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Unearthed! in Spring 2023, Part 2
Stuff You Missed in History Class
The DNA of Ludwig Von Beethoven's Hair
Ludwig von Beethoven's statue is located on an island in the middle of a lake. Previous generations may not have known about it, and plans are to just leave it there. In March, DNA research examined eight locks of hair purported to belong to Beethoven. It concluded that five of them were likely authentic; two had come from someone else.
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To wrap up Unearthed! for spring 2023, we've got potpourri, jewelry and adornments, edibles and potables, mistaken identity stories, repatriations, and the always popular shipwrecks.
Research:
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- 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/
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- 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
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- 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/
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- 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/
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- 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
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- 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
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- 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/
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- 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/
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- 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
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- 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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