Bernhard von Gudden was renowned as a reformer of asylums in Germany. But that legacy has been eclipsed by his part in getting King Ludwig II of Bavaria deposed.

Research:

• Bhattacharyya, Kalyan B. “Johann Bernhard Aloys von Gudden and the Mad King of Bavaria.” Annals of Indian Academy of Neurology vol. 20,4 (2017): 348-351. doi:10.4103/aian.AIAN_489_16
• Crossland, David. “Suicide of Mad Ludwig was murder, says film‑maker.” The Times of London. June 29, 2018. https://www.thetimes.com/world/article/suicide-of-mad-ludwig-was-murder-says-film-maker-2x9s8hnkl
• Danek, A et al. “The dream king's psychiatrist Bernhard von Gudden (1824-1886). A life committed to rationality.” Archives of neurology vol. 46,12 (1989): 1349-53. doi:10.1001/archneur.1989.00520480093026
• Dalvi, Madhusudan. “The Fairy Tale King and His Royal Psychiatrist: The Contribution to Neuroscience of Dr Johann Bernhard Aloys von Gudden, Psychiatrist to King Ludwig II – Psychiatry in History.” The British Journal of Psychiatry 222.5 (2023): 187–187
• “Death in Lake Starnberg.” Bavarikon. https://www.bavarikon.de/en/exhibitions/king-ludwig-ii-of-bavaria-life-legacy-legend/disempowerment-and-death/death-in-lake-starnberg
• “The death of King Ludwig II.” Cambridge University Library. https://www.lib.cam.ac.uk/collections/departments/germanic-collections/about-collections/spotlight-archive/death-king-ludwig
• Diethelm, Oskar. AN HISTORICAL VIEW OF SOMATIC TREATMENT IN PSYCHIATRY. 1939. American Journal of Psychiatry, vol. 95, no. 5, American Psychiatric Publishing, Mar. 1939, pp. 1165–1179, doi:1176/ajp.95.5.1165
• “John Conolly.” Royal College of Physicians. https://history.rcp.ac.uk/inspiring-physicians/john-conolly
• “Ludwig II. The Final Days of the Fairy Tale King: The Report.” Museum Starnberger See. https://www.museum-starnberger-see.de/en/exhibitions/upcoming/ludwig-ii/texts-and-audio-recordings/the-report
• “Ludwig II. The Final Days of the Fairy Tale King: From the Autopsy Report of Ludwig II.” Museum Starnberger See. https://www.museum-starnberger-see.de/en/exhibitions/upcoming/ludwig-ii/texts-and-audio-recordings/autopsy-report
• “Mad King Ludwig a Suicide.” The Philadelphia Times. June 15, 1886. https://www.newspapers.com/image/52212265/?fcfToken=eyJhbGciOiJFUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJmcmVlLXZpZXctaWQiOjUyMjEyMjY1LCJpYXQiOjE3OTI1MjQ5OTQsImV4cCI6MTc5MjYxMTM5NH0.Y3yJW-PPNj0sg3HvMXT8ADdExIsxEbJ_2jQOnkNJPjDs_rHlGdri61QOCmh97k1NREVtpH0_u7oBOa_8sOWncQ
• Müller, Jürgen L. “Johann Bernhard Aloys von Gudden, 1824–1886. 2002.” American Journal of Psychiatry, vol. 159, no. 3, American Psychiatric Publishing, Mar. 2002, p. 379, doi:1176/ajp.159.3.379
• Neumann, Conny. “Was ‘Mad’ king Ludwig Murdered?” Der Spiegel. Nov. 7, 2011. https://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/fresh-doubt-about-suicide-theory-was-mad-king-ludwig-murdered-a-515924.html
• “OTTO, MAD MONARCH OF BAVARIA, DEAD; The End Came Suddenly at Fuerstenried Castle, Near Munich. INSANE FOR 43 YEARS Nominally Succeeded His Mad Brother Ludwig, but Never Exercised Royal Power.” New York Times. Oct. 13, 1916. https://www.nytimes.com/1916/10/13/archives/otto-mad-monarch-of-bavaria-dead-the-end-came-suddenly-at.html
• Sarikcioglu, Levent. “Johann Bernhard Aloys von Gudden: an outstanding scientist.” Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry vol. 78,2 (2007): 195. doi:10.1136/jnnp.2006.106633
• Steinberg, Reinhard, and Peter Falkai. “Was King Ludwig II of Bavaria misdiagnosed by Gudden and his colleagues?.” European archives of psychiatry and clinical neuroscience vol. 271,4 (2021): 799-807. doi:10.1007/s00406-020-01161-8
• Taylor, Allen. “The 125th Anniversary of the Death of King Ludwig II.” The Atlantic. June 13, 2011. https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2011/06/the-125th-anniversary-of-the-death-of-king-ludwig-ii/100085/
• Workman, Charles. “Bernhard Von Gudden.” The British Medical Journal, vol. 2, no. 1336, 1886, pp. 285–86. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/25268832. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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In the 1950s, two men tried to corner the market on onions on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and manipulate futures contracts. Then Congress took up legislation to expressly forbid contracts for the sale of onion futures. 

Research:

• Butz, Earl L. “VINCENT W KOSUGA, SAM S. SIEGEL, AND NATIONAL PRODUCE DISTRIBUTORS, INC.” Docket 73. Commodity Futures Trading Commission. CEA Cases. 6/18/1956. https://www.cftc.gov/sites/default/files/idc/groups/public/@lrceacases/documents/ceacases/kosuga-jun1956-644.pdf
• Chicago Tribune. “Chicago Onion Dealer Named for Price Fix.” 6/22/1956. Page 43.
• Chicago Tribune. “Siegel Denies Manipulating Onion Futures.” 6/22/1956. Page 43.
• Commodity Exchange Authority. “Futures Trading in Onions.” United States Department of Agriculture. December 1956.
• Commodity Futures Trading Commission. “History of the CFTC.” https://www.cftc.gov/About/HistoryoftheCFTC/history_precftc.html
• Commodity Futures Trading Commission. “VINCENT W. KOSUGA, SAM S. SIEGEL, AND NATIONAL PRODUCE DISTRIBUTORS, INC.” Decision and Order. 6/3/1960. https://www.cftc.gov/sites/default/files/idc/groups/public/@lrceacases/documents/ceacases/kosuga-jun1960-555.pdf
• Lambert, Emily. “The Futures: the Rise of the Speculator and the Origins of the World’s Biggest Markets.” Basic Books. 2011.
• Miller, Rena S. “Introduction to Derivatives and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.” U.S. Congress. Report. 3/13/2025. https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R48451
• Mininger, Wayne. “Public Comment: Agricultural Commodity Definition, Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Final Rule: Pages 25-26.” SEC. https://www.sec.gov/comments/s7-16-11/s71611-13.pdf
• NPR Planet Money. “Episode 657: The Tale Of The Onion King.” 10/14/2015. https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2015/10/14/448718171/episode-657-the-tale-of-the-onion-king
• Romer, Keith and Robert Smith. “The tale of the Onion King (Update).” NPR Planet Money. 6/22/2022. https://www.npr.org/2022/06/22/1106861476/the-tale-of-the-onion-king-update
• Romer, Keith. “The Great Onion Corner And The Futures Market.” NPR Planet Money/Morning Edition. 10/22/2015. https://www.npr.org/2015/10/22/450769853/the-great-onion-corner-and-the-futures-market
• S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. “Vincent W. Kosuga, Plaintiff-appellee, v. Jack H. Kelly, Defendant-appellant, 257 F.2d 48 (7th Cir. 1958).” October 13, 1958. https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/F2/257/48/78496/
• S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. “Chicago Mercantile Exchange v. Tieken, 178 F. Supp. 779 (N.D. Ill. 1959).” 12/2/1959. https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/FSupp/178/779/1642330/
• S. Supreme Court. “Kelly v. Kosuga, 358 U.S. 516 (1959).” 2/24/1959. https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/358/516/
• Warwick Valley Dispatch. “Vince Kosuga to be Named Pine Island Citizen of the ” 10/14/1987. https://www.pineislandny.com/Scrapbook/0048_sp_sm.pdf
• Binghamton Press Bureau. “Both Engines Are Torn Off as Ship Makes Forced Landing.” Binghamton Press and Sun-Bulletin. Page 1. 9/7/1948.
• Roesch, Roberta Fleming. “Couple’s Success Recipe: ‘We Know Our Onions.’” Wilkes-Barre Record. Page 9. 10/23/1964.

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This 2022 episode covers Helen Duncan, sometimes described inaccurately as Scotland’s last witch, or the last person imprisoned for witchcraft in Britain, or the last person to be tried under the UK’s 1735 Witchcraft Act.

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Tracy shares her surprise at discovering some of the details of Montague Summers's life. Holly talks about bickering within the Society for Psychical Research.

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Major Edward Moor reported strange bell ringing at his home in Great Bealings in 1834. Was it a poltergeist, a hoax, or something else?

Research:

• Briggs, Stacia, and Siofra Connor. “Weird Suffolk: Poltergeist activity at Great Bealings.” East Anglia Daily Times. Feb. 1, 2019. https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/21445662.weird-suffolk-poltergeist-activity-great-bealings/
• Britannica Editors. "Mysore Wars". Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 Feb. 2025, https://www.britannica.com/event/Mysore-Wars
• Cohen, Daniel. “In Search of Ghosts.” Dodd, Mead. 1972. https://openlibrary.org/books/OL5708323M/In_search_of_ghosts.
• Hall, Trevor Henry. “New Light on Old Ghosts.” London. Gerald Duckworth & Co. 1965.
• Moor, Edward. “Hindu Infanticide.” London. J. Johnson. 1811. Accessed online: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=W7YIAAAAQAAJ&rdid=book-W7YIAAAAQAAJ&rdot=1
• Moor, Edward. “The Hindu Pantheon.” London. 1810. Accessed online: https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=nnc1.cu58661581&seq=7
• Moor, Edward. “Suffolk Words and Phrases: Or, An Attempt to Collect the Lingual Localisms of that County. 1823. J. Loder. London. Accessed online: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=6BMLAAAAQAAJ&rdid=book-6BMLAAAAQAAJ&rdot=1
• Moor, Edward. “Bealings Bells: The Suffolk Poltergeist Mystery.” Woodbridge. John Loder. 1841. (Reprint.)
• Moor, Edward. “To the Editor of the Ipswich Journal.” Ipswich Journal. March 1, 1834. https://www.newspapers.com/image/390311876/?match=1&terms=Bealings&search-id=adc3c27c-67f1-4077-9a3e-ee9434b6159f&search-rank=6
• Podmore, Frank. “On Poltergeists.” Journal of Society for Psychical Research. June 1899. https://people.wku.edu/charles.smith/wallace/zPodmore1899JSocPsyRes2.pdf
• Stephen, Leslie, ed. “Dictionary of National Biography.” Volume 38. 1885-1900. Accessed online: https://archive.org/details/dictionaryofnati38stepuoft
• “To the Editor of the Ipswich Journal.” Ipswich Journal. March 8, 1834. https://www.newspapers.com/image/390311986/?match=1&terms=Bealings&search-id=89f037b5-7abe-4ea6-a92e-093ecb6de2e6&search-rank=2
• Willin, M. “Trevor Hall.” Psi Encyclopedia. 2021. https://psi-encyclopedia.spr.ac.uk/articles/trevor-hall

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Montague Summers wrote numerous books on witches, werewolves, vampires, black magic, and ghosts, and he edited and published numerous works and claimed to be a clergyman. But who was he, really?

Research:

• "(Alphonsus) (Joseph-Mary Augustus) Montague Summers." Merriam Webster's Biographical Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, 1995. Gale OneFile: Fine Arts, link.gale.com/apps/doc/K1680086368/GPS?u=mlin_n_melpub&sid=bookmark-GPS&xid=03e855eb. Accessed 7 Oct. 2026.
• Babcock, R.W. “The Reverend Montague Summers as Editor of Otway.” PMLA, Vol. 48, No. 3 (Sep., 1933). Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/458356
• Batley, Rebecca. “A Sacred Order for Sexual Outsiders.” G&LR. March-April 2025. https://glreview.org/article/a-sacred-order-for-sexual-outsiders/
• Britannica Editors. "Oxford movement". Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 Aug. 2020, https://www.britannica.com/event/Oxford-movement. Accessed 8 October 20
• Davies, Robertson. "Summers, (Augustus) Montague [name in religion Alphonsus Joseph-Mary] (1880–1948), literary scholar, occultist, and eccentric." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. October 04, 2012. Oxford University Press. Date of access 7 Oct. 2026, https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-39387
• De Beer, E.S. “Mr. Montague Summers and Dryden's Essay of Dramatic Poesy.” The Review of English Studies , Oct., 1932, Vol. 8, No. 32 (Oct., 1932). Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/508177
• Doherty, Bernard. “From Decadent Diabolist to Roman Catholic Demonologist: Some Biographical Curiosities from Montague Summers’ Black Folio.” Literature & Aesthetics 30 (2) 2020.
• Frank, Frederick S., editor. “Montague Summers : a bibliographical portrait.” Montague Summers : a bibliographical portrait. 1988.
• Hillard, David. “UnEnglish and Unmanly: Anglo-Catholicism and Homosexuality.” Victorian Studies, Winter, 1982, pp. 181-210. https://anglicanhistory.org/academic/hilliard_unenglish.pdf
• Hume, Robert D. “The Uses of Montague Summers: A Pioneer Reconsidered.” Restoration: Studies in English Literary Culture, 1660-1700, Fall 1979. https://www.jstor.org/stable/43291376
• Learning Services Team. “The Mysterious Montague Summers.” London Borough of Richmond and Thames Libraries. 10/31/2017. https://libraryblog.lbrut.org.uk/2017/10/montague-summers/
• Montague Summers Papers, GTM-110501. Georgetown University Manuscripts. https://findingaids.library.georgetown.edu/repositories/15/resources/12229 Accessed October 07, 2026.
• O'Sullivan, Gerard. “The Manuscripts of Montague Summers, Revisited.” Antigonish Review, Fall 2009, Issue 159.
• Sugg, Richard. “Blood Libel: The Origins of a Conspiracy Theory.” History Today. https://www.historytoday.com/archive/blood-libel-origins-conspiracy-theory
• Summers, Montague. “The Vampire In Europe True Tales Of The Undead.” With foreword by Father Brocard Sewell. University Books. 1968.
• Summers, Montague. “The Vampire, His Kith and Kin.” New Hyde Park, N.Y., University Books. 1960.
• "The mysterious Montague Summers." Bristol Post [Bristol, England], 14 Apr. 2020, p. 8. Gale OneFile: News, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A675410096/GPS?u=mlin_n_melpub&sid=bookmark-GPS&xid=28734f51. Accessed 7 Oct. 2026.
• Weeks, Jeffrey. “Coming Out: Homosexual Politics in Britain from the Nineteenth Century to the Present.” London. Quartet Books. 1977.
• Workman, Richard et al. “British Sexological Society: An Inventory of Its Records at the Harry Ransom Center.” Harry Ransom Center. https://research.hrc.utexas.edu/fasearch/findingAid.cfm?eadID=01214

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This 2021 episode covers William Palmer, who was convicted in 1855 as a poisoner though there wasn't any hard evidence. 

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Tracy talks about the frequency of news from research institutions getting reported years after the fact. She also clears up a misunderstanding Holly had about a painting that was discussed this week.

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Part two of the autumn 2026 edition of Unearthed! kicks off with the catch-all potpourri category, then covers edibles and potables, shipwrecks, art, and Halloween-appropriate topics.

Research:

• Almeroth-Williams, Thomas. “Henry VIII’s dissolution enforcer stashed Catholic manuscript – its lost pages have just been rediscovered.” EurekAlert. 9/16/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1142736
• Anderson, Sonja. “Archaeologists Excavating a Roman-Era Cemetery in Poland Were Surprised to Stumble Upon a 5,000-Year-Old Necklace Made of 42 Teeth.” Smithsonian. 9/9/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-excavating-a-roman-era-cemetery-in-poland-were-surprised-to-stumble-upon-a-5000-year-old-necklace-made-of-42-teeth-180989471/
• Arnold, Paul. “Human blood may have helped preserve ancient Chinese rock art for 2,000 years.” PhysOrg. 8/14/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-human-blood-ancient-chinese-art.html
• Arnold, Paul. “Mathematician challenges a 2,000-year-old legend about the Parthenon's optical illusions.” Phys.org. 9/16/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-mathematician-year-legend-parthenon-optical.html
• Autonomous University of Barcelona. “Ceramic vessels reveal how social inequalities were also cooked into 19th-century Brazil.” Phys.org. 7/23/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-ceramic-vessels-reveal-social-inequalities.html
• Bourigault, Frederic. “'Their story is our story': Pigeons and humans, 3,500 years together.” Phys.org. 7/11/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-story-pigeons-humans-years.html
• Bronic, Antonio. “Byzantine gold objects help archaeologists uncover past of ship wrecked off Croatia.” Reuters. 7/23/2026. https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/byzantine-gold-objects-help-archaeologists-uncover-past-ship-wrecked-off-croatia-2026-07-23/
• Clark, Gaby. “Aboriginal artists painted giant ancestral beings as colonization arrived, study finds.” PhysOrg. 8/30/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-aboriginal-artists-giant-ancestral-colonization.html
• Clark, Gaby. “Chinese label once tied to Boston Tea Party reveals 19th-century Pacific trade.” Phys.org. 8/11/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-chinese-boston-tea-party-reveals.html
• Clark, Gaby. “Indigenous Australian population was much larger than previously thought and decimated after First Fleet's arrival.” Phys.org. 9/15/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-indigenous-australian-population-larger-previously.html
• Curtin University. “Shipwreck cargo reveals surprising global trade secrets of the 1600s.” Phys.org. 7/29/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-shipwreck-cargo-reveals-global-secrets.html
• Harley, Sadie. “Expert pieces together puzzle from fragments of 1,600-year-old Roman text.” Phys.org. 8/25/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-expert-pieces-puzzle-fragments-year.html
• Hashemi, Sara. “Hunter-Gatherers Brought Trout to a Norwegian Mountain Lake 7,000 Years Ago, the Earliest Known Example of Humans Translocating Fish.” Smithsonian. 7/23/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/hunter-gatherers-brought-trout-to-a-norwegian-mountain-lake-7000-years-ago-the-earliest-known-example-of-humans-translocating-fish-180989167/
• Historic England. “Crystal Palace Dinosaurs Repaired and Removed from Heritage at Risk Register.” 6/27/2026. https://historicengland.org.uk/whats-new/in-your-area/london/crystal-palace-dinosaurs-removed-from-heritage-at-risk-register/
• Killgrove, Kristina. “'Nothing short of a minor miracle': 'Rusty treasure' found in the Danube is full of 2,200-year-old iron bars that could equip an entire army with weapons.” LiveScience. 9/20/2026. https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/nothing-short-of-a-minor-miracle-rusty-treasure-found-in-the-danube-is-full-of-2-000-year-old-iron-bars-that-could-equip-an-entire-army-with-weapons
• Kuta, Sara. “Smallpox Scabs That British Doctors Used to Inoculate Patients May Have Introduced the Deadly Disease to Australia, New Research Suggests.” Smithsonian. 7/9/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/smallpox-scabs-that-british-doctors-used-to-inoculate-patients-may-have-introduced-the-deadly-disease-to-australia-new-research-suggests-180989093/
• Lawson-Tancred, Jo. “Uffizi Removes Famed Caravaggio After Flash Flood Soaks Gallery.” ArtNet. 9/18/2026. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/uffizi-caravaggio-flood-2813002
• Learn, Joshua Rapp. “Ancient Pottery Reveals the Earliest Known Traces of Chocolate East of the Mississippi, Painting a Picture of Connection in the Americas.” Smithsonian. 10/2/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/ancient-pottery-reveals-the-earliest-known-traces-of-chocolate-east-of-the-mississippi-painting-a-picture-of-connection-in-the-americas-180989559/
• net. “Medieval Leprosy Hospital Discovered in Copenhagen.” 9/2026. https://www.medievalists.net/2026/09/medieval-leprosy-hospital-discovered-in-copenhagen/
• Mondal, Sanjukta. “Archaeologists investigate a feared young woman's 17th century vampiric grave in Poland.” Phys.org. 8/25/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-archaeologists-young-woman-17th-century.html
• Oster, Sandee. “400-year-old shipwreck found during pipeline survey in Germany's Bay of Greifswald.” Phys.org. 9/25/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-year-shipwreck-pipeline-survey-germany.html
• Oster, Sandee. “A museum-shelf mystery reveals 6,500-year-old human tooth pendant in Serbia.” Phys.org. 8/22/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-museum-shelf-mystery-reveals-year.html
• Oster, Sandee. “Centuries of child labor left lasting spinal damage in Dutch children, study finds.” Phys.org. 8/29/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-centuries-child-labor-left-spinal.html
• Paul, John. “Third Circuit denies rehearing in Philadelphia's fight over President's House slavery exhibit.” 9/4/2026. https://6abc.com/post/third-circuit-denies-rehearing-philadelphias-fight-presidents-house-slavery-exhibit/19785869/
• Public Library of Science. “We may soon be able to read long-lost ancient scrolls damaged by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.” Phys.org. 9/16/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-lost-ancient-scrolls-eruption-mount.html#google_vignette
• Royal Astronomical Society. “First ever solar eclipse film brought back to life.” https://ras.ac.uk/news-and-press/news/first-ever-solar-eclipse-film-brought-back-life
• Shell, Gabby. “Archaeologists Unearth the 2,400-Year-Old School Where Aristotle Taught Alexander to Be Great.” Smithsonian. 9/28/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-unearth-the-2400-year-old-school-where-aristotle-taught-alexander-to-be-great-180989581/
• “Scientists discover genetically distinct avocados in Nicaragua that people transported from South America thousands of years ago.” EurekAlert. 7/22/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1136257
• Sneling, Emily. “Rare medieval manuscript fragments reveal Guernsey's lost literary history.” University of Kent. 8/25/2026. https://www.kent.ac.uk/news/creativity-culture-and-heritage/38343/rare-medieval-manuscript-fragments-reveal-guernseys-lost-literary-history
• Solly, Meilan. “This Ship Sank in the Baltic Sea With Presents Bound for a Romanov Czar. Its Cargo Included Champagne, Luxury Mineral Water and Rare Meteorites.” Smithsonian. 7/27/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/this-ship-sank-in-the-baltic-sea-with-presents-bound-for-a-romanov-czar-its-cargo-included-champagne-luxury-mineral-water-and-rare-meteorites-180989198/
• Squires, Kirsty et al. “The Real Mummy’s Curse: Health Risks Associated with the Sale and Trade of Mummified Remains.” International Journal of Cultural Property 33 (2026): e22. Web. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/international-journal-of-cultural-property/article/real-mummys-curse-health-risks-associated-with-the-sale-and-trade-of-mummified-remains/FCE6E950ED8A6BEF310766AF1CF53DB4
• Staffordshire University. ‘‘Real mummy’s curse’ behind sale and trade of mummified remains exposed.” EurekAlert. 8/13/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1140009
• The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI. “Ancient dental calculus reveals diverse diets of commoners in premodern Osaka, Japan, the 'Kitchen of the Realm'.” 8/25/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-ancient-dental-calculus-reveals-diverse.html
• The History Blog. “Gold jewelry, signet ring found on Byzantine shipwreck.” 7/25/2026. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/76601
• The History Blog. “Medieval ship’s hull reused as ceiling in Constance.” 8/25/2026. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/76799
• The History Blog. “Name of 8th c. Maya astronomer deciphered.” 7/15/2026. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/76531
• Thorsberg, Christian. “An English King’s Bones Were Moved Over Centuries and Eventually Lost. One Researcher Claims He Discovered Their Location—Under a Parking Lot.” Smithsonian. 7/14/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-english-kings-bones-were-moved-over-centuries-and-eventually-lost-one-researcher-claims-he-discovered-their-location-under-a-parking-lot-180989121/
• Thorsberg, Christian. “One of Italy’s Most Popular Attractions, the Uffizi Galleries in Florence, Reveals Plans for a Major Renovation Over the Next Two Years.” Smithsonian. 8/7/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/one-of-italys-most-popular-attractions-the-uffizi-galleries-in-florence-reveals-plans-for-a-major-renovation-over-the-next-two-years-180989295/
• Thorsberg, Christian. “This Dutch Painting Showed a 17th-Century Drinking Game Until Someone Smudged Out a Player, Spoiling the Fun. A Museum Just Restored the Imbibing Soldier.” Smithsonian. 8/10/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/centuries-ago-this-soldier-was-smudged-out-of-a-famed-de-hooch-painting-restorers-have-painted-him-back-in-180989304/
• Tondo, Lorenzo. “Roman shipwreck with 500 amphorae found off coast of Sicily.” The Guardian. 8/10/2026. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/aug/10/roman-shipwreck-with-500-amphorae-found-off-coast-of-sicily
• University College Dublin. “‘Kerry Cow’ bones revealed as ancient bear remains, challenging long-held theory on farming’s arrival in Ireland and Great Britain.” EurekAlert. 8/18/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1140552
• University College Dublin. “Hidden DNA in medieval gospels reveals history of deadly livestock virus.” Phys.Org. 9/2/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-hidden-dna-medieval-gospels-reveals.html
• University of Copenhagen. “Plague was killing entire families thousands of years before the Black Death.” Science Daily. 9/14/2026. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/09/260913082203.htm
• University of Córdoba. “Diet reveals what life was like 2,700 years ago in an Italian community: Gender inequality, social status and migration.” Phys.org. 7/27/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-diet-reveals-life-years-italian.html
• University of Oxford. “Did elephant energetics decide Hannibal’s Alpine crossing route?” EurekAlert. 7/6/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1134397
• University of York. "This 4,000-year-old city defied the rules of history." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 30 July 2026. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/07/260729010730.htm
• Wexler, Ellen. “A Landlord Found a Peculiar Print Hanging in a Vacant Apartment. It Turned Out to Be an Original Picasso That Had Been Missing for Eight Years.” Smithsonian. 8/28/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-landlord-found-a-peculiar-print-hanging-in-a-vacant-apartment-it-turned-out-to-be-an-original-picasso-print-that-had-been-missing-for-eight-years-180989417/
• Wexler, Ellen. “Shipwreck Divers Discovered a 162-Year-Old Bottle of Guinness Brewed During the Reign of Queen Victoria—and They Want to Take a Swig.” Smithsonian. 8/12/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/shipwreck-divers-discovered-a-162-year-old-bottle-of-guinness-brewed-during-the-reign-of-queen-victoria-and-they-want-to-take-a-swig-180989320/
• Wexler, Ellen. “Shipwreck Hunters Discover the Ruins of a British Destroyer That Split in Half During a Tragic Peacetime Accident 118 Years Ago.” Smithsonian. 8/21/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/shipwreck-hunters-discover-the-ruins-of-a-british-destroyer-that-split-in-half-during-a-tragic-peacetime-accident-118-years-ago-180989379/
• Whiddington, Richard. “Marble Sculpture by Baroque Master Found at U.K. Salvage Yard.” Artnet. 9/30/2026. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/pietro-bracci-pope-clement-xii-2818087
• Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. “Expedition captures first detailed imagery of Robert Falcon Scott’s last ship, Terra Nova, using cutting-edge Canadian Voyis 3D technology.” https://www.whoi.edu/press-room/news-release/terranova/
• Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. “Shackleton's final ship is no longer just a sonar shadow.” EurekAlert. 7/9/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-shackleton-ship-longer-sonar-shadow.html

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Part one of this autumn edition of Unearthed! covers updates, medical finds, animals, and lots books and letters.

Research:

• Almeroth-Williams, Thomas. “Henry VIII’s dissolution enforcer stashed Catholic manuscript – its lost pages have just been rediscovered.” EurekAlert. 9/16/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1142736
• Anderson, Sonja. “Archaeologists Excavating a Roman-Era Cemetery in Poland Were Surprised to Stumble Upon a 5,000-Year-Old Necklace Made of 42 Teeth.” Smithsonian. 9/9/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-excavating-a-roman-era-cemetery-in-poland-were-surprised-to-stumble-upon-a-5000-year-old-necklace-made-of-42-teeth-180989471/
• Arnold, Paul. “Human blood may have helped preserve ancient Chinese rock art for 2,000 years.” PhysOrg. 8/14/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-human-blood-ancient-chinese-art.html
• Arnold, Paul. “Mathematician challenges a 2,000-year-old legend about the Parthenon's optical illusions.” Phys.org. 9/16/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-mathematician-year-legend-parthenon-optical.html
• Autonomous University of Barcelona. “Ceramic vessels reveal how social inequalities were also cooked into 19th-century Brazil.” Phys.org. 7/23/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-ceramic-vessels-reveal-social-inequalities.html
• Bourigault, Frederic. “'Their story is our story': Pigeons and humans, 3,500 years together.” Phys.org. 7/11/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-story-pigeons-humans-years.html
• Bronic, Antonio. “Byzantine gold objects help archaeologists uncover past of ship wrecked off Croatia.” Reuters. 7/23/2026. https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/byzantine-gold-objects-help-archaeologists-uncover-past-ship-wrecked-off-croatia-2026-07-23/
• Clark, Gaby. “Aboriginal artists painted giant ancestral beings as colonization arrived, study finds.” PhysOrg. 8/30/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-aboriginal-artists-giant-ancestral-colonization.html
• Clark, Gaby. “Chinese label once tied to Boston Tea Party reveals 19th-century Pacific trade.” Phys.org. 8/11/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-chinese-boston-tea-party-reveals.html
• Clark, Gaby. “Indigenous Australian population was much larger than previously thought and decimated after First Fleet's arrival.” Phys.org. 9/15/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-indigenous-australian-population-larger-previously.html
• Curtin University. “Shipwreck cargo reveals surprising global trade secrets of the 1600s.” Phys.org. 7/29/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-shipwreck-cargo-reveals-global-secrets.html
• Harley, Sadie. “Expert pieces together puzzle from fragments of 1,600-year-old Roman text.” Phys.org. 8/25/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-expert-pieces-puzzle-fragments-year.html
• Hashemi, Sara. “Hunter-Gatherers Brought Trout to a Norwegian Mountain Lake 7,000 Years Ago, the Earliest Known Example of Humans Translocating Fish.” Smithsonian. 7/23/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/hunter-gatherers-brought-trout-to-a-norwegian-mountain-lake-7000-years-ago-the-earliest-known-example-of-humans-translocating-fish-180989167/
• Historic England. “Crystal Palace Dinosaurs Repaired and Removed from Heritage at Risk Register.” 6/27/2026. https://historicengland.org.uk/whats-new/in-your-area/london/crystal-palace-dinosaurs-removed-from-heritage-at-risk-register/
• Killgrove, Kristina. “'Nothing short of a minor miracle': 'Rusty treasure' found in the Danube is full of 2,200-year-old iron bars that could equip an entire army with weapons.” LiveScience. 9/20/2026. https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/nothing-short-of-a-minor-miracle-rusty-treasure-found-in-the-danube-is-full-of-2-000-year-old-iron-bars-that-could-equip-an-entire-army-with-weapons
• Kuta, Sara. “Smallpox Scabs That British Doctors Used to Inoculate Patients May Have Introduced the Deadly Disease to Australia, New Research Suggests.” Smithsonian. 7/9/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/smallpox-scabs-that-british-doctors-used-to-inoculate-patients-may-have-introduced-the-deadly-disease-to-australia-new-research-suggests-180989093/
• Lawson-Tancred, Jo. “Uffizi Removes Famed Caravaggio After Flash Flood Soaks Gallery.” ArtNet. 9/18/2026. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/uffizi-caravaggio-flood-2813002
• Learn, Joshua Rapp. “Ancient Pottery Reveals the Earliest Known Traces of Chocolate East of the Mississippi, Painting a Picture of Connection in the Americas.” Smithsonian. 10/2/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/ancient-pottery-reveals-the-earliest-known-traces-of-chocolate-east-of-the-mississippi-painting-a-picture-of-connection-in-the-americas-180989559/
• net. “Medieval Leprosy Hospital Discovered in Copenhagen.” 9/2026. https://www.medievalists.net/2026/09/medieval-leprosy-hospital-discovered-in-copenhagen/
• Mondal, Sanjukta. “Archaeologists investigate a feared young woman's 17th century vampiric grave in Poland.” Phys.org. 8/25/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-archaeologists-young-woman-17th-century.html
• Oster, Sandee. “400-year-old shipwreck found during pipeline survey in Germany's Bay of Greifswald.” Phys.org. 9/25/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-year-shipwreck-pipeline-survey-germany.html
• Oster, Sandee. “A museum-shelf mystery reveals 6,500-year-old human tooth pendant in Serbia.” Phys.org. 8/22/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-museum-shelf-mystery-reveals-year.html
• Oster, Sandee. “Centuries of child labor left lasting spinal damage in Dutch children, study finds.” Phys.org. 8/29/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-centuries-child-labor-left-spinal.html
• Paul, John. “Third Circuit denies rehearing in Philadelphia's fight over President's House slavery exhibit.” 9/4/2026. https://6abc.com/post/third-circuit-denies-rehearing-philadelphias-fight-presidents-house-slavery-exhibit/19785869/
• Public Library of Science. “We may soon be able to read long-lost ancient scrolls damaged by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.” Phys.org. 9/16/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-lost-ancient-scrolls-eruption-mount.html#google_vignette
• Royal Astronomical Society. “First ever solar eclipse film brought back to life.” https://ras.ac.uk/news-and-press/news/first-ever-solar-eclipse-film-brought-back-life
• Shell, Gabby. “Archaeologists Unearth the 2,400-Year-Old School Where Aristotle Taught Alexander to Be Great.” Smithsonian. 9/28/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-unearth-the-2400-year-old-school-where-aristotle-taught-alexander-to-be-great-180989581/
• “Scientists discover genetically distinct avocados in Nicaragua that people transported from South America thousands of years ago.” EurekAlert. 7/22/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1136257
• Sneling, Emily. “Rare medieval manuscript fragments reveal Guernsey's lost literary history.” University of Kent. 8/25/2026. https://www.kent.ac.uk/news/creativity-culture-and-heritage/38343/rare-medieval-manuscript-fragments-reveal-guernseys-lost-literary-history
• Solly, Meilan. “This Ship Sank in the Baltic Sea With Presents Bound for a Romanov Czar. Its Cargo Included Champagne, Luxury Mineral Water and Rare Meteorites.” Smithsonian. 7/27/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/this-ship-sank-in-the-baltic-sea-with-presents-bound-for-a-romanov-czar-its-cargo-included-champagne-luxury-mineral-water-and-rare-meteorites-180989198/
• Squires, Kirsty et al. “The Real Mummy’s Curse: Health Risks Associated with the Sale and Trade of Mummified Remains.” International Journal of Cultural Property 33 (2026): e22. Web. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/international-journal-of-cultural-property/article/real-mummys-curse-health-risks-associated-with-the-sale-and-trade-of-mummified-remains/FCE6E950ED8A6BEF310766AF1CF53DB4
• Staffordshire University. ‘‘Real mummy’s curse’ behind sale and trade of mummified remains exposed.” EurekAlert. 8/13/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1140009
• The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI. “Ancient dental calculus reveals diverse diets of commoners in premodern Osaka, Japan, the 'Kitchen of the Realm'.” 8/25/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-ancient-dental-calculus-reveals-diverse.html
• The History Blog. “Gold jewelry, signet ring found on Byzantine shipwreck.” 7/25/2026. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/76601
• The History Blog. “Medieval ship’s hull reused as ceiling in Constance.” 8/25/2026. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/76799
• The History Blog. “Name of 8th c. Maya astronomer deciphered.” 7/15/2026. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/76531
• Thorsberg, Christian. “An English King’s Bones Were Moved Over Centuries and Eventually Lost. One Researcher Claims He Discovered Their Location—Under a Parking Lot.” Smithsonian. 7/14/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-english-kings-bones-were-moved-over-centuries-and-eventually-lost-one-researcher-claims-he-discovered-their-location-under-a-parking-lot-180989121/
• Thorsberg, Christian. “One of Italy’s Most Popular Attractions, the Uffizi Galleries in Florence, Reveals Plans for a Major Renovation Over the Next Two Years.” Smithsonian. 8/7/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/one-of-italys-most-popular-attractions-the-uffizi-galleries-in-florence-reveals-plans-for-a-major-renovation-over-the-next-two-years-180989295/
• Thorsberg, Christian. “This Dutch Painting Showed a 17th-Century Drinking Game Until Someone Smudged Out a Player, Spoiling the Fun. A Museum Just Restored the Imbibing Soldier.” Smithsonian. 8/10/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/centuries-ago-this-soldier-was-smudged-out-of-a-famed-de-hooch-painting-restorers-have-painted-him-back-in-180989304/
• Tondo, Lorenzo. “Roman shipwreck with 500 amphorae found off coast of Sicily.” The Guardian. 8/10/2026. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/aug/10/roman-shipwreck-with-500-amphorae-found-off-coast-of-sicily
• University College Dublin. “‘Kerry Cow’ bones revealed as ancient bear remains, challenging long-held theory on farming’s arrival in Ireland and Great Britain.” EurekAlert. 8/18/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1140552
• University College Dublin. “Hidden DNA in medieval gospels reveals history of deadly livestock virus.” Phys.Org. 9/2/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-hidden-dna-medieval-gospels-reveals.html
• University of Copenhagen. “Plague was killing entire families thousands of years before the Black Death.” Science Daily. 9/14/2026. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/09/260913082203.htm
• University of Córdoba. “Diet reveals what life was like 2,700 years ago in an Italian community: Gender inequality, social status and migration.” Phys.org. 7/27/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-diet-reveals-life-years-italian.html
• University of Oxford. “Did elephant energetics decide Hannibal’s Alpine crossing route?” EurekAlert. 7/6/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1134397
• University of York. "This 4,000-year-old city defied the rules of history." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 30 July 2026. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/07/260729010730.htm
• Wexler, Ellen. “A Landlord Found a Peculiar Print Hanging in a Vacant Apartment. It Turned Out to Be an Original Picasso That Had Been Missing for Eight Years.” Smithsonian. 8/28/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-landlord-found-a-peculiar-print-hanging-in-a-vacant-apartment-it-turned-out-to-be-an-original-picasso-print-that-had-been-missing-for-eight-years-180989417/
• Wexler, Ellen. “Shipwreck Divers Discovered a 162-Year-Old Bottle of Guinness Brewed During the Reign of Queen Victoria—and They Want to Take a Swig.” Smithsonian. 8/12/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/shipwreck-divers-discovered-a-162-year-old-bottle-of-guinness-brewed-during-the-reign-of-queen-victoria-and-they-want-to-take-a-swig-180989320/
• Wexler, Ellen. “Shipwreck Hunters Discover the Ruins of a British Destroyer That Split in Half During a Tragic Peacetime Accident 118 Years Ago.” Smithsonian. 8/21/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/shipwreck-hunters-discover-the-ruins-of-a-british-destroyer-that-split-in-half-during-a-tragic-peacetime-accident-118-years-ago-180989379/
• Whiddington, Richard. “Marble Sculpture by Baroque Master Found at U.K. Salvage Yard.” Artnet. 9/30/2026. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/pietro-bracci-pope-clement-xii-2818087
• Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. “Expedition captures first detailed imagery of Robert Falcon Scott’s last ship, Terra Nova, using cutting-edge Canadian Voyis 3D technology.” https://www.whoi.edu/press-room/news-release/terranova/
• Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. “Shackleton's final ship is no longer just a sonar shadow.” EurekAlert. 7/9/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-shackleton-ship-longer-sonar-shadow.html

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This 2015 kickoff to the Six Impossible Episodes series features Stagecoach Mary, Edward Mordrake, Robert the Haunted Doll, the London Beer Flood, the Lost Army of Cambyses and La Maupin.

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