From the BBC
"They could be the earliest Christian writing in existence, surviving almost 2,000 years in a Jordanian cave. They could, just possibly, change our understanding of how Jesus was crucified and resurrected, and how Christianity was born.
A group of 70 or so "books", each with between five and 15 lead leaves bound by lead rings, was apparently discovered in a remote arid valley in northern Jordan somewhere between 2005 and 2007."
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Monday, March 28, 2011
How De Valera asked UK to smear IRA chief Sean Russell
From the BBC
"Newly released documents suggest that the man who helped found the Irish Free State, Eamon de Valera, covertly co-operated with Britain to crush the IRA."
"Newly released documents suggest that the man who helped found the Irish Free State, Eamon de Valera, covertly co-operated with Britain to crush the IRA."
Britain from the air in times gone by
From the Telegraph
"The Aerofilms Collection is a collection of historical aerial photographs, now owned by English Heritage, which dates back to 1919. A project is currently underway to digitise the oldest and most important images, with many expected to be viewable online by the end of the year." Click to access the gallery.
"The Aerofilms Collection is a collection of historical aerial photographs, now owned by English Heritage, which dates back to 1919. A project is currently underway to digitise the oldest and most important images, with many expected to be viewable online by the end of the year." Click to access the gallery.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Dirt: the filthy reality of everyday life
From the Guardian
"Dirt, the Wellcome Collection's riveting new show, opens with a shocker: a window so filthy not an inch of glass is visible beneath the grime, a thick brown substance that twinkles repulsively in the gallery lights. It is gutter dirt, pavement dirt, the dirt of cities blown with dust and litter. It causes immediate recoil."
"Dirt, the Wellcome Collection's riveting new show, opens with a shocker: a window so filthy not an inch of glass is visible beneath the grime, a thick brown substance that twinkles repulsively in the gallery lights. It is gutter dirt, pavement dirt, the dirt of cities blown with dust and litter. It causes immediate recoil."
- Photo gallery - exploring the visual history of our complex relationship with dirt and disease includes a fascinating selection of 19th and 20th century poster and advertising campaigns
Peru fresco may be linked to human sacrifices
From Euronews (includes video)
"Colourful murals have been discovered on the walls of an ancient temple in Lambayeque in Peru."
"Colourful murals have been discovered on the walls of an ancient temple in Lambayeque in Peru."
Stone tools 'demand new American story'
From the BBC
"The long-held theory of how humans first populated the Americas may have been well and truly broken.
Archaeologists have unearthed thousands of stone tools that predate the technology widely assumed to have been carried by the first settlers."
"The long-held theory of how humans first populated the Americas may have been well and truly broken.
Archaeologists have unearthed thousands of stone tools that predate the technology widely assumed to have been carried by the first settlers."
New research questions who in the Confederacy had the most war dead
From Foxnews
"Historian Josh Howard is playing with fire in the heart of the old Confederacy, with a scholarly finding that could rewrite the history of the Civil War, The Wall Street Journal reported Saturday."
"Historian Josh Howard is playing with fire in the heart of the old Confederacy, with a scholarly finding that could rewrite the history of the Civil War, The Wall Street Journal reported Saturday."
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
The Staffordshire Hoard
"A solitary man with a metal detector makes an astounding discovery in a farmer’s field just outside of Lichfield in Staffordshire – over 3,500 items of gold and silver with precious stone decorations. Now world famous, the Staffordshire Hoard is so much more than a collection of Anglo-Saxon war booty – it’s the legacy of craftsmen whose artistry fashioned precious metals and gemstones into incredibly detailed sword hilt fittings, helmet parts and other items. It’s also the story of kings, religious men and their warriors, who carried these pieces into battle, who fell, and were later stripped of their finery..."
Well now the hoard has a (rather nice) website where you see what its all about. Its also well worth a visit to see it at the museum too.
Well now the hoard has a (rather nice) website where you see what its all about. Its also well worth a visit to see it at the museum too.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Mass graves to shed light on Britain's bloodiest battle
From the Indy
"It was one of the biggest and probably the bloodiest battle ever fought on British soil. Such was its ferocity almost 1 per cent of the English population was wiped out in a single day. Yet mention the Battle of Towton to most people and you would probably get a blank stare."
"It was one of the biggest and probably the bloodiest battle ever fought on British soil. Such was its ferocity almost 1 per cent of the English population was wiped out in a single day. Yet mention the Battle of Towton to most people and you would probably get a blank stare."
Frome Hoard of Roman coins to stay in Somerset
From the BBC
"The largest ever collection of Roman coins found in Britain in one pot will stay in the county where it was unearthed.
The Museum of Somerset has raised £320,250 to keep the Frome Hoard. There had been fears it would go to London."
"The largest ever collection of Roman coins found in Britain in one pot will stay in the county where it was unearthed.
The Museum of Somerset has raised £320,250 to keep the Frome Hoard. There had been fears it would go to London."
North Wales hillfort test of Iron Age communication
From the BBC
"An experiment has shed light on how Iron Age people communicated from their hilltop homes 2,500 years ago.
About 200 volunteers stood on the summit of 10 hillforts in north Wales, the Wirral and Cheshire, and signalled to each other with torches."
"An experiment has shed light on how Iron Age people communicated from their hilltop homes 2,500 years ago.
About 200 volunteers stood on the summit of 10 hillforts in north Wales, the Wirral and Cheshire, and signalled to each other with torches."
Monday, March 14, 2011
No reason to be mardy about Americanisms
From The Guardian
"Mr Tickle munched his biscuit. He looked out of the window. 'Today looks very much like a tickling day,' he thought to himself." From Hawaii to Cape Town, São Paolo to the Philippines, I can't imagine that Roger Hargreaves would have been anything other than delighted to know that all around the world, people are reading his epic tale of a tickle with "extraordinary long arms" out loud as part of the British Library's project to "capture the sounds of spoken English" everywhere (have a listen – it's great stuff).
"Mr Tickle munched his biscuit. He looked out of the window. 'Today looks very much like a tickling day,' he thought to himself." From Hawaii to Cape Town, São Paolo to the Philippines, I can't imagine that Roger Hargreaves would have been anything other than delighted to know that all around the world, people are reading his epic tale of a tickle with "extraordinary long arms" out loud as part of the British Library's project to "capture the sounds of spoken English" everywhere (have a listen – it's great stuff).
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Blacked up and in a bow tie: Eva Braun in party mood as rare set of pictures of Hitler's wife are unearthed
From the Daily Mail
"Previously unseen images from the fascinating private albums of Eva Braun have come to light.
They give us incredible retrospective access to Hitler’s little known companion and her extraordinary life."
"Previously unseen images from the fascinating private albums of Eva Braun have come to light.
They give us incredible retrospective access to Hitler’s little known companion and her extraordinary life."
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Certificate!
I received my certificate from the Open University earlier this week. Although i knew i had passed my degree in history already maybe i did not really believe it until i held the certificate in my hands! Six years of (sometimes) hard work and (usually) enjoyable study and it all seems worth it now!
I am still considering my options for postgraduate study, it is likely that i will stay with the OU but i have been looking at some other distance learning masters courses with other universities. I do not have to make a full decision just yet but soon i suspect.
I am also looking at this blog and how it can properly develop into something worth reading. I have been treading water with it over the last couple of years to just repost historical news from elsewhere. I will continue with news but maybe have a weekly digest and instead post more original thoughts...
I am still considering my options for postgraduate study, it is likely that i will stay with the OU but i have been looking at some other distance learning masters courses with other universities. I do not have to make a full decision just yet but soon i suspect.
I am also looking at this blog and how it can properly develop into something worth reading. I have been treading water with it over the last couple of years to just repost historical news from elsewhere. I will continue with news but maybe have a weekly digest and instead post more original thoughts...
Last WWI combatant to mark 110th birthday
From Yahoo News
"World War I's last surviving combatant Claude Choules will celebrate his 110th birthday on Thursday with a low-key party, his son said, describing his father as a reluctant "celebrity" who hates war."
"World War I's last surviving combatant Claude Choules will celebrate his 110th birthday on Thursday with a low-key party, his son said, describing his father as a reluctant "celebrity" who hates war."
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
NZ quake unearths 'time capsules'
From the BBC
"Two objects believed to be time capsules have been discovered in the aftermath of last week's ruinous earthquake in New Zealand.
A glass bottle with a parchment inside and a metal cylinder were found by rescuers searching the grounds of the cathedral in the city of Christchurch."
"Two objects believed to be time capsules have been discovered in the aftermath of last week's ruinous earthquake in New Zealand.
A glass bottle with a parchment inside and a metal cylinder were found by rescuers searching the grounds of the cathedral in the city of Christchurch."
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