Senior writer Andrew Lawler of Science assesses Zahi Hawass’s possible standing in Egypt’s new government.

A symbol said to represent West African spirit practice has been discovered on the brick furnace at the Wye “Orangery” on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. This eighteenth-century greenhouse is the last of its kind in North America. “These greenhouses were for agricultural and horticultural experimentation in eighteenth-century America, and African American slaves played a far more significant and technical role in their operation than they’ve been given credit for,” said Mark Leone of the University of Maryland. 

In Baltimore, archaeologists have unearthed a nineteenth-century mikveh, or Jewish ritual bath, in what had been the basement of a rowhouse. Jewish congregations met in private homes until 1828 because they were barred from incorporating and owning property.  

China’s government will permit the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology to exhibit the Silk Road mummies and artifacts after all. “We are delighted to be able to present the complete range of this spectacular material,” said Richard Hodges, Williams Director of the museum.  

A new paper has been published in The Lancet on two ancient Egyptian prosthetic toes. One of the big toes shows signs of wear, the other was found strapped to a mummy. Volunteers tried out replicas of the toes and determined that they were indeed functional.  

It just isn’t Valentine’s Day without a history of the holiday. This one is from NPR.

This entry was posted by Jessica E. Saraceni on Monday, February 14, 2011. Discussion of this blog entry is now closed.

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