Google searches for terms like "sourdough," "bread recipe" and "banana bread" skyrocketed in the middle of March.

The World’s Oldest Leavened Bread Is Rising Again

This is the story behind the breads you might be baking in lockdown

Researcher Charlotte Pearson points to the light tree ring that could mark the year of the Thera eruption.

New Research

Ancient Volcanic Eruption Dated Through Rings of Dead Trees

Researchers compared tree rings from around the world to determine that a volcano on Santorini probably erupted in 1560 B.C.

A section of the Berlin Wall in Pankow, the neighborhood where a nearly 200-foot stretch of the historic structure was razed to make way for luxury condos

196-Foot Section of the Berlin Wall Demolished to Make Way for Condos

Angry historians say the stretch of concrete was one of the largest remaining sections of the inner wall

From L to R: Ellis Marsalis Jr., Bucky Pizzarelli and Wallace Roney

Covid-19

COVID-19 Claims the Lives of Three Jazz Greats

Pianist and educator Ellis Marsalis Jr., trumpeter Wallace Roney, and guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli succumbed to complications caused by the novel coronavirus

Olivia de Havilland's 1943 legal victory against Warner Bros. contributed to the downfall of the Hollywood studio system.

Hollywood’s ‘Golden Age’ Saw Massive Dip in Female Film Representation

A new study ties the ousting of women directors, actors, producers and screenwriters to the rise of entertainment studios

Come to Your Census began as a campaign of events and posters like this one, featuring artwork by Emory Douglas.

This Art Campaign Wants You to Participate in the 2020 Census

Due to COVID-19, Art + Action’s “Come to Your Census” project has pivoted from posters and events to social media and online outreach

Once fish were captured in watercourts, they were likely harvested with nets or speared.

New Research

In Ancient Florida, the Calusa Built an Empire Out of Shells and Fish

New research suggests the civilization used huge enclosures to trap and stockpile live fish to support its complex society

19th-century depiction of Thomas Becket, seen with a sword piercing his head

The Fallout of a Medieval Archbishop’s Murder Is Recorded in Alpine Ice

Traces of lead pollution frozen in a glacier confirm that British lead production waned just before the death of Thomas Becket

Photogrammetry view of site of Sylt concentration camp in 2017, with memorial plaque installed in 2008 seen at lower left

Archaeologists Reveal the Hidden Horrors of Only Nazi SS Camp on British Soil

New research details the first forensic investigation of the Sylt concentration camp, located on the Channel Island of Alderney, since the end of WWII

More than 300 (and counting) universities, libraries and individuals in related fields have signed a statement in support of the National Emergency Library.

Covid-19

Why the National Emergency Library Is So Controversial

The Internet Archive describes the downloadable collection of more than one million books as a library, but critics call it piracy

In March 2018, brothers Griffin, left, and Maxwell Bean of Berwick stand at the edge of Short Sands Beach on Tuesday for a rare glimpse of a shipwrecked sloop that emerged from the sand during recent heavy surf.

Cool Finds

Maine Shipwreck Identified as Colonial-Era Cargo Vessel

Storms reveal, then hide, the ship’s sand-covered remains every decade or so

Johannes Vermeer's The Astronomer, 1668, (left) and recreation by Zumhagen-Krause and her husband featuring tray table, blanket and globe (right)

Covid-19

This Museum Is Asking People to Remake Famous Artworks With Household Items

The Getty Museum hopes its social media challenge will spark inspiration amid the COVID-19 pandemic

Poenari Castle was once the clifftop fortress of Vlad the Impaler.

Virtual Travel

Watch Seven Medieval Castles’ Digital Reconstruction

Architects and designers restored royal ruins across Europe to their former glory

Mary Vaux Walcott, Cardinal Flower, 1880

Covid-19

Shuttered Museums Use Social Media to Share Bouquets of Floral Artwork

Hundreds of museums are participating in an online attempt to spread joy as COVID-19 keeps their galleries empty

The Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery offers a free audio tour of its presidential portraits.

Virtual Travel

Explore World-Class Museums From Home With Smartify’s Free Audio Tours

The app features a database of some two million artworks housed at more than 120 venues

The USS Stickleback (left) was accidentally broadsided by the USS Silverstein (right) on May 29, 1958.

Cool Finds

Wreck of Cold War-Era Submarine Found Off the Coast of Oahu

After 62 years underwater, the USS “Stickleback”—the casualty of an accidental friendly collision—has finally been found

Matilda McCrear died in 1940 at the age of 81 or 82.

Researcher Identifies the Last Known Survivor of the Transatlantic Slave Trade

Matilda McCrear was just 2 when she was captured and brought to Alabama on the “Clotilda”

According to traditional Japanese folklore, Amabie predicts good harvests and protect against disease.

Covid-19

Amid Pandemic, Artists Invoke Japanese Spirit Said to Protect Against Disease

Illustrators are sharing artwork of Amabie, a spirit first popularized during the Edo period, on social media

With pyramids closed to visitors, workers are deep cleaning the structures.

Covid-19

Amid COVID-19 Closures, Egypt Sanitizes the Giza Pyramids

The country has shut down its museums and archaeological sites in an effort to slow the spread of coronavirus

Hundreds of neatly piled beer bottles unearthed at the site of a long-gone inn in Leeds

Cool Finds

Archaeologists in Leeds Unearth 600 Lead-Spiked, 19th-Century Beer Bottles

The liquid inside is 3 percent alcohol by volume—and contains 0.13 milligrams of lead per liter

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