Page in History

Follow Page In History at Facebook

2010-10-20T15:47:00.004-04:00

Been really pre-occupied with some research so it might make sense to follow me temporarily at Facebook where I am still pointing to the latest and most interesting research and discoveries. Page in History at FB(click above)Page in History

History NEWS Update::: "Mister Unhappy Face Here"

2010-10-08T07:38:00.002-04:00

Well, it's a downright travesty, but this beautiful relic is now in private hands.The helmet sold at Christie's auction house in London for 2.28 million pounds ($3.6 million). It had been estimated at 200,000 to 300,000 pounds (about $316,000 to $475,000).For details read this CNN News Article.

History NEWS Update::: "Real or Forgery" and "A Fix for Fungi"

2010-10-06T11:58:00.003-04:00

My goodness. Just Monday we covered a court verdict about a lawyer gone bad-- who committed all sorts of crimes as he tried to twist History to his whims. And today we find a case that's just as troubling, but unlike the Norman Golb case, looks to be much more difficult to resolve.What I'm talking about is the limestone burial box that cropped up in 2002. This ossuary (a box which holds bones

History NEWS Update::: Tut's Granddad Unearthed

2010-10-05T13:54:00.001-04:00

Beautiful. Just beautiful. A statue of King Amenhotep III was just unearthed and looks very much like this gorgeous statue that resides at the British Museum (below).Amenhotep III wears the double crown in these images and he is thought to be the grandfather of King Tutankhamun. If you want to read more you can check out the Wikipedia entry or the DiscoveryNews news tidbit.

The Dark Side of Academic Disagreements

2010-10-04T10:07:00.002-04:00

See this fellow. His name is Raphael Golb.Raph's father is Norman Golb and he is the Ludwig Rosenberger Professor in Jewish History and Civilization at the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago. Dr. Golb holds to the theory that the Dead Sea Scrolls were not written by the Essenes (a small Jewish tribe) as is 'popularly' held, but by another group (or groups). In fact he wrote Who

Australian-America Aborigines

2010-10-01T09:56:00.001-04:00

Her name is Luzia and she has an interesting face. Her chin projects out further than her forehead and "and she has a long, narrow brain case, measured from the eyes to the back of the skull; as well as a low nose and low orbits, the space where the eyes sit."A 11,500 year-old skeleton, Luzia (wikipedia link) was unearthed in Brazil in 1975 by archaeologist Annette Laming-Emperaire (wiki) .

History NEWS Update::: Resources You Can Use Today!

2010-09-28T09:23:00.000-04:00

1st, Archaeology Mag is having a great sale. A subscription is now only $15 bucks. Can't beat that with a stick. Check it out here.2nd, The British Library has put 280 volumes -- over a quarter of its Greek manuscripts online. Check it out here.

Book News>>> Thought This Book Looked Interesting

2010-09-27T19:42:00.001-04:00

The FortDescription::: While the major fighting of the war moves to the south in the summer of 1779, a British force of fewer than a thousand Scottish infantry, backed by three sloops-of-war, sails to the desolate and fog-bound coast of New England. Establishing a garrison and naval base at Penobscot Bay, in the eastern province of Massachusetts that would become Maine, the Scots—the only

Water, Oxen, and Thousands of Years

2010-09-27T12:07:00.003-04:00

You might be wondering what these three things have in common. Well, unfortunately for archeologists and us, they all act in conjunction to make site analysis more difficult.Now there have been studies in the past which have looked at the effect of stamping goats, oxen, and even elephants upon the distribution of artifacts, but apparently all of those studies worked with dry soils, not marshy

New Neanderthal Extinction Theory

2010-09-22T10:22:00.002-04:00

Assuming you still believe Neanderthals are a separate human line -- and not a subspecies, Homo sapiens neanderthalensis (wiki)-- you might be interested in knowing that Liubov Golovanova of Russia's ANO Laboratory of Prehistory in St. Petersburg is suggesting that they disappeared 30,000 years ago because of an environmental catastrophe.According to the study, ash, pollen and tools left in

Early Australian Astronomers

2010-09-19T16:15:00.003-04:00

From cultural environment to the skies. To many the above constellation looks like Orion, however to the indigenous peoples of Australia it most certainly is an Emu.And what brings this seemingly trite observation to today's post is Ray Norris' suggestion that Aborigines have understood the movement of the stars and planets far earlier than their counterparts at Stonehenge and Giza."

Lead Poisoning and Political Instability

2010-09-15T12:02:00.000-04:00

Anatomist Tamiji Nakashima and his team -- University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu -- has been studying the remains of 70 samurai men and their families at the castle at Kokura.Taking samples of bones from the Edo period, 1603 to 1867, they looked for signs of lead poisoning.What they found surprised them: kids with enough lead in their systems to cause severe

Roman Armor in the News!

2010-09-14T11:26:00.000-04:00

Well, I must say we owe the fellows with the metal detectors much thanks, since once again they have delivered into our hands a beautiful (dare we say stunning) piece of work. The above helmet is said to have been worn by someone in the Roman cavalry. It is bronze with a tin overlay, which we are assured would have been polished so that it shined like silver.The only downside is that

Just Because... The Bayeaux Tapestry and Science

2010-09-10T16:08:00.008-04:00

Look close. That's Halley's Comet that's depicted on the Bayeux Tapestry****The Bayeux Tapestry is a beautiful embroidered cloth which tells the history leading up to the Norman Conquest. It's a wonderful piece. So wonderful that various legends have risen around it. One is that Queen Matilda (William the Conqueror's, wife) made it with her ladies-in-waiting. [That's the one I remember from

Ancient Tetracycline... Drink UP

2010-09-08T18:28:00.002-04:00

A chemical analysis of the bones of ancient Nubians shows that they were regularly consuming tetracycline, most likely in their beer. --ScienceDaily Sidenote: for some time I have been under the impression that there was (and presumably still is) a sub-population of humankind that is hyper-sensitive to various chemical elements in their environment. I mean by this that there are people

Oooo Ken Burns on Sale

2010-09-06T06:28:00.007-04:00

Just a quick note. I noticed that the Ken Burns DVDs were on sale at Amazon. Have no idea how long that will last but there's definite savings to be had on THE WAR and THE CIVIL WAR.http://amzn.to/c4PBrf -- The War (now $50)http://amzn.to/cfnY1t -- The Civil War (now $38)

Yes, a New Look...

2010-09-05T17:21:00.003-04:00

Well, now you know why there haven't been many new posts. Been working on a new look and they never taught me one iota of HTML at grad school. Most everything is working -- I hope. Thanks for your patience.

Read eBooks with No Dedicated eReader

2010-09-03T12:51:00.005-04:00

You don't need to spend even a hundred bucks to read ebooks. And You don't need a Nook or a Kindle to enjoy carrying your latest read around with you. Barnes and Noble and Amazon both provide free software that you can download to whatever PC or Apple device that you already own. I have Kindle software, for example, on the kids' computer, my Mac, and my iTouch and am getting ready to

Odysseus Found?

2010-08-26T12:19:00.001-04:00

In 2005, Robert Bittlestone published a book which suggested that Odysseus' home was not Ithaki, but instead the western peninsula of the nearby island of Cephalonia. Well, as you can imagine, all heck broke loose at this suggestion because a great many minds were dead set on the fact that the adventurous Greek was fictional. I'm not quite sure what arguments they had for supporting

Kaplan Kicks off Back-to-School with FREE BOOKS!

2010-08-24T13:41:00.004-04:00

I want to thank my good buddy at Books on the Knob for bringing this notice to our attention.Kaplan Kicks off Back-to-School for Everyone with Free book Downloads Offer ...................... Only on the iBookstoreAugust 24 – 30, 2010High school students; college students; future doctors, lawyers, MBA’s and nurses; and many more can find over 90 valuable Kaplan test prep guides, study

Free Aristophanes for Kindle, Mac, iPad, and PC

2010-08-20T19:34:00.009-04:00

The following are Free and Low-Price (about-a-buck) history books that you can download to your Kindle, PC, Mac, and other higher tech devices running the free Kindle Reading Software.NOW please note that Kindle Software isn't just for the Kindle. Kindle software can be downloaded to all sorts of devices including PC's, Mac's, and other Apple devices like the iPad and iTouch.You can

Historic Recipes, Sweets & Sours - Part 2Pennsylvania Dutch

2010-08-20T09:20:00.005-04:00

As a continuation of our research into classic/historic recipes, we are adding the following Sweets-and-Sours recipes from the Pennsylvania area.Index for Sweets and Sours - Part II(butters, preserves, relishes)Apple ButterApple and Peach ConserveBread and Butter PicklesCarrot MarmaladeChow Chow Corn RelishCranberry ConserveGinger PearsMixed Fruit PreservesPepper

Historic Recipes, Sweets & Sours - Part 1Pennsylvania Dutch

2010-08-20T01:54:00.005-04:00

As a continuation of our research into classic/historic recipes, we are adding the following Fritter and Pancake recipes from the Pennsylvania area.Other Pennsylvania Dutch Recipes--Cookie Recipes--Salad Recipes--Soup Recipes--Main Meal Recipes -- Part I--Main Meal Recipes -- Part II--Main Meal Recipes -- Part III--Pancakes and Fritters -- Part I--Pancakes and Fritters -- Part II-

Free Aristotle for Kindle, Mac, iPad, and PC

2010-08-19T12:08:00.003-04:00

The following are Free and Low-Price (about-a-buck) history books that you can download to your Kindle, PC, Mac, and other higher tech devices running the free Kindle Reading Software.NOW please note that I said Kindle Software and not just for the Kindle. My husband has an iPad and the first thing we did for it was download the Kindle App for it. I also have the Kindle app for my

Historic Recipes, Pancakes & Fritters - Part 2Pennsylvania Dutch

2010-08-19T01:09:00.004-04:00

As a continuation of our research into classic/historic recipes, we are adding the following Fritter and Pancake recipes from the Pennsylvania area. Other Pennsylvania Dutch Recipes--Cookie Recipes--Salad Recipes--Soup Recipes--Main Meal Recipes -- Part I--Main Meal Recipes -- Part II--Main Meal Recipes -- Part III--Pancakes and Fritters -- Part I--Pancakes and Fritters --

Historic Recipes, Pancakes & Fritters - Part I Pennsylvania Dutch

2010-08-18T09:26:00.006-04:00

As a continuation of our research into classic/historic recipes, we are adding the following Fritter and Pancake recipes from the Pennsylvania area. Other Pennsylvania Dutch recipes (or receipts as they are sometimes called in the old records) are:Other Pennsylvania Dutch Recipes--Cookie Recipes--Salad Recipes--Soup Recipes--Main Meal Recipes -- Part I--Main Meal Recipes -- Part

Pride and Prejudice and Death...

2010-08-16T14:03:00.002-04:00

Lest we forget that prejudice knows no bounds, it's time to remember that for a lengthy period of American history that the Irish were held in contempt and their lives were thought cheap.Most of us are familiar with the "No Irish Need Apply" signs, but fewer of us know that vigilantes frequently vented their frustrations on their newly arrived white countrymen.What brings this to mind at

Historic Recipes - Pennsylvania Dutch Veggie Dishes

2010-08-15T15:59:00.007-04:00

As a continuation of our research into classic/historic recipes, we are adding the following Vegetable Dish Recipes from the Pennsylvania area. Other Pennsylvania Dutch recipes (or receipts as they are sometimes called in the old records) are:Pennsylvania Dutch Cookie Recipes Pennsylvania Dutch Main Meal Recipes Pennsylvania Dutch Salad Recipes Index for Vegetable DishesBaked Lima

History Books of Note --Barbarians and Romans

2010-08-14T11:37:00.000-04:00

For those who have never looked at this era in world history, the transition from the great Roman Empire to that of the scattered Germanic kingdoms is a fascinating time. Cultures clashed, and out of the Germanic, Roman, and new Christian traditions our world was forged. (It was once the principle focus of my history studies.)Empires and Barbarians:The Fall of Rome and the Birth of Europe--

Historic Recipes - Pennsylvania Dutch Main Dishes, Part III

2010-08-14T10:40:00.004-04:00

What follows is Part III of our Pennsylvania Dutch Main Dish Recipes. The recipes in bold are in this section. Those that are not bold can be found at the links below, or are not yet available on-line.Index for Part III - Main MealPennsylvania Dutch Main Meal Recipes -- Part IBeef Pot PieChicken Baked In CreamChicken FricasseeChicken Pot PieCreamed Cabbage And Dried BeefDuck Un

Historic Recipes - Pennsylvania Dutch Main Dishes, Part II

2010-08-14T10:37:00.009-04:00

What follows is Part II of our Pennsylvania Dutch Main Dish Recipes. The recipes in bold are in this section. Those that are not bold can be found at the links below, or are not yet available on-line.Index for Part II - Main MealsPennsylvania Dutch Main Meal Recipes -- Part IBeef Pot PieChicken Baked In CreamChicken FricasseeChicken Pot PieCreamed Cabbage And Dried BeefDuck Un KrautDutch

Historic Recipes - Pennsylvania Dutch Main Dishes

2010-08-12T10:08:00.003-04:00

As a continuation of our research into classic/historic recipes, we are adding the following Main Dish Recipes from the Pennsylvania area. Because of the number of recipes we are having to divide the list into 3 parts. The recipes in bold are in this section.Index for Part I - Main MealBeef Pot PieChicken Baked In CreamChicken FricasseeChicken Pot PieCreamed Cabbage And Dried

Historic Recipes - Pennsylvania Dutch Soups

2010-08-11T10:55:00.004-04:00

As a continuation of our research into classic/historic recipes, we are adding the following Soup Recipes from the Pennsylvania area.Other Pennsylvania Dutch recipes (or receipts as they are sometimes called in the old records) are:Pennsylvania Dutch Cookie Recipes Pennsylvania Dutch Salad Recipes SoupsBeef Soup With DumplingsChicken Corn SoupChicken Noodle SoupCorn ChowderCorn Soup With

Historic Recipes - Pennsylvania Dutch Cookies

2010-08-09T10:16:00.004-04:00

As a continuation of our research into classic/historic recipes, we are adding the following Cookie Recipes from the Pennsylvania area.Other Pennsylvania Dutch recipes (or receipts as they are sometimes called in the old records) are:Pennsylvania Dutch Salad Recipes Pennsylvania Dutch Soup Recipes PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH COOKIE RECIPESAlmond MacaroonsAnise Cookies“Belsnickel” Christmas

Historic Pennsylvania Dutch Salad Recipes

2010-08-08T02:29:00.003-04:00

PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH SALAD RECIPESThe following recipes come from pamphlets or other hard to document sources. The sources appear to be from the mid-1900s, however the recipes could be much older.Other Pennsylvania Dutch recipes (or receipts as they are sometimes called in the old records) are:Pennsylvania Dutch Cookie Recipes Pennsylvania Dutch Soup Recipes A GOOD PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH SALAD

Cooking with History

2010-08-07T01:26:00.000-04:00

I have recently become interested in old cookbooks. Yeah, I know, of all things. It's a difficult phenomena to understand really. I've always been about paleontology, Early Medieval and Ancient History, and yet I find myself oddly driven of late to track down these reference sources and pour over them. I think the interest was spawned long ago when, by chance, I happened across a book titled

Back On-Line & Recipes are Coming!

2010-08-05T10:04:00.000-04:00

Cooking with History

Sorry... temporary outage

2010-08-03T12:03:00.003-04:00

Verizon has fail-whaled us. We hope to be back posting tonight.MAYBE tomorrow night.

History News Tidbits

2010-07-31T17:25:00.001-04:00

"Learn Something Old Everyday"That's our motto, so here are some short storiesabout what's new and old this week.New York:::For those curious as to what is going on with the ship unearthed 2 weeks ago in Lower Manhattan, the New York Times has an update.David Dunlap reports:"She was most likely a brigantine; the two-masted workhorse of the coastal trade, ranging perhaps from New England (

From the Prawn of Time

2010-07-30T10:06:00.004-04:00

Older than the triceratops, older than mighty T-Rex, the tiny "tadpole shrimp", or Triops cancriformis, is on the endangered species list, but valiantly persists.The Guardian.UK writes:Until recently, researchers believed the ancient shrimps lived only in a single pond in the New Forest in Hampshire. Six years ago, Larry Griffin, a scientist at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, discovered

Free History Books for Kindle, iPad, Mac & PC

2010-07-28T14:15:00.014-04:00

I love history and I'm a tad of a tech fangirl. As a consequence I've got an iPad and a Kindle and I read history on both. (What can I say, I've got a hubby that spoils me.)I've found the iPad superior for reading PDFs. I know you can upload PDFs to the Kindle but it doesn't seem worth the effort since you loose any images the book or paper might contain. For general reading though

History News Tidbits

2010-07-23T17:11:00.000-04:00

"Learn Something Old Everyday"That's our motto, so here are some short storiesabout what's new and old this week.Ontario:::An expansion of a sewer system has led to the discover of evidence of long-term Native American habitation on the eastern shore of Lake Huron.Adrian Morrow of the Globe and Mail reports:"The artifacts range from stone knives dating to the time of ancient Athens to

Steve Boles Discovers Wonderous 900 Year-Old Figure at Mississippian Site

2010-07-21T16:26:00.001-04:00

No this isn't the figure. It's a disappointing arrowhead as thepowers-that-be haven't given permission for photos apparently. GEORGE PAWLACZYK of the News-Democrat (via BND.com) reports that grad-student Steve Boles has found the rare 6-inch-high figure of a kneeling woman at the construction site of the new $670-million Mississippi River bridge. For reasons of unknown there is no

Egyptian Harpocrates in Britain

2010-07-19T10:07:00.000-04:00

Egyptian image above is representative and not the findThe GUARDIAN.co.UK. is reporting that a small figure, which was attached to a charcoal-burning brazier -- unearthed last summer in Silchester -- is a representation of of the Egyptian god Harpocrates (wikipedia). (No connection to Oprah.)A battered and corroded thumb-sized piece of bronze has turned out to be a unique find, the

Round-and-Round the Round Table

2010-07-12T08:30:00.000-04:00

The Telegraph.co.UK. is reporting that King Arthur's 'Round Table' has been uncovered. Researchers exploring the legend of Britain’s most famous Knight believe his stronghold of Camelot was built on the site of a recently discovered Roman amphitheatre in Chester. Legend has it that his Knights would gather before battle at a round table where they would receive instructions

Whoa... Lots Of Roman Loot: 52,000+ Coins

2010-07-08T16:26:00.003-04:00

A hospital chef has unearthed a huge cache of Roman coins near Frome, Somerset, England. Using a metal, detector David Crisp discovered 52,503 Third Century coins which bear the image of Marcus Aurelius Carausius (wiki) -- a military figure who seized power in Britain and northern France in the late 3rd Century, declaring himself emperor.If you are interesting in reading more, do check out the

Father and Son Tombs Found in Saqqara

2010-07-07T09:12:00.000-04:00

Two undisturbed tombs were uncovered in Saqqara last week. Ann at HERITAGE_KEY reports" "Dr Zahi Hawass, Egypt's antiquities chief, says the tombs belong to 6th Dynasty government official 'Shendwa' and his son, 'Khonsu'."The father's tomb was hidden behind a painted false door which describes the owner as the 'Head of the Royal Scribes'. The son's tomb was located nearby.The discoveries

Ummm, What I Really Meant Was...Jefferson and the Declaration of Independence

2010-07-03T11:16:00.004-04:00

God bless new technology. It's constantly giving us insight into the past that would otherwise be hidden. In this case, analysis of the Declaration of Independence shows that Thomas Jefferson changed the wording from 'subjects' to 'citizens'. Was it a mistake? Does it demonstrate a change of philosophy along the way? It will no doubt be argued for some time, but there should never be a doubt

Equine Disaster? Need Assistance from Knowledgeble Parties...

2010-07-02T13:13:00.002-04:00

A mini-headline here. Archeologists have uncovered a mass grave with the skeletons of 51 horses with virtually no gear. The animals are buried side-by-side and appear to be from the 17th Century-- possibly the 80 Years War, or the War for Dutch Independence (wikipedia link).Toby Sterling, an AP writer, reports at PhysOrg:The horses showed signs of being buried quickly: their bodies were not

2010-06-18T10:11:00.003-04:00

Guess What?

2010-06-17T14:04:00.002-04:00

Timeis coming!!!

I am not P.C.

2010-06-16T12:46:00.001-04:00

I am -- perhaps to my detriment -- not "Politically Correct" when it comes to burial grounds. I believe that the information can be gathered without 'insult' to either the living or the dead. And gaining this information honors those who went before us, while letting the remains degrade leaves us with only fuzzy, inaccurate memories.This comes up because of this find in Guam. I am sorry that

Skin Deep...

2010-06-15T10:45:00.001-04:00

The study of History should be an interdisciplinary art as there is no subject of science and art that is outside the realm of History. And with this in mind I point you to the new exhibit at the Wellcome Collection on "Skin".I had never thought about it, but skin is one way we discern information about groups: their tattoos, scars, diseases and diet; ultimately, how a people care for their

Research Near Oldest Wood-frame Home in North America

2010-06-14T11:13:00.005-04:00

I'm on a video kick. Here's another one I thought was charming.

Vid of the Week - 12,000 y.o. New Hampshire Remains

2010-06-12T10:18:00.006-04:00

These were some of the first people to come into this area at the end of the Ice Age,” said archaeologist Robert Goodby.

A Race for the Oldest Shoe

2010-06-10T09:07:00.005-04:00

A new, oldest "leather" shoe has finally found it's place in History. Discovered in a cave in Armenia in 2008, it has finally been carbon dated. As the Yahoo article states:Worn and shaped by the wearer's right foot, the shoe was found in a cave along with other evidence of human occupation. The shoe had been stuffed with grass, which dated to the same time as the leather of the shoe —

More About the York Gladiators...

2010-06-09T09:34:00.016-04:00

Here's a short bit of interview with NPR's Melissa Block and John Walker, the chief executive of the York Archaeological Trust. Read accompanying article (click here)Other posts mentioning York:**Gladiators in York?**By Jupiter... Roman Altar Stones Pop Up on Cricket Field**Artifacts in the News

Gladiators in York?

2010-06-08T10:52:00.008-04:00

A different interpretation is being given to the skeletal remains first unearthed in York, in 2003. The 80 skeletons, which are thought to have been interred about 1600 to 1900 years ago, are now thought to be the remains of gladiators, and not criminals.The cemetery, which is well laid out, didn't display the sort of burials goods that indicate the individuals were especially remarkable. (

Ancient Armour - The Linothorax Explored

2010-06-04T07:38:00.003-04:00

I want to thank my good buddy, Josh, for pointing me to this interesting research dubbed the Linothorax Project. The project is an ongoing exploration of the type of body armor worn by the troops of Alexander the Great.I love this sort of research.

Mark Twain Autobiography To Be Printed

2010-06-03T18:57:00.002-04:00

Finally a hundred has lapsed and the Autobiography of Samuel Clemens can be published. The famous writer had a caveat in his will which said that his 5,000+ pages of notes about himself and others could not be published until long after his death.The highly anticipated book will be available in November. Get your pre-order in now!Autobiography of Mark Twain, Vol. 1Hardcover: 743 pagesPublisher

Tiny Japanese 'Venus' Found

2010-06-03T08:14:00.003-04:00

A tiny Japanese figure was unearthed in Higashiomi, Shiga Prefecture. It is estimated to be 13,000 years old. It's only the second such figure to be found in Japan.Compare to other Venus':I especially like the following piece of art.

Thagomizer... Too Funny!

2010-06-01T10:36:00.007-04:00

Above is an actual picture of a Thagomizer. It's the spikey club part of dinosaurs such as the Stegosaurus. What makes the name amusing is that it's the brainchild of cartoonist Gary Larsen.WikiPedia entry explains how this came to be: The term "thagomizer" was coined by Gary Larson in a 1982 Far Side comic strip, in which a group of cavemen in a faux-modern lecture hall are taught by their

By Jupiter... Roman Altar Stones Pop Up on Cricket Field

2010-05-26T12:10:00.002-04:00

Not one, but two ancient altar stones popped up when renovation was begun on a pavilion at a Scottish cricket field.It's thought that the altars are of Roman origin and that they are a little short of 2,000 years old. One of them is dedicated to Jupiter and is said to be from the 2nd Century.They might possible have something to do with Inveresk, a fort near Musselburgh harbor. Inveresk held

An Old Scam Re-Visited...

2010-05-25T12:37:00.001-04:00

Well, it's an old scam, but that doesn't make it any less disgusting.As reported in the Greek Press, a 24-year-old deacon from Sidirokastro, northern Greece, has been arrested for drugs and trafficking in human bones.They caught him by first catching a 43-year-old Swiss national at the airport. That man was found with dozens of human bones, 3 skulls, along with a silver relic box.

Neanderthals Update

2010-05-23T14:00:00.002-04:00

I've finely found time to track down the NPR piece on Science Friday (SciFri) that I wanted to share.On that show Ira Flatow spoke with Richard E. Green and Richard Klein.I think you enjoy what they had to say. Richard E. Green is assistant professor, biomolecular engineering, Baskin School of Engineering, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California.Richard Klein is

Instant Mammoths...

2010-05-22T01:16:00.007-04:00

A slightly misleading title. What really has occurred is that a team from the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada, has been working to reconstruct Woolly Mammoth hemoglobin in order to see how it compares to it's warm-weather cousins.What they found was that the blood protein gives up it's load of oxygen more easily to muscles than does the hemoglobin in modern elephants. It's a cold

2,000 Year-Old Coffins Found in Cyprus

2010-05-21T07:43:00.000-04:00

Awaiting better images, but 2 rare clay sarcophagi have been uncovered on the northeast corner of Cyprus (this link to Wiki 'ancient Cyprus'). Cyprus has been occupied for millennium -- look at that beautiful water in the photo and you can see why. These two coffins are remarkable because they have remained untouched by grave robbers and tourists. "The undisturbed coffins will help us

If the Teeth Don't Fit... (scratch your head & rethink things)

2010-05-12T12:01:00.000-04:00

Well, isn't this interesting. Scientists have uncovered some teeth (above) in the old Fayum Depression south of Cairo that don't fit into the known primate schema, circa 34 to 55 million years ago.The 12 fossil teeth, the only remnants the paleontologists have of this primate so far, were found in northern Egypt. The new species is called Nosmips aenigmaticus. (MSNBC)The current thinking is

Mother's Day Proclaimation

2010-05-09T16:21:00.005-04:00

The origins of Mother's Day is rather obscure. Some claim it has something to do with 'mother earth' and ancient celebrations. And perhaps that's true to a limited degree. But what is clear is that Julia Ward Howe's (Wiki link here) declaration ushered in a new perspective on motherhood when she wrote this poem in response to the carnage of war and the unending grief of the women who lost their

African Man Buried in 13th Century Ipswich Grave

2010-05-05T10:12:00.000-04:00

For shame, put on your gown;Your heart is burst, you have lost half your soul;Even now, now, very now, an old black ram Is tupping your white ewe. Arise, arise;Awake the snorting citizens with the bell,Or else the devil will make a grandsire of you:Arise, I say. (1. 1. 92-98)I always wondered what the historical precedents for Shakespeare's Othello were. Certainly in my readings of

Note Worthy Books...

2010-05-04T13:06:00.000-04:00

George Mason's History News Network had an interesting letter than I'm going to quote a small piece of. I suggest you click on the "Read-More" to read the whole thing as it's an interesting letter from Jean Pfaelzer, Professor of Asian Studies, English, Women's Studies, and American Studies at the University of Delaware.She writes in the letter:State apologies rarely mark the forceful

Happy Dead Führer Day...

2010-04-30T13:51:00.004-04:00

A buddy at TimeLife sent me an email today to remind me that on this day -- April 30th, 1945 -- Hitler died in his bunker.To commemorate this fact, Life has posted some never-before-published images taken by their photographer, Vandivert. There are 16 in all, some of which are of the devastation of the city.

The 'Upside' of Global Melting

2010-04-28T09:25:00.000-04:00

A titillating photo. This bow is about 340 years old and comes from northern Canada (see map).It was found because of global warning and because of a new type of archeology which seeks to take advantage of the melts.Ice patch archeology is a recent phenomenon that began in Yukon. In 1997, sheep hunters discovered a 4,300-year-old dart shaft in caribou dung that had become exposed as the ice

Ancient Ikea?

2010-04-25T03:20:00.001-04:00

It's amazing how old the idea of do-it-yourself is. FoxNews is reporting that archaeologists in Italy have uncovered a 6th Century DIY building. (They think its a temple or important building, but they always think that don't they. Makes the find more glamorous.)What brings IKEA to mind is the fact that the remnants all have detailed instructions on how the pieces should be put together.The

Ptolemaic Swag

2010-04-24T08:08:00.001-04:00

383 lovely coins were found south-west of Cairo. The coins date back to the Ptolemaic Dynasty (wiki link) which was founded by one of Alexander's generals and which ruled Egypt for some 300 years.

Ken-Amun, a new archeological find

2010-04-15T09:22:00.000-04:00

DiscoveryNews is reporting that the tomb of Ken-Amun has been uncovered.I couldn't find a Wikipedia page for the man, but he was a royal scribe for the 19th dynasty in Ancient Egypt. (1315-1201 BC). Apparently an important man, given the loveliness of his final abode.The article by Rossella Lorenzi describes the tombs as:[B]eautifully decorated, the tomb features scenes from the Book of the Dead

Rome in the News... History News

2010-04-14T11:26:00.001-04:00

Never ceases to amaze me how well pottery can hold up underwater. The MailOnline is reporting that 100s of urns were discovered by a research ship that was looking for modern finds -- radiation.More interesting, Reuters is reporting that Egyptian archeologists have uncovered some Greco-Roman tombs southwest of Cairo.You MUST take a look at the pictures that go alone with this article. There is

We Better Hurry...

2010-04-08T11:32:00.001-04:00

Once again scientists and historians are having to hurry research because valuable sources of information are threatened.In this case, it's some data that might not be attainable from any other source -- 130,000 years of climate information.The data is stored in the tree rings of the. Kauri tree, which are conifer trees buried in peat bogs across northern New Zealand. Trees can measure up to

The Violence of Conquest

2010-04-06T10:07:00.000-04:00

An interesting article by Bruce Bower is making it's way across the web. It deals with a paper that appeared in the March issue of the American Journal of Physical Anthropology. The study looks at the remains of a 500 year-old cemetery in Peru. It shows that the individuals -- some of whom were hastily buried -- suffered some severe wounds right before death. And that those wounds came from

Got Milk? Maybe If You're Agrarian...

2010-04-05T09:30:00.000-04:00

One of our fave sources for History-Science News --BMC Evolutionary Biology-- is reporting the results of a study that looked at allele -13910*T which is associated with lactase tolerance.The team reports: From the 14 individuals originally examined [they are talking about Neolithic Scandinavians], 10 yielded reliable results. We find that the T allele frequency was very low (5%) in this Middle

Burrito Burial

2010-04-01T10:15:00.000-04:00

I am trying to recall another burial of this type, but the time period and location... aggh. Can't remember.But in any case, this find near Rome is fabulous. NationalGeo reports that the "1,700-year-old sarcophagus found in an abandoned city near Rome could contain the body of a gladiator or a Christian dignitary, say archaeologists who are preparing to examine the coffin in the lab."There's

X-Woman? X-People?

2010-03-29T11:09:00.001-04:00

It's rather early to say but History News is all a-twitter about the found remains of a woman in Siberia who possibly represents an 'extinct human-like creature' --By which they mean that her DNA is neither Neanderthal nor modern human.[Really, doesn't anyone else think it's rather rude to call someone 'human-like'. She was found with jewelry afterall.]BBCNEWS has a nice summary of current

Walking Out the Past...

2010-03-22T14:04:00.003-04:00

We and our predecessors have been walking -- upright -- for a long while. In fact, our ancestors were apparently strolling about even as they were still lounging about near trees -- some 3.6 million years ago.Looking again at the Laetoli footprints (wikipedia) -- think Leaky and Tanzania and Australopithecus afarensis -- scientist decided to do an examination of gait, instead of using poor bone

Figuring Out the Past...

2010-03-11T10:17:00.000-05:00

I'm sorry I could not generate a better image than this. But even blown up and cropped you'll have to squint to see the eye-sockets in question.But the interesting thing is that the National Museum of Scotland is asking sculptors and artisans to see if they can determine if empty eye sockets in historic carvings could have been filled with a form of glass eye.

Great History Resource for Kids!

2010-03-09T10:20:00.002-05:00

GreatGreat photo, huh.Okay, I am a proselytizer for History.Thus, I'm taking out time to point out this great picture and the great article by Laura Leigh Davidson that goes with it.The article appears on the Scholastic Online site in a section for Teachers. But really it's wasted if it's used ONLY by teachers. This is good stuff. Actually some of the most succinct coverage I've read on

Dinosaurs Are Older Than We Thought

2010-03-08T13:09:00.001-05:00

A new find in Tanzania is pushing back the origins of dinosaurs at least ten million years.The Asilisaurus kongwe, which NationalGeographic describes as a "Labrador retriever-size creature [was] a silesaur, the closest relatives to true dinosaurs. The new found animal lived 243 million years ago, during the middle Triassic period."The importance of this discovery can be summed up by saying that

Etruscan Prince Picks Unlikely Place for Palace...

2010-03-04T10:10:00.000-05:00

DiscoveryNews is reporting an astonishing find near Rome. Italian archeologists are reporting that:The remains of what might have been the residence of the Etruscan prince Sextus Tarquinius, son of the last legendary king of Rome Tarquinius Superbus (Tarquin the Proud), have been found on the slopes of an extinct volcanic crater....Tarquinius Superbus (wikipedia entry), if you recall, was an

Caught In the Act... Fossilized Snake and Dino Eggs

2010-03-03T09:44:00.000-05:00

Wow! Amazing Discovery. I can scarcely keep my enthusiasm under control. This is so very cool.Thanks Mother Nature for preserving this one for us. The skeleton of the 3.5 metre (11ft) snake, named Sanajeh indicus, was found inside a dinosaur nest in India, coiled around a crushed egg next to the body of a hatchling.The hatchling would eventually have grown into a titanosaur, a huge

The Earth Really Did Move... way too much

2010-03-02T09:44:00.002-05:00

Usually we don't do modern history but this was just amazing, imho.“The length of the day should have gotten shorter by 1.26 microseconds (millionths of a second),” Gross, said today in an e-mailed reply to questions. “The axis about which the Earth’s mass is balanced should have moved by 2.7 milliarcseconds (about 8 centimeters or 3 inches).”The 9.1 magnitude Sumatran quake (2004) shortened the

What's A Little Ridicule Amongst Friends... Bold Assertions for So Little Evidence

2010-02-26T10:03:00.001-05:00

Olympic fever must have caught hold of the world of archeology, because it's not clear to me how the absence of household rubble would otherwise lead one to conclude that a ring fort was used as a bronze age sports arena. And yet this is precisely the claim that the IrishTimes.com is making on behalf a team of archeologists --who will go unnamed for obvious reasons.Perhaps if they had found

New Dino Species Found

2010-02-25T13:23:00.001-05:00

Say "Hello" to our guest blogger, Pamelia Brown.She writes on a variety of topics for her site Associates Degree.I grew up playing with the same dinosaur toys as everyone else, from Tyrannosaurus Rex to Stegosaurus. But it seems there's a new addition to the familiar ranks of dinosaurs.Paleontologists have discovered a new species of long-necked dinosaur that's closely related to Brachiosaurus,

Lectures?

2010-02-24T13:03:00.000-05:00

Fan of History???Think you might be interested in a lecture?You can check out the Archaeological Institute of America's Spring Schedule.1. See if there's a location near you...2. See if there's a topic that interests you...3. Sign up...Couldn't be easier.

Fabulous Bronze Age Wreck Discovered Off Devon Coast

2010-02-23T09:52:00.002-05:00

In a bay named Wash Gully, near Salcombe (south Devon), in a few meters of water, a team of amateur marine archaeologists have uncovered a Bronze Age Wreck.According to OneIndia.com: The cargo recovered includes 259 copper ingots and 27 tin ingots. Also found was a bronze leaf sword, two stone artefacts that could have been sling shots, and three gold wrist torcs - or bracelets.The

Tut and Köhler Disease

2010-02-17T11:06:00.002-05:00

By now you have probably read that the boy-king Tutankhamun suffered from a club foot and died from complications of malaria (TimesOnLine).According to the examination, the actual disorder that he suffered from was Köhler disease II. And because it's rather rare I thought I'd gather and share some information about it.First, per the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), here are

30 Years of Work Produces New Radio-Carbon Calibration Curve

2010-02-15T10:21:00.000-05:00

This is important.A new curve -- called INTCAL09-- extends the radiocarbon calibration back 50,000 years, providing improved numbers for the earlier times.Science Daily reports the results initially published in the journal Radiocarbon.Dr Ron Reimer of the Queen's School of Geography, Archaeology and Palaeoecology said: "The new radiocarbon calibration curve will be used worldwide by

Happy Valentines!

2010-02-14T11:56:00.002-05:00

Stone-Hedge

2010-02-12T10:06:00.002-05:00

Around Stonehenge there was a Hedge.18th and 19th Century Watercolor paintings gave a clue. But it was not until April 2009 that high-resolution surface lasers were used to examine the land around Stonehenge.The results... apparently a hedge meant to keep the ceremonies secret.

2,000 Year-Old Global Economy?!?

2010-02-09T12:36:00.000-05:00

In an interesting stroke of symmetry...On February 5th, I posted about a 2,000 year-old skeleton unearthed in Mongolia (link here) that had "western" DNA.Now today, I'm going to link you to a unique set of bones, found at the Roman Vagnari site (see S. Illinois Carb link below), which has "eastern asian" DNA.The Independent (online) writes: A team of researchers announced a surprising discovery

Cool! 100+ Year Old Brandy Found in Antartica

2010-02-07T08:26:00.003-05:00

IrishTimes.com is reporting that "[T]hree crates of Scotch whisky and two crates of brandy buried under Antarctic ice for more than 100 years have been recovered by a heritage team restoring Irish-born explorer Ernest Shackleton’s hut."Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton, CVO, OBE (15 February 1874 – 5 January 1922), according to Wikipedia "was an Anglo-Irish explorer who was one of the principal figures

2,000 Year Old Mongolian Tomb Yields 70 y.o. Westerner

2010-02-05T13:35:00.000-05:00

IOne of the reasons DNA studies are so interesting is that they expose information that wouldn't immediately be available through other means. And even when physiological remains do speak clearly, it is not with the same sort of accuracy. In this article from DiscoveryNews for example, it's clear that the skeletal remains that have been unearthed in a 2,000 year old cemetery are of an important