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Welcome to
History Buff, a blog for history lovers everywhere! History Buff brings
news stories about archaeology from around the world together on one site.
From finds in ancient Egypt to new discoveries in anthropology, History
Buff wants to know. And feel free to stop by History Buff's
Author Interviews for Q&As with authors of historical fiction. Enjoy!
**Every summer I disappear for several months to various archaeological sites around the world. So for the next 8 weeks or so (until August), History Buff will only be updated a few times a week and with fewer stories. However, as soon as I return, plentiful posting will resume. Have a wonderful summer!!!!!!!!**
As an
historical fiction writer I am fascinated by news stories featuring the
past as it's unearthed and reimagined and brought to life. I spend a
large quantity of time searching for news in archaeology and history.
Once in a great while a new archaeological discovery will act as an inspiration
for what I'm currently writing. But most of the time the news stories
I read are simply interesting tidbits of history. Unfortunately, I have
disallowed comments because I travel so frequently that I can neither
monitor nor respond to them. But I would still love to share the history
that I find fascinating each day. So welcome! And feel free to visit my
website at www.michellemoran.com
or contact me at authormichellemoran at hotmail dot com.
Logo designed by Shaun Venish
Blog designed by Mia Pearlman Design
Podcasts
Fascinating!
New Cover for THE HERETIC QUEEN
The Heretic Queen comes out in paperback on September 1, and for the debut, Crown has created a new and improved cover!!!! I hope you like it as much as I do. I think the background is tremendously evocative.
200,000-year-old flint tools found in Syrian desert
Read the rest here.
Untouched Tomb of Aztec King on Verge of Discovery?
for National Geographic News
After nearly 30 years in the field, archaeologist Leonardo López Luján may be on the verge of the discovery of a lifetime: the only known tomb of an Aztec king.
Read the rest on National Geographic.Stolen Beauty: A Greek Urn’s Underworld
Read the rest on the NYT.
Copernicus Had Blue Eyes
Nicolaus Copernicus, the father of modern astronomy, gazed at the sky through bright blue eyes, according to genetic research that has identified the scientist's remains.
Read the rest on Discovery.Another cache unearthed in National Museum
Read the rest here.
Medieval finds at university dig
Roman pottery, medieval remains and 11th Century dog bones have been found at the heart of Cambridge University during an archaeological dig.
Archaeologists dive deep into the lost world of the Maya
CARA BLANCA, Belize — Machete chops echo and leaves rustle underfoot when the vines clear, revealing cobalt-blue water in a cliff-sided pool.
Read the rest on USA Today.
Computer reveals stone tablet 'handwriting' in a flash
B y Ewen Callaway
You might call it "CSI Ancient Greece". A computer technique can tell the difference between ancient inscriptions created by different artisans, a feat that ordinarily consumes years of human scholarship.
Rare Peek at Riches of Past in Rome
Read the rest on the NYT.
Fourth of July in Virginia!
On May 14, 1604, Jamestown became the home to the first permanent English settlement in America. This statue commemorates John Smith.
On July 30, 1619, the first meeting of a representative government in the Americans took place in Jamestown. This made Jamestown the first Capital of Virginia, to be followed by Williamsburg nearby.
Digging is still going on in Jamestown, where archaeologists are always discovering something new.
Garbage pits and abandoned wells often turn out to be an archaeologist's dream. Many incredibly important artifacts were discovered down this well, from colonialists' shoes to armor.
Our next stop was Colonial Williamsburg, which acted as Virginia's capital from 1699 to 1780. This is where Jefferson served as Governor, and where the House of Burgesses met (a prelude to Independence).
This was the entrance to the Governor's Palace. The Governor was appointed by the King of England.
The entrance into the Governor's Palace was designed to look like an English castle.
The House of Burgesses, where the legislative body (22 members) of Virginia came to meet. Jefferson met here, as well as Patrick Henry, Monroe, and Madison. In1619, when the King of England began exercising greater control over the House of Burgesses, the colonialists began to grow uneasy.
Royal portraits hang in the House of Burgesses, where trials took place. In 1769, when Patrick Henry began speaking out against British Taxation in the House of Burgesses, the royal governor dissolved the entire elected committee. Subsequently, the members began meeting in Raleigh Tavern, and although they didn't yet know it, this was the start of the Revolution.
Walking hand in hand through the streets of Williamsburg at night.
As a vegetarian, it's rather difficult to find meals in some parts of the country. Apparently, vegetarianism wasn't a big thing in Colonial America. Who knew?! So for dinner, all I got was potato and leek soup (my third night of it, btw... hence the expression).
We spent the Fourth touring Madison's home, Montpelier.
As a protege and very good friend of Jefferson's, Madison used Jefferson's own design for the entrance to his home.
The extensive estate on which James and Dolly Madison lived included slave quarters, fields, and a garden pavilion. Although Madison - like Jefferson - believed in abolition, he owned slaves.
A statue of James Madison - the fourth President of the United States - and his wife Dolly.
Their gravestone on the property.From John Adams, in a letter to his wife Abigail
Peacefield, the home of John and Abigail Adams"Yesterday the greatest question was decided, which ever was debated in America... I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of the continent to the other, from this time forward, forevermore."
Abigail would have read this letter in her home at Peacefield.
HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!!!!!
What a momentous day in the history of mankind. In celebration of our nation's history, my husband and I are taking two months to travel across the US and visit some of the sites which have played such an important role in shaping this nation. From Roanoke to Jamestown, from Paul Revere's House to Monticello, this has been an incredibly inspiring trip. Although I am not writing about the Revolutionary War (I'm writing about France's Revolution, which required a trip to France and will require another one soon... very soon!) I think it is important to understand first what happened in America before tackling what happened in France.
So over the past few months we have managed to visit the homes of over a dozen presidents, the settlements of English colonialists, the plantations of tobacco farmers, and the stately homes of the 19th century well-to-do in states like New York. Here are a few photos from the trip.
Museums - my favorite!
Cooking - NOT my favorite
In the village where President Coolidge lived.Via Aurelia: The Roman Empire's Lost Highway
Photographs by Clay McLachlan
At first glance, it didn't appear that impressive: a worn limestone pillar, six feet high and two feet wide, standing slightly askew beside a country road near the village of Pélissanne in southern France.
Read the rest in Smithsonian Magazine.
Scientist Tries to Connect Migration Dots of Ancient Southwest
Read the rest on the NYT.
PICTURES: Prehistoric European Cave Artists Were Female
Read the rest on National Geographic.
Rome catacomb reveals "oldest" image of St Paul
ROME (Reuters) - Vatican archaeologists using laser technology have discovered what they believe is the oldest image in existence of St Paul the Apostle, dating from the late 4th century, on the walls of catacomb beneath Rome.
Castle bones may belong to knight
Archaeologists believe that bones discovered at Stirling Castle may have belonged to a knight killed in battle or during a siege in the early 1400s.
Read the rest on the BBC.Who’s in the Alexander Sarcophagus?
By JUDITH H. DOBRZYNSKI
Sidon, a port city about 25 miles south of Beirut whose rich history dates to 4000 B.C., was among the most successful of the Phoenician city-states. In the fourth century B.C., it fell to Alexander the Great, entering a Hellenistic age that lasted for more than 100 years until the Romans took over.
Pope: Bone Fragments Found in Tomb Are Paul's
(AP) The first-ever scientific test on what are believed to be the remains of the Apostle Paul "seems to confirm" that they do indeed belong to the Roman Catholic saint, Pope Benedict XVI said Sunday.
Stone Age flutes found in Germany
Hear music played on a preliminary reconstruction of a Stone Age bone flute.
The hills may be alive with the sound of music, but so were vulture bones and mammoth tusks for ancient Europeans.
Read the rest on Sciencenews.
Oldest human settlement in Aegean unearthed on Limnos island
The ruins of the oldest human settlement in the Aegean found so far have been unearthed in archaeological excavations by a team of Greek, Italian and American archaeologists on the island of Limnos, headed by Thessaloniki Aristotle University (AUTH) professor of Prehistoric Archaeology Nikos Efstratiou.
Ancient river found beneath the Channel during Olympics survey
An ancient river bed that has lain unseen for 185,000 years has been uncovered by scientists mapping the parts of the English Channel in the run up to the 2012 Olympics.
Neanderthals Made Mammoth Jerky
Necessity compelled Neanderthals to dry hunks of big game meat for easy transport, according to a new study on the survival needs of Neanderthals.
Read the rest on Discovery.
Marble Head of Emperor Titus Found
Archaeologists have unearthed a hoard of ancient Roman treasures, including a marble head of the Roman emperor Titus, during an excavation outside the southern Italian city of Naples.
Read the rest on Discovery.RIP
He made history with his music. Now he makes music with the spheres.
Artefacts found at nature reserve
Human remains and Roman artefacts have been unearthed in an Iron Age ditch at a new nature reserve in Cambridgeshire.
Woman's Skeleton Found at Bottom of Prehistoric Well
Early "Human" Is Ape After All, Discoverer Decides
for National Geographic News
Nearly 15 years ago Russell Ciochon shook our family tree when he announced that a fossil found in a Chinese cave was evidence of a new form of early human.
But that was then.Read the rest on National Geographic.
