Some notes from a visit to Auckland Museum – 09/05/2021

• Volcanos aren`t unique to Earth. Quite the contrary – everywhere scientists look on other planets and moons, they find them.

• In Nicaragua, young women were once thrown as sacrifices into the crater of Masaya Volcano.

• People living in central Africa made an annual offering of ten of their finest warriors to the hungry volcano God Nyudodogora.

• In New Zealand, for better or worse, they have chosen to build their greatest city amongst volcanos. Geologists assure us that Auckland is an active volcanic field.

• Human beings are instinctively attracted to symmetry. Perhaps that is why we find volcanos so pleasing. Or perhaps its the fact that volcanos are individuals, standing alone and dominating the landscape.

• As species, we also admire power, the knowledge of what volcanos can do makes us respect them as symbols of something greater than ourselves.

Here is my favourite volcano….