1. Divers Found a 17th-Century Dress Buried Under the Sea
A group of Dutch divers recovered a 17th-century chest buried under the Wadden Sea, containing a well-preserved collection of clothing, books and other items. The divers were swimming near Texel Island when they spotted the 400-year-old shipwreck. Read more at Smithsonian.com.
2. Vasco da Gama’s Shipwreck Revealed
On March 15, 2016, off the coast of present-day Oman and after 18 years of research and excavations, National Geographic grantee David Mearns discovered one of Vasco da Gama’s ships lost at sea in 1503. The wreck is the earliest known find from Europe’s Golden Age of Exploration. Watch a behind-the-scenes look at what it took to locate and excavate the shipwreck at National Geographic.
3. Ancient Mosaic of “Cheerful” Skeleton Found in Turkey
Archaeologists unearthed a mosaic featuring a reclining skeleton holding a drink with the Greek inscription: “Be cheerful, enjoy life.” It was discovered during excavations along the Syrian border province of Hatay, which boasts Turkey’s largest collection of ancient mosaics. Read more at Phys.org.
4. The Librarian Who Saved Timbuktu’s Cultural Treasures from al Qaeda
When jihadists occupied Timbuktu, 400,000 precious ancient manuscripts were in danger. A middle-aged book collector in Mali helped keep the fabled city’s libraries, books and manuscripts safe from occupying jihadists. Read more at The Wall Street Journal.
5. Oldest Depiction of Ancient Egyptian Demons Found
A Belgium-based Egyptologist discovered the oldest depiction of ancient Egyptian demons, showing demonic entities populated the ancient Egyptians’ imaginations as far back as 4,000 years ago. Read more at Discovery News.
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