Finishing out discussion of things literally and figuratively dug up in the last months of 2023, we're covering shipwrecks, art, animals, and the miscellaneous category we call potpourri.

Research:

• Alberge, Dalya. “That’s not a potato: mystery of Egyptian treasures found buried in grounds of Scottish school.” The Guardian. 11/19/2023. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/nov/19/thats-not-a-potato-mystery-of-egyptian-treasures-found-buried-in-grounds-of-scottish-school
• Anderson, Sonja. “This Mysterious Hillside Carving Is Actually Hercules, Researchers Say.” Smithsonian. 1/2/2024. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/england-cerne-abbas-giant-is-really-hercules-once-used-to-rally-troops-180983522/
• “Runestones reveal the power of a Viking queen.” Phys.org. 10/13/2023. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-runestones-reveal-power-viking-queen.html
• Babbs, Verity. “Archaeologists Discover Ancient Roman Baths Beneath a Museum in Croatia.” Artnet. 12/12/2023. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/roman-baths-split-croatia-2406697
• Babbs, Verity. “The $4 N.C. Wyeth Painting Finally Sold—for Real This Time.” ArtNet. 12/19/2023. https://news.artnet.com/market/wyeth-thrift-store-painting-finally-sold-2411412
• Fordham, Alice. “Fossil footprints in New Mexico suggest humans have been here longer than we thought.” NPR. 10/7/2023. https://www.npr.org/2023/10/07/1204031535/fossil-footprints-in-new-mexico-suggest-humans-have-been-here-longer-than-we-tho
• Innes-Leroux, Matthew. “Evidence from the remains of 1918 flu pandemic victims contradicts long-held belief that healthy young adults were particularly vulnerable.” EurekAlert. 10/9/2023. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1003882
• Jeffrey S. Pigati et al. ,Independent age estimates resolve the controversy of ancient human footprints at White Sands.Science382,73-75(2023).DOI:10.1126/science.adh5007
• Kuta, Sarah. “Metal Detectorist Unearths Bronze Age Jewelry in Swiss Carrot Field.” Smithsonian. 10/20/2023. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/bronze-age-jewelry-uncovered-in-carrot-field-in-switzerland-180983109/
• Kuta, Sarah. “New U.S. Quarter Honors Maria Tallchief, America’s First Prima Ballerina.” Smithsonian. 11/3/2023. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/osage-ballerina-maria-tallchief-featured-on-the-us-quarter-180983186/
• Lawson-Tancred, Jo. “How a Scottish Schoolboy Digging for Potatoes Uncovered a Trove of Egyptian Antiquities.” Artnet News. 11/20/2023. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/school-boy-digging-for-potatoes-finds-egyptian-antiquities-2396736
• Lawson-Tancred, Jo. “How Do You Make $191,000 From a $4 Painting? You Don’t.” ArtNet. 11/29/2023. https://news.artnet.com/market/nc-wyeth-thrift-store-painting-didnt-sell-2400888
• Lisbeth M. Imer et al, A lady of leadership: 3D-scanning of runestones in search of Queen Thyra and the Jelling Dynasty, Antiquity (2023). DOI: 10.15184/aqy.2023.108
• Martin, Nick. “The White Sands discovery only confirms what Indigenous people have said all along.” High Country News. 9/24/2021. https://www.hcn.org/issues/53.11/indigenous-affairs-archaeology-the-white-sands-discovery-only-confirms-what-indigenous-people-have-said-all-along
• Matthew R. Bennett et al. ,Evidence of humans in North America during the Last Glacial Maximum.Science373,1528-1531(2021).DOI:10.1126/science.abg7586
• Morcom Thomas and Helen Gittos. “The Cerne Giant in Its Early Medieval Context.” Speculum. Vol. 99, No. 1. https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/727992#_i9
• Nowakowski, Teresa. “New Memorial Honors Victims of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire.” Smithsonian. 10/25/2023. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-memorial-honors-the-victims-of-the-triangle-shirtwaist-factory-fire-180983081/
• Olaya, Vicente. “The Roman well-cleaner who lost a sandal 2,000 years ago in Spain.” El Pais. 10/17/2023. https://english.elpais.com/culture/2023-10-17/the-roman-well-cleaner-who-lost-a-sandal-2000-years-ago-in-spain.html
• Paterson, Colin. “Shakespeare found, claims Norfolk theatre.” BBC. 10/4/2023. https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-67007980
• Reed, Betsy. “New Mexico footprints are oldest sign of humans in Americas, research shows.” The Guardian. 10/6/2023. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/oct/06/footprints-humans-americas-oldest-sign-new-mexico
• Richard E. Bevins et al, The Stonehenge Altar Stone was probably not sourced from the Old Red Sandstone of the Anglo-Welsh Basin: Time to broaden our geographic and stratigraphic horizons?, Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.jasrep.2023.104215
• Schrader, Adam. “Hundreds of Artifacts Stolen From the British Museum May Have Been Sold for Scrap.” ArtNet. 12/12/2023. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/british-museum-independent-review-complete-after-massive-theft-2407800
• Sherwood, Harriet. “Archaeologists uncover rare 18th-century cold bath under Bath Assembly Rooms.” The Guardian. 10/8/2023. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/oct/08/archaeologists-uncover-rare-18th-century-cold-bath-under-bath-assembly-rooms
• Smail, Gretchen. “Did Shakespeare Perform on These Newly Discovered Floorboards?” Smithsonian. 10/10/2023. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/did-shakespeare-perform-on-these-floorboards-180983033/
• The History Blog. “Excavation of 6th c. folding chair complete.” 10/18/2023. http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/68535
• The History Blog. “Medieval skeleton with prosthetic hand found in Bavaria.” 8/28/2023. http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/68609
• University of Oxford. “New research shows the Cerne Abbas Giant was a muster station for King Alfred's armies.” Phys.org. https://phys.org/news/2024-01-cerne-abbas-giant-muster-station.html
• Wade, Lizzie. “Human footprints near ice age lake suggest surprisingly early arrival in the Americas.” Science. 9/23/2021. https://www.science.org/content/article/human-footprints-near-ice-age-lake-suggest-surprisingly-early-arrival-americas
• Wei-Haas, Maya. “New Evidence That Ancient Footprints Push Back Human Arrival in North America.” New York Times. 10/5/2023. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/05/science/footprints-tracks-new-mexico-age.html
• Whiddington, Richard. “A Norwegian Family Went Searching for a Lost Earring in Their Backyard. They Found Viking Artifacts Instead.” Artnet News. 10/20/2023. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/norway-viking-brooches-2374065
• Davis, Nicola. “Seaweed was common food in Europe for thousands of years, researchers find.” The Guardian. 10/17/2023. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/oct/17/seaweed-was-common-food-in-europe-for-thousands-of-years-researchers-find
• University of York. “Study reveals our European ancestors ate seaweed and freshwater plants.” Phys.org. 10/17/2023. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-reveals-european-ancestors-ate-seaweed.html
• University of Vienna. “Archaeologists discover 5,000-year-old wine at the tomb of Meret-Neith in Abydos.” Phys.org. 10/9/2023. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-archaeologists-year-old-wine-tomb-meret-neith.html
• Schrader, Adam. “Archaeologists Excavating the Tomb of Egypt’s First Female Pharaoh Found Hundreds of Jars Still Holding Remnants of Wine.” ArtNet. 10/18/2023. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/egypt-pharaoh-merneiths-2373062
• Pflughoeft, Aspen. “1,900-year-old winery — that made drinks for ancient Romans — found in France. See it.” Miami Herald via Yahoo News. 11/30/2023. https://news.yahoo.com/1-900-old-winery-made-203204865.html
• University of York. “Early Neolithic farmers arriving on the Baltic coast bucked trends and incorporated fish into their diets.” Phys.org. 10/17/2023. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-early-neolithic-farmers-baltic-coast.html
• Public Library of Science. “Mummified poop reveals pre-Columbian cultures of the Caribbean consumed a diversity of plants.” Phys.org. 11/11/2023. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-mummified-poop-reveals-pre-columbian-cultures.html
• Jelissa Reynoso-García, Jelissa, et al. “Edible flora in pre-Columbian Caribbean coprolites: Expected and unexpected data.” PLoS One. 10/11/2023. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0292077
• Elysha McBride et al, What Bit the Ancient Egyptians? Niche Modelling to Identify the Snakes Described in the Brooklyn Medical Papyrus, Environmental Archaeology (2023). DOI: 10.1080/14614103.2023.2266631
• Winder, Isabelle Catherine and Wolfgang Wüster. “Ancient Egypt had far more venomous snakes than the country today, according to new study of a scroll.” Phys.org. 10/17/2023. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-ancient-egypt-venomous-snakes-country.html
• Binswanger, Julia. “This Ancient Egyptian Burial Chamber Was Filled With Spells to Ward Off Snake Bites.” Smithsonian. 11/14/2023. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-ancient-egyptian-burial-chamber-was-filled-with-spells-to-ward-off-snake-bites-180983247/
• Janssen, Tom. “Study shows beavers had a big influence on how people in the Stone Age lived.” Phys.org. 10/17/2023. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-beavers-big-people-stone-age.html
• Siehoff, Jonas. “Early humans hunted beavers, 400,000 years ago.” EurekAlert. 11/29/2023. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1009496
• Langley, Michelle et al. “Bringing a shark to a knife fight: 7,000-year-old shark-tooth knives discovered in Indonesia.” Phys.org. 10/27/2023. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-shark-knife-year-old-shark-tooth-knives.html
• Dietz, Helena. “On the trail of a great mystery.” EurekAlert. 10/24/2023. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1005687
• University of Konstanz. “Origin of ancient mummified baboons found in Egypt” ScienceDaily. 10/24/2023. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/10/231024110554.htm
• Binswanger, Julia. “Ancient Egyptians Kept Baboons in Captivity and Mummified Their Remains.” Smithsonian. 12/11/2023. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/study-shows-ancient-egyptians-worshiped-baboons-but-gave-them-poor-living-conditions-180983391/
• Meiling, Chen. “Archaeologists uncover rare sheep-drawn carriage in Xi'an.” China Daily. 10/26/2023. https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202310/26/WS653a3b80a31090682a5eaf07.html
• Bayarsaikhan, Jamsranjav et al. “The Origins of Saddles and Riding Technology in East Asia: Discoveries from the Mongolian Altai.” Antiquity (2023): 1–17. Web. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/antiquity/article/origins-of-saddles-and-riding-technology-in-east-asia-discoveries-from-the-mongolian-altai/95BA971FD64B2A7544D4BEF6694A8E14
• “Earliest 'true' saddle in east Asia discovered.” Phys.org. 11/11/2023. https://phys.org/news/2023-12-earliest-true-saddle-east-asia.html
• Lavery, Ryan. “Researchers, Coast Salish people analyze 160-year-old indigenous dog pelt in the Smithsonian’s collection.” EurekAlert. 12/14/2023. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1010435
• Strickland, Ashley. “Rare ‘treasure box’ of French letters opened and read after 265 years.” CNN. 11/6/2023. https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/06/world/french-letters-national-archives-scn/index.html
• Chien, Min. “French Love Letters, Sealed for 265 Years, Are Opened—and Read—for the First Time.” ArtNet. 11/14/2023. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/french-love-letters-written-during-seven-years-war-read-for-the-first-time-2392940
• Fee, Jenny. “UPDATED: Owner of Pageturners sells mysterious 318-year-old Bible to local collector.” Independent Advocate. 11/12/2023. https://www.indianola-ia.com/news/updated-owner-of-pageturners-sells-mysterious-318-year-old-bible-to-local-collector/article_3cec849e-7698-11ee-8fee-538f106de6d6.html
• D'Angelo, Bob. “Bible printed in 1705 discovered in Iowa retirement home.” Boston 25. 11/15/2023. https://www.boston25news.com/news/trending/bible-printed-1705-discovered-iowa-retirement-home/3TCHA336WVHFTEZKF7XSP5SWZ4/
• KCRG Staff. “Bible older than the US found in Indianola retirement home.” https://www.kcrg.com/2023/11/15/bible-older-than-us-found-indianola-retirement-home/
• Rivers Cofield, Sara. “Bennett's Bronze Bustle.” Commitment to Costumes blog. 2/17/2014. https://commitmentocostumes.blogspot.com/2014/02/bennetts-bronze-bustle.html
• “'Cryptogram' in a silk dress tells a weather story.” 12/14/2023. https://www.noaa.gov/heritage/stories/cryptogram-in-silk-dress-tells-weather-story
• The History Blog. “3rd c. Roman shipwreck recovered whole from seabed.” 10/9/2023. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/68464
• Kuta, Sarah. “100-Year-Old Shipwreck Discovered 800 Feet Below Lake Superior.” Smithsonian. 10/17/2023. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/100-year-old-shipwreck-discovered-in-lake-superior-180983083/
• Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum. “Shipwreck Society Discovers a World War One Era Steel Bulk Freighter 100 Years after it sinks.” https://shipwreckmuseum.com/shipwreck-society-discovers-a-world-war-one-era-steel-bulk-freighter-100-years-after-it-sinks/
• Williams, Ashley R. “‘An incredible find’: Florida road crews discover 19th-century boat buried in St. Augustine.” CNN. 10/14/2023. https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/14/us/florida-19th-century-boat-st-augustine-trnd/index.html
• Kuta, Sarah. “Father and Daughter Discover 152-Year-Old Shipwreck While Fishing in Green Bay.” Smithsonian. 12/18/2023. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/father-and-daughter-discover-152-year-old-shipwreck-while-fishing-in-green-bay-180983468/
• “San Jose galleon: Shipwreck to be recovered with billions in treasure.” 11/12/2023. https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/67342273
• Shuttleworth, Peter. “Newport medieval ship's timber dated to within months.” BBC. 11/3/2023. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-67302907
• Bryant, Miranda. “‘We have a lot of cracks’: Swedes seek to save Vasa warship – again.” The Guardian. 12/26/2023. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/dec/27/we-have-a-lot-of-cracks-swedes-seek-to-save-vasa-warship-again
• Kuta, Sarah. “117-Year-Old Shipwreck Found in Puget Sound.” Smithsonian. 11/27/2023. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/shipwreck-in-puget-sound-180983317/
• Kuta, Sarah. “Anchor From 1906 Shipwreck Found in Florida.” Smithsonian. 12/8/2023. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/anchor-from-1906-shipwreck-found-in-florida-180983394/
• The History Blog. “Obsidian from Neolithic shipwreck recovered off Capri.” 11/23/2023. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/68849
• The History Blog. “Europe’s oldest functioning compass found in Estonia wreck.” 11/25/2023. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/68863
• Cascone, Sarah. “A Secret Room in a 16th-Century Italian Chapel, Where Michelangelo Hid—and Drew—for Months, Opens to the Public.” Artnet. 10/31/2023. https://news.artnet.com/art-world-archives/michelangelo-secret-room-museum-of-medici-chapels-2387647
• Olson, Amy. “A 15th century French painting depicts an ancient stone tool.” EurekAlert. 10/17/2023. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1005048
• Key, Alastair et al. “Acheulean Handaxes in Medieval France: An Earlier ‘Modern’ Social History for Palaeolithic Bifaces.” Cambridge Archaeological Journal (2023): 1–17. Web. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/cambridge-archaeological-journal/article/acheulean-handaxes-in-medieval-france-an-earlier-modern-social-history-for-palaeolithic-bifaces/14EF16E3BBAAE1A14CEA98BB3997C6C3
• Whiddington, Richard. “This 15th-Century Painting Might Actually Depict a Prehistoric Tool, New Research Suggests.” Artnet. 10/29/2023. https://news.artnet.com/art-world-archives/prehistoric-hand-axe-fouquet-painting-2383607
• National Trust. “The devil in the detail: A fiend re-emerges from the canvas of a painting by Joshua Reynolds.” 10/30/2023. https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/services/media/fiend-re-emerges-from-the-canvas-of-joshua-reynolds-painting