The 15 Weirdest Ways The U.S. Tried to Win Wars - History Collection 10. The Pigeon Camera Image Source: Pexels. During World War I and II, pigeons were outfitted with tiny cameras, capturing aerial reconnaissance images before the widespread use of aircraft and satellites. This method showcased the creative use of available animal technology. The CIA developed...

Creating a Financially Healthy Marriage - Crosswalk Couples Devotional - September 19Creating a Financially Healthy MarriageBy: Kia StephensNo one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. Matthew 6:24 (NIV)My husband and I were on two ends of the financial perspective...

An inscription carved on a rock face high on the Tibetan Plateau records a previously unknown expedition sent by Emperor Qin Shi Huang (259210 B.C.), the first emperor of unified China and owner of the iconic Terracotta Army that guards his tomb, seeking the elixir of life.Ancient records state that the emperor sent an expedition east to Japan searching for the elixir of immortality, but do not mention a similar expedition to the west. They also state that seven stone monuments were carved to celebrate the emperors accomplishments after his tour of the empire he had unified between 219 and 211 B.C. Only fragments of two of these inscriptions have been found. This inscription is the only Qin carving found still in situ and almost complete.The inscription was found near Gyaring Lake, Qinghai province, at an altitude of more than 2.6 miles. It says that the emperor commanded level five grand master Yi (a high government official) to lead a group of alchemists to Kunlun Mountain in search of yao, which could refer to healing herbs or minerals, but also means the elixir of life. The inscription states the wagon expedition reached the lake in the 37th year of the reign of Qin Shi Huang, and had another 40 miles to go to reach Kunlun Mountain.In pre-Qin texts, Kunlun Mountain was the sacred birthplace of the Yellow River. Today Kunlun Mountain is the name of a range in western China, but the one referenced in classic texts is different. Researchers believe the ancient Kunlun is todays Bayan Har Mountains, south of Gyaring Lake. The inscription is evidence in favor of that identification.The inscription was first discovered in July 2020 and when it was publicized in June of this year, there was great debate among historians about whether it was a modern forgery. It was carved in the xiaozhuan script, a signature style of the Qin era. The direction of some of the character strikes is also typical of Qin period calligraphy, and the way the word Kunlun is written matches the writing found on bamboo slips from the Qin period. The writing style has only been documented in the past 20 years, and a very small number of people are knowledgeable enough in this niche subject to forge the script, so modern forgery is highly unlikely.Another scholar posited that it was carved during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) using the Qin script for extra cachet. That would explain why the inscription hadnt been eroded in the harsh climate of the Tibetan Plateau, but even back then the script was 1,500 years old and there are no other examples of Yuan inscriptions carved in xiaozhuan style.Now the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Institute of Archaeology has confirmed its authenticity.The stone characters showed clear chisel marks, indicating they were carved with flat-edged tools, a method consistent with Qin-era technology, Deng told Xinhua.Through an analysis of minerals and elements, researchers excluded the possibility that the inscriptions were carved using modern alloy tools.He said secondary minerals were present in both the grooves of the inscriptions and on the stones surface. This suggested long-term natural weathering, which ruled out the possibility that the carving was done recently.Laboratory analysis showed that the carved stone was composed of quartz sandstone, a material known for its high resistance to abrasion and weathering, the report added, while the areas surrounding mountains and lake created a relatively mild microclimate.Ancient writers record that Emperor Qin Shi Huang was obsessed with the elixir of life, so much so that he died in 210 B.C., the same years as the expedition, because he drank too much of it. Many other nobles and emperors followed in his footsteps and were killed by the elixir they drank to defeat death.

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