Michelle Moran's Blog, page 95
March 23, 2010
Scientists use carbon-dating to check wine vintages: study
WASHINGTON (AFP) – Ever paid top dollar for a bottle of wine that says on the label it's from a much-sought-after year, only to find that it tasted like cheap, non-vintage plonk?
March 22, 2010
Archaeologists discover a sixteenth-century cloister in the monastery of Gerri de la Sal Lleida
Read the rest here.
A love seat fit for a king: The antique chair that gives an eye-popping insight into Edward VII's debauched youth
Second throne: The special chair made for the playboy Prince Bertie, the future Edward VII, to take his weight during lovemaking in a Parisian bordello
By Eugene Costello
Among the bordellos of Victorian Paris, Le Chabanais was the most exquisite, and the most lavish. Over the years this 'maison de tolerance' — the word 'brothel' was considered too tawdry — saw visitors as illustrious as Humphrey Bogart, Mae West and Cary Grant.Read the rest on the Daily Mail.
March 20, 2010
Oldest temple in the world found in Turkey
ANKARA, Turkey (UPI) -- Archaeologists say a temple being excavated in southeastern Turkey is 12,000 years old and is likely the oldest temple ever uncovered.
Read the rest here.
March 19, 2010
Hobbit Ancestors Once Colonized Indonesia Island
HONG KONG (Reuters) - Ancestors of a hobbit-like species of humans may have colonized the Indonesian island of Flores as far back as a million years ago, much earlier than thought, according to a new study published Thursday.
March 18, 2010
In Search of Key Blue Ingredient in Ancient Egyptian Pottery
Pottery decorated in a distinctive pale blue color was in vogue in New Kingdom Egypt, particularly during the reign of Amenhotep III and Ramesses II. The pale blue is due to cobalt that may have been derived from a mineral mined at an oasis in the eastern Saharan desert. (Credit: Colin A. Hope/ Monash University)
ScienceDaily— Jennifer Smith, PhD, associate professor of earth and planetary sciences in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, was belly crawling her way to ...
Huge monkey god statue found
CAIRO - EGYPTIAN archaeologists have discovered a colossal ancient statue of the pharaonic deity of wisdom, Thoth, in the shape of a baboon, the council of antiquities said in a statement on Tuesday.
A Host of Mummies, a Forest of Secrets
In the middle of a terrifying desert north of Tibet, Chinese archaeologists have excavated an extraordinary cemetery. Its inhabitants died almost 4,000 years ago, yet their bodies have been well preserved by the dry air.
Read the rest on the NYT.
March 17, 2010
St. Patrick's Day 2010: Irish Shamrock Shortage & More
John Roach
Today, St. Patrick's Day 2010, millions of people will don green and celebrate the Irish with parades, good cheer, and perhaps a pint of beer. But pinning a shamrock to your lapel in 2010 may require a heaping helping of the luck of the Irish.Read the rest on National Geographic.
Jaws -- 4 Million BC: How an Extinct Shark Attacked Its Prey
ScienceDaily — It might sound like a mashup of monster movies, but palaeontologists have discovered evidence of how an extinct shark attacked its prey, reconstructing a killing that took place 4 million years ago.
