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The podcast covers a range of topics including ancient Egyptian cancer surgery, 18th-century glass bottles, archaeological findings from Tasmania to Antarctica, a dramatic Arctic shipwreck rescue, and Neanderthal viruses. It also delves into misrepresentation of Rapa Nui people, cultural preservation efforts, and fascinating discoveries like Maya beekeeping practices and voting practices of enslaved people in colonial Massachusetts.
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Quick takeaways
- Ancient Egyptians performed cancer surgery 4,000 years ago.
- Archaeologists discovered 35 glass bottles with preserved fruits from the 18th century.
Deep dives
Significance of Aboriginal Pottery
The discovery of pottery shards dating back to 2,000 and 3,000 years ago challenges previous conclusions about Aboriginal pottery in Australia. These decorative pottery pieces exchanged culture and knowledge with the Lapita people, revealing a rich history of trade and connectivity.
Living in a Lava Tube
Archaeological evidence indicates that people in northwestern Saudi Arabia lived in a large lava tube for about 7,000 years. The presence of rock art, animal remains, and pasturing practices suggest a pastoralist lifestyle connected to a local oasis.
Surprising Home Discovery
A dentist discovered a part of a jawbone with teeth in the travertine tile floor of their parents' home in Europe. This unusual find showcased a fossilized hominid jawbone, highlighting the presence of ancient remains in unexpected places.
Testing Mycenaean Armor
Researchers in Greece conducted a rigorous 11-hour combat simulation to test the functionality of a 3,500-year-old Mycenaean suit of armor. The study involved volunteers wearing replica armor and using Bronze Age weapons to evaluate combat efficiency and environmental adaptability.
7.
Ancient Prosthesis, Egyptian Scribes, Infectious Diseases, and Neanderthal Viruses
12min
The conclusion of the July 2024 edition of things unearthed literally or figuratively covers animals, shipwrecks, and medicine. But it starts with the assorted things that don't fit in a category, which are grouped as potpourri.
Research:
- Binswanger, Julia. “Groundbreaking Research Shows Ancient Egyptians Were Conducting Cancer Surgery Over 4,000 Years Ago.” Smithsonian. 5/29/2024. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/groundbreaking-research-shows-ancient-egyptians-were-conducting-cancer-surgery-over-4000-years-ago-180984431/
- Feldman, Ella. “The Judy Garland Museum Wants to Buy Dorothy’s Ruby Slippers.” Smithsonian. 6/25/2024. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-judy-garland-museum-wants-to-buy-dorothys-ruby-slippers-180984604/
- Mount Vernon. “Archaeologists Discover Two Intact, Sealed 18th Century Glass Bottles During Mansion Revitalization at George Washington’s Mount Vernon.” 4/22/2024. https://www.mountvernon.org/about/news/article/archaeologists-discover-two-intact-sealed-18th-century-glass-bottles-during-mansion-revitalization-at-george-washington-s-mount-vernon/
- Mount Vernon. “Archaeologists Unearth 35 Glass Bottles from the 18th Century at George Washington’s Mount Vernon During Mansion Revitalization, Most Containing Perfectly Preserved Cherries and Berries.” 6/13/2024. https://www.mountvernon.org/about/news/article/archaeologists-unearth-35-glass-bottles-from-the-18th-century-at-george-washington-s-mount-vernon-during-mansion-revitalization-most-containing-perfectly-preserved-cherries-and-berries/
- Helm, Charles and Alan Whitfield. “Stingray sand 'sculpture' in South Africa may be oldest example of humans creating an image of another creature.” Phys.org. 4/1/2024. https://phys.org/news/2024-04-stingray-sand-sculpture-south-africa.html
- Mills, Charlie. “Tasmanian Devil tooth and other rare artefacts found during re-excavation of Pilbara's Juukan Gorge.” ABC News. 4/16/2024. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-04-17/tooth-and-artefacts-found-in-excavation-of-juukan-gorge/103729346
- Burnett, Sarah. “New finds at Culloden shed light on intensity of battle.” National Trust for Scotland. https://www.nts.org.uk/stories/new-finds-at-culloden-shed-light-on-intensity-of-battle
- Ferguson, Alisdair. “Scottish archaeologists find potential buckle of Culloden clan chief.” 4/12/2024. https://www.thenational.scot/news/24249505.scottish-archaeologist-find-potential-buckle-culloden-clan-chief/
- Brewer, Keagan. “For 600 years the Voynich manuscript has remained a mystery—now, researchers think it's partly about sex.” Phys.org. 4/16/2024. https://phys.org/news/2024-04-years-voynich-manuscript-mystery-sex.html
- Keagan Brewer, Michelle L Lewis, The Voynich Manuscript, Dr Johannes Hartlieb and the Encipherment of Women’s Secrets, Social History of Medicine, 2024;, hkad099, https://doi.org/10.1093/shm/hkad099
- Babbs, Verity. “A Dining Room With Stunning Wall Murals Unearthed in Pompeii.” Artnet. 4/11/2024. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/dining-room-murals-pompeii-2467748
- Mortensen, Antonia. “A blue painted shrine is the latest discovery in Pompeii ‘treasure chest’.” CNN. 6/4/2024. https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/04/science/blue-sacrarium-pompeii-excavation-scli-intl-scn/index.html
- Nadeau, Barbie Latza. “Pompeii gladiator drawings suggest children saw ‘extreme form’ of violence.” 5/29/2024. https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/29/style/pompeii-children-drawings-scli-intl-scn/index.html
- Zeilstra, Andrew. “When did the chicken cross the road? New evidence from Central Asia.” EurekAlert. 4/2/2024. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1039445
- anderson, Sonja. “Archaeologists May Have Found the Villa Where the Roman Emperor Augustus Died.” Smithsonian. 4/24/2024. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/covered-in-ash-by-the-same-eruption-that-buried-pompeii-this-villa-may-have-belonged-to-emperor-augustus-180984212/
- Kuta, Sarah. “The Public Finally Has Access to an Accurate List of Japanese Americans Detained During World War II.” Smithsonian. 4/29/2024. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/public-finally-access-accurate-list-japanese-americans-detained-during-world-war-ii-180984241/
- Artnet News. “The Stone of Destiny Was Once But a Humble Doorstep, a New Study Reveals.” 5/17/2024. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/stone-of-destiny-doorstep-2480385
- “UNESCO wants to add Stonehenge to list of endangered heritage sites.” 6/25/2024. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-unesco-stonehenge-endangered-heritage-sites.html
- Benzine, Vittoria. “A Lavinia Fontana Portrait Enters a Museum Collection After 400 Years in Private Hands.” Artnet. 5/1/2024. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/legion-of-honor-lavinia-fontana-acquisition-2478687
- Binswanger, Julia. “This 130,000-Year-Old Decorative Bear Bone May Be the Oldest Known Neanderthal Art.” Smithsonian. 5/22/2015. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-130000-year-old-decorative-bear-bone-may-be-the-oldest-known-neanderthal-art-180984380/
- Nalewicki, Jennifer. “2,000-year-old rock art, including nearly 140-foot-long snake, may mark ancient territories in Colombia, Venezuela.” LiveScience. 6/3/2024. https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/2000-year-old-rock-art-including-nearly-140-foot-long-snake-may-mark-ancient-territories-in-colombia-venezuela
- Fraser, Alex. “Mona Lisa's mysterious background decrypted by art-loving geologist.” Reuters. 5/15/2024. https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/mona-lisas-mysterious-background-decrypted-by-art-loving-geologist-2024-05-15/
- Benzine, Vittoria. “These Rare Aztec Manuscripts, Long in Private Hands, Were Just Acquired by Mexico.” 4/3/2024. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/rare-aztec-manuscripts-acquired-by-mexico-2462468
- van den Berg, Bert. “Ancient scroll reveals new story of Plato's death—here's why you should be suspicious of it.” Phys.org. 5/6/2024. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-ancient-scroll-reveals-story-plato.html#google_vignette
- Anderson, Sonja. “This Newly Deciphered Papyrus Scroll Reveals the Location of Plato’s Grave.” Smithsonian. 5/1/2024. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/platos-elusive-grave-located-after-bionic-eye-penetrates-2000-year-old-papyrus-180984221/
- Anderson, Sonja. “Letters Written by Ancient Roman Commanders Have Been Found in a Pet Cemetery in Egypt.” Smithsonian. 5/28/2024. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/letters-written-by-ancient-roman-commanders-have-been-found-in-a-pet-cemetery-in-egypt-180984423/
- Jane Austen’s House Museum. “Frank Austen Transcription Project Underway.” https://janeaustens.house/news/frank-austen-transcription-project-underway/
- Moubtahij, Zineb. “Hunter-gatherer diets weren't always heavy on meat: Morocco study reveals a plant-based diet.” 6/10/2024. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-hunter-diets-werent-heavy-meat.html
- Rosbach, Molly. “Legacy of Indigenous stewardship of camas dates back more than 3,500 years, OSU study finds.” EurekAlert. 5/21/2024. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1045535
- Oregon State University. “Legacy of Indigenous stewardship of camas dates back more than 3,500 years, OSU study finds.” 5/20/2024. https://today.oregonstate.edu/news/legacy-indigenous-stewardship-camas-dates-back-more-3500-years-osu-study-finds
- Profenna, Chiara. “Selective Indigenous camas cultivation goes back 3,500 years, OSU study finds.” HereIsOregon. 5/24/2024. https://www.hereisoregon.com/experiences/2024/05/selective-indigenous-camas-cultivation-goes-back-3500-years-osu-study-finds.html
- "Ancient Syrian diets resembled the modern 'Mediterranean diet'." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 12 June 2024. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/06/240612140846.htm.
- Delgado, Maria Jesus. “Direct evidence found for dairy consumption in the Pyrenees in the earliest stages of the Neolithic.” EurekAlert. 6/17/2024. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1048471
- Arrebola, Ruiz. “Oldest Wine Ever Found in Liquid Form Unearthed in 2,000-Year-Old Tomb.” Smithsonian. 6/18/2024. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-brown-fluid-is-the-worlds-oldest-liquid-wine-too-bad-its-flavored-with-dead-roman-180984566/
- Daley, Jason. “This Bread Was Made Using 4,500-Year-Old Egyptian Yeast.” Smithsonian. 8/8/2019. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/bread-was-made-using-4500-year-old-egyptian-yeast-180972842/
- Kuta, Sarah. “Oldest Known Aboriginal Pottery Discovered in Australia.” Smithsonian. 5/24/2024. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/oldest-known-aboriginal-pottery-discovered-in-australia-180984414/
- Hinchliffe, Joe. “Great Barrier Reef discovery overturns belief Aboriginal Australians did not make pottery, archaeologists say.” The Guardian. 4/9/2024. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/apr/10/great-barrier-reef-discovery-overturns-belief-aboriginal-australians-did-not-make-pottery
- Ulm, Sean et al. “Early Aboriginal pottery production and offshore island occupation on Jiigurru (Lizard Island group), Great Barrier Reef, Australia.” Quaternary Science Reviews, Volume 333, 2024, 108624, ISSN 0277-3791, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2024.108624.
- Stewart, Matthew et al. “First evidence for human occupation of a lava tube in Arabia: The archaeology of Umm Jirsan Cave and its surroundings, northern Saudi Arabia.” PLOS One. 4/17/2024. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0299292
- Treffeisen, Beth. “Researchers unearth the long-lost homestead of King Pompey in Lynn.” 6/25/2024. https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2024/06/25/researchers-unearth-the-long-lost-homestead-of-king-pompey-in-lynn/
- Northeastern University. “Pompey was elected a Colonial-era 'king.' Did researchers find the foundation of his home outside Boston?” Phys.org. 6/11/2024. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-pompey-elected-colonial-era-king.html
- Dylan S. Davis et al. ,Island-wide characterization of agricultural production challenges the demographic collapse hypothesis for Rapa Nui (Easter Island).Sci. Adv.10,eado1459(2024).DOI:10.1126/sciadv.ado1459
- Anderson, Sonja. “Centuries-Old Maya Beekeeping Tools Unearthed in Mexico.” Smithsonian. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/centuries-old-maya-beekeeping-tools-unearthed-mexico-180984405/
- Anderson, Sonja. “These 28 Horses Were Buried in an Ancient Mass Grave. How Did They Die?” Smithsonian. 6/3/2024. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-french-horses-may-have-died-fighting-caesar-180984455/
- Cassidy, Benjamin. “How a Trove of Whaling Logbooks Will Help Scientists Understand Our Changing Climate.” Smithsonian. 6/3/2024. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-a-trove-of-whaling-logbooks-will-help-scientists-understand-our-changing-climate-180984424/
- net. “Sunken medieval warship continues to offer up its secrets.” https://www.medievalists.net/2024/04/sunken-medieval-warship/
- Casimiro, Tânia Manuel. “Metal Objects Were Much Desired: A Sixteenth-Century Shipwreck Cargo off the Coast of Esposende (Portugal) and the Importance of Studying Ship Cargos.” Journal of Maritime Archaeology. Volume 19, pages 23–40, (2024). https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11457-024-09388-5
- Benzine, Vittoria. “A New Study on a 16th-Century Shipwreck in Portugal Reveals Its Valuable Cargo.” Artnet. 4/1/2024. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/portugal-shipwreck-cargo-2461227
- Pearson, Natali. “Underwater cultural heritage: Studying 'orphaned objects' to work out which shipwrecks they came from.” Phys.org. 4/29/2024. https://phys.org/news/2024-04-underwater-cultural-heritage-orphaned-shipwrecks.html#google_vignette
- Kuta, Sarah. “This Ship Mysteriously Vanished 115 Years Ago. Now, It’s Been Found at the Bottom of Lake Superior.” Smithsonian. 5/6/2024. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-ship-mysteriously-vanished-on-lake-superior-115-years-ago-now-its-been-found-180984265/
- Kuta, Sarah. “Wreck of WWII Submarine Found After 80 Years.” Smithsonian. 5/31/2024. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/wreck-of-wwii-submarine-found-after-80-years-180984446/
- Kuta, Sarah. “Ernest Shackleton’s Last Ship, Quest, Discovered Off the Coast of Canada.” Smithsonian. 6/14/2024. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ernest-shackletons-last-ship-quest-discovered-off-the-coast-of-canada-180984545/
- Sagar, Soumya. “'Exceptional' prosthesis of gold, silver and wool helped 18th-century man live with cleft palate.” LiveScience. 4/12/2024. https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/exceptional-prosthesis-of-gold-silver-and-wool-helped-18th-century-man-live-with-cleft-palate
- Davis, Nicola. “Egyptian scribes suffered work-related injuries, study says.” The Guardian. 6/27/2024. https://www.theguardian.com/science/article/2024/jun/27/egyptian-scribes-work-related-injuries-study
- Seo, Hannah. “Porcelain Gallbladder Found in Human Remains in Mississippi Asylum Cemetery.” Atlas Obscura. 4/24/2024. https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/porcelain-gallbladder-grave
- net. “Medieval Squirrels Linked to Spread of Leprosy in Humans.” https://www.medievalists.net/2024/05/medieval-squirrels-leprosy/
- Kuta, Sarah. “Did Body Lice Spread Bubonic Plague? Research Suggests the Parasites Are Better Vectors Than Thought.” Smithsonian. 5/23/2024. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/did-body-lice-spread-bubonic-plague-research-suggests-the-parasites-are-better-vectors-than-thought-180984412/
- Sullivan, Will. “50,000-Year-Old Neanderthal Bones Have Remains of Human Viruses, Scientists Find.” Smithsonian. 5/23/2024. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/50000-year-old-neanderthal-bones-have-remains-of-human-viruses-scientists-find-180984404/
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