cXc and the Winter Hill Gang

Some fine young lads, Swat XC '06 and '07, two of whom have yet to appear in the annals of cXc fame. Welcome, gentlmen, welcome.

Doing Didyma, Performing at Pergamon

Temple of Apollo at Didyma, one of the largest temples in the ancient world. Current home to stray dogs.

The great theater at Pergamon, built into a mountainside, with modern town below. In Roman times, this city had 150,000 people. Off to the left of where I was standing was the great library, rivalling the one at Alexandria. Apparently, the Egyptians weren't too happy about that, so they cut of the supply of papyrus, forcing the Pergamese to develop parchment from animal skin.

Donnie Digs for ɔXc

I spent most of the summer excavating at Zincirli, an Iron Age city. 115 degree heat and 4:30am wake-ups were appropriately hardcore. Additional note: You may notice, on close inspection, that my collar is popped. This is for heat and sun protection alone, and should not (here's looking at you, Dan Hodson) be seen as condoning the practice in any larger context. Donahue Erb-Satullo '07

Trojan CXC

Many an epic battle took place beneath the walls for Troy, where Swift-Footed Achilles fought Hector, Breaker of Horses. Though ruins now, Troy is once again achieves epic grandeur by association with the cXc. --Donahue Erb-Satullo '07

Holy Carp! CXC is in Mesopotamia!

In the Cradle of Civilization, there is a city called Urfa. In that city, there is a pool. And in that pool live sacred carp. Huge, ravenous sacred carp. If you go "all in" with the tray of fish food they hand out, they writhe in a slippery flopping mass. This needed a CXC for the novelty.

CXC in Cyprus

Delays with our excavation permit led to a trip to the Beaches and Harbors of Cyprus. This is at the Kyrenia (Girne) Castle, built by the French and the Venetians.

Beaches of the Eastern Med. Sandy, warm water, and the perfect place for a CXCing. By some strange turn of events, this was where we attended the graduation party of the Nigerian students at Eastern Mediterranean University. That was an odd night on a number of different levels.

Capturing Cappadocia

Some unexpected delays in excavation plans freed up a weekend in Turkey for travel to this unique landscape of fairy chimneys, rock cut cave churches, and underground cities.


This first CXC was taken deep beneath the ground in one of the underground cities of the region, carved from soft volcanic rock to provide an escape from Arabs, Persians, and other invaders. Very little is know about their regularity of occupation and even their earliest occupation, which may reach back to the Bronze Age.

This next one is overlooking the Ilhara Valley with its Rock-Cut Churches and Monasteries. Another classic illustration of CXC proselytizing.

A True Performance

Not since the days of Alexander (who passed by this town en route to Egypt and Babylon), has the theater of Hieropolis been blessed with such a performance. Except, perhaps, when that brother of a medieval king got boiled alive in that castle in the upper left.

CXC goes to Turkey

This CXC was posed in from the the Cave-Church of St. Peter in Antakya (ancient Antioch). Much to my surprise, I did not see any holy hand grenades. It is supposedly the earliest place where Christians gathered to worship in secret. The facade here was built by the crusaders after they recaptured the city in 1098. I believe this is also the first CXC ever posed in Asia.

Cross Country at Cahokia and Crystal River

Cahokia

Crystal River

Continuing with a tradition of CXCing at archaeological sites, I travelled to two North American mound sites in Illinois and Florida in the past month. Cahokia is the largest pre-European settlement north of Mexico, and may have contained as many at 20,000 people. The largest mound, Monk's Mound, has a footprint the size of the pyramids in Egypt. This Crystal River mound, though not as large, is made mostly from shell... the product of years of eating seafood in this Florida estuary.

XC Etruscan-Style

Those Etruscans may not know how to build walls (see rubble piles in picture) like the Romans, but they sure know a lot about the importance of rituals. I was probably inadvertantly mimicking some mystery cult pose. Taken at the excavation on Poggio Colla, near Florence, Italy, July 2009. --Donnie

XC Goes Archaeological

Throwing up the XC in Pompeii (Mt. Vesuvius in the background). I had some random tourist take this picture. I think he thought I was a bit odd. Little did he know he was taking part in transcontinental phenomenon. August 2009. --Donnie

A Right Proper XC Toss

Christ Church, Oxford. Hallowed halls of holy history. Posh postern of postgraduate ponderings. Here graced with a symbol of true honor: the cXc. Photo taken on the occasion of Drew's ('10) visit to Donnie's ('07) Oxford haunts, October 2008.

"You can get people to do anything at three in the morning"

The Donnie Llama ('07; not shown in picture) successfully lowering the inhibitions of closeted, xc exhibitionists in Italy. (Summer 2009)