Gremlin#078

Any scenario where you love, or feel the absence of attraction? More than okay and acceptable.

If you don't like labels, you don't have to, you can simply exist.

If you like labels, don't come under pressure to reduce your identity!

You are valid, and you are accepted.

Discoveries!

Archaeologists investigating a 17th-century graveyard in the high Arctic are uncovering evidence of the perils that plagued early modern whalers, including extensive physical labor in their jobs and diseases such as scurvy. But the burial site is disappearing rapidly due to climate change, making archaeological excavations a race against time.

1,200-year-old giant 'death jar' in Laos contains generations of human skeletons

Archaeologists excavating an unusual "death jar" in Laos have discovered that it was used to collect the partly decomposed remains of multiple generations of people around 1,200 years ago. And rather than being the deceased's final burial spot, the jar may represent one step in a complex mortuary process.

Egypt unearths a hidden cache of 3,500-year-old coffins at Luxor’s Abu el-Naga

The coffins, featuring brightly painted scenes and hieroglyphic inscriptions, were likely moved from their original burial sites during a period of instability, leading to some damage to the mummies inside.

Evidence of submerged settlement found near Lankaran

Archaeologists working along the coast of the Caspian Sea, near Lankaran — a city on the southern coast of Azerbaijan — have uncovered evidence of what appears to be a medieval settlement, including pottery dating back nearly 1,000 years.

Roman woman's remains found during hospital dig

The woman, believed to be of high-status, was found buried in a decorated lead coffin at the former Essex County Hospital site.

INAH discovers a series of burials from the Teotihuacan Period

The archaeological salvage team working alongside the Mexico–Querétaro train project has uncovered a series of funerary contexts, including cists and shaft tombs.

Researchers stunned by a forgotten medieval book in Rome hiding the oldest English poem

The discovery sheds light on the English language’s wide diffusion, long before what was previously understood.

Ancient Venetic sanctuary discovered beneath roadworks near Padua

An ancient sanctuary containing inscriptions in the Venetic language was discovered in Ponso during infrastructure works for the construction of the first section of the SR10 “Padana Inferiore” regional road between Borgo Veneto and Carceri.

Bronze Age stone with face found in Alderney dig

A standing stone which looks like it has a face carved into it has been found in an archaeological dig at a site in Alderney.

Satellite imagery reveals monumental tombs in Sudan's Atbai Desert

A new survey of Eastern Sudan’s Atbai Desert mapped hundreds of previously unidentified archaeological features that are providing new clues about what life was like in the region prior to the rise of pharaonic Egypt.

The first domesticated horses: 6,000 years of a complex relationship

Horses were being ridden, managed, and exchanged centuries earlier than previously believed, according to new research that is reshaping the story of horse domestication and its impact on human history.

Tudor fort to be uncovered during coastline dig

The Tudor blockhouse was built in 1543 to defend the mouth of the Colne estuary on Mersea Island, Essex.

Never-seen-before plaster wall of Tutankhamun’s tomb unveiled in Egypt

Egyptian authorities have unveiled a plaster blocking wall from King Tutankhamun's tomb in Luxor, an artefact described as unparalleled due to its survival from ancient looters.

Rare centuries-old notebook discovered in medieval latrine

Although researchers acknowledged the site retained “a rather unpleasant odor,” the damp and airtight chambers were ideal for preservation. The palm-sized notebook is made of leather, wood, and wax, materials that show few signs of decay even after 700 to 800 years underground.

Funerary structure with ceremonial offerings discovered at Kuélap

Archaeologists working at the ancient fortress of Kuélap in northern Peru have uncovered a funerary structure containing the remains of five individuals alongside ceremonial offerings of significant cultural value.

Lost Bibliotheca Palatina manuscript identified in university library collection

A fifteenth-century manuscript held for decades in the collection of Heidelberg University Library has been identified as part of the famed Bibliotheca Palatina, one of the most important libraries of the Renaissance.

2,400-year-old Iron Age structure found beneath German construction site

Archaeologists in the city of Aschaffenburg in Bavaria, Germany, have uncovered a remarkably preserved Iron Age structure during construction work near the Main River, a discovery researchers say could transform understanding of the region’s early settlement history.

Signs of ‘feeding’ ritual at dingo burial site shed new light on bond between First Nations people and canines

The discovery of a millennium-old dingo burial site in western New South Wales, including evidence of a “feeding” ritual never before documented archaeologically, has shed new light on the longstanding relationship between the canines and First Nations people.

800-year-old 'hugging skeletons' are genetically confirmed as Poland's only medieval same-sex double burial

Two skeletons found in an embrace next to a 13th-century Polish cathedral were both women, an ancient DNA analysis confirms, but their relationship remains a mystery.

Oh my god, they were tomb mates

Ancient rock carvings found in Oman’s Hajar Al-Sinanat region

Archaeologists in northern Oman have uncovered a rare prehistoric rock art site featuring a massive rock face covered in ancient carvings at Hajar Al-Sinanat in Al-Khaboura, North Al-Batinah Governorate.

Portugal burial reveals first known bone dental bridge in national archaeological record

The item is estimated to date to the 19th century and is likely to have served a more aesthetic than functional purpose.

Doctor's kit found on Mount Vesuvius victim in Pompeii

A man who died in Pompeii during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79 had a medical kit with him when he perished, a new analysis of his body cast reveals.

Roman silver coin hoard found in field

In total, the pair uncovered 97 silver coins and six copper alloy coins, just a few inches below the surface. The coins span more than 200 years of Roman history, from the time of Mark Antony in 32BC to the joint rule of Septimius Severus and Caracalla in the early 3rd century.

Ancient stadium of Perge was remodeled for Roman entertainments

The first-century A.D. stadium in the ancient city of Perge was converted into an amphitheater and used for executions involving wild animals during the third century.

Medieval teeth open a new perspective on leprosy care and toxic medicine

A recent study published in the Journal of Archaeological Science investigated the potential use of mercury-based treatments for leprosy during the late medieval period.

Gdańsk excavation reveals medieval tombstone with Latin cross

Archaeologists working in central Gdańsk, Poland, have uncovered a 13th-century granite tombstone featuring a carved Latin cross during excavations at the former site of the city’s well-known Miś ice cream parlour.

Migrants were a continuous feature of medieval Britain, archaeological study shows

Scientific research shows that rather than a victim of invasion, early medieval Britain was a cultural melting pot.

Peru’s sacred hairless dogs lived alongside elites 1,300 years ago

Archaeologists have found the remains of a Peruvian hairless dog breed that dates back about 1,300 years, shedding new light on the function of dogs in ancient Andean societies.

Archaeologists use drone to survey inside medieval well at Sheffield Castle

Archaeologists have completed a new survey of a medieval well at Sheffield Castle, revealing fresh details about a structure that once supplied water to the castle’s inhabitants during both daily life and wartime.

Remains of 38 bodies found at old hospital site a 'significant' discovery

The bones of men, women and infants were uncovered on land at the old Cardigan Memorial Hospital site in Ceredigion, which is being developed by Wales and West Housing Association.

Museums

The Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg has been threatened with legal action by an Israeli organization over an exhibition about the Nakba, with the group arguing that the presentation “politicizes” history, according to local media reports.

Fights about what should or should not be included in this museum have been happening since it was announced. Working there sounds so stressful.

As democracy falters, a New York museum champions activism

This fall, the Museum of the City of New York in East Harlem will open the Puffin Foundation Center for Social Activism, dedicated to civic engagement, social justice, and the city’s rich history as a hotbed of political organizing.

More than 100 Seattle Art Museum workers plan to unionize

The union, called the Seattle Art Museum Workers United, will represent workers in over 20 front- and back-end departments. The union told SAM director and CEO Scott Stulen of its formation in a letter, writing: “Our solidarity is a movement to improve working conditions in alignment with SAM’s mission, vision, and core values.”

House rejects Smithsonian women’s history museum bill after partisan split

The House rejected legislation Thursday to advance construction of the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum after a partisan battle broke out in recent days over the long-sought building. New language added in the House Administration Committee last month dedicated the museum to “preserving, researching, and presenting the history, achievements, and lived experiences of biological women in the United States” and prohibited the institution from seeking to “identify, present, describe, or otherwise depict any biological male as a female.”

Parliamentary report calls for major changes at French museums in the wake of Louvre heist

The French parliamentary commission raises alarms over the “worrying condition” of their collections and proposes 40 recommendations amid rising threats to museums.

Bayeux Tapestry to be displayed 'flat along its full length' in London for first time

The famous Bayeux Tapestry will be shown in London for the first time "laid out flat and in its full length in a specially designed display case," according to the British Museum.

Five Scottish collections awarded national significance status

Five museum collections, ranging from linoleum flooring to rare Iron Age textiles, have been awarded national significance status by Museums Galleries Scotland.

Louvre names architects for ‘New Renaissance’ project

The Paris office of STUDIOS Architecture, together with Selldorf Architects, will lead the project, which includes the creation of new galleries and a new lobby. STUDIOS is an international collective founded in 1985 with offices in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Toronto, and Washington, D.C.

Lack of staff is biggest challenge facing museum directors this year

Staff shortfalls are the number one challenge currently facing museum directors – putting pressure on existing teams and leading to a long-term decline in core collections activity. The problem is largely caused by funding shortfalls and wage inflation, leaving many unable to fill vacant roles or reliant on short-term contracts. The impact is concerning – as well as negatively affecting workforce wellbeing, low staffing levels have left museums “struggling to meet rising demand, expectations and potential”.

Sotheby’s launches museum partnership series, starting with exhibition by New York’s Hispanic Society Museum & Library

When Sotheby’s moved into the Breuer building last year, the auction house inherited more than just a famous slab of Marcel Breuer modernism on Madison Avenue. It also inherited the ghost of a museum. Now, Sotheby’s is leaning into that history in earnest, and with more than its usual blockbuster, star-studded evening sales.

After whistleblower complaint, Palm Springs Art Museum declines to release report on allegations of fraud and theft, claims they are ‘not substantiated’

The Palm Springs Art Museum in California has released a three-page statement saying that an investigation conducted in response to a whistleblower complaint alleging mismanagement and fraud found no wrongdoing by the museum. The museum declined to provide a copy of the resulting report, which will not be publicly released.

Tentacles, pointy teeth and the T-rex of the sea: the Natural History Museum on beasts that once ruled the oceans

A new exhibition, Jurassic Oceans, showcases the fearsome creatures that lurked below the surface – and offers a stark warning about the impact of warming waters on marine ecosystems today.

Repatriation

The Kings Own Royal Regiment Museum Trust in Lancaster repatriated two items to Ethiopia in a ceremony held this week.

1,200-year-old limestone lintel was inadvertently repatriated to Mexico instead of to Guatemala

The cultural minister of Guatemala has begun the process to reclaim a 1,200-year-old stone lintel that was repatriated from the United States to Mexico in mid-April.

Wellcome Collection to return 2,000 manuscripts in landmark agreement

The Wellcome Collection in London has committed to returning around 2,000 sacred manuscripts to the Jain religious community as part of a “landmark” restitution framework agreement.

Authorities in New York return more than 650 looted antiquities, valued at nearly $14m, to India

The objects were recovered through investigations into trafficking networks, including those linked to convicted smuggler Subhash Kapoor and trafficker Nancy Wiener.

Heritage at risk

A 10-month operation to save the archives kept by UNRWA in Gaza and East Jerusalem was reaching its final stages. The effort had been highly sensitive and sometimes dangerous. It had already involved dozens of UNRWA staff in at least four different countries, risky trips to rescue documents under bombardment, officials carefully carrying unmarked envelopes into Egypt, and precious boxes airlifted to safety in military planes.

US-Mexico border wall construction is desecrating sacred sites, Indigenous leaders say

Indigenous leaders say that in the Trump administration’s rush to build border walls, contractors are desecrating Native American sacred places and cultural sites at an unprecedented pace, more than 170 years after the international boundary split the territories of dozens of tribes.

British MPs face Hobson’s Choice for restoration of the crumbling, unsafe Palace of Westminster

It is crunch time for the home of the UK Parliament—after decades of neglect, it is structurally unsound and barely fit for purpose. But even the most basic option for fixing it will cost billions and take decades.

'This history is gone': Harbour Grace resident mourns demolition of heritage building

The demolition of a 188-year-old heritage structure in Harbour Grace caught residents off guard last week, but the town says it was a matter of public safety.

Heritage NL warns other heritage structures are at risk of demolition

Heritage NL is highlighting another heritage building in the town of Harbour Grace worthy of preserving after two historic structures recently fell to the wrecking ball.

Water pours in while funds trickle: Concerns mount over state of 4 northern N.B. museums

Some museums haven't been renovated for decades, but are doing what they can to stay open.

Parishioners issue Hail Mary to save historic Halifax church as development looms

The Archdiocese of Halifax Yarmouth recently requested expressions of interest from developers to construct a housing project where St. Patrick's Catholic Church stands at 2263 Brunswick St. Potential partners had until May 15 to submit their expressions of interest.

It would be an absolute travesty to knock this down, St. Patrick's is a beautiful building. But Halifax seems to be on a mission to demolish as much of its built heritage as possible.

Just knock this down and build condos, why not

National Trust names America’s 11 most endangered historic places, including sites targeted by Trump administration

Among those selected are two sites that have drawn the ire of the Trump administration, the Stonewall National Monument in New York, often considered the birthplace of the gay right’s movement, and the President’s House Site in Philadelphia, which served as the presidential home prior to the capital’s relocation to Washington.

Eternal flame, burning for 1,200 years, survives blaze at Buddhist hall in Japan

A sacred Buddhist hall on the top of Mount Misen in Japan was destroyed by fire—but an “eternal flame” said to have been burning for more than a millennium was rescued and moved to another site, where it continues to glow.

Odds and ends

A controversial study published in the journal Science in March claimed that Monte Verde, a 14,500-year-old Paleo-Indian archaeological site in Chile that is one of the oldest human occupations in the Americas, was actually only 8,200 years old. But in a collection of three scientific letters published last week, 30 experts have critiqued the study's "substantive errors and misrepresentations" and asserted that the study's claims are "categorically false and found to be unsupported."

A 4,500-year-old building near Stonehenge has been brought back to life

More than 100 volunteers have built a 20-foot high structure using the tools and techniques of Neolithic England.

Engaging with arts and culture can slow biological aging as much as exercise, study suggests

The study found that both the frequency with which people engage with the arts, as well as the number of different ways in which they do so, can slow the aging process.

Who’s behind the residential school denialism movement?

A network of retired academics and think tanks is chipping away at established truths.

Czech police find stolen skull of medieval saint encased in concrete

An 800-year-old relic believed to be the skull of Saint Zdislava, stolen this week from a Czech church, has been recovered encased in concrete as experts work to extract it, police have said.

'Ancient' statues fraud foiled by fake paperwork

A fraudster who tried to sell bogus ancient statues to Sotheby's was foiled when his fake accompanying paperwork was found to be written with printing methods that were 25 years too modern, a court heard.

Hamburg culture prize renamed after namesake’s Nazi ties emerge

A culture prize that has been awarded in Germany for nearly five decades will be renamed due to the Nazi ties of the man who was the prize’s namesake when it was founded. The Senator Biermann Ratjen Medal will now be called the Medal for Art and Culture in Hamburg.

Les Invalides: 350 years of service to wounded soldiers and victims of war

For more than three centuries, Les Invalides in Paris has been a hospice for wounded soldiers, Holocaust survivors and more recently victims of the Bataclan bombings. Its mission was initiated by Louis XIV in the 17th century. Now, its ageing facilities are undergoing a major renovation.

Paris judge rejects bid to suspend the replacement of Notre-Dame’s windows

A Paris judge has rejected a request to halt the removal of six 19th-century stained-glass windows by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc from Notre-Dame Cathedral, which are to be replaced by government-commissioned contemporary works, dealing a blow to the preservationist campaign opposing the project.

A new history of the US In 100 objects

From a single gold coin's journey through the centuries, to an ingenious screw that changed engineering, the extraordinary stories behind 100 of the most significant and intriguing artefacts in US history will be explored in a new podcast.

Daunian kyathos: A 2,700-year-old ceramic cup from Italy decorated with an exuberant-looking, bug-eyed fellow

Centuries before the Romans took over southern Italy, the heel of the peninsula was occupied by the Daunians, whose unique pottery and grave markers are some of the only remains of this enigmatic group. One common archaeological discovery is the Daunian kyathos, a one-handled, painted piece of pottery that may have functioned as a ladle for mixing wine.

An excellent Little Guy

And finally, over on Lego Ideas, there's an archaeology dig set!

Pompeii Roads

Ancient Romans embedded reflective white stones (sometimes called "cat's eyes" or "tiger's eyes") into the roads of Pompeii. These pale stones caught and reflected moonlight and torchlight, helping pedestrians and cart drivers safely navigate the city streets at night.

For me it’s cross stitch -> tatting (only mild success) -> weaving (rigid heddle -> inkle -> 4 shaft) -> spinning -> knitting.

I did technically also do sewing in middle/high school but I don’t count it because I didn’t enjoy it enough to stick with it.

Age 11-12: spinning, pin loom weaving. Made a bunch of yarn I didn't use, stopped after a few years.

Age 16: took up knitting more, but still not very seriously

Age 19: got my sewing machine and made a few things. Didn’t last very long

Age 22: started knitting a bit more seriously

Age 23 (2020): learned to crochet and dye yarn. The dyeing stuck more than the crochet did. I fell in love with dyeing, and thus fell in love with knitting with my own dyed yarn so the two hobbies fed each other. I also attempted to learn to spin with my first spindle but very quickly gave up

Age 16: proper dressmaking

Age 17: natural dyeing

Age 18: spinning, rigid heddle weaving and crochet (ultimately unsuccessful)

Age 20: knitting

Greek statuette of a goose in midstride, looking left

3rd - 1st century BCE

Ancient Pompeii Doctor Identified by Medical Instruments Found in Cast

A doctor caught while trying to flee the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD, carrying the tools of his profession. The finding is the latest extraordinary discovery at the Archaeological Park of Pompeii, made more than sixty years after the excavation of the Orto dei Fuggiaschi.

The breakthrough came from the study of a small case hidden inside the plaster of a human cast, found during the investigations directed by Amedeo Maiuri in 1961. The area, then occupied by a vineyard, revealed casts were of fourteen people caught in the pyroclastic cloud in a desperate attempt to save themselves.

Recent analyses of the materials stored in the deposits of the Archaeological Park of Pompeii have brought to light an exceptionally interesting personal trousseau: a small box made of organic material with metal elements, a fabric bag with bronze and silver coins and a series of instruments compatible with a medical kit.

How the physician of ancient Pompeii was identified

Diagnostic investigations using X-rays and tomography at the Maria Rosaria Nursing Home have revealed a slate plate inside the case, -likely used for preparing medical or cosmetic substances - and small metal instruments that can be interpreted as surgical tools. These findings support the hypothesis that the victim was a doctor, offering a rare and valuable clue about his profession.

The use of advanced diagnostic technologies, including CT scans supported by Artificial Intelligence and 3D reconstructions, made it possible to analyse the content of the cast without compromising its integrity. This approach opens new possibilities for studying Pompeian casts and has also uncovered previously unknown details of the chest’s sophisticated mechanical design, including a toothed-wheel locking system.

The research is the result of interdisciplinary work that has seen archaeologists, restorers, physical anthropologists, archaeobotanists, numismatists, radiologists, diagnostic technicians and digital modelling specialists working together, restoring not just an object, but an interrupted life story.

"Already two thousand years ago, there were those who were not just doctors during set hours, but doctors at all times—even in the moment of their escape from the eruption, cut short by the pyroclastic cloud that engulfed a group of fugitives attempting to leave the city through Porta Nocera." commented Park Director Gabriel Zuchtriegel.

"This man brought his tools with him to be ready to rebuild his life elsewhere, thanks to his profession, but perhaps also to help others. We dedicate this small but significant discovery to all the women and men who today continue to carry out this profession with a very high sense of responsibility and service to the community," Zuchtriegel concluded.

By Fortunato Pinto.