heritage is all the things that make up Australia's identity – our spirit and ingenuity, our historic buildings, and our unique, living landscapes" its placement within the Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment's portfolio shows lack of prioritisation of the sector.
Given the struggles we are already seeing in the arts and culture sector, which has been recently moved to the portfolio of the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications means that the future of our heritage (and our past) is far from certain.
Anna M. Kotarba-Morley, Lecturer, Archaeology, Flinders University
Leave a comment	| tags: artefacts, article, Australia, coronavirus, health, museums, preserve	| posted in Australia, COVID-19/coronavirus, Health and Fitness, Museums
The violent collectors who gathered Indigenous artefacts for the Queensland Museum
Aboriginal protectors Walter Roth and Archibald Meston between them collected over 700 objects for the Queensland Museum.
Gemmia Burden, The University of Queensland
Europeans collected a huge number of Aboriginal artefacts during the colonisation of Australia. These include weapons, bags, toys, clothing, canoes, tools, ceremonial items, and ancestral human remains. Many institutions that hold these items are repatriating them to Aboriginal people. While repatriation is important, what often goes unrecognised is the crucial part that collectors played in the violent dispossession of First Nations people.
My research is on the Queensland Museum's collecting networks. Formed in 1862, the museum amassed a significant collection of Aboriginal artefacts over the following 60 years. Despite countless, undocumented interactions between makers, owners, collectors and curators, many of which were no doubt benevolent, frontier violence was a crucial aspect of the museum's collecting.
Instances of grave robbing and body snatching as methods of collecting are not specific to Queensland. Many institutions in Australia and abroad have problematic acquisition histories, particularly in relation to the study of remains.
Activists have been agitating for the return of cultural materials for decades, and museums across Australia, including the Queensland Museum, have developed repatriation programs and policies. It works closely with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to prioritise the return of ancestral remains and sacred objects. But much material collected through violent means is still held in its collection.
While there is no evidence of the museum being directly involved in frontier killings, the use of the police, protectors, missionaries and frontier doctors as the dominant network of collectors implicates the museum as a passive beneficiary of dispossession.
In a response to The Conversation, the Queensland Museum said: "We believe these are important stories to be told and understood, and we recognise past hurts and are actively working to address these issues.
"Queensland Museum Network acknowledges that between the 1870s and 1970s, a number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Ancestral Remains, Burial Goods and Secret and/or Sacred Objects were acquired without consent or due regard to traditional lore and custom."
Illustration of the new Exhibition Building at Bowen Park, 1891.
Dispossessing and collecting
In the 1870s, police Sub-Inspector Alexander Douglas, noted for his role in violent dispersals of Aboriginal people, sent the Queensland Museum ancestral remains and burial goods. These had been stolen during punitive raids on Aboriginal people in the Gulf of Carpentaria.
The following decade, Francis Lyons, a "pioneer resident of Cairns", offered the museum mummified remains he had stolen during a retributive attack on Aboriginal people. In his accompanying correspondence he wrote:
They abandoned everything except the [remains] … and it was not until after a long and desperate chase, and when their lives were in imminent danger that the[y] … dropped it.
In many instances cultural items – mostly weapons and bags – were purchased from Aboriginal people. The museum issued its collectors with tobacco for payment, itself pointing to the power imbalance of frontier currency. Yet as both Lyons and Douglas's cases show, items were also removed after Aboriginal people were forcibly dispossessed from their country, taken from the surface, and at times stolen following raids.
Inside Queensland's first natural history museum, 1872, showing Aboriginal artefacts and images on the back wall.
Some ancestral remains held by the museum were plundered from grave sites. Remains were dug up, stolen from caves, burial trees, and bags, depending on regional customs.
While these practices may have sat outside the bounds of European expectations of death and burial, the plunderers were acutely aware of the damage they were inflicting. One correspondent informed the museum in 1880 that exhuming the remains of a recently deceased man was "too much like desecrating unless it was in the interest of science". The idea of contributing to scientific knowledge was used to justify these actions.
Remains were also plundered from massacre sites, often decades after the event, as well as former mission sites, and sent to the museum with the sanctioning of the police and protectors.
Remains were also taken from regional hospitals, at times with the approval of the Chief Protector, the government agent responsible for Aboriginal people. Rogue doctors stole others from post-mortem rooms. In 1885, for example, the remains of South Sea Island labourers were sent from the Polynesian hospital in Mackay with specific instructions to "make them look a little ancient".
Empire and science
The emergence of racial science in the mid-19th century, combined with the British Empire's expansion, drove the desire for Aboriginal artefacts. Objects were collected as anything from curiosities to scientific specimens, tendentiously used to "prove" European superiority.
With an interest in the "science of man", the Queensland Museum's curatorial staff maintained a network of collectors across the colony through relationships forged with (predominantly) men in remote locations. They included missionaries, journalists, station managers, doctors and public servants. A 1911 request targeted these networks, stating that "every effort" must be made in "acquiring those symbols of the life of the original Australian inhabitants whose rites, ceremonies, customs and traditions are becoming obsolete and being entirely lost to us".
Plate from The Evolution of Culture, Augustus Henry Lane-Fox Pitt-Rivers, 1906, Plate XII.
However, the most profitable collectors were the government agents regulating Aboriginal people's lives. For example, from the 1870s, the police channelled material and information to the museum. The Native Police officers became particularly important contributors.
The museum exploited their violent methods of colonial policing and practices of "dispersal" – a euphemism for massacre – and the police themselves noted this role. Following his dismissal from the force, and five years after leading an attack on Aborignal people at Creen Creek, former Native Police officer William Armit wrote of ethnographic collecting that "no one can be more fortunately situated for such work than the Native Police officers".
The passing of the 1897 Aboriginal Protection and Restriction of the Sale of Opium Act also led to increases in the museum's acquisitions. Protectors, such as Northern and later Chief Protector Walter Roth and Southern Protector Archibald Meston, were active collectors. They became two of the museum's largest donors with upwards of 700 items between them, both acquiring material through their official duties.
Collecting as violence
Apart from benefiting from the spoils of colonial violence, the act of collecting itself can be seen as violent. Structural violence – the social, cultural, legal, economic and political structures that marginalise groups – does not only cause physical harm, it also inflicts damage on the mind and spirit.
Collectors knew that taking ancestral remains from burial places would cause harm. Indeed one collector noted: "I feel repugnance to hurt their feelings willingly." While procurement may have been void of direct violence, waiting for an old man to die in order to send his body to the museum, as in one case in 1915, was a malevolent act of indirect violence.
Taking materials from country also served Europeans in claiming possession, both emotional and physical, of the land. By removing Aboriginal people and culture, the invaders were writing their own narratives of ownership over the land. As settler colonies were built on the dispossession of Indigenous people, the removal of cultural materials became part of the appropriation of land.
While repatriating Aboriginal cultural materials is undeniably important, we must also acknowledge the histories behind their collection. This is an important part of the repatriation process itself.
Gemmia Burden, Faculty Post-Thesis Fellow, Honorary Research Fellow in History, School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, The University of Queensland
Leave a comment	| tags: artefacts, Australia, collectors, gathered, indigenous, Queensland, Queensland Museum, violent	| posted in Aborigines, article, Australia, Museums, Queensland
Fifteen years after looting, thousands of artefacts are still missing from Iraq's national museum
Craig Barker, University of Sydney
On April 10 2003, the first looters broke into the National Museum of Iraq. Staff had vacated two days earlier, ahead of the advance of US forces on Baghdad. The museum was effectively ransacked for the next 36 hours until employees returned.
The National Museum of Iraq in the wake of looting in 2003.
Jamal Saidi
While the staff – showing enormous bravery and foresight – had removed and safely stored 8,366 artefacts before the looting, some 15,000 objects were taken during that 36 hours. While 7,000 items have been recovered, more than 8,000 remain unaccounted for, including artefacts thousands of years old from some of the earliest sites in the Middle East.
The looting is regarded as one of the worst acts of cultural vandalism in modern times, but much more of Iraq's rich cultural history has been destroyed, damaged or stolen in the years since. Indeed the illegal trade in looted antiquities is growing.
Gold and lapis bowl from Ur, Iraq Museum IM8272. Current statue is unknown.
Oriental Institute Lost Treasures from Iraq database
One of the museum objects that remains lost is a black stone weight shaped like a duck made around 2070 BC and excavated from the ancient city of Ur. Another is a fluted gold and lapis bowl from a royal cemetery in the same city.
The museum's collection of cylinder seals (used to print images, usually into clay) was hit especially hard as they were easy to conceal and transport and had a ready market overseas. Of the 5144 taken, just over half have been returned. The museum reopened in 2014, somewhat a shadow of its former self.
Duck-shaped weight from Ur, Iraq Museum IM3580. Current status unknown.
Some high value items looted from the museum were so recognisable that they could not possibly appear on the open market, suggesting they were taken with buyers already lined up. In contrast to this was the opportunistic looting undertaken by locals: in some galleries copies were stolen but genuine pieces ignored.
Global outrage at the looting did lead to immediate action. One of the most successful programs was an amnesty granted by authorities that saw almost 2,000 items returned by January 2004, and a further thousand items seized by Iraqi and US investigators.
Iraqi Col. Ali Sabah, displays ancient artefacts Iraqi Security Forces discovered in 2008, during two raids in northern Basra.
Initial returns were largely local. One early success was the famous Lady of Warka, dated to around 3100 BC; she was recovered by investigators at a nearby farm following a tip off.
Others have come home following international investigations (a large number of objects seem to have travelled through London and New York in the aftermath), such as a statue of Assyrian king Argon II seized in New York in 2008 and returned to the museum in 2015.
Likewise the heaviest item stolen, a headless statue of the Sumerian king Entemena of Lagash was recovered in New York in 2006 with the help of an art dealer. Interpol and the University of Chicago have fastidiously maintained databases for objects looted from museum.
Demand increasing
While destruction and looting of cultural heritage has been a by-product of war for thousands of years, the scale of the looting of the Iraq Museum was staggering. Particularly frustrating were the neglected warnings that such an incident could happen, and the immediate response from the Bush administration that "stuff happens".
The museum looting should have been a clarion call for the need for better protection of antiquities in conflict zones, both from combatants and local populations. Sadly, this has not been the case. There has been subsequent destruction of archaeological sites and museums in Syria and Libya, ISIS selling antiquities to finance weapons, and increases in thefts from both private and public collections and from archaeological sites.
Part of the problem with halting the illegal global trade of stolen antiquities is the scale of the market. In late 2017, an investigation by the Wall Street Journal presented the sobering assessment that over 100,000 antiquities are offered for sale online daily, of which up to 80% are likely to be faked or looted.
National Museum of Iraq in 2018.
MohammadHuzam/Wikimedia commons
The industry is estimated by Neil Brodie of the University of Oxford to have a turnover of US$10 million a day. Today's antiquities black market is using social media platforms and messenger apps to reach buyers in a way that would have been inconceivable to looters in 2003. There has been a surge in antiquities originating in Syria available online since the outbreak of the civil war.
In order to halt looting, it is essential that private collectors and institutions only purchase antiquities with a legal provenance to dry up the demand.
Ironically, centuries after many of the remains of these ancient cultural entities were looted by European colonial forces in order to fill grand national museums, we are seeing a 21st century version of cultural colonialism. Private collectors are enabling an entire economy of illegal activities.
The loss of these sites and artefacts is disastrous for humanity. The Baghdad looting has shown that in times of conflict, not even a museum can necessarily provide a sanctuary, without meaningful policies of protection. Sadly, it appears we have not learnt the lessons of April 2003.
Craig Barker, Education Manager, Sydney University Museums, University of Sydney
Leave a comment	| tags: artefacts, article, Iraq, looting, missing, museum, national	| posted in article, Iraq
Erasing history: why Islamic State is blowing up ancient artefacts
Iraqi soldiers gather near the remains of wall panels and colossal statues of winged bulls that were destroyed by Islamic State militants in the Assyrian city of Nimrud, late last year.
Ari Jalal/Reuters
Benjamin Isakhan, Deakin University and Jose Antonio Gonzalez Zarandona, Deakin University
One of the many tragedies that have unfolded in the wake of the Islamic State (IS) is their smashing of statues and the destruction of ancient archaeological sites. Indeed, the rapid and terrifying advance of the IS has proved fatal for much invaluable heritage.
They toppled priceless statues at the Mosul Museum in northern Iraq. They used sledgehammers and power tools to deface giant winged-bull statues at Nineveh on the outskirts of Mosul. At Nimrud, IS detonated explosives, turning the site into a giant, brown, mushroom cloud. They used assault rifles and pickaxes to destroy invaluable carvings at Hatra; and at Palmyra in Syria they blew up the 2,000-year-old temples dedicated to the pagan gods Baal Shamin and Bel.
A damaged artefact at the Mosul museum, where Islamic State militants filmed themselves destroying priceless statues and sculptures in 2015.
Thaier Al-Sudani /Reuters
It's difficult to interpret the unprecedented scale of this heritage destruction. The global media and politicians have tended to frame these events as random casualties of wanton terror or as moments of unrestrained barbarism.
UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Director General Irina Bokova, for instance, reacted to the destruction of Nimrud by arguing that such attacks were underpinned by "propaganda and hatred". There is, she said, "absolutely no political or religious justification for the destruction of humanity's cultural heritage".
However, in an article published recently in the International Journal of Heritage Studies, we argue that the acts of heritage destruction undertaken by IS are much more than mere moments of propaganda devoid of political or religious justification.
We analysed two key IS media outlets: Dabiq, their glossy periodical online magazine, which is part manifesto, part call to arms, and part grisly newsletter; and the various slick propaganda films released by Al-Hayat.
We found that the heritage destruction wrought by IS was not only very deliberate and carefully staged, but underpinned by three specific and clearly articulated frameworks.
Firstly, the IS have gone to great theological (if selective) lengths to justify their iconoclasm. For example, an Al-Hayat film documenting the destruction at the Mosul Museum and Nineveh starts:
Oh Muslims, the remains that you see behind me are the idols of peoples of previous centuries, which were worshipped instead of Allah. The Assyrians, Akkadians, and others took for themselves gods of rain, of agriculture, and of war, and worshipped them along with Allah, and tried to appease them with all kinds of sacrifices… Since Allah commanded us to shatter and destroy these statues, idols, and remains, it is easy for us to obey, and we do not care [what people think], even if they are worth billions of dollars.
Jounalists walk near the remains of the Monumental Arch in the historic Syrian city of Palmyra in April last year.
Omar Sanadiki/Reuters
The destruction at Palmyra features in a double-page spread with 14 colour photographs in Dabiq. In the French edition, Dar-al-Islam, the text states:
Baal is a false divinity for which people sacrificed their children as indicated in the book of Jeremiah (Old Testament). But by the Grace of Allah, soldiers of the Caliphate destroyed it.
Secondly, the IS make frequent reference to key historical figures to justify their iconoclasm. These include the Prophet Abraham's destruction of idols and the Prophet Muhammad's iconoclasm at the Ka'ba, the centrepiece of Mecca's mosque.
Palmyra's Monumental Arch in 2010.
Sandra Auger/Reuters
In an Al-Hayat film documenting the destruction at the Mosul Museum and Nineveh, one militant states:
The Prophet Muhammad shattered the idols with his own honourable hands when he conquered Mecca. The Prophet Muhammad commanded us to shatter and destroy statues. This is what his companions did later on, when they conquered lands.
Similar homage is also paid throughout the magazine Dabiq to other, more contemporary, moments of iconoclasm perpetrated by Islamic fundamentalists. These include the destruction of untold numbers of heritage sites by the Wahhabi sect across the Arabian peninsula from the mid-18th century; the Taliban's destruction of the Bamiyan Buddhas in Afghanistan in 2001; and the destruction of the al-'Askari mosque by al-Qa'eda in Iraq in 2006.
Finally, and often overlooked, the IS have used political reasoning to justify the destruction. One Dabiq article states:
The kuffār [unbelievers] had unearthed these statues and ruins in recent generations and attempted to portray them as part of a cultural heritage and identity that the Muslims of Iraq should embrace and be proud of. Yet this opposes the guidance of Allah and His Messenger and only serves a nationalist agenda.
We can see two dimensions of the IS's political iconoclasm here. First, it is an attack on "the kuffār". These are presumably Westerners who, as part of the colonial period, drew the modern borders and created the contemporary states of the Middle East. They also excavated Mesopotamian archaeological sites and placed relics in public museums to be admired.
Second, the attacks on sites inscribed on UNESCOs World Heritage List (such as Hatra and Palmyra) are also an attack on the values such institutions promote: secular, liberal, humanist values that promote a recognition of the shared heritage of human civilization. This is in stark contrast to the IS who seek to create religious, historical and political homogeneity under the rule of a strict caliphate.
In March 2015 UNESCO's Bokova issued a statement referring to the destruction of heritage sites at the hands of the IS as a "war crime".
Hatra in 2002, before the carnage.
Suhaib Salem/Reuters
Knowing that UNESCO was powerless to stop them, the following month the IS released an Al-Hayat video filmed at the ancient city of Hatra. The film shows militants using sledgehammers and assault rifles to destroy priceless reliefs engraved into the walls of the fortress city. It also features a bold repost to Bokova:
Some of the infidel organisations say the destruction of these alleged artefacts is a war crime. We will destroy your artefacts and idols anywhere and Islamic State will rule your lands.
Such brash assertions made by IS clearly demonstrate that their heritage destruction cannot be dismissed as being simple propaganda.
Instead, as we have shown, the heritage destruction undertaken by the IS are not only very carefully planned and executed, but also couched within a broader religious, historical and political framework that seeks to justify their violent iconoclasm.
Understanding the complex layers that drive such iconoclasm are a step towards developing better responses to the destruction of our shared cultural heritage.
Benjamin Isakhan, Associate Professor of Politics and Policy, Deakin University and Jose Antonio Gonzalez Zarandona, Associate Research Fellow, Heritage Destruction Specialist, Deakin University
Leave a comment	| tags: ancient, artefacts, article, blowing up, erasing, history, IS, ISIL, ISIS, Islam, Islamic State, Muslim, Muslims	| posted in Archaeology, article, ISIS, Islam
Ancient Artefact Ownership?
Leave a comment	| tags: ancient, archaeology, artefacts, ownership, video	| posted in Archaeology
France: Paris – Egyptian Artefacts on Display
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Australia: Aboriginal Artefacts Found in Newcastle
The link below is to an article reporting on the discovery of Aboriginal artefacts in Newcastle, NSW, Australia.
http://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com.au/2014/02/aboriginal-artefacts-uncovered-during.html
Leave a comment	| tags: Aboriginal, Aborigines, artefacts, Australia, discovery, found, New South Wales, Newcastle, NSW	| posted in Aborigines, Archaeology, article, Australia, New South Wales, Newcastle


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The Star Building
123 Justison Street, Wilmington DE, 19801
Pettinaro certainly raised eyebrows in the commercial real estate community when it announced the speculative construction of a 150,000 SF Class A office building on site of a former industrial building at the Wilmington Riverfront. This announcement came during a historic low in the office leasing market. Having no signed leases, Pettinaro completed the seven-story building in early 2010, using its in house construction company, Pettinaro Construction Company, Inc. The Star Building was built on a site across from the Christina Crescent Building, which was completed by Pettinaro just a few years prior. In April 2010, Pettinaro announced its first tenant, Delaware based law firm, Grant & Eisenhofer, PA. Since then, the Star Building has become home to additonal regional and national tenants such as Navient, Bernardon, Credit Shop and Health Core. Pettinaro Construction Company, Inc. also completed the tenant fitouts in this building for a majority of the tenants including Navient, Healthcore and Bernardon.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Refer to 'Sales and Supply' for information on pricing and availability.
The Sunshine Sugar industrial wholesale range includes raw sugar, white sugar - bottlers grade, white sugar - manufacturers grade, caster sugar and liquid sugars; as well as molasses, syrups and treacles.


It is raining right now. It is raining hard. For the last half hour the sky has been slowly darkening and the wind has been steadily picking up speed. The massive pillars of clouds have been marching in unison and in step with the rhythm set by the howl of the approaching storm. The air betrays the steady build up of unleashed force . . .
A brilliant light slices through the volatile stillness and streaks across the sky. The bolt strikes and retracts in less than a second. Only present for an instant, the flash has lit up the darkened canopy that surrounds us and has revealed the full extent of the massive storm.
Quick on its heals comes what sounds like a team of jets barreling overhead shattering the normal constraints of sound and space. The increasing roar turns suddenly into a deafening audible explosion as the round of thunder reaches its climax.
Leigh Anne likes to lock our doors and close our blinds when storms begin to rage. We both somehow consciously attempt to keep the staggering power that seems to be descending upon our little apartment. Just as we finish fortifying our barracks, we hear a forceful cracking sound that seems to be right inside with us. The walls and floor seem to resonate with the waves of power that are piercing through whatever stands in its way. I feel the apartment rumble and sway.
In that split moment my heart skips a beat and it feels as if time has stood still; As if the seconds had stopped progressing and were bowing before their maker.
These moments seem to strip me of something. My guard is not so much let down as it is decimated. There is nothing left. Coming into contact with raw power, my defenses suddenly become non-existent as I seem to be standing in the middle of a wide open plain bereft of clothing, comfort, and cover. Something is involuntarily taken.
Today I've been writing a book review, paying bills, writing emails, and taking care of daily mundane tasks. But now, for a moment, those things cease to exist. The presence of power without limit has driven triviality and littleness of thought from my mind. Now my thoughts are on something big; something larger than myself is encroaching upon our seemingly self-sustaining and self-sufficient lives; The fringes of His glory have presently overwhelmed me. Now, our little apartment has turned into a sanctuary where the echoes of thunderous majesty are met with involuntary heart cries of awe and wonder.


text:
The first animal feeding trial studying the lifetime effects of exposure to Roundup tolerant GM maize, and Roundup, the world's best-selling weedkiller, shows that levels currently considered safe can cause tumors and multiple organ damage and lead to premature death in laboratory rats, according to research published online today by the scientific journal Food and Chemical Toxicology.
Researchers found that rats fed on a diet containing NK603 Roundup tolerant GM maize, or given water containing Roundup at levels permitted in drinking water and GM crops in the US, died earlier than rats fed on a standard diet. They suffered mammary tumors and severe liver and kidney damage.
The paper, "Long term toxicity of a Roundup herbicide and a Roundup-tolerant genetically modified maize" reports on a study conducted by a team of scientists led by molecular biologist and endocrinologist Professor Gilles-Eric Seralini, co-director of the Risk Quality and Sustainable Environment Unit at the University of Caen, France, who is an authority on studies into the health impact of GMO's and pesticides. It was supported by independent research organization, CRIIGEN.
Dr Michael Antoniou, molecular biologist at Kings College, London, and a member of the CRIIGEN scientific council, says:
"This is the most thorough research ever published into the health effects of GM food crops and the herbicide Roundup on rats. It shows an extraordinary number of tumors developing earlier and more aggressively – particularly in female animals. I am shocked by the extreme negative health impacts."
"The rat has long been used as a surrogate for human toxicity. All new pharmaceutical, agricultural and household substances are, prior to their approval, tested on rats. This is as good an indicator as we can expect that the consumption of GM maize and the herbicide Roundup, impacts seriously on human health."
In the peer reviewed paper, the research team say they believe this is the first long-term animal feeding trial to examine the effects of Roundup, the world's most used herbicide, and a commercial Roundup tolerant GM maize. Researchers studied 10 groups, each containing 10 male and 10 female rats, over their normal lifetime – two years.
FDA is requiring that dose of Ambien for women be cut in half due to prolonged action, making its... read more


text:
Olympia and the Ancient Olympic Games
Posted on February 21, 2014 by Baron Bodissey
If you appreciate this essay by Fjordman, please consider making a donation to him, using the button at the bottom of this post.
by Fjordman
In ancient Greece there were four so-called Panhellenic Games, open to all (free male) Greeks. They included the Nemean, Isthmian and Pythian Games. However, the Olympic Games were apparently the oldest of them.
Outsiders sometimes confuse Olympia with Mount Olympus. Olympia, where the original Olympic Games were held, is situated in the western parts of the Peloponnese, the large peninsula in southern Greece.
Mount Olympus, the highest mountain in the country at 2,917 meters, is located in northern Greece. In ancient Greek mythology, this was believed to be the home of the Olympian gods: Zeus, Poseidon, Aphrodite, Apollo, Ares, Artemis, Athena, Demeter, Dionysus, Hephaestus, Hera and Hermes. Hades, the brother of Zeus and Poseidon, ruled the Underworld.
The archaeological site of ancient Olympia, just next to the Stadium
There are traces of older buildings at Olympia, but according to tradition, the first Olympic Games took place there in 776 BC.[1] They were initially mainly of local importance, but gradually grew in significance. The games were held every four years. Whenever they took place, an Olympic truce of peace was supposed to hold force between the various Greek city-states.
The ancient Olympic Games continued from 776 BC until at least 394 AD. They were suppressed in Late Antiquity, after Christianity had been established as the state religion of the Roman Empire. The Olympic athletic competitions had formally been held in honor of Zeus, the mightiest of the Greek deities. As such, Christians were partly associated them with pagan gods.
The central part of Olympia was dominated by the majestic Temple of Zeus, with the Temple of Hera parallel to it. If you visit the Archaeological Museum of Olympia today, it houses remains from the workshop of the great sculptor Phidias (or Pheidias). These include tools such as bronze spatulas and awls as well as clay moulds. He stayed with his assistants at Olympia, after having worked for years on the magnificent Acropolis of Athens.
His great statue of Zeus was erected at the Temple of Zeus at Olympia shortly before Phidias died around 430 BC. It was his final masterpiece, considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It is now lost, but we have written descriptions of it plus smaller images preserved on coins.
The statue may have been as high as 13 meters. The huge chryselephantine statue had a core of wood, on which gold sheets were fitted depicting the god's himation (mantle), hair and shoes. The unclothed parts of the god, such as his face, torso and arms, were made of ivory.[2] The cedar wood throne upon which Zeus was sitting was ornamented with ebony, ivory and gold and decorated with precious stones. The bearded god was crowned with an olive wreath, his left hand holding a scepter next to an eagle. The statue was regularly oiled, in order to maintain the materials.
Visitors for many centuries marveled at Phidias' statue. It was considered so lifelike that it more or less defined people's image of Zeus. The Temple of Zeus stood at Olympia for over one thousand years. It was destroyed by earthquakes in the sixth century AD. Only ruins of it can be seen today, although one column was restored for the modern Olympic Games in Athens in 2004.[3]
The remains of the Temple of Zeus at ancient Olympia
The archaeological site of ancient Olympia is an interesting place to visit. However, it doesn't have quite the same atmosphere as does Delphi, the site of the most important oracle in the ancient Mediterranean world. Nor does it have the magnificent mountainous setting of today's Greek Christian monasteries of Meteora further north.
Upon visiting Olympia in 2013, I was told by our otherwise knowledgeable and reliable guide that the first award at the very earliest Olympic Games was an apple. I had never heard this before, but the claim seems to be supported by other sources.[4]
Apples have been important in European culture for thousands of years, not just in southern Europe but in northern Europe as well, for instance in Norse mythology. Europeans in the Stone Age ate small, wild apples even before they took up agriculture.[5] Heracles (Hercules in Latin), the greatest of the ancient Greek mythological heroes, stole the golden apples from the Garden of the Hesperides as one of his twelve labors.
The winner of an Olympic event was later awarded the famous olive branch. It was originally cut off with a golden sickle by a child whose parents were both alive. The branch was always cut from the same olive-tree, which lay near the Temple of Zeus.[6] The male athletes competed nude, and would use olive oil as a kind of soap for washing as well as to keep the skin smooth.
The Stadium at ancient Olympia…
…where the original Olympic Games were held
The thirteen Olympiads held between 776 and 728 BC had but one sport, the stadion.[7] It was named after the building in which it took place. This word became stadium in Latin, from which we derive our modern word for a sports arena. The stadion was a short foot race held in the stadion (stadium) at ancient Olympia, a sprint measuring approximately 180 meters.
Gradually other events were added. One of these was the pentathlon, a contest featuring five events on the same day: long jump, javelin throwing, discus throwing, the stadion and wrestling. The ancient Olympic Games eventually came to include boxing, pankration and longer running contests.[8] Horse races and chariot races took place in the Hippodrome, a wide, flat, open space to the south of the Stadium. The stadion sprint remained the most prestigious event, though, not unlike the men's 100 meters sprint in the modern Olympic Games.
In the original Stadium at Olympia, runners did not run around in elliptical tracks as they do in stadiums in our time. Instead, they would go back and forth along a straight line, comparable to what competitive swimmers do today.
The Stadium where the ancient Olympic Games were held every four years was 212.5 meters long and 28.5 meters wide. There were no permanent seats. The only exception was a stone platform (exedra) on the southern slope on which the judges would sit. All others would have to sit on the embankment and bring whatever they could for personal comfort, comparable to what people now do at certain modern festivals. The Stadium at Olympia could seat 45,000 spectators or more.[9]
The ancient Olympic Games were held every four years, but always in the same spot at Olympia, not in alternating locations as with the modern Olympic Games. Winning at the Olympics brought great honor, not just to the individual athletes but also to their home community.
All free male Greek citizens could participate in the games, regardless of their social status. They came from all over the Greek-speaking world, including colonies in Italy or around the Black Sea. Milon, a pupil of the philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras, came from the Greek city of Croton in southern Italy. He was six times Olympic wrestling champion, winning for the first time in 540 BC.[10]
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1. Information from signs at the archaeological site of ancient Olympia
2. Information from the Archaeological Museum of Olympia
4. http://www.akropol.net/olympic_games_history/history_olympic_games_page.htm
History of the Olympic Games
5. http://www.nhm.ac.uk/nature-online/life/plants-fungi/seeds-of-trade/page.dsml
Apples — Origins of cultivation
6. http://www.fhw.gr/olympics/ancient/en/203b5.html Awarding the prizes
8. http://www.olympic.org/ancient-olympic-games Ancient Olympic Games
10. http://www.olympic.org/ancient-olympic-games Ancient Olympic Games
This entry was posted in Europe, Fjordman, History, Religion by Baron Bodissey. Bookmark the permalink.
One thought on "Olympia and the Ancient Olympic Games"
Mark H on February 22, 2014 at 7:09 pm said:
Moving the Olympics every four years is a colossal waste of money and resources. They should return permanently to Greece.


Here we provide information concerning tyre law in the UK and on the continent (where motorway speeds can be higher than here) and inform you of the tyre sizes and preferred pressure levels for all of the models in the current Toyota passenger vehicle range.
See also: What is a Tyre Pressure Monitoring System, and how does it work?
2. Is there a general government recommendation for tyre pressure?
No, tyre pressure recommendations vary from car to car. Car manufacturers set the precedence for inflation levels.
3. Where can I check the pressures for my Toyota if it is not listed below?
The tyre pressure for your Toyota will be listed in the vehicle handbook and in the driver-side door recess. If you have a MyToyota account, you can also check the pressure levels there.
4. What rules are there concerning tyre condition?
Your tyres should be free from certain cuts and other defects such as uneven tread wear and foreign objects (e.g. nails).
5. Are there any tyre-related laws that I should be aware of when driving on the continent?
6. Why do pressure levels vary depending on wheel size?
Pressures vary because larger diameter wheels use lower profile tyres. Low profile tyres have less rolling resistance and drag than higher walled tyres, so inflating them to the same level as high profile rubber can give a harsh ride and increase road noise.
The following table lists the tyre sizes and recommended inflation pressures for all current models in the Toyota passenger vehicle range. Inflation pressures for older models can usually be found on one of the B-pillars, on the inside of the glove box lid, or within the owner's manual.
Hi I have just orded a new RAV4 Excel 2 Wheel Drive .
Thanks for getting in touch. The front tyre sizes are 225/60R18 and the rear tyre sizes are 225/60R18.
I have recently purchased a 2013 Prius Alpha (V/+) estate and on here it states 36psi all over and on the car door it states 35 in front and 33 psi on rear. Where are you getting 36psi all round on your recommendations from??????
Thanks for getting in touch. Could you please provide your registration/VIN number and we can look into this further for you?
Thanks for getting in touch. Unfortunately, we are only able to advise on cars in the UK market. We would advise contacting your local Toyota Centre for further assistance.
I'm so proud to be an working for Toyota IN Group.
Could you tell us suggested tyre pressures please.
Thanks for getting in touch. As the Toyota Alphard is not available in the UK market we cannot guarantee that we'll be able to find the suggested tyre pressure, however, if you could please provide your VIN number, we can look into this further.
What is the recommended tyre pressure for my Yaris 2010 reg with 185/60R15 tyres?
It doesn't seem to be listed above.
I own a 2010 UK Toyota Hilux – Double Cab, 2.5l 4×4 model. I'm considering 255 width/70 Profile on 15″ rims. I want to know if I can put on wider tyres on larger wheels.
The table above only shows 17″ and 18″ rims for a Hilux. What is the maximum and minimum tyre sizes (width, profile and rim) that I can use?
Thanks for getting in touch. If you could please provide a reg or VIN number then we will be able to assist you further.
Prius 2011 …is it okay to replace current tyres with 215 55 R17 upgrade?
3rd Gen Prius has been made available with 215/45R17 tyres, therefore, we would only recommend the use of the 215/45R17 tyres.
You can also find this information on TechDoc, if you would like to know for future use. Just visit: https://www.toyota-tech.eu.
If you click on "Repair" and then click on "Tyre information", you can enter your VIN or select the right model.
Hi, unfortunately we can only advise on Toyota's that are sold in the UK. We would recommend contacting Toyota in your region for advice on this specific model. Thanks.
Hi I have Toyota Vitiz 2001 model please could you tele me proper tyre-pressure thanks.
Thanks for getting in touch. The tyre pressure can be found on a sticker affixed to the door when you open it. It can also be found in the owners manual, however, as Toyota GB don't sell the Vitz, we'd advise going to Toyota in your region. Hope this helps.
Excellent information for all Toyota owners!
The 2009 verso recommends 205 60 R16 92V. Can i fit 205 60 R16 96V XL rated tyres instead? If yes, would tyre pressure need to be adjusted?
Sorry for the delayed response. We can confirm that if the tyre is the same size however also labelled 'XL', this signifies that this is a reinforced tyre. Reinforced tyres are adapted to withstand loads and pressures greater than those laid down for standard tyres.
For this reason, there should be no problem with fitting this tyre instead.
For the tyre pressures, we'd advise taking a look at the Owner's Manual or information sticker on the vehicle as normal. The you should use the same tyre pressures as the recommended, although keep in mind that if there is going to be additional load in the vehicle, set the pressures to the higher setting.
My 2015 RAV4 18″ Wheels trying to find the tyre reset switch it is not where shown in the manual under the steering column slightly to the right, the indicator light came on pressure was down to 28psi on all tyres so corrected this now to 32psi will there be a need now to re set the switch ??
Thanks for getting in touch and sorry for the delay. It's a black button, on a back panel in the foot well. Its somewhere where it cannot be accidentally pushed. If you are sitting in the drivers seat, its above your right shin. Hope this helps.
I have a 2016 Auris Hybrid Excel which has 17 inch tyres on it but could I, for fuel efficiency, go down to 15 or 16 inch tyres?
Thanks for getting in touch. We wouldn't recommend changing the size of your tyres as this can affect your 5 year warranty. Many thanks.
Hi, I have just purchased a 58 (2008) 1.3 SR and have noticed that the tyres on it are 195 50 16. On tyre websites such as Natiomnal Tyres, Formula 1 etc they are stating 205 45 17 w rated. Which is correct?.
Thank you for getting in touch with us. We're looking in to this at the moment, please could you give is your VIN or Reg number so we can give you a more detailed answer. Many thanks.
I have a 2016 avensis estate and have a problem with tyre sensor since a tyre was changed. All pressures are correct but sensor light will not go off. Any ideas?
We'd have to advise contacting your local Toyota Centre for information on this. They should be able to diagnose the issue.
I've recently purchased Toyota Auris 2012 Hybrid with original 17″ alloy wheels from one of the dealers. Am I still able to install 15″ alloy wheels for winter with 195/65R15 tyres? I want to have a separate set of wheels for winter/summer to feel safer during winter.
I'm looking at 6.0J (or 6.5J) x 15 wheels with offset = 45mm. Are these parameters ok?
We can only advise winter tyres on a like for like basis – so that for a 2012 Auris Hybrid, on the original 17″ wheels, we will only advise the Yokohama 215/45 R17 91V winter tyres, available through our Centres. Hope this helps!
Thank you for your advise but the set of these tyres would cost me just as much as set of 4 15″ alloy wheels + set of winter tyres.
Could you please advise if 15″ 6.0J/6.5J ET45 5/114.3 alloy wheels (I'm not asking for tyres) will fit Toyota Auris 2012?
In (late) 2012, the current generation Auris was launched. Assuming that this vehicle is a previous generation Auris, the 15'' wheels should be 6J, have a PCD of 114.3 mm but the inset should be 39 mm (and not 45 mm as mentioned in your previous comment).
Hi my 2008 toyota auris uses 205/r55/16 " tires but I want to upgrade to 215/r55/16″tires.kindly advise.
Have you been to see your local dealer about this? They are the best people to advise on specific tyres.
I have a 1.0 Yaris Active: On here it says it has 14″ steel wheels…In the Yaris Spec Sales Guide it says 15″ Steel wheels! Can you confirm which they are? Makes a difference for tyre pressures. My guide gives a Standard tyre Pressure and an Eco Tyre Pressure…i do not have an Eco mode for driving…What should i use?
Thanks for contacting us. We're sorry about the confusion here, the correct wheel size is 15″ for the Yaris Active – we will correct this in the blog. Thanks for pointing it out to us. You would use the standard tyre pressure if your car does not have this mode.
What is the tyre psi for a 2003 Toyota Celica T Sport vvtli for high speed use and for normal use?
Thanks for getting in touch. We would firstly recommend taking a look in the owners manual, this should contain all information about tyre pressures. If you can't find what you're looking for, please let us know your registration number and tyre size. Many thanks.
I've just bought a new Verso and checked the tyre pressure details on this Toyota website which states: '16-inch wheels, diesel (Active and Icon): The front tyres require 36 psi at speeds of 99mph and below. At speeds above 99mph, the front tyres should be inflated to 41 psi. The rear tyres should be inflated to 33 psi at speeds at or below 99mph and to 38 at speeds above.' Are there different tyre pressures when the car is fully loaded or does the above, i.e. 36 for the front and 33 for the rear, still apply regardless of the loaded weight of the vehicle?
Thanks for your post. There are different tyre pressures that will be recommended depending on the weight of what you're carrying. Is there anything specific? It may help us to determine your answer. Many thanks.
I'm imagining various scenarios, e.g. 5 adults plus luggage; 7 adults with limited luggage; 3 adults and the car packed to the roof with stuff for uni … What do you recommend?
Hi Gerwyn. Apologies for the delay in responding. We're taking a look at this, but could you post your car's reg number? It will not be made public. Thank you.
CAN I ROTATE MY WHEELS ON MY 2015 YARIS HYBRID WITH TYRE PRESSURE SENSORS WITHOUT ANY ISSUES ??
Thanks for getting in touch with us. We would advise following the instructions on page 341 from the Owner's Manual. You can find the Owner's Manual here: https://www.toyota.co.uk/tme#/my-toyota/eManual. We would suggest looking in the 11/2015-6/2016 manual. Hope this helps!
We're not too sure what this comment is in relation to?
I have a landcruiser V8 with 20″ alloys which I hate and would like to change. O have a couple of 80 series and run them on bf Goodrich ATs, I would like to fit 17″ with 285/70 /17 as I can't source anything to fit anywhere in Eire or UK. I can get these in Germany on original Toyota rims but I'm unsure if they will fit as maybe slightly oversized. Has anyone any ideas or experience in proper sizing.20″ are ridi ulous as this is a 4/4 vehicle but no all terrains come to fit 20″ to my knowledge.
Thanks for your query. We would have to advise speaking to your dealer regarding this query, they will be able to give you the best advice on this matter. If you need help sourcing your local dealer please let us know and we will be happy to help! Many thanks.
A dealer will tell me I can't fit 17″ 18″ to landcruiser that has been fitted with 20″ from factory. I know this to be incorrect. David.
Thanks for getting back to us. Unfortunately, we'd have to advise you take the advice given by your local dealer. Your local dealer has years of expert advice under their belt. Many thanks!
What an unbelievably naive reply, firstly, how do you know they have years of experience under their belt? Clearly you don't know which would be more appreciated than ask your dealer.
Thanks for your post. We have spoken with our technical team here at Toyota UK and due to the 17/18″ alloys not being Toyota approved, we cannot advise fitting them to your vehicle. We are not saying that these will not fit and cannot be fitted but due to them not being tested by Toyota we would advise against it. The option to source them elsewhere is available but done at your own, personal, risk. Hope this helps!
OMG, how can you justify instructing what tyre pressures should be.
example 33-35 psi but for speeds upto 99mph the pressure should be raised. DERR not sure what country your blogger lives in but here in Britain its 70mph., Don't leave yourselves open for a law suit. You will get some idiot that will will your information on board and will be driving around at 90mph. please make amendments to your tyre info.
Thanks for your post. All information mentioned in this blog post is factual and we are not suggesting/recommending/advising that people should be speeding on public roads. Many thanks.
I've had a RAV4 hybrid for 4 weeks and found the ride firm and very hard, i.e. I can feel everything on the road surface. But, I've just noticed that the handbook and the label on the driver's door piller says the inflation pressure should be 35psi but this web page says the RAV4 should be 32psi.
I've reduced the pressure to 32psi and that is better, but can I go lower?
Also, I've noticed a 2psi variation between air pumps, are you adding an allowance in your recommendations for air pump variation?
Thanks for your post. We would advise following the specific tyre pressure guidelines that are listed in the owner's manual and in the door/glove box. Hope this helps and if you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact us. Many thanks.
The owner's manual for the 2018 RAV4 Hybrid also lists 225/60R18 100H as a possible tyre size (page 653 – type C). Can you confirm if I can use that to replace the OEM 235/55R18 size? My RAV4 is in Excel trim so comes with 18 inch wheels.
Thanks for getting in touch. Could you please provide us with your VIN/Registration and we can check this with our Technical Team for you.
After liaising with our Technical Team, we can confirm that as it's listed in the owners manual and that the wheel dimension is the same, the other tyre can be fitted. However, this is only if all 4 tyres are the same.
Thanks, we hope this helps.
Hi , I have just got a new shape Toyota Aygo. I am finding it very difficult to attach my foot pump to the valve due to the very tight fitting. Is there a recommended foot pump that has to be used please?
Hi Roger. Thanks for getting in touch, and we apologise for the delayed response. We do not sell an official foot pump, however if you continue to have issues we advise a visit to your local dealer to inspect the problem. Thank you, and we hope this helps.
Above you state that the Auris Excel with 17″ wheels should have 215-45-17 tyres, but my 2014 Auris Hybrid came from the factory with 225-45-17. Enigma?
Thank you for your post. In 2014 Auris saw a face lift which altered the size of the wheels, this is why your Auris will have slightly different sized wheels compared to that suggested in this post. Hope this helps further and if you have any other questions please let us know.
When are you going to issue an update to Mirrorcast? You are stuck on a version which is only compatible with a short list of very old phones. My Samsung uses version 1.1 and currently I'm unable to use this feature in my 65 plate Aygo xcite.
Thank you for your post. There are no plans at present for an update. However, stay tuned to our blog for more information regarding our multimedia systems. Hope this helps and if you have any other questions please let us know.
My 2012 gt86 has Michelin primacy 216/45r17 not 205/55r17 . The gt86 with 16″ wheels are 205/55r16 . PSI for all is 35 as stated in manual!
Can a 2015 Yaris Hybrid Sport with 16″ rims as standard spec adopt the alternative 15″ rims and taller but narrower tyres specified for other models? The aim would be to have a spare set with winter tyres on.
Thank you for your post. We have spoken with our product department and they have not recommended changing a vehicle outside of its manufacturing specification. Hope this helps clarify and if you have any other questions please let us know.
Hi, you can fit 15 inch wheels on the Yaris. If you look at the accessory options on the Toyota website for the Yaris there are a set of steel wheels specifically for winter tyres – £300 a set, without tyres.
The psi on the 76 series landcruiser tyres show 50psi, yet the Manual says no more than 34psi. ??
Thank you for your post. We have passed this to our technical department and they have advised that 50psi on the tyre is max load for the tyre. It is advised to always use the pressure presented in the owner's manual which in this case is up to the maximum of 35psi. Hope this helps clarify and if you have any other questions please let us know.
Seems really daft to show pressures above 99mph in the UK. I would like to know what the correct pressures are for an Avensis Estate D4D (T27) 2010 TR with 215/55 17 94 W tyres when normal passengers and when full i.e. Loaded. The handbook and above does not help with lodged car pressures.
The reason we include this data is because in Germany it is legal to drive at high speeds on the autobahn and it would be negligent not to include this data. Similarly, on private roads or surfaces an owner may wish to drive above 99mph and we must ensure they are accommodated wether or not we sanction their speed. If your car has Eco package, the correct pressures are (when loaded) Front 40 psi, rear, 37 psi, and if no eco package: front 35 psi, rear 34 psi. Thank you for your query and we hope this has helped you today.
Thank for your prompt response. Are the pressures therefore the same for an unloaded (normal car) and when it is loaded? Or should loaded i.e. with luggage and family have even higher pressures?
Hi Tom. No worries, we're here to help. The pressures should only be altered if you are loading the car to its absolute limit, we would say. The pressures given were in response to the car being loaded, however if they match the unloaded pressures in your manual it would seem that our technical team advise the same for either loaded or unloaded. Hope this clarifies it some more.
We will double check with our technical team for you however they generally only recommend the manufacturer wheel and tyre specification as per the vehicle handbook. Will let you know.
You are correct and we have amended this post accordingly. You may be aware that we announced on 8 May a new grade which does have 16 inch alloys and we will add this to Blog post in due course.