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Unearthed! in Spring 2023, Part 1
Stuff You Missed in History Class
The New Bedford Whaling Museum
In January, news broke that a former employee of the New Bedford Whaling Museum had been arrested and was facing charges after allegedly stealing at least $75,000 worth of objects. The museum has declined to comment on this due to the ongoing criminal proceedings. It's illegal to ask about a person's criminal record on a job application, but it is legal to conduct criminal background checks during the hiring process.
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Transcript
Episode notes
The first part of our spring 2023 edition of Unearthed! features updates, books and letters, fabric, mummies, and a whole bunch of stuff involving skulls or bones.
Research:
- Agence France-Presse. “New Easter Island moai statue discovered in volcano crater.” The Guardian. 1/3/2023. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/mar/02/new-easter-island-moai-statue-discovered-in-volcano-crater
- Alberge, Dalya. “‘Incredible’ Roman bathers’ gems lost 2,000 years ago found near Hadrian’s Wall.” The Observer. 1/28/2023. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/jan/28/roman-bathers-gems-carved-stones-archaeologists-hadrians-wall
- Amador, Marisela. “Swiss museum returns two artifacts to the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) confederacy.” The Canadian Press. Town and Country Today. 2/22/2023. https://www.townandcountrytoday.com/beyond-local/swiss-museum-returns-two-artifacts-to-the-haudenosaunee-iroquois-confederacy-6589516
- Amundsen, Bard. “World’s oldest rune stone found in Norway, archaeologists believe.” Science Norway. 1/17/2023. https://sciencenorway.no/archaeology-language-runes/worlds-oldest-rune-stone-found-in-norway-archaeologists-believe/2141404
- 1/12/2023. “Archaeology: 4,500-year-old ostrich eggs found in Israel.” https://www.ansa.it/ansamed/en/news/sections/culture/2023/01/12/archaeology-4500-year-old-ostrich-eggs-found-in-israel_899fa202-941d-4520-8be4-28397c1d89fc.html
- ArtNet News. “Art Industry News: The Met Will Repatriate 15 Sculptures Linked to Disgraced Dealer Subhash Kapoor + Other Stories.” 3/31/2023. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/art-industry-news-march-31-2023-2278598
- ArtNet News. “Researchers in Vietnam Discovered That Two Deer Antlers Languishing in Museum Storage Are Actually 2,000-Year-Old Musical Instruments.” 2/27/2023. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/deer-antler-long-an-museum-storage-earliest-known-stringed-instruments-2261298
- Bacon, B., Khatiri, A., Palmer, J., Freeth, T., Pettitt, P., & Kentridge, R. (2023). An Upper Palaeolithic Proto-writing System and Phenological Calendar. Cambridge Archaeological Journal, 1-19. doi:10.1017/S0959774322000415
- BBC News. “Londoner solves 20,000-year Ice Age drawings mystery.” 1/5/2023. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-64162799
- BBC News. “Oldest tartan found to date back to 16th Century.” 3/26/2023. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-65081312
- “Comb made from human skull found among A14 artefacts.” 2/28/2023. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-64797376
- “Mary Queen of Scots: Secret letters written during imprisonment decoded.” 2/8/2023. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-64568222
- Begg, Tristin James Alexander et al. “Genomic analyses of hair from Ludwig van Beethoven.” Current Biology. 3/22/2023. https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(23)00181-1
- Berger, Michele W. “At a southern Iraq site, unearthing the archaeological passing of time.” Penn Today. 1/23/2023. https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/lagash-southern-iraq-site-unearthing-archaeological-passing-time
- Bernardi, Dan. “In “an international act of diplomacy,” Syracuse University alumnus Brennen Ferguson ’19 helps repatriate ceremonial Native American items from a museum in Geneva, Switzerland..” Syracuse 3/10/2023. https://thecollege.syr.edu/news-all/news-2023/sacred-indigenous-objects-find-their-way-home/
- Brooks, James. “Oldest reference to Norse god Odin found in Danish treasure.” Associated Press. 3/8/2023. https://apnews.com/article/gold-god-odin-norse-denmark-buried-ca2959e460f7af301a19083b6eec7df4
- Burakoff, Maddie. “What made Beethoven sick? DNA from his hair offers clues.” Associated Press. 3/22/2023. https://apnews.com/article/beethoven-dna-hair-deaf-liver-d2d8c50fdd951eb5f5b9fdae00f795a3
- Cascone, Sarah. “Ancient Stone Tools Once Thought to be Made by Humans Were Actually Crafted by Monkeys, Say Archaeologists.” ArtNet. 1/3/2023. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/ancient-tools-monkeys-2237820
- CBS Baltimore Staff. “Maryland archaeologists find West African spirit cache at Harriet Tubman's birthplace.” 2/14/2023. https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/news/harriet-tubman-west-african-spirit-cache-found-dorchester-county-maryland/
- Correa-Lau J, Agüero C, Splitstoser J, Echenique E, Martens T, Santoro CM (2023) Inka Unku: Imperial or provincial? State-local relations. PLoS ONE 18(2): e0280511. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0280511
- Davies, Caroline. “‘Remarkable’: Eastbourne shipwreck identified as 17th-century Dutch warship.” The Guardian. 1/27/2023. https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2023/jan/27/remarkable-eastbourne-shipwreck-identified-as-17th-century-dutch-warship
- De Cupere, Bea. “Newly discovered crocodile mummies of variable quality from an undisturbed tomb at Qubbat al-Hawā (Aswan, Egypt).” PLOS One. 1/18/2023. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0279137#sec024
- Dedovic, Yaz. “Mysterious new behavior seen in whales may be recorded in ancient manuscripts.” EurekAlert. 2/28/2023. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/980816
- Devlin, Hannah. “Discovery of 3m-year-old stone tools sparks prehistoric whodunnit.” The Guardian. 2/9/2023. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/feb/09/discovery-ancient-stone-tools-prehistoric-mystery-whodunnit
- Dijkstra, Mischa. “‘Golden boy’ mummy was protected by 49 precious amulets, CT scans reveal.” EurekAlert. 1/24/2023. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/977129
- Duncan-Pitt, Lindsey. “It’s not a Roman dildo, it’s a drop spindle.” The Guardian. 2/26/2023. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/feb/26/its-not-a-roman-dildo-its-a-drop-spindle
- El-Aref , Nevine. “Ancient Egypt’s Ramses II temple reveals animal mummy menagerie.” AhramOnline. 3/25/2023. https://english.ahram.org.eg/News/492386.aspx
- Enking, Molly. “Archaeologists Find 2,000-Year-Old Gemstones in Drain Beneath a Roman Bathhouse.” Smithsonian. 2/2/2023. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/lost-gems-over-2000-years-old-found-in-roman-baths-180981566/
- Feldman, Ella. “French Museum Will Return ‘Talking Drum’ to Ivory Coast.” Smithsonian. 2/6/2023. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/french-museum-returns-talking-drum-to-ivory-coast-180981577/
- Field Museum. “Authentic 3,000-Year-Old Bronze Age sword put on display at Field Museum.” 1/16/2023. https://www.fieldmuseum.org/about/press/authentic-3-000-year-old-bronze-age-sword-put-on-display-at-field-museum
- Gammelby, Peter. “New research uncovers the "water" mystery of the first large city in southern Africa.” EurekAlert. 1/24/2023. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/977674
- Handwerk, Brian. “This Man Underwent Brain Surgery 3,500 Years Ago.” Smithsonian. 2/22/2023. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/in-roughly-1500-bce-this-middle-eastern-man-underwent-brain-surgery-180981679/
- Henton, Lesley. “Texas A&M-led research team identifies oldest bone spear point In the Americas.” Texas A&M University via EurekAlert. 2/2/2023. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/978632
- Hirsch, Arthur. “How the $75,000 Whaling Museum thefts went down.” New Bedford Light. 2/21/2023. https://newbedfordlight.org/how-the-75000-whaling-museum-thefts-went-down/
- Kuta, Sarah. “5,000-Year-Old Tavern With Food Still Inside Discovered in Iraq.” Smithsonian. 1/1/2023. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/5000-year-old-tavern-discovered-in-iraq-180981564/
- Kuta, Sarah. “Archaeologists Unearth 3,000-Year-Old Wishing Well in Germany.” Smithsonian. 1/18/2023. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-discover-3000-year-old-wishing-well-in-germany-180981428/
- Kuta, Sarah. “Iraq dig uncovers 5,000 year old pub restaurant.” Phys.org. 2/15/2023. https://phys.org/news/2023-02-iraq-uncovers-year-pub-restaurant.html
- Kuta, Sarah. “Is This Wooden Artifact an Ancient Roman Phallus?” Smithsonian. 2/27/2023. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/what-was-this-2000-year-old-phallus-used-for-180981693/
- Kuta, Sarah. “Neanderthals Hunted and Butchered Massive Elephants 125,000 Years Ago.” Smithsonian. 2/3/2023. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/neanderthals-hunted-and-butchered-massive-elephants-125000-years-ago-180981578/
- Kuta, Sarah. “Neutron Imaging Reveals Tiny Bones Inside 800-Year-Old Pendant.” Smithsonian. 1/17/2023. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/neutrons-help-scientists-see-inside-800-year-old-pendant-and-find-tiny-bones-180981444/
- Larson, Shannon. “‘It gives me chills’: Messages found in bottle on Cape Cod may have been left by World War II POWs.” Boston Globe. 2/1/2023. https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/02/01/nation/it-gives-me-chills-messages-found-bottle-cape-cod-may-have-been-world-war-ii-pows/
- Lawson-Tancred, Jo. “Dispelling Rumors, Greece Has Rejected the British Museum’s Offer to Return the Parthenon Marbles as a Long-Term Loan.” ArtNet. 1/11/2023. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/greece-rejects-british-museum-loan-deal-parthenon-marbles-2241261
- net. “Heart-shaped pendant discovered in England.” 2/2023. https://www.medievalists.net/2023/02/heart-shaped-pendant-discovered-in-england/
- Metcalfe, Tom. “Bronze Age ice skates with bone blades discovered in China.” LiveScience. https://www.livescience.com/bronze-age-ice-skates-with-bone-blades-discovered-in-china
- Metcalfe, Tom. “Painful 'cross-shaped incision' in medieval woman's skull didn't kill her, but second surgery did.” LiveScience. 2/25/2023. https://www.livescience.com/painful-cross-shaped-incision-in-medieval-womans-skull-didnt-kill-her-but-second-surgery-did
- “Milk residue found at ancient site on Tibetan Plateau.” China Daily. 2/14/2023. https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202302/14/WS63eade74a31057c47ebae956.html
- Morris, Steven. “‘3D medieval puzzle’: Newport ship to be reassembled from 2,500 pieces of timber.” The Guardian. 1/19/2023. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/jan/19/3d-medieval-puzzle-newport-ship-reassembled-2500-pieces-timber
- Niazi, Asaad and Tony Gamal-Gabriel. “Iraq dig uncovers 5,000 year old pub restaurant.” Phys.org. 2/15/2023. https://phys.org/news/2023-02-iraq-uncovers-year-pub-restaurant.html
- Nowakowski, Teresa. “Neanderthals Dined on Crab 90,000 Years Ago.” Smithsonian. 2/8/2023. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/neanderthals-dined-on-crab-90000-years-ago-180981604/
- Oltermann, Philip. “‘Blind chance’ or plot? Exhumation may help solve puzzle of 1933 Reichstag blaze.” The Guardian. 2/26/2023. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/feb/26/blind-chance-or-plot-exhumation-may-help-solve-puzzle-of-1933-reichstag-blaze
- Orie, Amarachi. “World's oldest dated runestone discovered in Norway -- with a mysterious inscription.” CNN. 1/18/2023. https://www.cnn.com/style/article/worlds-oldest-runestone-norway-intl-scli-scn/index.html
- Osborne, Margaret. “Ancient DNA Confirms the Origin Story of the Swahili People.” Smithsonian. 3/31/2023. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ancient-dna-confirms-the-origin-story-of-the-swahili-people-180981909/
- Parker, Christopher. “129-Year-Old Vessel Still Tethered to Lifeboat Found on Floor of Lake Huron.” Smithsonian. 3/3/2023. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ironton-shipwreck-lake-huron-180981741/
- “Looted ancient sarcophagus returned to Egypt from US.” 1/2/2023. https://phys.org/news/2023-01-looted-ancient-sarcophagus-egypt.html
- Public Library of Science. “Mummified crocodiles provide insights into mummy-making over time.” Phys.org. 1/18/2023. https://phys.org/news/2023-01-mummified-crocodiles-insights-mummy-making.html
- Schmall, Emily. “Stripping Confederate Ties, the U.S. Navy Renames Two Vessels.” New York Times. 3/11/2023. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/11/us/navy-ship-confederate-robert-smalls.html
- Shaw, Garry. “'Where the swords met bone': Archaeological evidence found of Ancient Egyptian rebellion mentioned on the Rosetta Stone.” The Art Newspaper. 1/27/2023. https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2023/01/27/where-the-swords-met-bone-archaeological-evidence-found-of-ancient-egyptian-rebellion-mentioned-on-the-rosetta-stone
- Sherburne, Morgan. “Yak milk consumption among Mongol Empire elites.” Michigan News. 3/31/2023. https://news.umich.edu/yak-milk-consumption-among-mongol-empire-elites/
- Siegel-Itzkovich, Judy. “Luxury fabrics from 1,300 years ago apparently from China, India and Sudan found in Arava.” The Jerusalem Post via MSN. 1/18/2023. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/luxury-fabrics-from-1300-years-ago-apparently-from-china-india-and-sudan-found-in-arava/ar-AA16uFqX
- Sivaraman, R. “New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art to return 15 sculptures to India.” The Hindu. 3/31/2023. https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/us-museum-to-return-15-antique-sculptures-linked-to-subash-kapoor/article66683728.ece
- “National Museum of Asian Art Announces Historic Partnership With Republic of Yemen Government as U.S. Government Repatriates 77 Cultural Objects to Yemen.” 2/21/2023. https://www.si.edu/newsdesk/releases/national-museum-asian-art-announces-historic-partnership-republic-yemen-government
- The History Blog. “Medieval chess set DNA tested.” 3/26/2023. http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/66860
- The History Blog. “Replica” sword is authentic Bronze Age artifact.” 1/21/2023. http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/66223
- The History Blog. “Scotland’s oldest tartan found in Highlands bog.” 3/31/2023. http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/66890
- “The King's Mirror - Speculum regale-Konungs skuggsjá.” https://www.gutenberg.org/files/61264/61264-h/61264-h.htm
- Topping, Alexandra. “‘He did not want this’: one man’s two-decade quest to let the ‘Irish Giant’ rest in peace.” The Guardian. 1/14/2023. https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2023/jan/14/he-did-not-want-this-one-mans-two-decade-quest-to-let-the-irish-giant-rest-in-peace
- University at Albany. “New poem by famed early American poet Phillis Wheatley discovered.” Phys.org. 1/24/2023. https://phys.org/news/2023-01-poem-famed-early-american-poet.html
- University of South Florida. “A researcher's life's work uncovers first ancient DNA from Swahili civilization.” PhysOrg. 3/29/2023. https://phys.org/news/2023-03-life-uncovers-ancient-dna-swahili.html
- University of York. "Neolithic ceramics reveal dairy processing from milk of multiple species." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 14 March 2023. sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/03/230314205400.htm
- Voigt, Kathrin. “Neanderthals hunted elephants: Earliest evidence found of humans killing elephants for food.” EurekAlert. 2/2/2023. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/978530
- “1,300-year-old rice residue found at Tibetan ancient site.” 3/14/2023. https://english.news.cn/20230314/e547b3ff93c5458b8e9413ee389f3ac8/c.html
- Yirka, Bob. “Trove of spices from around the world found on sunken fifteenth-century Norse ship.” Phys.org. 2/10/2023. https://phys.org/news/2023-02-trove-spices-world-sunken-fifteenth-century.html
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