Eridu Society 2015

[trilobyte]

We have been placed! We hope to see you at Donniker & 7:45



We're very excited to be returning to Black Rock City in 2015! We'll be revamping and improving on the ziggurat, as well as adding some fun new pieces, and displaying some mementos we've collected on our travels through space and time. On top of that, we'll be bringing back the rubber stamp bar (and bringing even more stamps), and serving pickles, lemonade, and other treats at various times throughout the week. Fancy renders and more details will come in the months ahead, but in the meantime here are a couple pics from last year...





mmmm rubber stamps...



Of course, it's way too early to know where our placement will end up being... but we're aiming to be in the 7:30 neighborhood again. Can't wait to see you out there!

[lucky420]

YAY!

Love the stamps

[digital]

I've driven past you guys on playa in past years. Always wondered the focus of Eridu Society and the pyramid (?) structure. Do you guys host events, talks or ...?

Whatever the purpose it's pretty dang cool. Nice work.

[Captain Goddammit]

If you have to ask you wouldn't understand

[Elderberry]

So it's better not to ask?

[trilobyte]

We talk to people, and there are signs on display that provide more background information when we're not. We get our name from the ancient Sumerian city of Eridu, which was established sometime around 5300BCE and was the first city on Earth. Sumer had lots of first, including the first ziggurats (stepped pyramids)...and we liked the place a lot. In 2013 I designed the Ziggurati installation, not only to go with that year's Cargo Cult theme but also to solve the problem of how to make a portable ziggurat

The slotted wood structure wound up being both insane and a whole lot of fun to design, and people have really enjoyed it, so last year I redesigned a number of the internal components to both make it sturdier as well as easier to assemble (and take apart). The camel installations last year were a lot of fun. I made camel silhouette cutouts (one standing, the other on a flying carpet) and we had an 'adopt-a-camel' program among campmates & artists/friends adopted and decorated as they saw fit. Here are some pics of 'the herd' on the playa at night...

[The Rod]

ancient Sumerian city of Eridu, which was established sometime around 5300BCE and was the first city on Earth.

Maybe according to your narrative....

[trilobyte]

That's a fuzzy distinction. The Sumerians are currently known to be the first great civilization, and Eridu their first city. Current archaelogical evidence puts it as having been established as a larger scale development at some point prior to 5300 BCE (earliest known stone structures), even Damascus didn't get that distinction until sometime in the second millenium BCE. Sumerian cuneiform accounts hint that it was a a small-scale settlement for several thousand before then. It doesn't often turn up on the old city lists since those usually are only counting continuously inhabited, or just aren't really aware of the culture (Sumer was only re-discovered within the last couple hundred years). When looking at the archaeology as well as the technological advances that originated, we're comfortable in giving them the title...and readily admit our bias.

[The Rod]

Yeah but you forgot about Atlantis, and Lemuria before that.

[digital]

ancient Sumerian city of Eridu, which was established sometime around 5300BCE and was the first city on Earth.

Maybe according to your narrative....

Some narratives do have other civilizations prior to ancient Sumar but I don't believe any of those had writings passed on to current generations. In fact, it was Sumarian clay tablets which gave us our first creation myths as seen in Genesis and other holy books. The creation and passing on of writing is why many consider Sumar the first great civilization, IIRC.

Neat! I love the camels. Didn't see them last year but will defiantly stop by for a pickle if possible! Can't get enough of those out there.

[trilobyte]

[lucky420]

this is still one of my favorite dogtags. I wear it weekly and ALWAYS when I travel...

so far so good

[Captain Goddammit]

I think it sounds like a pretty lame camp.
Rubber stamps, big deal.

[serpent]

Yup. Need to park 'em next to the Ghetto for enlightenment.

[trilobyte]

I'm not sure I understand the appeal of the rubber stamps, either.... but I like it. I made a few on the laser cutter for a different project in 2012, and people really had a lot of fun with them. We'd get walk-up volunteers who wanted to help run the rubber stamp bar or stamp people, crowds would gather, and it became a great interactive experience.

[Elderberry]

I could see the appeal.

Hell, a few years back there was a camp that offered genital driver's licenses. I got one. Until I saw it, I would not have even thougt about the concept, let alone getting one. (I'd use it at the bars on the playa but I never get carded anymore. )

[Captain Goddammit]

Oh rats you mean Genital Portrait Studio is gone?

[Elderberry]

IDK It's the only year I saw them, but the playa is a big place. If they are still there, I might get my picture updated.

[trilobyte]

[trilobyte]

[Jovankat]

Your theme camp has it's own language!?

[Captain Goddammit]

Secret handshake too, but you have to unzip to do it.

[trilobyte]

Sort of. That's cuneiform, which originated in ancient Sumer. So did the counting system, too (chunks of which are still in use today).

[trilobyte]

[mdmf007]

Eridu is an awesome camp - alot of labor and thought goes into their installations.

Hope your as close to 9 as you can get. I enjoyed seeing you guys.

[trilobyte]

Thank you very much! We won't know our placement until early July, but currently we're hoping to be in the 7:30 neighborhood again.

[trilobyte]

And, here's this week's installment...

[Elderberry]

Reminds me of Chinese, just not as flowing; but equally confusing.

[trilobyte]

It's the language that Chinese (and most other written languages) evolved from. It seems so alien and cryptic at first, but then when you realize how it was made.. just a simple reed draging through and being pressed into pieces of clay. It makes a lot more sense. The triangular bits were from the hollow top ends of the reed - I imagine they could speed-read and write it in no time.

[trilobyte]

And here's this week's installment...



Dust storm (pronounced "dal ha mun" for those interested) is probably my favorite on this sign - the translation was an accidental discovery I made while researching one of the other terms. I also like the one next to it, pronounced "la" the single symbol actually represents abundance, luxury, wealth, bliss, happiness, wish, and desire. Cheers!