About.com

New This Month: June 2013 Part 1

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 19:12:32 +0000

It's the 125^th anniversary of the Jack the Ripper killings this year, so we're expanding our content. As well as our introduction to the unsolved mystery, we now have a narrative account of events, and mini biographies of the victims. We also have some pages clarifying the people involved in the contemporary investigation: Charles Warren, Henry Matthews, Frederick Abberline and Donald Swanson.

Blackadder's 30th

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 19:11:06 +0000

Blackadder was a British comedy series whose four seasons were each set in different periods of British history, from a fictional alternative ending to the Wars of the Roses, through the reigns of Elizabeth I and George III, to World War One. It's among the most successful comedies Britain has produced, and makes good use of the eras for source material. If it seems strange that I'm talking about a sitcom, it's long been a favourite of mine, but more importantly the episodes dealing with the absurdity of World War One have been talked about in schools, and if you're willing to indulge your interest in history's more playful side all are well worth a watch. They have now reached a milestone themselves, as its been thirty years since the first episode was shown.

The Journey of Wine to France

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 19:10:44 +0000

I can't help but think that the headline on this BBC article - 'French wine has Italian origins' - is there to rile things up, because the informative article itself looks at our uncertain knowledge of how wine production spread, and looks at evidence it moved from Etruscan Italy into France from origins in Iran, Georgia and Armenia. Evidence for this has been gathered in a chemical analysis on the inside of storage jars called amphorae.

The Faces of the Mary Rose's Crew

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 19:04:13 +0000

This BBC article starts with a large cutaway diagram of the Mary Rose that is enough of a reason to highlight the page. But keep reading and you'll find something (ghoulishly) fascinating: experts examining the salvaged parts of the Mary Rose have worked with forensics experts to recreate the faces of seven of the ship's doomed crew. You can see the portraits, read about how they were created, and see some details about the men's lives. We have an introduction to the Mary Rose here.

Did The Rite of Spring really Spark a Riot?

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 19:03:26 +0000

Few events in cultural history are as famous as the May 29^th 1913 performance of Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring, because it caused a riot. Or did it? As Ivan Hewett, a writer for the BBC, points out, the truth is unclear. Something appears to have happened, but did people go ready to be offended? It's the sort of article that concludes little but is still very informative. It did make me want to at least listen to The Rite again.

Lost Church Found in Back Garden

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 19:02:58 +0000

This is the latest in a long (over the years) series of posts that's largely influenced by my fascination / hope with finding things in domestic back gardens. Today: a lost Saxon church. Sue Roberts lives in Wallingford, Britain, and had builders insulating her house's foundations when they found a skeleton, which led to a visit from police and archaeologists, which led to the latter realising they had found the location of the lost St. Lucian's Church which was built before the Norman church craze. This information came from the Oxford Mail.

Notes on British WW1 Food

Fri, 31 May 2013 19:33:42 +0000

A curator at the British Royal Logistic Corps Museum has researched a new book on the feeding of their soldiers during World War 1. If you're interested in the subject, you could just buy his 'Feeding Tommy' by Andrew Robertshaw, or take a first look at this Telegraph article...

Read Full Post

The Archaeology of Eunuchs

Fri, 31 May 2013 19:33:18 +0000

Sarah Bond has written an article full of interesting facts about the archaeology of castration and eunuchs in ancient times. I'm not going to quote any details because this isn't everyone's cup of tea, so only click through if you're keen. A knowledge of what books / TV series Game of Thrones is also helps for the opening paragraph.

Site of Mons Graupius Claimed, to Minor Eyebrow Raising

Fri, 31 May 2013 19:32:50 +0000

Given that there are some people who doubt that the Battle of Mons Graupius, a fight between Romans and Caledonians in the north of Britain, even took place, and the fact that people claim all the time to have found new locations for battlefields, I'm not too excited about this, but an archaeologist is claiming he's found the location of Mons Graupius near Elgin. As he - Mike Haseler - told the Northern Scot:

...

Read Full Post

The Best WW2 Story You'll Hear All Year

Fri, 24 May 2013 18:07:56 +0000

When I first heard about the contents of Stephen Harding's new book 'The Last Battle' I could scarcely believe it: a largely forgotten episode late in World War 2 when US troops, French prisoners, Germans soldiers and local resistance teamed together to defend themselves and a medieval castle from the SS. But I've just read a review of the book by Andrew Roberts here, and he stresses how true it all is. The review basically gives you the summary, which spoils the Hollywood perfect ending, so be warned.