This 2019 episode covers the color blue, the most popular color in many parts of the world. But many ancient languages didn’t have a word for blue, and some languages still don’t.

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Tracy shares struggles that she encountered pulling together this edition of Unearthed. She and Holly have a tangential discussion about AI.

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Part one of this quarter's edition of Unearthed! includes animals, artwork, edibles and potables, shipwrecks, potpourri.

Research:

• Abdallah, Hannah. “Analysis of charred food in pot reveals that prehistoric Europeans had surprisingly complex cuisines.” EurekAlert. 3/4/2025. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1117763
• Almeroth-Williams, Thomas. “British redcoat’s lost memoir reveals harsh realities of life as a disabled veteran.” EurekAlert. 1/14/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1111595
• Anderson, Sonja. “Does This Skeleton Found Beneath a Dutch Church Belong to D’Artagnan, the Man Who Inspired ‘The Three Musketeers’?” Smithsonian. 3/27/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-skeleton-found-beneath-the-floor-of-a-dutch-church-may-belong-to-dartagnan-the-fourth-musketeer-180988448/
• Anderson, Sonja. “Historians Thought This Rare Renaissance Portrait by One of the First Famous Female Artists Was Lost to History—Until It Surfaced in North Carolina.” 2/3/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/historians-thought-this-rare-renaissance-portrait-by-one-of-the-first-famous-female-artists-was-lost-to-history-until-it-surfaced-in-north-carolina-180988120/
• Anderson, Sonja. “Hundreds of Ancient Roman Blade Sharpeners Emerge From a Riverbank in England, Revealing the Ruins of a 2,000-Year-Old Whetstone Factory.” Smithsonian. 1/20/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/hundreds-of-ancient-roman-blade-sharpeners-emerge-from-a-riverbank-in-england-revealing-the-ruins-of-a-2000-year-old-whetstone-factory-180988016/
• Anderson, Sonja. “The Italian Government Just Paid Nearly $35 Million for a Rare Caravaggio Portrait—One of the Most Expensive Artworks It’s Ever Acquired.” Smithsonian. 3/16/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-italian-government-just-paid-nearly-35-million-for-a-rare-Caravaggio-portrait-one-of-the-most-expensive-artworks-its-ever-acquired-180988344/
• Arnold, Paul. “Poop as medicine? A Roman vial's chemistry backs up ancient medical texts.” Phys.org. 2/4/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-poop-medicine-roman-vial-chemistry.html
• Arnold, Paul. “Scents of the afterlife: Identifying embalming recipes by 'sniffing' the air around Egyptian mummies.” Phys.org. 2/5/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-scents-afterlife-embalming-recipes-sniffing.html#google_vignette
• Bacon, Jordan. “English history’s biggest march is a myth – King Harold sailed to the Battle of Hastings.” EurekAlert. 3/20/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1120082
• Bastola, Kunjal. “A Groundskeeper Noticed a Sinkhole on a Golf Course. It Turned Out to Be a Wine Cellar Full of Empty Bottles, Untouched for More Than 100 Years.” Smithsonian. 3/19/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-groundskeeper-noticed-a-sinkhole-on-a-golf-course-it-turned-out-to-be-a-wine-cellar-full-of-empty-bottles-untouched-for-more-than-100-years-180988379/
• Bastola, Kunjal. “A Little Boy’s Library Book Was Due in 1989. Thirty-Six Years Later, He Realized His Parents Had Never Returned It.” Smithsonian. 1/26/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-little-boys-library-book-was-due-in-1989-thirty-six-years-later-he-realized-his-parents-had-never-returned-it-180988046/
• Baum, Stephanie. “Ancient parrot DNA reveals sophisticated, long-distance animal trade network pre-dating the Inca Empire.” 3/10/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-ancient-parrot-dna-reveals-sophisticated.html
• Baum, Stephanie. “From the Late Bronze Age to today, the Old Irish Goat carries 3,000 years of Irish history.” 2/26/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-late-bronze-age-today-irish.html
• Benzine, Vittoria. “What Did Pompeii Smell Like? A New Study Analyzes Its Ancient Incense.” Artnet. 3/31/2026. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/pompeii-ritual-incense-study-2760240
• Brooks, James. “Danish warship sunk by Nelson’s British fleet discovered after 225 years.” Associated Press. 4/2/2026. https://apnews.com/article/denmark-archaeologists-warship-nelson-copenhagen-dannebroge-lynetteholm-4519533d9e774a490f6020e893634e09
• Carvajal, Guillermo. “Archaeologists achieve a historic milestone by dating French cave paintings with carbon-14 for the first time.” 3/10/2025. https://www.labrujulaverde.com/en/2026/03/archaeologists-achieve-a-historic-milestone-by-dating-french-cave-paintings-with-carbon-14-for-the-first-time/
• Clayworth, Liv. “Bird poop powered the rise of the Chincha Kingdom, archaeologists find.” EurekAlert. 2/11/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1115214
• “Lost page of the Archimedes Palimpsest identified in Blois, central France.” Phys.org. 3/9/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-lost-page-archimedes-palimpsest-blois.html
• Ehrlich, Claudia. “Signs on Stone Age objects: Precursor to written language dates back 40,000 years.” EurekAlert. 2/23/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1117179
• Ferrer, Isabel. “Is d’Artagnan lying beneath a church in Maastricht? DNA will determine if remains found are those of the famous musketeer.” El Pais. 3/25/2025. https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-03-25/is-dartagnan-lying-beneath-a-church-in-maastricht-dna-will-determine-if-remains-found-are-that-of-the-famous-musketeer.html?outputType=amp
• Gebauer, Kathryn. “Groundbreaking discovery reveals Africa’s oldest cremation pyre and complex ritual practices.” EurekAlert. 1/1/2016. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1111191
• Harley, Sadie. “Iron Age dental plaque reveals Scythians consumed milk from horses and ruminants.” Phys.org. 1/21/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-iron-age-dental-plaque-reveals.html
• He, Ye. “Singapore’s first ancient shipwreck reveals record cargo of Yuan dynasty blue-and-white porcelain.” EurekAlert. 2/12/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1116512
• Johansen, Rikke Tørnsø. “Archaeologists reveal a medieval super ship: "It's the World’s largest cog".” Vikingeskibs Museet. 12/22/2025. https://www.vikingeskibsmuseet.dk/en/news/archaeologists-reveal-a-medieval-super-ship-its-the-worlds-largest-cog
• Kasal, Krystal. “Hannibal's famous war elephants: Single bone in Spain offers first direct evidence.” Phys.org. 2/5/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-hannibal-famous-war-elephants-bone.html
• Kasal, Krystal. “Oldest known sewn hide and other artifacts from Oregon caves shed light on early clothing in harsh climates.” Phys.org. 2/10/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-oldest-sewn-artifacts-oregon-caves.html
• Killgrove, Kristina. “Romans used human feces as medicine 1,900 years ago — and used thyme to mask the smell.” 1/29/2026. https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/romans/romans-used-human-feces-as-medicine-1-900-years-ago-and-used-thyme-to-mask-the-smell
• Killgrove, Kristina. “Stone Age woman was buried like a man, revealing flexible gender roles 7,000 years ago in Hungary.” LiveScience. 3/3/2026. https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/stone-age-woman-was-buried-like-a-man-revealing-flexible-gender-roles-7-000-years-ago-in-hungary
• Koc University. “Earliest evidence of indigo-dyed textiles and single-needle knitting discovered in Bronze Age Anatolia.” Phys.org. 2/21/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-earliest-evidence-indigo-dyed-textiles.html
• Kuta, Sarah. “Did Neanderthals Use Birch Bark Tar as an Antibiotic to Treat Wounds and Infections?” Smithsonian. 3/30/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/did-neanderthals-use-birch-bark-tar-as-an-antibiotic-to-treat-wounds-and-infections-180988393/
• Kuta, Sarah. “Ostrich Eggshells Suggest Our Ancestors May Have Understood Basic Geometry 60,000 Years Ago.” Smithsonian. 3/9/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-intricately-decorated-ostrich-eggshells-suggest-our-ancestors-may-have-understood-basic-geometry-60000-years-ago-180988315/
• Kuta, Sarah. “Ötzi the Iceman May Have Carried a Cancer-Causing Strain of HPV, a Common Virus Still Plaguing Humans Today.” Smithsonian. 1/20/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/otzi-the-iceman-may-have-carried-a-cancer-causing-strain-of-hpv-a-common-virus-still-plaguing-humans-today-180988024/
• Kuta, Sarah. “Shipwreck Timbers Appeared on a Beach After a Storm. They Had Been Buried Beneath the Sand Since the 17th Century.” Smithsonian. 3/2/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/shipwreck-timbers-appeared-on-a-beach-after-a-storm-they-had-been-buried-beneath-the-sand-since-the-17th-century-180988260/
• Lawson-Tancred, Jo. “Salvador Dalí’s Largest Work Snapped Up by Florida Museum.” Artnet. 3/27/2026. https://news.artnet.com/market/salvador-dali-largest-work-bonhams-sale-2749246
• Lock, Lisa. “Ancient DNA finds 15,800-year-old dogs in Anatolia, buried like humans.” Phys.org. 3/28/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-ancient-dna-year-dogs-anatolia.html
• Lock, Lisa. “Are one in 200 men really related to Genghis Khan? Maybe not, according to a new study.” Phys.org. 2/21/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-men-genghis-khan.html
• Lucibella, Michael. “Prehistoric tool made from elephant bone is the oldest discovered in Europe.” EurekAlert. 1/26/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1113140
• Luscombe, Richard. “Mass grave in Jordan sheds new light on world’s earliest recorded pandemic.” The Guardian. 1/31/2026. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jan/31/plague-of-justinian-pandemic
• net. “Did King Harold Sail to Hastings? New Study Sparks Debate Among Historians.” 3/2026. https://www.medievalists.net/2026/03/did-king-harold-sail-to-hastings-new-study-sparks-debate-among-historians/
• net. “Viking-Age Woman Buried with Her Dog in Norway.” 3/2026. https://www.medievalists.net/2026/03/viking-age-woman-buried-with-her-dog-in-norway/
• Newcastle University Press Office. “5,300-year-old ‘bow drill’ rewrites story of ancient Egyptian tools.” 2/9/2026. https://www.ncl.ac.uk/press/articles/latest/2026/02/ancientegyptiandrillbit/
• Noraz, R., Chauvey, L., Wagner, S. et al. Ancient DNA reveals 4000 years of grapevine diversity, viticulture and clonal propagation in France. Nat Commun 17, 2494 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-70166-z
• Nordin, Gunilla. “World’s oldest arrow poison – 60,000-year-old traces reveal early advanced hunting techniques.” 1/7/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1111624
• Parco Archaeologico de Ercolano. “Archaeology: New precious decorations discovered at Villa Sora in the Herculaneum Park.” 2/5/2026. https://ercolano.cultura.gov.it/archaeology-new-precious-decorations-discovered-at-villa-sora-in-the-herculaneum-park/?lang=en
• Paul, Andrew. “Hiker finds 3,000-year-old bull sculpture in Spain.” Popular Science. 3/17/2026. https://www.popsci.com/science/hiker-finds-bronze-age-bull-spain/
• Potter, Lisa. “A wild potato that changed the story of agriculture in the American Southwest.” EurekAlert. 1/21/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1113056
• “Digital scans unveil new love notes and sketches on ancient Pompeii wall.” 1/19/2026. https://www.reuters.com/science/digital-scans-unveil-new-love-notes-sketches-ancient-pompeii-wall-2026-01-19/
• Richard L. Rosencrance et al. ,Complex perishable technologies from the North American Great Basin reveal specialized Late Pleistocene adaptations. Sci. Adv. 12, eaec2916(2026).DOI:10.1126/sciadv.aec2916
• Ruse, Amy. “Tasmanian tiger lives on in Arnhem Land rock art.” EurekAlert. 3/30/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1121955
• Ruse, Amy. “World’s oldest rock art holds clues to early human migration to Australia.” EurekAlert. 1/21/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1112900
• Siehoff, Jonas. “Hygienic conditions in Pompeii's early baths were poor.” 1/12/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1112403
• Taçon, P. S. C., A.Jalandoni, S. K.May, J.Nganjmirra, and C.Mungulda. 2026. “The Devil Is in the Detail: Tasmanian Devil and Tasmanian Tiger Paintings From Awunbarna and Injalak Hill, Northern Territory, Australia.” Archaeology in Oceania. https://doi.org/10.1002/arco.70024
• The History Blog. “$40 estate sale find by early African-American silversmith sells for $24,000.” 2/4/2026. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/75294
• The History Blog. “43,000 ostraca found at one site shed light on social history of Egypt.” 5/15/2026. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/75609
• The History Blog. “British Museum acquires Tudor Heart.” 2/10/2026. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/75343
• The History Blog. “Exceptional Roman cargo shipwreck found in Lake Neuchâtel.” 3/29/2026. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/75705
• The History Blog. “Extraordinary find: 10th c. bronze wheel cross matches mold found 43 years ago.” 1/24/2026. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/75220
• The History Blog. “Previously unknown Hans Baldung Grien portrait emerges after 500 years in the sitter’s family.” 1/17/2026. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/75161
• The History Blog. “Roman wooden writing tablets from Belgium deciphered.” 1/22/2206. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/75207
• Thomas, Laura. “A century-old Stonehenge mystery may finally be solved.” Science Daily. 1/27/2026. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260127010208.htm
• Thorsberg, Christian. “The National Gallery of Art Acquires 17th-Century Masterpiece by Baroque Painter Artemisia Gentileschi.” Smithsonian. 2/7/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-national-gallery-of-art-acquired-17th-century-masterpiece-by-baroque-painter-artemisia-gentileschi-180988147/
• Thorsberg, Christian. “This Luxury Steamer Disappeared on a Stormy Night in 1872. Nearly 150 Years Later to the Day, It Was Found at the Bottom of Lake Michigan.” Smithsonian. 2/18/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-luxury-steamer-disappeared-on-a-stormy-night-in-1872-nearly-150-years-to-the-day-it-was-found-in-the-bottom-of-lake-michigan-180988204/
• Unibo Magazine. “Humanity’s oldest geometries, engraved on ostrich eggs.” https://magazine.unibo.it/en/articles/humanitys-oldest-geometries-engraved-on-ostrich-eggs
• University of Tübingen. “Earliest hand-held wooden tools found in Greece date back 430,000 years.” Phys.org. 1/1/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-earliest-held-wooden-tools-greece.html
• Villotte, S., T.Szeniczey, S.Kacki, and A.Anders. 2026. “Fixed and Fluid: The Two Faces of Gender Roles—A Combined Study of Activity Patterns and Burial Practices in the European Neolithic.” American Journal of Biological Anthropology189, no. 2: e70217. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.70217.
• Whiddington, Richard. “3,300-Year-Old Papyrus Reveals How Ancient Egyptians Fixed Drawing Mistakes.” ArtNet. 3/9/2026. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/ancient-egyptian-papyrus-white-out-fluid-2752125
• Whiddington, Richard. “Long-Lost Archimedes Text Resurfaces in French Museum.” Artnet. 3/11/2026. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/lost-page-of-archimedes-palimpsest-found-2753005
• Whiddington, Richard. “Lost Parthenon Piece Unearthed From Lord Elgin’s Shipwreck.” ArtNet. 3/19/2026. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/parthenon-fragment-lord-elgin-shipwreck-2755894
• Zeilsgtra, Andrew. “Breathing in the past: How museums can use biomolecular archaeology to bring ancient scents to life.” EurekAlert. 2/5/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1114918
• Zinin, Andrew. “600-year-old pinot noir grape found in medieval French toilet.” Phys.org. 3/24/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-year-pinot-noir-grape-medieval.html#google_vignette

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Part one of this quarter's edition of Unearthed! features updates, medical things, books and letters, oldest known things, and smells.

Research:

• Abdallah, Hannah. “Analysis of charred food in pot reveals that prehistoric Europeans had surprisingly complex cuisines.” EurekAlert. 3/4/2025. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1117763
• Almeroth-Williams, Thomas. “British redcoat’s lost memoir reveals harsh realities of life as a disabled veteran.” EurekAlert. 1/14/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1111595
• Anderson, Sonja. “Does This Skeleton Found Beneath a Dutch Church Belong to D’Artagnan, the Man Who Inspired ‘The Three Musketeers’?” Smithsonian. 3/27/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-skeleton-found-beneath-the-floor-of-a-dutch-church-may-belong-to-dartagnan-the-fourth-musketeer-180988448/
• Anderson, Sonja. “Historians Thought This Rare Renaissance Portrait by One of the First Famous Female Artists Was Lost to History—Until It Surfaced in North Carolina.” 2/3/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/historians-thought-this-rare-renaissance-portrait-by-one-of-the-first-famous-female-artists-was-lost-to-history-until-it-surfaced-in-north-carolina-180988120/
• Anderson, Sonja. “Hundreds of Ancient Roman Blade Sharpeners Emerge From a Riverbank in England, Revealing the Ruins of a 2,000-Year-Old Whetstone Factory.” Smithsonian. 1/20/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/hundreds-of-ancient-roman-blade-sharpeners-emerge-from-a-riverbank-in-england-revealing-the-ruins-of-a-2000-year-old-whetstone-factory-180988016/
• Anderson, Sonja. “The Italian Government Just Paid Nearly $35 Million for a Rare Caravaggio Portrait—One of the Most Expensive Artworks It’s Ever Acquired.” Smithsonian. 3/16/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-italian-government-just-paid-nearly-35-million-for-a-rare-Caravaggio-portrait-one-of-the-most-expensive-artworks-its-ever-acquired-180988344/
• Arnold, Paul. “Poop as medicine? A Roman vial's chemistry backs up ancient medical texts.” Phys.org. 2/4/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-poop-medicine-roman-vial-chemistry.html
• Arnold, Paul. “Scents of the afterlife: Identifying embalming recipes by 'sniffing' the air around Egyptian mummies.” Phys.org. 2/5/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-scents-afterlife-embalming-recipes-sniffing.html#google_vignette
• Bacon, Jordan. “English history’s biggest march is a myth – King Harold sailed to the Battle of Hastings.” EurekAlert. 3/20/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1120082
• Bastola, Kunjal. “A Groundskeeper Noticed a Sinkhole on a Golf Course. It Turned Out to Be a Wine Cellar Full of Empty Bottles, Untouched for More Than 100 Years.” Smithsonian. 3/19/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-groundskeeper-noticed-a-sinkhole-on-a-golf-course-it-turned-out-to-be-a-wine-cellar-full-of-empty-bottles-untouched-for-more-than-100-years-180988379/
• Bastola, Kunjal. “A Little Boy’s Library Book Was Due in 1989. Thirty-Six Years Later, He Realized His Parents Had Never Returned It.” Smithsonian. 1/26/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-little-boys-library-book-was-due-in-1989-thirty-six-years-later-he-realized-his-parents-had-never-returned-it-180988046/
• Baum, Stephanie. “Ancient parrot DNA reveals sophisticated, long-distance animal trade network pre-dating the Inca Empire.” 3/10/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-ancient-parrot-dna-reveals-sophisticated.html
• Baum, Stephanie. “From the Late Bronze Age to today, the Old Irish Goat carries 3,000 years of Irish history.” 2/26/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-late-bronze-age-today-irish.html
• Benzine, Vittoria. “What Did Pompeii Smell Like? A New Study Analyzes Its Ancient Incense.” Artnet. 3/31/2026. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/pompeii-ritual-incense-study-2760240
• Brooks, James. “Danish warship sunk by Nelson’s British fleet discovered after 225 years.” Associated Press. 4/2/2026. https://apnews.com/article/denmark-archaeologists-warship-nelson-copenhagen-dannebroge-lynetteholm-4519533d9e774a490f6020e893634e09
• Carvajal, Guillermo. “Archaeologists achieve a historic milestone by dating French cave paintings with carbon-14 for the first time.” 3/10/2025. https://www.labrujulaverde.com/en/2026/03/archaeologists-achieve-a-historic-milestone-by-dating-french-cave-paintings-with-carbon-14-for-the-first-time/
• Clayworth, Liv. “Bird poop powered the rise of the Chincha Kingdom, archaeologists find.” EurekAlert. 2/11/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1115214
• “Lost page of the Archimedes Palimpsest identified in Blois, central France.” Phys.org. 3/9/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-lost-page-archimedes-palimpsest-blois.html
• Ehrlich, Claudia. “Signs on Stone Age objects: Precursor to written language dates back 40,000 years.” EurekAlert. 2/23/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1117179
• Ferrer, Isabel. “Is d’Artagnan lying beneath a church in Maastricht? DNA will determine if remains found are those of the famous musketeer.” El Pais. 3/25/2025. https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-03-25/is-dartagnan-lying-beneath-a-church-in-maastricht-dna-will-determine-if-remains-found-are-that-of-the-famous-musketeer.html?outputType=amp
• Gebauer, Kathryn. “Groundbreaking discovery reveals Africa’s oldest cremation pyre and complex ritual practices.” EurekAlert. 1/1/2016. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1111191
• Harley, Sadie. “Iron Age dental plaque reveals Scythians consumed milk from horses and ruminants.” Phys.org. 1/21/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-iron-age-dental-plaque-reveals.html
• He, Ye. “Singapore’s first ancient shipwreck reveals record cargo of Yuan dynasty blue-and-white porcelain.” EurekAlert. 2/12/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1116512
• Johansen, Rikke Tørnsø. “Archaeologists reveal a medieval super ship: "It's the World’s largest cog".” Vikingeskibs Museet. 12/22/2025. https://www.vikingeskibsmuseet.dk/en/news/archaeologists-reveal-a-medieval-super-ship-its-the-worlds-largest-cog
• Kasal, Krystal. “Hannibal's famous war elephants: Single bone in Spain offers first direct evidence.” Phys.org. 2/5/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-hannibal-famous-war-elephants-bone.html
• Kasal, Krystal. “Oldest known sewn hide and other artifacts from Oregon caves shed light on early clothing in harsh climates.” Phys.org. 2/10/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-oldest-sewn-artifacts-oregon-caves.html
• Killgrove, Kristina. “Romans used human feces as medicine 1,900 years ago — and used thyme to mask the smell.” 1/29/2026. https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/romans/romans-used-human-feces-as-medicine-1-900-years-ago-and-used-thyme-to-mask-the-smell
• Killgrove, Kristina. “Stone Age woman was buried like a man, revealing flexible gender roles 7,000 years ago in Hungary.” LiveScience. 3/3/2026. https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/stone-age-woman-was-buried-like-a-man-revealing-flexible-gender-roles-7-000-years-ago-in-hungary
• Koc University. “Earliest evidence of indigo-dyed textiles and single-needle knitting discovered in Bronze Age Anatolia.” Phys.org. 2/21/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-earliest-evidence-indigo-dyed-textiles.html
• Kuta, Sarah. “Did Neanderthals Use Birch Bark Tar as an Antibiotic to Treat Wounds and Infections?” Smithsonian. 3/30/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/did-neanderthals-use-birch-bark-tar-as-an-antibiotic-to-treat-wounds-and-infections-180988393/
• Kuta, Sarah. “Ostrich Eggshells Suggest Our Ancestors May Have Understood Basic Geometry 60,000 Years Ago.” Smithsonian. 3/9/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-intricately-decorated-ostrich-eggshells-suggest-our-ancestors-may-have-understood-basic-geometry-60000-years-ago-180988315/
• Kuta, Sarah. “Ötzi the Iceman May Have Carried a Cancer-Causing Strain of HPV, a Common Virus Still Plaguing Humans Today.” Smithsonian. 1/20/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/otzi-the-iceman-may-have-carried-a-cancer-causing-strain-of-hpv-a-common-virus-still-plaguing-humans-today-180988024/
• Kuta, Sarah. “Shipwreck Timbers Appeared on a Beach After a Storm. They Had Been Buried Beneath the Sand Since the 17th Century.” Smithsonian. 3/2/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/shipwreck-timbers-appeared-on-a-beach-after-a-storm-they-had-been-buried-beneath-the-sand-since-the-17th-century-180988260/
• Lawson-Tancred, Jo. “Salvador Dalí’s Largest Work Snapped Up by Florida Museum.” Artnet. 3/27/2026. https://news.artnet.com/market/salvador-dali-largest-work-bonhams-sale-2749246
• Lock, Lisa. “Ancient DNA finds 15,800-year-old dogs in Anatolia, buried like humans.” Phys.org. 3/28/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-ancient-dna-year-dogs-anatolia.html
• Lock, Lisa. “Are one in 200 men really related to Genghis Khan? Maybe not, according to a new study.” Phys.org. 2/21/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-men-genghis-khan.html
• Lucibella, Michael. “Prehistoric tool made from elephant bone is the oldest discovered in Europe.” EurekAlert. 1/26/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1113140
• Luscombe, Richard. “Mass grave in Jordan sheds new light on world’s earliest recorded pandemic.” The Guardian. 1/31/2026. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jan/31/plague-of-justinian-pandemic
• net. “Did King Harold Sail to Hastings? New Study Sparks Debate Among Historians.” 3/2026. https://www.medievalists.net/2026/03/did-king-harold-sail-to-hastings-new-study-sparks-debate-among-historians/
• net. “Viking-Age Woman Buried with Her Dog in Norway.” 3/2026. https://www.medievalists.net/2026/03/viking-age-woman-buried-with-her-dog-in-norway/
• Newcastle University Press Office. “5,300-year-old ‘bow drill’ rewrites story of ancient Egyptian tools.” 2/9/2026. https://www.ncl.ac.uk/press/articles/latest/2026/02/ancientegyptiandrillbit/
• Noraz, R., Chauvey, L., Wagner, S. et al. Ancient DNA reveals 4000 years of grapevine diversity, viticulture and clonal propagation in France. Nat Commun 17, 2494 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-70166-z
• Nordin, Gunilla. “World’s oldest arrow poison – 60,000-year-old traces reveal early advanced hunting techniques.” 1/7/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1111624
• Parco Archaeologico de Ercolano. “Archaeology: New precious decorations discovered at Villa Sora in the Herculaneum Park.” 2/5/2026. https://ercolano.cultura.gov.it/archaeology-new-precious-decorations-discovered-at-villa-sora-in-the-herculaneum-park/?lang=en
• Paul, Andrew. “Hiker finds 3,000-year-old bull sculpture in Spain.” Popular Science. 3/17/2026. https://www.popsci.com/science/hiker-finds-bronze-age-bull-spain/
• Potter, Lisa. “A wild potato that changed the story of agriculture in the American Southwest.” EurekAlert. 1/21/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1113056
• “Digital scans unveil new love notes and sketches on ancient Pompeii wall.” 1/19/2026. https://www.reuters.com/science/digital-scans-unveil-new-love-notes-sketches-ancient-pompeii-wall-2026-01-19/
• Richard L. Rosencrance et al. ,Complex perishable technologies from the North American Great Basin reveal specialized Late Pleistocene adaptations. Sci. Adv. 12, eaec2916(2026).DOI:10.1126/sciadv.aec2916
• Ruse, Amy. “Tasmanian tiger lives on in Arnhem Land rock art.” EurekAlert. 3/30/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1121955
• Ruse, Amy. “World’s oldest rock art holds clues to early human migration to Australia.” EurekAlert. 1/21/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1112900
• Siehoff, Jonas. “Hygienic conditions in Pompeii's early baths were poor.” 1/12/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1112403
• Taçon, P. S. C., A.Jalandoni, S. K.May, J.Nganjmirra, and C.Mungulda. 2026. “The Devil Is in the Detail: Tasmanian Devil and Tasmanian Tiger Paintings From Awunbarna and Injalak Hill, Northern Territory, Australia.” Archaeology in Oceania. https://doi.org/10.1002/arco.70024
• The History Blog. “$40 estate sale find by early African-American silversmith sells for $24,000.” 2/4/2026. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/75294
• The History Blog. “43,000 ostraca found at one site shed light on social history of Egypt.” 5/15/2026. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/75609
• The History Blog. “British Museum acquires Tudor Heart.” 2/10/2026. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/75343
• The History Blog. “Exceptional Roman cargo shipwreck found in Lake Neuchâtel.” 3/29/2026. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/75705
• The History Blog. “Extraordinary find: 10th c. bronze wheel cross matches mold found 43 years ago.” 1/24/2026. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/75220
• The History Blog. “Previously unknown Hans Baldung Grien portrait emerges after 500 years in the sitter’s family.” 1/17/2026. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/75161
• The History Blog. “Roman wooden writing tablets from Belgium deciphered.” 1/22/2206. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/75207
• Thomas, Laura. “A century-old Stonehenge mystery may finally be solved.” Science Daily. 1/27/2026. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260127010208.htm
• Thorsberg, Christian. “The National Gallery of Art Acquires 17th-Century Masterpiece by Baroque Painter Artemisia Gentileschi.” Smithsonian. 2/7/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-national-gallery-of-art-acquired-17th-century-masterpiece-by-baroque-painter-artemisia-gentileschi-180988147/
• Thorsberg, Christian. “This Luxury Steamer Disappeared on a Stormy Night in 1872. Nearly 150 Years Later to the Day, It Was Found at the Bottom of Lake Michigan.” Smithsonian. 2/18/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-luxury-steamer-disappeared-on-a-stormy-night-in-1872-nearly-150-years-to-the-day-it-was-found-in-the-bottom-of-lake-michigan-180988204/
• Unibo Magazine. “Humanity’s oldest geometries, engraved on ostrich eggs.” https://magazine.unibo.it/en/articles/humanitys-oldest-geometries-engraved-on-ostrich-eggs
• University of Tübingen. “Earliest hand-held wooden tools found in Greece date back 430,000 years.” Phys.org. 1/1/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-earliest-held-wooden-tools-greece.html
• Villotte, S., T.Szeniczey, S.Kacki, and A.Anders. 2026. “Fixed and Fluid: The Two Faces of Gender Roles—A Combined Study of Activity Patterns and Burial Practices in the European Neolithic.” American Journal of Biological Anthropology189, no. 2: e70217. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.70217.
• Whiddington, Richard. “3,300-Year-Old Papyrus Reveals How Ancient Egyptians Fixed Drawing Mistakes.” ArtNet. 3/9/2026. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/ancient-egyptian-papyrus-white-out-fluid-2752125
• Whiddington, Richard. “Long-Lost Archimedes Text Resurfaces in French Museum.” Artnet. 3/11/2026. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/lost-page-of-archimedes-palimpsest-found-2753005
• Whiddington, Richard. “Lost Parthenon Piece Unearthed From Lord Elgin’s Shipwreck.” ArtNet. 3/19/2026. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/parthenon-fragment-lord-elgin-shipwreck-2755894
• Zeilsgtra, Andrew. “Breathing in the past: How museums can use biomolecular archaeology to bring ancient scents to life.” EurekAlert. 2/5/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1114918
• Zinin, Andrew. “600-year-old pinot noir grape found in medieval French toilet.” Phys.org. 3/24/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-year-pinot-noir-grape-medieval.html#google_vignette

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This 2022 episode covers how Courbet was iconic even in his own lifetime. He flew in the face of artistic convention, ushered in a new movement of Realism in France, and became embroiled in the country’s political turmoil.  

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Tracy shares her intentions to cover Peter Kropotkin years ago, and also unpacks some of the positive and negative aspects of his life.

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After returning to Russia, Kropotkin was captured and imprisoned. But his life took many turns from there, and in 1902 he published his book book “Mutual Aid: A Factor of Evolution.”

Research:

• "Peter Alekseevich Kropotkin." Encyclopedia of World Biography Online, Gale, 1998. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, link.gale.com/apps/doc/K1631003701/GPS?u=mlin_n_melpub&sid=bookmark-GPS&xid=ed5ae018. Accessed 23 Mar. 2026.
• Adams, Matthew S. “Rejecting the American Model: Peter Kropotkin’s Radical Communism.” History of Political Thought , Spring 2014, Vol. 35, No. 1 (Spring 2014). https://www.jstor.org/stable/26227268
• Avrich, Paul, Miller, Martin A. "Peter Alekseyevich Kropotkin". Encyclopedia Britannica, 4 Feb. 2026, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Peter-Alekseyevich-Kropotkin. Accessed 23 March 2026.
• Avrich, Paul. “Kropotkin in America.” International Review of Social History , Volume 25 , Issue 1 , April 1980 , pp. 1 – 34 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0020859000006192.
• Davis, Mike. “Kropotkin and Climate Change.” Transnational Institute of Social Ecology. 1/4/2018. https://trise.org/2018/01/04/kropotkin-and-climate-change/
• Kinna, Ruth. “Kropotkin's Theory of Mutual Aid in Historical Context.” International Review of Social History , AUGUST 1995, Vol. 40, No. 2. Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/44583751
• Kropotkin, P. “Fields, Factories, and Workshops: or Industry Combined with Agriculture and Brain Work with Manual Work.” G.P. Putnam’s Sons. New York and London. 1913.
• Kropotkin, P. “Memoirs of a Revolutionist.” London. Swan Sonnenschein & Co. 1906.
• Kropotkin, P. “Mutual Aid: A Factor of Evolution.” New York. McClure Phillips & Co. 1902.
• Kropotkin, Peter Alexeievich. "Memoirs of a Revolutionist." Terrorism: Essential Primary Sources, edited by K. Lee Lerner and Brenda Wilmoth Lerner, Gale, 2006, pp. 11-13. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX3456600019/GPS?u=mlin_n_melpub&sid=bookmark-GPS&xid=f35f5dcf. Accessed 23 Mar. 2026.
• Kropotkin, Peter. “Anarchism.” Encyclopedia Britannica 11th 1911.
• Kropotkin, Peter. “The Conquest of Bread.” New York. Vanguard Press. 1926.
• Macauley, David. "Anarchism." Encyclopedia of Environmental Ethics and Philosophy, edited by J. Baird Callicott and Robert Frodeman, vol. 1, Macmillan Reference USA, 2009, pp. 38-40. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX3234100023/GPS?u=mlin_n_melpub&sid=bookmark-GPS&xid=d3a1d4db. Accessed 23 Mar. 2026.
• Montpetit, Mathilde. “Peter Kropotkin’s Memoirs of a Revolutionist (1899).” The Public Domain Review. 1/13/2026. https://publicdomainreview.org/collection/kropotkin-memoirs/
• Moron, Gary Saul. “Kropotkin’s dead goose.” The New Criterion February 2022.
• Prince P. A. Kropotkin. Nature 106, 735–736 (1921). https://doi.org/10.1038/106735a0
• Quinn, Adam. “’Abolish the Monopolizing of the Earth’: Nature, Science, and the Environmental Politics of Transnational Anarchism.” Radical History Review. Issue 145 (January 2023). DOI 10.1215/01636545-10063606
• Saytanov, Sergey V. “The Anarchist Who Stood Up to Lenin and the Bolshevik Coup of October 1917.” History News Network. July 19, 2015. https://www.historynewsnetwork.org/article/the-anarchist-who-stood-up-to-lenin-and-the-bolshe
• Vollaro, Daniel. “When Anarchists Speak of Thoreau.” The Thoreau Society Bulletin, Spring 2016, No. 293 (Spring 2016). Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/44651625
• Wills, Matthew. “Peter Kropotkin, the Prince of Mutual Aid.” JSTOR Daily. 2/4/2025. https://daily.jstor.org/peter-kropotkin-the-prince-of-mutual-aid/

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Peter Kropotkin was incredibly influential in the development of anarchism in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Part one of this subject focuses on the formative moments in his early life that contributed to his becoming an anarchist communist.

Research:

• "Peter Alekseevich Kropotkin." Encyclopedia of World Biography Online, Gale, 1998. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, link.gale.com/apps/doc/K1631003701/GPS?u=mlin_n_melpub&sid=bookmark-GPS&xid=ed5ae018. Accessed 23 Mar. 2026.
• Adams, Matthew S. “Rejecting the American Model: Peter Kropotkin’s Radical Communism.” History of Political Thought , Spring 2014, Vol. 35, No. 1 (Spring 2014). https://www.jstor.org/stable/26227268
• Avrich, Paul, Miller, Martin A. "Peter Alekseyevich Kropotkin". Encyclopedia Britannica, 4 Feb. 2026, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Peter-Alekseyevich-Kropotkin. Accessed 23 March 2026.
• Avrich, Paul. “Kropotkin in America.” International Review of Social History , Volume 25 , Issue 1 , April 1980 , pp. 1 – 34 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0020859000006192.
• Davis, Mike. “Kropotkin and Climate Change.” Transnational Institute of Social Ecology. 1/4/2018. https://trise.org/2018/01/04/kropotkin-and-climate-change/
• Kinna, Ruth. “Kropotkin's Theory of Mutual Aid in Historical Context.” International Review of Social History , AUGUST 1995, Vol. 40, No. 2. Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/44583751
• Kropotkin, P. “Fields, Factories, and Workshops: or Industry Combined with Agriculture and Brain Work with Manual Work.” G.P. Putnam’s Sons. New York and London. 1913.
• Kropotkin, P. “Memoirs of a Revolutionist.” London. Swan Sonnenschein & Co. 1906.
• Kropotkin, P. “Mutual Aid: A Factor of Evolution.” New York. McClure Phillips & Co. 1902.
• Kropotkin, Peter Alexeievich. "Memoirs of a Revolutionist." Terrorism: Essential Primary Sources, edited by K. Lee Lerner and Brenda Wilmoth Lerner, Gale, 2006, pp. 11-13. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX3456600019/GPS?u=mlin_n_melpub&sid=bookmark-GPS&xid=f35f5dcf. Accessed 23 Mar. 2026.
• Kropotkin, Peter. “Anarchism.” Encyclopedia Britannica 11th 1911.
• Kropotkin, Peter. “The Conquest of Bread.” New York. Vanguard Press. 1926.
• Macauley, David. "Anarchism." Encyclopedia of Environmental Ethics and Philosophy, edited by J. Baird Callicott and Robert Frodeman, vol. 1, Macmillan Reference USA, 2009, pp. 38-40. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX3234100023/GPS?u=mlin_n_melpub&sid=bookmark-GPS&xid=d3a1d4db. Accessed 23 Mar. 2026.
• Montpetit, Mathilde. “Peter Kropotkin’s Memoirs of a Revolutionist (1899).” The Public Domain Review. 1/13/2026. https://publicdomainreview.org/collection/kropotkin-memoirs/
• Moron, Gary Saul. “Kropotkin’s dead goose.” The New Criterion February 2022.
• Prince P. A. Kropotkin. Nature 106, 735–736 (1921). https://doi.org/10.1038/106735a0
• Quinn, Adam. “’Abolish the Monopolizing of the Earth’: Nature, Science, and the Environmental Politics of Transnational Anarchism.” Radical History Review. Issue 145 (January 2023). DOI 10.1215/01636545-10063606
• Saytanov, Sergey V. “The Anarchist Who Stood Up to Lenin and the Bolshevik Coup of October 1917.” History News Network. July 19, 2015. https://www.historynewsnetwork.org/article/the-anarchist-who-stood-up-to-lenin-and-the-bolshe
• Vollaro, Daniel. “When Anarchists Speak of Thoreau.” The Thoreau Society Bulletin, Spring 2016, No. 293 (Spring 2016). Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/44651625
• Wills, Matthew. “Peter Kropotkin, the Prince of Mutual Aid.” JSTOR Daily. 2/4/2025. https://daily.jstor.org/peter-kropotkin-the-prince-of-mutual-aid/

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This 2021 episode examines the Haymarket Riot, one of the many interconnected events and people and movements that are all integral to defining the basic idea of what a full-time job is in the U.S. 

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Holly talks about Gladys Bentley's gender presentation, and the trouble with Maceo Sheffield. She and Tracy also discuss James Braid's ethics in both medicine and hypnotism.

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Braid is known for his work in hypnotism. But he was also a surgeon with a reputation for pioneering new treatments before he became fascinated with the scientific underpinnings of mesmerism.

Research:

• Braid, James, and Arthur Edward Waite, ed. “Braid on hypnotism. Neurypnology; or, The rationale of nervous sleep considered in relation to animal magnetism or mesmerism and illustrated by numerous cases of its successful application in the relief and cure of disease.” London. George Redway. 1899. https://archive.org/details/braidonhypnotism00brai/page/n7/mode/2up
• “Clubfoot.” Cleveland Clinic. July 6, 2023. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/16889-clubfoot
• Crabtree A. “1784: The Marquis de Puységur and the psychological turn in the west.” J Hist Behav Sci.2019;55:199–215. https://doi.org/10.1002/jhbs.21974
• Fletcher, George. “James Braid Of Manchester.” The British Medical Journal, vol. 2, no. 3590, 1929, pp. 776–77. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/25334090
• Hull, Clark L. “Hypnotism in Scientific Perspective.” The Scientific Monthly, vol. 29, no. 2, 1929, pp. 154–62. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/14677
• “Hypnotism.” Yorkville Enquirer. Feb. 23, 1860. https://www.newspapers.com/image/339341468/?match=1&terms=James%20Braid
• Lafontaine’s Third Conversazione on Mesmerism.” The Manchester Times and Manchester and Salford Advertiser and Chronicle. Nov. 20, 1841. https://www.newspapers.com/image/406088965/?match=1&terms=lafontaine
• Loudon, I. “Why are (male) surgeons still addressed as Mr?.” BMJ (Clinical research ed.) 321,7276 (2000): 1589-91. doi:10.1136/bmj.321.7276.1589
• Macklis, R M. “Magnetic healing, quackery, and the debate about the health effects of electromagnetic fields.” Annals of internal medicine 118,5 (1993): 376-83. doi:10.7326/0003-4819-118-5-199303010-00009
• Martin, Christy. “Mesmerized.” Science History Institute. Dec. 6, 2011. https://www.sciencehistory.org/stories/magazine/mesmerized/
• Bramwell, J. Milne. “Hypnotism and treatment by suggestion.” New York. Da Capo Press. 1982. Accessed online: https://archive.org/details/hypnotismandtre00bramgoog/page/n6/mode/1up
• Rouse, Tyler. “The brief and strange history of mesmerism and surgery.” Hektoen International. Winter 2019. https://hekint.org/2018/12/24/the-brief-and-strange-history-of-mesmerism-and-surgery/
• Sandby, George. “Mesmerism and its opponents.” London. Longman, Brown, Green and Longmans. 1848. https://archive.org/details/mesmerismandits01sandgoog
• “Sudden Death of Mr. James Braid, Surgeon.” The Guardian. March 26, 1860. https://www.newspapers.com/image/257847287/?match=1&terms=James%20Braid
• Weidow, Brandy, M.S. “James Braid.” Ebsco. 2024. https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/health-and-medicine/james-braid
• Yeates, Lindsay Bertram. “James Braid: Surgeon, Gentleman Scientist, and Hypnotist.” University of New South Wales, Sydney. 2013. https://unsworks.unsw.edu.au/entities/publication/7573cb34-ceb9-41bb-a8b1-0951e93fdd10

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