Unearthed! in Spring 2024, Part 2
Stuff You Missed in History Class
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Ancient Discoveries Unveiled
Exploring a range of historical artifacts from different eras and regions, this chapter delves into the significance and unique features of unearthed items like a bog body in Northern Ireland, a medieval sword from Poland, evidence of an ancient tsunami, and a 300-year-old thimble from Wales. The discussion also includes attempts to use AI technology for translating carbonized scrolls and understanding the origin and uses of Roman dodecahedrons and other ancient objects.
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The spring 2024 edition of Unearthed! concludes with books and letters, fashion and cosmetics, medicine, shipwrecks, and the assorted finds that are categorized as potpourri.
Research:
- Abdallah, Hannah. “The first Neolithic boats in the Mediterranean.” EurekAlert. 3/20/2024. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1037843
- Adam Rohrlach, Cases of trisomy 21 and trisomy 18 among historic and prehistoric individuals discovered from ancient DNA, Nature Communications (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45438-1. www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-45438-1
- Addley, Esther. “‘Flat-packed furniture for the next life’: Roman funerary bed found in London.” The Guardian. 2/5/2024. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/feb/05/flat-packed-furniture-for-the-next-life-roman-funerary-bed-found-in-london
- Alberge, Dalya. “‘Incredibly rare’ discovery reveals bedbugs came to Britain with the Romans.” The Guardian. 2/3/2024. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/feb/03/incredibly-rare-discovery-reveals-bedbugs-came-to-britain-with-the-romans
- Anderson, Sonja. “Another Mysterious Roman Dodecahedron Has Been Unearthed in England.” Smithsonian. 1/22/2024. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/another-of-ancient-romes-mysterious-12-sided-objects-has-been-found-in-england-180983632/
- Anderson, Sonja. “Bodies and Treasure Found in Polish Lake Could Be Connected to Ancient Water Ritual.” Smithsonian. 1/26/2024. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ancient-europeans-buried-bodies-and-treasure-in-this-polish-lake-180983666/
- Anderson, Sonja. “Just How Old Are the Cave Paintings in Spain’s Cova Dones?.” Smithsonian Magazine. January/February 2024. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-old-cave-paintings-spain-cova-dones-180983456/
- Anderson, Sonja. “Police Find Ancient Teenager’s Body, Preserved in Irish Bog for 2,500 Years.” 2/6/2024. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-bog-in-northern-ireland-preserved-this-teenagers-body-for-2500-years-180983734/
- Anderson, Sonja. “Sunken British Warship That Left Crew Marooned for 66 Days Has Been Identified.” Smithsonian Magazine. 3/27/2024. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-the-marooned-crew-of-this-sunken-warship-escaped-the-florida-keys-in-improvised-boats-180984028/
- Anderson, Sonja. “This Medieval Sword Spent 1,000 Years at the Bottom of a Polish River.” Smithsonian. 2/6/2024. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-medieval-sword-spent-1000-years-at-the-bottom-of-a-polish-river-180983684/
- “Megalithic ‘Blinkerwall’ Found in the Baltic Sea.” 2/14/2024. https://www.archaeology.org/news/12157-240214-baltic-sea-blinkerwall
- “Unbaked Neolithic Bread Identified in Turkey.” 3/6/2024. https://www.archaeology.org/news/12195-240306-turkey-unbaked-bread
- org. “Ship’s Bell Recovered From Torpedoed WWI Destroyer.” 2/15/2024. https://www.archaeology.org/news/12161-240215-jacob-jones-bell
- ArtNet News. “Archaeologists Discover a Medieval Kitchen in a Polish Museum’s Basement.”2/8/2024. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/royal-kitchen-poland-museum-basement-2429236
- Babbs, Verity. “A Chinese Imperial Robe Found in a Cardboard Box Could Fetch $60,000 at Auction.” ArtNet. 2/29/2024. https://news.artnet.com/market/imperial-robe-dreweatts-2444018
- Babbs, Verity. “A Liverpool Museum Wants Your Help to ID This Enigmatic Portrait.” ArtNet. 3/22/2024. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/liverpool-museums-black-boy-information-request-2457075
- Babbs, Verity. “An Artifact Found by a Metal Detectorist in Wales Is Officially Treasure.” 3/19/2024. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/silver-thimble-treasure-2454023
- Babbs, Verity. “Experts Have Identified the Tombs Where Alexander the Great’s Family Are Buried.” Artnet. 2/21/2024. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/alexander-the-great-father-tomb-2437376
- Babbs, Verity. “Is the Secret Ingredient to Preserving Ancient Papyrus…Wasabi?.” ArtNet. 2/29/2024. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/wasabi-ancient-egyptian-papyrus-2443171
- Bangor University. “Researchers locate cargo ship SS Hartdale, torpedoed in 1915.” Phys.org. 3/13/2024. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-cargo-ship-ss-hartdale-torpedoed.html#google_vignette
- Bartelme, Tony. “Searching for Amelia Earhart.” Post and Courier. https://www.postandcourier.com/news/special_reports/amelia-earhart-search-tony-romeo-deep-sea-vision/article_3a42e6a8-a0e5-11ee-a942-77a1581d6b19.html
- Binswanger, Julia. “Engravings on 2,000-Year-Old Knife Might Be the Oldest Runes Ever Found in Denmark.” 1/25/2025. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-find-denmarks-oldest-written-word-on-a-2000-year-old-knife-180983650/
- Binswanger, Julia. “Metal Detectorist Finds a Rare 3,000-Year-Old Dress Fastener.” Smithsonian. 3/13/2024. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/metal-detectorist-finds-a-potentially-life-changing-3000-year-old-gold-accessory-180983770/
- Cardiff University. “Evidence of ancient medieval feasting rituals uncovered in grounds of historic property.” Phys.org. 1/4/2024. https://phys.org/news/2024-01-evidence-ancient-medieval-feasting-rituals.html
- Cawley, Laurence & Sam Russell. “Medieval paintings found at Christ's College, Cambridge by builders.” 1/9/2024. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-67926737
- CBS News. “Theft of ruby slippers from "Wizard of Oz" was reformed mobster's "one last score," court memo says.” 1/21/2024. https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/reformed-mobster-one-last-score-judy-garlands-wizard-of-oz-ruby-slippers/.
- Clayton, Abene. “Second man charged with stealing Dorothy’s Wizard of Oz ruby slippers.” The Guardian. 3/18/2024. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/mar/18/wizard-of-oz-ruby-slippers-stolen-second-man-charged
- “Discovery of immense fortifications dating back 4,000 years in northwestern Arabia.” Phys.org. 1/10/2024. https://phys.org/news/2024-01-discovery-immense-fortifications-dating-years.html#google_vignette
- “Solving the 120-year maritime mystery of the SS Nemesis.” PhysOrg. 2/26/2024. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-year-maritime-mystery-ss-nemesis.html
- Deb, Sopan. “Old Newspaper Stories Offer Clues to 19th-Century Shipwreck in Lake Michigan.” New York Times. 3/28/2024. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/28/us/uss-milwaukee-shipwreck.html?smid=em-share
- Deter-Wolf A, Robitaille B, Riday D, Burlot A, Sialuk Jacobsen M. Chalcolithic Tattooing: Historical and Experimental Evaluation of the Tyrolean Iceman’s Body Markings. European Journal of Archaeology. Published online 2024:1-22. doi:10.1017/eaa.2024.5
- Dietrich, Oliver. “Burial mounds and a chariot grave. Archaeologists discover a Neolithic burial landscape on the Eulenberg near Magdeburg.” 3/15/2024. https://idw-online.de/en/news830373
- Drury-Bradey, Paul. “Huge tsunami with 20 meter waves may have wiped out Stone Age communities in Northumberland.” Phys.org. 1/29/2024. https://phys.org/news/2024-01-huge-tsunami-meter-stone-age.html#google_vignette
- El-Aref, Nevine. “Spanish archaeologists unearth Ptolemaic and Roman treasures in Minya’s Al Bahnasa.” Ahram Online. 1/8/2024. https://english.ahram.org.eg/News/515253.aspx
- Eskandari, N., De Carlo, E., Zorzi, F. et al. A Bronze Age lip-paint from southeastern Iran. Sci Rep 14, 2670 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-52490-w
- Georgiou, Aristos. “Prehistoric Burials Reveal Early Evidence of Body Piercing 11,000 Years Ago.” Newsweek. 3/11/2024. https://www.newsweek.com/prehistoric-burials-reveal-early-evidence-body-piercing-11000-years-ago-1877984
- Green, Clare. “First prehistoric person with Turner syndrome identified from ancient DNA.” Via EurekAlert. 1/11/2024. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1030707
- Hemsworth, Wade. “Researchers create method to detect cases of anemia in archaeological remains.” Via EurekAlert. 2/28/2024. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1035984
- Huntington, Stewart. “New NAGPRA rules: ‘We have an obligation to change’.” Indian Country Today. 3/20/2024. https://ictnews.org/news/new-nagpra-rules-we-have-an-obligation-to-change
- “ICT Reports: NAGPRA crackdown sends museums reeling.” Indian Country Today. 3/22/2024. https://ictnews.org/news/ict-reports-nagpra-crackdown-sends-museums-reeling
- Killgrove, Kristina. “1st known tuberculosis cases in Neanderthals revealed in prehistoric bone analysis.” LiveScience. 2/2/2024. https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/1st-known-tuberculosis-cases-in-neanderthals-revealed-in-prehistoric-bone-anaylsis
- Kuta, Sarah. “Everyone Thought This 4,000-Year-Old Tomb Had Been Destroyed. Then, an Archaeologist Found It.” Smithsonian. 1/30/2024. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/lost-tomb-rediscovered-ireland-180983662/
- Lawson-Tancred, Jo. “A Stolen Van Gogh Painting Worth $6.5 Million Will Go Back on Display.” Artnet. 2/8/2024. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/stolen-van-gogh-on-display-2430094
- Lawson-Tancred, Jo. “British Museum Will Publicly Display Some of Its Stolen Gems.” 2/2/2024. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/british-museum-gems-on-display-2427128
- Lawson-Tancred, Jo. “Students Make Major Breakthrough in Use of A.I. to Decipher Ancient Scrolls.” Artnet. 2/7/2024. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/students-make-major-breakthrough-in-use-of-a-i-to-decipher-ancient-scrolls-2429506
- Leonardo P. Troiano et al, A remarkable assemblage of petroglyphs and dinosaur footprints in Northeast Brazil, Scientific Reports (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-56479-3
- Lewsey, Fred. “Study reveals ‘cozy domesticity’ of prehistoric stilt-house dwellers in England’s ancient marshland.” University of Cambridge via EurekAlert. 3/19/2024. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1037495
- Marx, Danae. “Unraveling the mysteries of the Mongolian Arc: exploring a monumental 405-kilometer wall system in Eastern Mongolia.” EurekAlert. 1/3/2024. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1030161
- Matthew Steggle, John Shakespeare's "Spiritual Testament" Is Not John Shakespeare's, Shakespeare Quarterly (2024). DOI: 10.1093/sq/quae003
- net. “Medieval love badge discovered in Poland.” https://www.medievalists.net/2024/02/medieval-love-badge-discovered-in-poland/
- Metcalfe, Tom. “3,300-year-old tablet from mysterious Hittite Empire describes catastrophic invasion of four cities.” LiveScience. 3/11/2024. https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/3300-year-old-tablet-from-mysterious-hittite-empire-describes-catastrophic-invasion-of-four-cities
- Metcalfe, Tom. “Undeciphered script from Easter Island may predate European colonization.” LiveScience. 2/9/2024. https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/undeciphered-script-from-easter-island-may-predate-european-colonization
- Moran, Tony. “First DNA study of ancient Eastern Arabians reveals malaria adaptation – study.” EurekAlert. 2/27/2024. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1035287
- Morris, Steven. “Tintern Abbey excavation suggests poor people were later buried alongside lords.” Steven Morris. The Guardian. 1/3/2024. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/jan/04/tintern-abbey-excavation-suggests-poor-people-were-later-buried-alongside-lords
- O’Laughlin Frank. “‘Rising tide lifts all boats’: Century-old shipwreck unearthed on Massachusetts beach.” Boston 25 News. 3/12/2024. https://www.boston25news.com/news/local/rising-tide-lifts-all-boats-century-old-shipwreck-unearthed-massachusetts-beach/DLLJF5C3DZGKJOEUU7KTRUWUZI/
- org. “Archaeologists probe mysterious Canadian shipwreck.” 2/6/2024. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-archaeologists-probe-mysterious-canadian-shipwreck.html
- org. “Vessel off Florida Keys identified as British warship that sank in the 18th century.” 3/10/2024. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-vessel-florida-keys-british-warship.html#google_vignette
- Qiblawi, Adnan. “Italians Worry the Deciphering of the Herculaneum Scrolls Could Lead to More Digs.” 2/20/2024. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/italians-fear-more-herculaneum-digs-vesuvius-2437451
- Quiblawi, Adnan. “Spanish Archaeologists Make the Sweet Discovery of a 19th-Century Chocolate Factory.” ArtNet. 2/15/2024. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/barcelona-19th-century-chocolate-factory-2435176
- Rascius, Brendan. “Spicy wine: New study reveals ancient Romans may have had peculiar tastes.” Phys.org. 1/24/2024. https://phys.org/news/2024-01-spicy-wine-reveals-ancient-romans.html
- Schrader, Adam. “Ancient Lipstick Dating Back More Than Three Millennia Is Found in Iran.” ArtNet. 2/14/2024. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/ancient-lipstick-found-in-iran-2434396
- Schrader, Adam. “The Van Gogh Museum Fires Four Staff Members Over Pokémon Chaos.” ArtNet. 1/24/2024. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/van-gogh-museum-fires-workers-pokemon-2422901
- Shoichet, Catherine E. “A new trove of records could help many reconnect with their Irish roots. They come from a surprising source.” CNN. 3/8/2024. https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/08/world/irish-ancestry-guinness-brewery-archives-cec/index.html
- Smithsonian Magazine. “Metal Detectorist Finds Rare 1,500-Year-Old Gold Ring in Denmark.” 2/26/2024. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/metal-detectorist-discovers-a-rare-1500-year-old-gold-ring-in-denmark-180983830/ ‘
- South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology. “Ötzi’s tattooing technique through self-experimentation.” https://www.iceman.it/en/tattootechniqueotzi/
- Sullivan, Will. “Ancient DNA From Eurasian Herders Sheds Light on the Origins of Multiple Sclerosis.” Smithsonian Magazine. 1/12/2024. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ancient-dna-from-eurasian-herders-sheds-light-on-the-origins-of-multiple-sclerosis-180983579/
- The Francis Crick Institute. “First prehistoric person with Turner syndrome identified from ancient DNA.” 1/11/2024 https://phys.org/news/2024-01-prehistoric-person-turner-syndrome-ancient.html
- The History Blog. “Full gamut of Neolithic occupation, funerary practices found at site in France.” http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/69681
- The History Blog. “Medieval love token found under Gdańsk port crane.” 2/17/2024. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/69492
- The History Blog. “Rare medieval belt loop found in Poland.” 3/20/2024. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/69734
- The History Blog. “Rare Merovingian gold ring found in Jutland.” 2/20/2024. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/69517
- The History Blog. “Roman silver toilet spoon found in Wales.” 1/30/2024. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/69380
- The History Blog. “Section of Roman 3rd century wall found in Aachen.” 3/24/2024. http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/69767
- The History Blog. “Warring States cemetery with chariot burial found in central China.” https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/69748
- The National Archives. “Pristine sweater in parcel posted in 1807.” 2/29/2024. https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/about/news/pristine-sweater-found-in-parcel-posted-in-1807/
- Thijs Porck, Newly Discovered Pieces of an Old English Glossed Psalter: The Alkmaar Fragments of the N-Psalter, Anglo-Saxon England (2024). DOI: 10.1017/S0263675123000121
- Thorsberg, Christian. “DNA From 2,000-Year-Old Skeletons Hints at the Origins of Syphilis.” Smithsonian Magazine. 1/29/2024. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/dna-from-2000-year-old-skeletons-hints-at-the-origins-of-syphilis-180983657/
- Tondo, Lorenzo. “Archaeologists find Pompeii fresco depicting Greek mythological siblings.” The Guardian. 3/1/2024. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/mar/01/pompeii-fresco-phrixus-and-helle-greek-mythological-siblings
- S. Department of the Interior. “Interior Department Announces Final Rule for Implementation of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act.” 12/6/2023. https://www.doi.gov/pressreleases/interior-department-announces-final-rule-implementation-native-american-graves
- “Anglo-Saxon cemetery discovered in Lincolnshire to appear on BBC.” https://www.viking-link.com/news/anglo-saxon-cemetery-discovered-in-lincolnshire-to-appear-on-bbc-s-digging-for-britain/
- Weber, Bob. “Divers involved in Franklin expedition say the 2023 season 'highly productive'.” CBC. 1/29/2024. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/franklin-expedition-update-2024-1.7097874
- Whiddington, Richard. “Archaeologists in Brazil Discover 16 New Rock Art Sites.” ArtNet. 3/14/2024. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/16-new-rock-art-sites-brazil-2452134
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