January 15th News

There's a lot of news this morning, with the big story being the discovery of the identity of the Mona Lisa.

New stories as of 10:48 AM:

Manuscript Reveals True Identity Of Mona Lisa
Spiegel Online
The Mona Lisa's true identity has been revealed at last. Experts at Heidelberg University library say a manuscript they unearthed reveals that she was Lisa Gherardini, the wife of Florentine merchant Franceso del Giocondo...
http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,528664,00.html

Three Spectacular Vases Lent By Italy To Metropolitan Museum For Four Years
Taxi Design Network
As a result of the agreement negotiated by Philippe de Montebello, Director of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Ministero per I Beni Culturali e Ambientali, the Republic of Italy is lending the Metropolitan Museum three outstanding ancient Greek vases for a period of four years...
http://www.designtaxi.com/news.jsp?id=14804&monthview=0&month=1&year=2008
On a completely unrelated note, I'm cringing at the colour scheme of this site. Half the page is on a bright yellow background.

Experts Identify The Woman In Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa Painting
Cleveland Leader
The identity of the woman featured in Leonardo da Vinci's "Mona Lisa" portrait, which has long been a mystery, may have finally been solved. German academics believe that they now know for certain just who the woman is...
http://www.clevelandleader.com/node/4346


Ancient Wine Artefact Returns To Rome
Decanter.com
Hundreds of museum goers said a last-day farewell Sunday to the most famous wine artefact in the vast Metropolitan Museum of Art - and perhaps America...
http://www.decanter.com/news/174012.html

German Experts Crack Mona Lisa Smile
Reuters
BERLIN (Reuters) - German academics believe they have solved the centuries-old mystery behind the identity of the "Mona Lisa" in Leonardo da Vinci's famous portrait...
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSL1179689520080114

Scribbles Identify Mona Lisa Painting Model
AHN
Heidelberg, Germany (AHN) - Marginal notes on a book at the Heidelberg University library were the keys that identified the Italian model who sat for Leonardo da Vinci's famous Mona Lisa painting. She was Lisa Gherardini, wife of Florentine merchant Francesco del Giocondo...
http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7009723288

Dunwich Secrets To Be Revealed
EDP24
It was consigned to its watery grave hundreds of years ago, but now state-of-the-art underwater cameras could reveal a lost city off the north Suffolk coast for the first time...
http://new.edp24.co.uk/content/news/story.aspx?brand=EDPOnline&category=News&tBrand=edponline&tCategory=news&itemid=NOED15%20Jan%202008%2017%3A36%3A34%3A263

Tudor 'Correspondent' Text Online
BBC News
A 16th Century Welsh chronicle charting the history of England and Wales between 1066 and 1552 is now online...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/mid/7189408.stm

Rathmolyon Residents In Bid To Halt Local Quarry Expansion
The Meath Chronicle
RATHMOLYON residents have stepped up their campaign against the proposed expansion of a quarry at Trammon following the discovery of two medieval graveyards during archaeology works...
http://www.meathchronicle.ie/story.asp?stID=1879

Wessex Archaeology Releases It's First Online Excavation Video
24 Hour Museum
Wessex Archaeology has released its first online video showing the remarkable excavation of a rare Roman coffin...
http://www.24hourmuseum.org.uk/nwh_gfx_en/ART53188.html
The video is embedded at the top of the article.

Ancient Tomb Art Found In Path Of Irish Highway
Kazinform
NEW YORK. January 15. KAZINFORM. Tomb engravings dating back 6,000 years are among the latest discoveries unearthed on the route of a controversial highway under construction in Ireland...
http://www.inform.kz/showarticle.php?lang=eng&id=159276
Also published at:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/01/080114-tara-ireland.html

Archaeological Collection Discovered After Relic Hunter's Death
Radio Praha
An unusual collection of over 3,000 archaeological items was discovered two years ago in a Prague apartment whose owner died in a fire. Archaeologists who have examined the collection say it contains some unique artefacts – with very little scientific value because vital information about their origin is missing...
http://www.radio.cz/en/article/99630

Lindisfarne Gospels
The Northern Echo
ARCHAEOLOGISTS always want to know the provenance of any discovery - where it was found, its relation to other objects found on the site and so on. That is why they decry mere treasure seekers, knowing that an article loses half its significance if divorced from its context...
http://www.thisisthenortheast.co.uk/features/leader/display.var.1965824.0.lindisfarne_gospels.php