I hope you’ve all had a wonderful week. I have been extremely busy reading and writing book reviews, including one of The Radium Girls posted here on Thursday:
Book Review: The Radium Girls by Kate Moore
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Aug 6
There was a period of time around 2017 or 2018 when I received at least one gifted copy of The Radium Girls for every major holiday or event. I had a bookshelf lined with them, and I would often stick one in a Little Free Library or pass them on to friends. Obviously, this wasn’t a bad thing, but for some reason it never translated into me actually
My favorite of the week: Next time you’re craving sugar and carbs, it’s probably because they played a key role in our evolution and we’ve been eating both since homo sapiens first showed up on the scene.
Runner-up: “A woman should cast off her shame together with her clothes,” or how ancient women have thought about sex in the past.
Was there a real man behind the legend of King Arthur?
A look at how an Indian polo team beating a British polo team in a tournament undermined the colonial power at a key moment.
What was the Windrush and how did it transform the Caribbean?
I think we could have guessed this, but either way, DNA testing confirms that European invaders introduced smallpox to Chile.
Testing validates a 150-year-old Charles Darwin theory. He’s probably celebrating in his grave.
Want to go play outside? This 3,000-year-old fresco tells us how the Ancient Egyptians did outdoor recreation.
And a mosaic near the Colosseum offers evidence that the building it’s in may have housed firefighters.
Meanwhile, some ancient coins reveal a Roman family’s power struggle.
Okaaaaay, Ron Swanson! This man used a Civil War-era artifact as a paperweight. Turns out it was a live artillery shell.
Remembering Queen’s final concert with Freddie Mercury, 40 years ago today.
Speaking of the 1980s, The Dark Knight comic books transformed Batman from a do-gooder to a vigilante.
And speaking of reading, a history of the summer beach read, from accusations of “moral debasement” to #BookTok.
If you’re interested in more book things, I’d like to drop the hint that my friend and I are starting a new literary project:
How did ancient North American animals evolve to adapt to South America?
Way back in space history, something may have committed a “lunar massacre” against Neptune.
200 years after his birth, a controversial composer still speaks to the contradictions and complications at the heart of American life.
Interesting moment for fashion history: A British museum is searching for a rare whimsical women’s housecoat from the 1940s, by a brand called Horrockses. Call your grandmothers!
This is not the coat they’re looking for, but this is the brand we should all keep an eye out for! Source: WoldsVintage on Etsy. Is it true that a camping trip created the US National Parks?
If you’re looking for the thinnest ever silver lining, here it is: The Danube River is at a record low due to drought in Europe, which is bad, but it’s revealing many historical artifacts we couldn’t see down there before, like woolly mammoth bones.
And, calling all natural history folks: Some flesh-eating ‘superworms,’ which sound terrifying, can be very useful in cleaning bones for museum specimens.
Speaking of horror, these shackled men found in an ancient mass grave in Athens were apparently locals, not invaders.
Bronze Age Greek rulers wore “space bling”—iron that fell from space.
Underneath the Temple of Zeus in Crimea, a child burial was discovered. Was his death a sacrifice or a tragic illness?
And a 2,100-year-old shipwreck loaded with hundreds of amphorae was just found off Sicily.
I found this so moving: How a man’s grief after fighting in World War II encouraged him to reconnect with wilderness and become the first man ever to hike the Appalachian Trail.
Speaking of grieving—I wrote about Grief Lessons: Four Plays by Euripides, translated by Anne Carson. It’s a blistering and incredible translation—highly recommended.
The ancient Japanese philosophy of kintsugi can teach us how to accept our flaws.
Metal detectorists found 3 gorgeous Bronze Age gold bracelets.
Ooh, I love this: A look inside an Anatolian kitchen from 12,000 years ago.
Speaking of Anatolia, records of a 1,500-year-old tax scandal reveal corruption in the Late Roman Empire.
“Ghost ancestors” are showing up in people’s DNA, revealing how complex the family tree for all of humanity is.
I did not know this location existed, but now it’s being explained: Antarctica’s Blood Falls are probably pouring red water because of iron.
Gorgeous, but a bit unsettling. Antarctica’s Blood Falls. Image source: Futura-Sciences. Meanwhile, black holes can move now? No, thank you!
James Baldwin had a complicated relationship with psychoanalysis.
While doing a nuclear-related dig, the history of Suffolk was rewritten.
Looking back on how Harry Belafonte’s music was influenced by the Harlem’s and Jamaica’s African diasporas.
3,400-year-old relief shows an Egyptian pharaoh crushing soldiers under a chariot.
Have you been hearing about the Reflection Pool in Washington, D.C. this summer? Here’s how it was created in the first place.
This 1,500-year-old Byzantine-Era artifact might be truly unique! It is a liturgical vessel that heralded the return of Jesus Christ.
There is no known example of similar art in Christian art history. Source: AA. Remember Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? She’s having another moment in Hollywood.
Basically since the advent of fuel-powered ships, lightning has stalked maritime shipping lanes. We’ve finally figured out why.
Weapons found at a camp of Ancient Roman soldiers in what is now Catalonia, Spain show the soldiers were ambushed in 39 BCE.
A sad development: This Japanese castle survived sieges and 400 years of history. It crumbled after a recent earthquake.
Like Japanese history? Check out my episode on Yasuke, the first Black samurai:
This man ruled China for just 27 days. 2 million ancient gold coins and kilos of gold were just found beneath his tomb.
Remember America’s first philosophy—”live deliberately”? Where did it come from?
The Trump administration is resurrecting an old conspiracy theory about Cuba interfering with activism in the US.
Gender ambiguity was a tool for power 4,500 years ago in Mesopotamia.
I’m curious: Have you ever even heard of the 1944 Cowra breakout?
A rare runestone was just found beneath a Medieval chapel in the Faroe Islands.
Some books to read if you want to fall in love with The Tudors.
How night lights have become Earth’s most honest indicator of financial success.
Evidence is piling up that Ancient Celtic women had more autonomy than their counterparts in other ancient European civilizations.
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