Stuff You Missed in History Class Unearthed! in July 2025, Part 1
Dive into fascinating archaeological discoveries, from ancient cave art in Brazil to stunning Tudor-era wall paintings in England. Explore the complexities of historical narratives shaped by funding cuts and executive orders. Discover the intriguing persecution of Pharaoh Hatshepsut, and the impacts of the 1921 Race Massacre in Tulsa. Uncover the surprising significance behind a 5,000-year-old loaf of bread and the craft of sword-making in Dahomey while navigating the rich tapestry of history through art and preservation.
45:15
Hatshepsut Statue Destruction Insight
- The destruction of Hatshepsut's statues likely involved ritual deactivation, not just hostility or anger.
- Statue damage focused on key parts mirrors practices seen with other Egyptian kings.
Federal Sites History Sanitization
- The 2025 Interior Secretary's order aims to sanitize federal historical sites by removing 'inappropriate content.'
- Historians warn it distorts history by erasing complex and inclusive narratives on race, gender, and more.
Dahomey Sword Manufacture Insight
- West African Dahomey swords show local manufacture with European design influences.
- Unique forging techniques highlight Dahomean craftsmanship integrated with global elements.
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Intro
00:00 • 2min
Funding Cuts and Historical Narratives
01:58 • 10min
Unearthing the Past: Hatshepsut's Persecution and Pompeii Discoveries
12:12 • 2min
Unearthing History: Archeology and Preservation
14:36 • 9min
Tulsa's Road to Repair: A Reparations Initiative
23:15 • 2min
Unearthing Historical Wall Paintings in England and Spain
25:23 • 2min
Unveiling the Past: Art and Archaeology
27:46 • 16min
Exploring Eminent Domain and the Charm of National Parks
43:22 • 2min
This installment of Unearthed! starts with lots of updates! And then some art-related unearthings, and a few things at the end that fall under the category of adult content.
Research:
- Agencia Brasil. “Cave Paintings Discovered in Rio de Janiero Park.” 4/13/2025. https://agenciabrasil.ebc.com.br/en/educacao/noticia/2025-04/cave-paintings-discovered-rio-de-janeiro-park
- Anderson, R. L., Salvemini, F., Avdeev, M., & Luzin, V. (2025). An African Art Re-Discovered: New Revelations on Sword Manufacture in Dahomey. Heritage, 8(2), 62. https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage8020062
- Archaeology Magazine. “5,000-year-old Bread Buried in Bronze Age House.” 6/4/2025. https://archaeology.org/news/2025/06/04/5000-year-old-bread-buried-in-bronze-age-house/
- Archaeology Magazine. “Fried Thrush Was a Popular Street Food.” 6/6/2025. https://archaeology.org/news/2025/06/06/fried-thrush-was-a-popular-roman-street-food/
- Arnold, Paul. “Dentist may have solved 500-year-old mystery in da Vinci's iconic Vitruvian Man.” Phys.org. 7/2/2025. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-dentist-year-mystery-da-vinci.html
- Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO). “New revelations on sword manufacture in 19th-century Dahomey, West Africa.” Phys.org. 5/11/2025. https://phys.org/news/2025-05-revelations-sword-19th-century-dahomey.html
- Black, Jo. “Cut-price Magna Carta 'copy' now believed genuine.” BBC. 5/15/2025. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm23zjknre7o
- Boucher, Brian. “Antique Condom on View at the Rijksmuseum Riles Christian Group.” ArtNet. 6/26/2025. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/antique-condom-rijksmuseum-christian-protest-2661519
- Brown, Mark. “Rare wall paintings found in Cumbria show tastes of well-off Tudors.” The Guardian. 4/4/2025. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/apr/04/rare-wall-paintings-found-in-cumbria-show-tastes-of-well-off-tudors
- Carvajal, Guillermo. “The Oldest Vanilla Pod in Europe, Used in Alchemical Experiments, Discovered at Prague Castle.” LBV. 3/31/2025. https://www.labrujulaverde.com/en/2025/03/the-oldest-vanilla-pod-in-europe-used-in-alchemical-experiments-discovered-at-prague-castle/
- Carvajal, Guillermo. “Thrushes Were the “Fast Food” of Romans in Imperial Cities, Not an Exclusive Delicacy for Banquets.” LBV. 6/3/2025. https://www.labrujulaverde.com/en/2025/06/thrushes-were-the-fast-food-of-romans-in-imperial-cities-not-an-exclusive-delicacy-for-banquets/
- Carvajal, Guillermo. The Spectacular Tomb of the Ice Prince, a Medieval Child Buried in an Ancient Roman Villa, Frozen for Study.” LBV. 5/25/2025. https://www.labrujulaverde.com/en/2025/05/the-spectacular-tomb-of-the-ice-prince-a-medieval-child-buried-in-an-ancient-roman-villa-frozen-for-study/
- Chen, Min. “Roman Villa in Spain Yields More Than 4,000 Painted Wall Fragments.” ArtNet. 4/21/2025. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/roman-villa-villajoyosa-wall-fragments-2634055
- Chen, Min. “These Medieval Manuscripts Were Bound With an Unlikely Animal Hide.” ArtNet. 4/12/2025. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/clairvaux-medieval-manuscripts-sealskin-2630996
- Chen, Min. “Think Shakespeare Left His Wife? This Newly Discovered Letter Tells a Different Story.” ArtNet. 4/28/2025. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/shakespeare-anne-hathaway-marriage-letter-2636443
- Chen, Min. “This 6th-Century Bucket Discovered at Sutton Hoo Is More Than It Seems.” ArtNet. 5/22/2025. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/sutton-hoo-bromeswell-bucket-not-bucket-2648124
- Dartmouth College. “Archaeologists uncover massive 1,000-year-old Native American fields in Northern Michigan that defy limits of farming.” Phys.org. 6/5/2025. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-archaeologists-uncover-massive-year-native.html
- Davis, Josh. “Ancient humans ritually feasted on great bustards as they buried their dead.” Phys.org. 4/17/2025. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-ancient-humans-ritually-feasted-great.html
- Drenon, Brandon. “Tulsa plans $105m in reparations for America's 'hidden' massacre.” BBC. 6/2/2025. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9dqnz37v1wo
- Equal Justice Initiative. “City Announces Reparations for Tulsa Race Massacre.” https://eji.org/news/city-announces-reparations-for-tulsa-race-massacre/
- “Researchers estimate that early humans began smoking meat to extend its shelf life as long as a million years ago.” 6/3/2025. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1086138
- Fox, Jordan. “Anthropologist uncovers the 11,000-year history of avocado domestication.” Phys.org. 6/24/2025. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-anthropologist-uncovers-year-history-avocado.html
- Fratsyvir, Anna. “Ukraine grants Poland permission to exhume 1939 war graves in Lviv.” The Kyiv Independent. 6/11/2025. https://kyivindependent.com/ukraine-grants-poland-permission-to-exhume-1939-war-graves-in-lviv/
- Giuffrida, Angela. “Two near lifesize sculptures found during excavations of Pompeii tomb.” The Guardian. 4/1/2025. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/apr/01/two-near-lifesize-sculptures-found-during-excavations-of-pompeii-tomb
- Guardian staff and agencies in Lima. “Peru drops plan to shrink protected area around Nazca Lines archaeological site.” The Guardian. 6/9/2025. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/09/peru-nazca-lines-protected-area
- Hamilton, Eric. “Ancient Andes society used hallucinogens to strengthen social order.” EurekAlert. 5/5/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1082461
- Hashemi, Sara. “Ancient Chinese Poems Reveal the Decline of a Critically Endangered Porpoise Over 1,400 Years.” Smithsonian. 5/6/2025. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ancient-chinese-poems-reveal-the-decline-of-a-critically-endangered-porpoise-over-1400-years-180986570/
- Hung, Hsiao-chun. “Remote cave discovery shows ancient voyagers brought rice across 2,300 km of Pacific Ocean.” Phys.org. 6/26/2025. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-remote-cave-discovery-ancient-voyagers.html
- Hunt, Katie. “125,000-year-old ‘fat factory’ run by Neanderthals discovered in Germany.” CNN. 7/4/2025. https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/04/science/neanderthal-fat-factory-germany
- Hurriyet Daily News. “5,000-year-old bread unearthed in Küllüoba goes on display.” 5/23/2025. https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/5-000-year-old-bread-unearthed-in-kulluoba-goes-on-display-209487
- Jarus, Owen. “We finally know why Queen Hatshepsut's statues were destroyed in ancient Egypt.” LiveScience. 6/23/2025. https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/ancient-egyptians/we-finally-know-why-queen-hatshepsuts-statues-were-destroyed-in-ancient-egypt
- Kuta, Sarah. “Did a Neanderthal Who Lived 43,000 Years Ago Paint a Red Nose on a Rock That Looked Like a Face?” Smithsonian. 6/2/2025. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/did-a-neanderthal-who-lived-43000-years-ago-paint-a-red-nose-on-a-rock-that-looked-like-a-face-180986704/
- Kuta, Sarah. “How Researchers Discovered a 168-Year-Old Dutch Shipwreck Off the Coast of Australia in Underwater ‘Blizzard’ Conditions.” Smithsonian. 5/16/2025. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-researchers-discovered-a-168-year-old-dutch-shipwreck-off-the-coast-of-australia-in-underwater-blizzard-conditions-180986637/
- Kuta, Sarah. “Tourists Are Stuffing Coins Into the Cracks of the Giant’s Causeway, Damaging the Iconic Site in Northern Ireland.” Smithsonian. 6/4/2025. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/tourists-are-stuffing-coins-into-the-cracks-of-the-giants-causeway-damaging-the-iconic-site-in-northern-ireland-180986745/
- Kuta, Sarah. “Why Was a 1940s Car Discovered in the Wreck of an American Naval Ship That Sank During World War II?” Smithsonian. 4/23/2025. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-was-1940s-car-discovered-wreck-american-naval-ship-that-sank-during-world-war-ii-180986485/
- Larson, Christina. “Ancient DNA confirms New Mexico tribe's link to famed Chaco Canyon site.” Phys.org. 4/30/2025. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-oral-histories-dna-picuris-pueblo.html
- Lawson-Tancred, Jo. “A Life-Sized Statue of a Bejeweled Ancient Priestess Is Unearthed in Pompeii.” ArtNet. 4/2/2025. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/a-life-sized-statue-of-a-bejeweled-ancient-priestess-is-unearthed-in-pompeii-2627176
- Lawson-Tancred, Jo. “Rare Artwork by Emily Brontë Scooped at Auction by Museum.” 4/11/2025. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/rare-artwork-by-emily-bronte-scooped-at-auction-by-museum-2631133
- Lawson-Tancred, Jo. “Vatican Brings ‘God’s Architect’ Antoni Gaudí One Step Closer to Sainthood.” ArtNet. 4/15/2025. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/vatican-antoni-gaudi-one-step-closer-to-sainthood-2632185
- Leahy, Diana. “Depictions of the Milky Way found in ancient Egyptian imagery.” 4/30/2025. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-depictions-milky-ancient-egyptian-imagery.html
- MacKay, Mercedes. “'It's a mystery that's hung over our area for 50 years': Salem, Illinois, exhuming grave of unknown Amtrak train derailment victim.” KDSK. 3/13/2025. https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/local/salem-illinois-exhuming-grave-of-unknown-amtrak-train-derailment-victim/63-2770a303-4e54-4647-8b13-dff304b93e30
- net. “Magna Carta at Harvard dates to the Year 1300, historians find.” 5/2025. https://www.medievalists.net/2025/05/magna-carta-at-harvard-dates-to-the-year-1300-historians-find/
- net. “Medieval Merlin Manuscript Fragment Revealed Through Digital Unfolding.” 5/2025. https://www.medievalists.net/2025/04/medieval-merlin-manuscript-fragment-revealed-through-digital-unfolding/
- net. “Medieval Mystery Solved: Sutton Hoo Bucket Was a Cremation Vessel.” 6/2025. https://www.medievalists.net/2025/06/medieval-mystery-solved-sutton-hoo-bucket-was-a-cremation-vessel/
- net. “Rethinking Rye: Study Reveals Medieval Cultivation Was Intensive and Strategic.” 5/2025. https://www.medievalists.net/2025/05/rethinking-rye-study-reveals-medieval-cultivation-was-intensive-and-strategic/
- net. “Tudor Wall Paintings Uncovered in Northern England Lodge.” 4/2025. https://www.medievalists.net/2025/04/tudor-wall-paintings-uncovered-in-northern-england-lodge/
- Mira, Chad. “Multiple bodies found in exhumed Salem, Ill., grave.” Fox2. https://fox2now.com/news/illinois/multiple-bodies-found-in-exhumed-salem-ill-grave/
- Organization of American Historians. “Statement in Response to Secretary Order 3431 and Censorship of History in the National Park Service.” 6/18/2025. https://www.oah.org/2025/06/18/statement-in-response-to-secretary-order-3431-and-censorship-of-history-in-the-national-park-service/
- Oster, Sandee. “New Holocene Aboriginal rock art style identified in recent study.” Phys.org. 4/29/2025. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-holocene-aboriginal-art-style.html#google_vignette
- Oster, Sandee. “Study provides new insights into medieval sex workers and childcare.” Phys.org. 5/22/2025. https://phys.org/news/2025-05-insights-medieval-sex-workers-childcare.html
- “Exhumations in Volhynia. Wróblewska on the beginning of work in Zboiska.” 6/23/2025. https://www.pap.pl/aktualnosci/ekshumacje-na-wolyniu-wroblewska-o-poczatku-prac-w-zboiskach
- org. “Race to save Sweden's 17th century warship in preservation project.” 4/9/2025. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-sweden-17th-century-warship.html
- Pinotti, Thomaz et al. “Picuris Pueblo oral history and genomics reveal continuity in US Southwest.” Nature. 4/30/2025. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-08791-9
- Public Library of Science. “Italians spent thousands of years perfecting grape cultivation, ancient seeds show.” Phys.org. 4/23/2025. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-italians-spent-thousands-years-grape.html
- Radio Prague International. “Rare Roman soldier’s wrist purse discovered in South Moravia.” 6/24/2025. https://english.radio.cz/rare-roman-soldiers-wrist-purse-discovered-south-moravia-8854920
- Shams, Housnia. “Work begins to exhume remains of 800 dead babies at unwed mothers’ home in Ireland.” 6/17/2025. https://www.irishstar.com/news/ireland-news/work-begins-exhume-remains-800-35409145
- SO 3431 - Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History https://www.doi.gov/document-library/secretary-order/so-3431-restoring-truth-and-sanity-american-history
- Sweeney, Rory Mac. “Leonardo's Vitruvian Man: modern craniofacial anatomical analysis reveals a possible solution to the 500-year-old mystery.” Journal of Mathematics and the Arts. 3/28/2025. https://doi.org/10.1080/17513472.2025.2507568
- The History Blog. ‘Installation of Vasa’s new support structure begins.” 4/14/2025. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/72910
- The History Blog. “16th c. mural found on the Grand Canal.” 4/15/2025. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/72918
- The History Blog. “3,500-year-old bronze daggers found in corn field.” 4/1/2025. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/72799
- The History Blog. “First English cheese treatise digitized, transcribed.” 5/1/2025. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/73045
- The History Blog. “Life and death of little “Ice Prince” revealed.” 5/26/2025. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/73246
- The History Blog. “Oldest baked bread flying off the shelves.” 5/29/2025. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/73273
- The History Blog. “Roman soldier’s bronze wrist purse found in Czech Republic.” 6/25/2025. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/73467
- University of Leeds. “Curd your enthusiasm: Secrets of oldest book on cheese revealed.” Phys.org. 4/28/2025. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-curd-enthusiasm-secrets-oldest-cheese.html
- University of St. Andrews. “New tool to identify toxic pigments in historic books.” Phys.org. 6/6/2025. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-tool-toxic-pigments-historic.html#google_vignette
- Vargas Ariza, Daniela et al. “The Cobs in the Archaeological Context of the San José Galleon Shipwreck.” Antiquity (2025): 1–6. Web. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/antiquity/article/cobs-in-the-archaeological-context-of-the-san-jose-galleon-shipwreck/66532DCA302A8C08A1EBFE4AC7E4E6C1
- Wexler, Ellen. “The Only Black, All-Female Unit to Serve Overseas in World War II Receives the Congressional Gold Medal.” Smithsonian. 4/30/2025. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-only-black-all-female-unit-to-serve-overseas-in-world-war-ii-receives-the-congressional-gold-medal-180986528/
- Whiddington, Richard. “A 19th-Century Condom With a Bawdy Print Makes Its Museum Debut.” 6/3/2025. ArtNet. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/old-condom-erotica-rijksmuseum-show-2652526
- Whiddington, Richard. “A Lost WWI Submarine Is Discovered ‘Remarkably Intact’ After 100 Years.” ArtNet. 5/27/2025. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/a-lost-wwi-submarine-is-discovered-remarkably-intact-after-100-years-2649437
- Whiddington, Richard. “Archaeologists Identify France’s Deepest Shipwreck.” ArtNet. 6/20/2025. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/france-deepest-shipwreck-camarat-4-2659029
- Whiddington, Richard. “Nazca Lines Under Threat? Peru’s Downsizing Plan Sparks Alarm.” Artnet. 6/3/2025. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/nazca-lines-reduced-reserve-plan-2652342
- Whiddington, Richard. “Who Designed the Bayeux Tapestry? Its 93 Penises Offer Clues.” 5/2/2025. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/bayeux-tapestry-93-penises-offer-clues-2639001
- Wizevich, Eli. “By Shoving a Bed Frame Against the Door, This Pompeii Family Tried to Survive Mount Vesuvius’ Eruption.” Smithsonian. 5/13/2025. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/by-shoving-a-bed-frame-against-the-door-this-pompeii-family-tried-to-survive-mount-vesuvius-eruption-180986608/
- Wizevich, Eli. “It could take years for archaeologists to properly excavate and preserve the delicate wooden vessel, which likely became shipwrecked.” 4/30/2025. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-the-rare-medieval-boat-discovered-over-18-feet-below-sea-level-in-barcelona-180986524/
- Wong, Jun Yi. “The Afterlife of Hatshepsut’s Statuary.” Antiquity 99.405 (2025): 746–761. Web. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/antiquity/article/afterlife-of-hatshepsuts-statuary/F22D001E29438008136B6DA04F57C627
- Zeilstra, Andrew. “Mediterranean hunter gatherers navigated long-distance sea journeys well before the first farmers.” EurekAlert. 4/9/2025. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1079385
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