July 20 saw the long awaited celebrations of AncientSites and AncientWorlds come alive, with "old poots" reminiscing mesmerizing memories, and newbies either oohing or aarrgghing, or complaining that they don't remember anything yet, but remembering this festival will be one to remember, in another 10 years (or hundred or thousand, as Jot envisioned in one of his posts...). The logo for it was designed by Asenath Amenhotep, and "embroidered" with it sold at the AW Store. (If you forgot to buy a t-shirt or a cap, there's still time; I'm wearing my cap as I write this).

Before the actual celebrations started, we were treated to another symposion, this time with a guest from our Olympian heights; our founder Jot Ariston. The symposion produced a multitude of posts asking what is future of AW, did he envision us to be still up after 10 years, asking him to fix old bugs, asking how to stop people partying and return to serious historical discussions, and serious flamings... and wanting to give Jot money, children etc. ;) (more about it in Heraklia's column)

On threads like (Memory Lane 1997- 2007 and The Decennalia, July, 2007people could post their stories and memories of AS and AW, just to pick couple items from them: Xtreemli Curius especially producing xtreemli fabulous slide shows of old artifacts of AS... Caileadair Etana compiled an excellent timeline of AS/AW with help from the separate worlds... Jacques Elliott Cruithni's Interviews in Celtia... Flame Wars remembered fondly and not so fondly... The old AS Game of Domus Message Eavesdrop Roulette still going strong ;)... the return of the Carpenter's Cup... 500 pound gorillas and 30 dollar gas/kash prices... and the beta launch torch race (which can be re-recalled during the oncoming Goldfest) taking us across the worlds... and sustaining members honored with praise and plaques... and unsustaining members with stains and plagues? (how's that for flaming? yeah, me too, pretty lame... ;P) Each world celebrated their Decennalia on their own threads, in their own special way, which is what makes this community so rich: the diversity, the craziness, and the memories of it all... The festival ended with of a Play on HBO's Rome and the Avatar Ball mixing our minds of it all on the Boards Central...

My favorite is and will be this one (because I'm in it, too ;p), from Aulus Sergius's post, graphic by Strabo Furius (click the graphic to see it in full size):