Re: Ancient Viking ATMers

["Barlow Pepin" <atmjedit@conceptsnet.com>]

The lenses shown would make good burning glasses or magnifiers, probably
about 2X or 3X. Compound optics were unknown at the time; there is no
evidence of their use, and any speculations about telescopes and microscopes
in this era are just that. Given the ultra-short focal lengths of the lenses
pictured, you could not arrive at a telescope.

The whole tone of this news site is depressingly "pop-science." They are
highlighting every revisionist notion that pops its head up. See their link
on the Nimrud lens. This is a well-known artifact (it has been in the Museum
for many decades, David Brewster described it in the 19th century). In order
to enhance the credibility of his story the journalist inserts the invidious
comment that the Dutch "supposedly" invented the telescope in the 1600s, and
the Italian source cites a few speculations about Saturn. Pure bunk.

Barlow


> I am curious whether or not such an extremely convex lens really be useful
> for Astronomy, or any long distance viewing at all? Perhaps they were just
> used for starting fires. However, if anyone had the need for a telescope
at
> that time it would be the ocean navigators like the vikings.
>
> -Justin Kelly
>
>