Historical Highlights #040

Historical highlights of the week include some fascinating articles about archaeology and art. I hope you’ll read on.

All of Bach is a site intending to feature live performances of all J.S. Bach’s works (100 done, 980 to go).

Academy archivists recently uncovered a 1982 teaser trailer for Star Wars: Revenge of the Jedi (which became Return of the Jedi). You can watch the 35-second video here.

This 14th century document was discovered by a librarian at the Massachusetts Historical Society. 

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The Museum of London Archaeology has unearthed the oldest hand-written documents in Britain. So far 87 out of 400 wooden tablets from the Roman period have been deciphered. Read more!

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The documents were deciphered using photography with raking light and microscopic analysis (Source: MOLA)

This article describes how archaeologists uncovered 82,000 artifacts dating back to the 17th century at the site of a new Philadelphia museum.

“Why Archaeologists Are Intentionally Setting Early American Sites on Fire”

This article explains how the Soviets rewrote children’s books. For example, “In one cautionary tale called Ice Cream, by writer Samuil Marshak and illustrator Vladimir Lebvedev, a bourgeois capitalist eats too much ice cream and freezes to death.”

The mystery of the city seal of Nashville may never be solved.

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Learn about Miss Baker, the original space monkey.

Ever wondered how Elizabeth I spent her summer vacation? Now you can read all about it.

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Elizabeth I arriving at Nonsuch, Franz Hogenberg after Georg Hoefnagel. Hand-colored engraving from Braun and Hogenberg’s Civitates Orbis Terrarum, ca. 1598. Folger Shakespeare Library.

This Canadian artist bases paintings on vintage photographs.

Another artist’s “edgy perspective brings art and Canadian history together.”

A Scottish artist has created a model of the National Museum of Scotland using 90,000 Lego bricks.

Feel free to share any historical highlights you’ve come across recently.

2 thoughts on “Historical Highlights #040

  1. Lori Ferguson says:

    I wonder how the 14th century manuscript got to Boston? Very interesting! Edward III was the king of England who picked a fight with France that developed into the Hundred Years War. And the Great Plague happened in his time. That’s how old that parchment is!
    I was thinking about taking a course next year called “Introduction to Medieval Manuscripts”. It was either that or “French Canada” which is taught at the exact same time. Hmm… what would be more fun? I think I know.

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