July 12th News

Lots of news today. More reassessing of ancient pieces is being done all the time.

New stories as of 10:50 AM:

Archaeologists Find Marble Love Goddess
Sudbury Star
Macedonian archeologists say they have discovered a well-preserved naked statue of the ancient goddess of love in a ruined Roman city near Skopje...
http://www.thesudburystar.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1112118

Scholar Declares Greek Phaistos Disc To Be A Fake
Newstrack India
London, July 12 (ANI): An American scholar has declared the Greek Phaistos Disc, which is believed to be 4,000 years old, to be a fake...
http://www.newstrackindia.com/newsdetails/6282

Phaistos Disc Declared As Fake By Scholar
Times Online
Some say that its 45 mysterious symbols are the words of a 4,000-year-old poem, or perhaps a sacred text. Others contest that they are a magical inscription, a piece of ancient music or the world's oldest example of punctuation...
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/visual_arts/article4318911.ece

Greece Regains 2 Ancient Works From US
Forbes.com
ATHENS, Greece -The Greek culture ministry said Friday it has struck a deal with a U.S. collector for the return of two important ancient artifacts that Greece says were looted by antiquities smugglers.
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2008/07/11/ap5206320.html

Mystery Of The Missing Mosaic
This Is Hertfordshire
ARCHAEOLOGISTS re-excavating an ancient roman room were surprised to discover parts of it missing today...
http://www.thisishertfordshire.co.uk/news/stalbans/display.var.2392648.0.mystery_of_the_missing_mosaic.php

Iconic She-Wolf Nurtures A Roman Archaeological Mystery
The Star
ROME–She suckled Rome's legendary twin founders and fed Benito Mussolini's ambitious dreams of renewed imperial glory...
http://www.thestar.com/News/World/article/459081
Also published by:
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iKRAm-pRb6hO4tk_K7zTDZ_ZwC4wD91RH6NG0

A Second Roman Bath House Found On Northhamptonshire Farm
Northampton Chronicle and Echo
Flooding for Northamptonshire residents even affected Roman settlers in the third century, archaeologists in Nether Heyford have discovered.
http://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/A-second-Roman-bath-house.4282006.jp

Collector To Return Antiquities To Greece
The New York Times
Six months after reaching a similar agreement with Italy, the New York collector Shelby White, right, will hand over two antiquities to Greece that the Greek government says were illegally excavated and exported from the country...
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/12/arts/12arts-COLLECTORTOR_BRF.html?ref=arts

She-Wolf Of Rome a Young Pup
Toronto Sun
ROME -- For centuries, the she-wolf that suckled Rome's legendary twin founders has been one of Rome's most powerful symbols. But now some experts contend the bronze statue in a museum atop the Capitoline Hill might not be so old after all...
http://torontosun.com/News/World/2008/07/12/6136286-sun.html

The Strange Case Of The Young Wolf
Nature.com
It’s being claimed that a cherished Italian myth was shattered yesterday when the final blow was delivered to the origin story of Rome’s most famous statue, the Lupa Capitolina...
http://blogs.nature.com/news/thegreatbeyond/2008/07/the_strange_case_of_the_young.html

Sex Curse Found At Ancient Cyprus Site: Report
AFP
NICOSIA (AFP) — An unexpected sexual curse has been uncovered by archaeologists at Cyprus's old city kingdom of Amathus, on the island's south coast near Limassol, according to a newspaper on Friday...
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gs7KYHLwaf0TeF4bnNkYp1xS6ZvQ

July 10th News

There are a lot of stories today. It took the better part of an hour for me to collect them together. And, there are a lot of big stories. Perhaps the biggest is the news that the Capitoline Wolf isn't of Etruscan make, but is from the 13th century instead.

New stories as of 10:51 AM:

Italian Professors Working To Put Oldest New Testament Online
Catholic News Agency
According to the “L’Osservatore Romano,” a group of Italian professors are working to put online the entire Sinaiticus Codex, the oldest complete New Testament text and “one of the testimonies on which our knowledge of Biblical Greek is based.”...
http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=13188

Scientists Use MRI At Kadlec To Look At Ancient Roman Scrolls
Tricityherald.com
Ancient scrolls buried when Mount Vesuvius erupted in Italy in AD 79 spent some time in a Richland hospital room on Wednesday...
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/901/story/235510.html
Hopefully there'll be an article on the results of this. I'd like to know if they find out what the scrolls say.

Egypt Retrieves Looted Stone Relief
Athens News
Egypt said on June 30 that it retrieved a 2,500-year-old limestone relief from London after its sale was blocked by Bonhams auction house there because it had been looted from a pharaoh's tomb...
http://www.athensnews.gr/athweb/nathens.prnt_article?e=C&f=&t=04&m=A30&aa=3

Let's All Have Tickets To The Universal Museum
Times Online
It's pointless trying to work out who owns ancient art objects. We need to share them around the world...
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/ben_macintyre/article4304258.ece
Very much an editorial article but very interesting none the less.

Antonine Wall Joins World Greats
Falkirk Today
THE ANTONINE Wall is now on a par with the Great Wall of China and Stonehenge after being given World Heritage Site status...
http://www.falkirkherald.co.uk/news/Antonine-Wall-joins-world-greats.4274467.jp

Iron Age Bodies At Park-And-Ride
BBC News
A team of archaeologists in Leicestershire has uncovered several ancient bodies at the site of a new park-and-ride development...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/leicestershire/7499585.stm

Famed Roman Statue 'Not Ancient'
BBC News
A statue symbolising the mythical origins and power of Rome, long thought to have been made around 500BC, has been found to date from the 1200s...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7499469.stm
If this is the case, it's going to shake up the art history world at universities. Every Roman Art course I've taken studies this piece. There are more articles on the subject farther down.

Ancient Remains Fount At New Leicestershire Park-And-Ride
24dash.com
Archaeological excavations at a proposed park-and-ride site in Leicestershire have found evidence of human burials, the county council has said...
http://www.24dash.com/news/Communities/2008-07-10-Ancient-remains-found-at-new-Leicestershire-park-and-ride-site

Historic Roman Wall Is 'At Risk'
Horncastle News
MORE than 11 per cent of ancient monuments in the East Midlands – including one in Horncastle – are at risk according to English Heritage...
http://www.horncastlenews.co.uk/news/Historic-Roman-wall-is-39at.4267150.jp

Hadrian: The Man Behind The Wall
The Independent
His conquests were spectacular, his genius for PR unrivalled. But his contradictions were legion. Who was the real Hadrian? As the British Museum prepares for a major exhibition on the life of the Roman leader, Boyd Tonkin looks for answers in the ruins of his imperial retreat...
http://www.independent.co.uk/extras/features/hadrian-the-man-behind-the-wall-863798.html

Multinational Team Creates The First 3-D Model Of Egypt's Oldest Pyramid
eMediaWire
The first "Virtual Step Pyramid" is to be used by architects, restorers, and archaeologists as part of efforts to save and restore the Step Pyramid in the face of threats from centuries of erosion and the fragility of the stone and clay body of the pyramid, exposed after the protective outer casing was removed by stone robbers in ancient times...
http://www.emediawire.com/releases/2008/7/prweb1091354.htm

Precious Third-Century Statue Of Venus Uncovered In Macedonia
Balkan Travellers
10 July 2008 | An extremely precious statue of the goddess Venus, dating from the third century, was found recently during archaeological excavations at the Skupi site near Macedonia’s capital Skopje, national media reported today...
http://www.balkantravellers.com/en/read/article/671

Radio-Carbon Tests Reveal True Age Of Rome's She-Wolf - And She's A Relative Youngster
guardian.co.uk
It is the very symbol of the glory that was Rome. It figures on the badge of the Serie A side, AS Roma. It was used as the emblem of the 1960 Rome Olympics. For Benito Mussolini, Italy's fascist dictator, there was nothing more representative of the might of the empire he hoped to revive than this magnificent, life-size bronze of a she-wolf suckling the city's legendary founders, Romulus and Remus...
http://arts.guardian.co.uk/art/news/story/0,,2289905,00.html

Quest To Dig Up Bruce's 'Lost Abbey'
The Scotsman
ARCHAEOLOGISTS are to return to a key historical site to unravel the mysteries of the "lost" abbey where Robert the Bruce is believed to have been crowned on the Stone of Destiny...
http://news.scotsman.com/scotland/Quest-to-dig-up-Bruce39s.4273509.jp

Symbol Of Rome Found To Be 1000 Years Too Young
The Independent
Mussolini cherished her as a symbol of the "new Rome" he was bringing into being; and 60 years on, the bronze she-wolf with the gaping eyes, heavy udders and mouth half-open in a growl still says "Rome" as eloquently as the Colosseum...
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/symbol-of-rome-found-to-be-1000-years-too-young-863937.html

Capitoline Wolf Not Etruscan, Tests Show
ARTINFO
ROME—Rome's legendary Capitoline Wolf is apparently 1,700 to 1,800 years younger than originally thought, the Guardian reports. The life-size bronze statue of a she-wolf sucking Romulus and Remus was, until two years ago, generally recognized as an Etruscan statue from the early 5th century B.C...
http://www.artinfo.com/news/story/28070/capitoline-wolf-not-etruscan-tests-show/

Etruscan Tomb Unearthed In Perugia
ANSA
An ancient Etruscan tomb has resurfaced after centuries underground during the course of building work in the central Italian city of Perugia...
http://www.ansa.it/site/notizie/awnplus/english/news/2008-07-08_108227140.html

Unesco report criticises Skellig work
Irish Times
A UNESCO report on State management of the world heritage site at Skellig Michael off the Kerry coast has found that conservation works have "dramatically altered" the appearance of surviving remains on its South Peak...
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2008/0709/1215537641571.html

July 8th News

There's a lot of different news today. The problems in Pompeii are still getting a lot of air time (well deserved too). The other big story is the list of sites newly added to the UNESCO list.

New stories as of 11: 35 AM:

Scotland's Antonine Wall Is Given World Heritage Site Status
24 Hour Museum
A little-known piece of Roman Britain has been given the recognition it deserves following the July 7 UNESCO announcement of additions to its World Heritage Site list...
http://www.24hourmuseum.org.uk/nwh_gfx_en/ART59146.html

Pompeii In State Of Emergency
News24
Rome - The Italian government declared a state of emergency at the Pompeii archaeological site on Friday to try to rescue one of the world's most important cultural treasures from decades of neglect...
http://www.news24.com/News24/Technology/News/0,,2-13-1443_2353716,00.html

Etruscan Tomb Unearthed In Perugia
ANSA.it
(ANSA) - Perugia, July 8 - An ancient Etruscan tomb has resurfaced after centuries underground during the course of building work in the central Italian city of Perugia...
http://www.ansa.it/site/notizie/awnplus/english/news/2008-07-08_108227140.html

Wall Gains World Heritage Status
BBC News
An ancient fortified wall which formed the north-west frontier of the Roman Empire has been made a World Heritage Site by Unesco...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/tayside_and_central/7494680.stm

Antonine Wall Wins New Status
The Press Association
An ancient fortified wall which formed the north-west frontier of the Roman Empire has been named a World Heritage Site by Unesco...
http://ukpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5gpa52iNqsliUV7pEXIGT4ZHTv6ZQ

Messianic Message Stirs Debate
MSNBC
Scriptural scholars are abuzz over a stone tablet that is said to bear previously unknown prophecies about a Jewish messiah who would rise from the dead in three days. But there are far more questions than answers about the tablet, which some have suggested could represent "a new Dead Sea Scroll in stone."...
http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/07/07/1184950.aspx

Restore The Parthenon Marbles
OpEdNews
With pleasure I was informed that the British-based Greek enterpreneur Sir Stelios Hadji-Ioannou is willing to participate actively in the campaign for the repatriation of the Parthenon Marbles. The case of Marbles reunification's effort is, less or more, known...
http://www.opednews.com/articles/Restore-the-Parthenon-Marb-by-Nicolas-Mottas-080707-127.html

Dead Sea Tablet 'Casts Doubt On Death And Resurrection Of Jesus'
Times Online
One of Christianity’s most central tenets, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, has been called into question by a radical new interpretation of a mysterious tablet found on the banks of the Dead Sea...
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article4295804.ece

Roman Remains Found At Rutland Water
Leicester Mercury
Iron Age and Roman remains have been discovered next to Rutland Water...
http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=132384&command=displayContent&sourceNode=232710&home=yes&more_nodeId1=132393&contentPK=21039122

Archaeologists Find Ancient Cemetery In Egypt
AHN
Cairo, Egypt (AHN) - A team of Egyptian archaeologists have discovered ancient wooden coffins believed to be a royal burial ground near the necropolis of Abydos in southern Egypt...
http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7011528893

Ancient River Camps Are Oldest Proof Of Humans In Paris
National Geographic News
Hunter-gatherers who made temporary camps along the Seine about 9,500 years ago were among the earliest "residents" of what is now Paris, archaeologists say...
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/07/080707-paris-humans.html

July 7th News

After a quiet weekend, there's a range of new stories. The state of Pompeii remains a big story today, and I think the one on the Dead Sea Scrolls may end up being a big story for tomorrow.

New stories as of 8:38 AM:

State Of Emergency For Crumbling Pompeii
ABC Science
The Italian government has declared a state of emergency at Pompeii in an effort to rescue one of the world's most important cultural treasures...
http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2008/07/07/2296391.htm?site=science&topic=latest
Also published at:
http://uk.reuters.com/article/scienceNews/idUKL0422602020080706

Lagoon's Ancient Secrets Uncovered
Rutland And Stamford Mercury
IRON age and Roman remains have been discovered by archaeologists working on the site of a new lagoon next to Rutland Water...
http://www.stamfordmercury.co.uk/news/Lagoon39s-ancient-secrets-uncovered.4256692.jp

Archaeologists Found Skeletons At The Site Of Serbia's Medieval Capital
Balkan Travellers
A team of archaeologists from Belgrade’s Philosophy Faculty discovered a tomb with two skeletons in the area of Gradina-Postenje, where Serbia’s medieval capital, Stari Ras, once stood, national media reported today...
http://www.balkantravellers.com/en/read/article/660

Dead Sea Tablet Suggests Jewish Resurrection Imagery Pre-Dates Jesus
Haaretz.com
The premise that the Messiah died and was resurrected after three days is considered the foundation of the Christian faith, one which differentiates it from Judaism. Through the generations, this belief stood at the center of the debate between Christians and Jews...
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/999719.html

Uncovering Stone Circle's Secrets
BBC News
A major archaeological investigation is getting under way at one of Western Europe's most impressive prehistoric sites...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/north_east/7485875.stm

Ancient Tablet Ignites Debate On Messiah And Resurrection
The New York Times
JERUSALEM — A three-foot-tall tablet with 87 lines of Hebrew that scholars believe dates from the decades just before the birth of Jesus is causing a quiet stir in biblical and archaeological circles, especially because it may speak of a messiah who will rise from the dead after three days...
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/06/world/middleeast/06stone.html

Egypt Uncovers Ancient Royal Burial Ground
Afriquenligne
A team of Egyptian archaeologists have discovered ancient wooden coffins believed to be in a royal burial ground near the necropolis (cemetery) of Abydos in southern Egypt, according to the official Middle East news agency MENA...
http://www.afriquenligne.fr/news/africa-news/egypt-uncovers-ancient-royal-burial-ground-200807068365.html

July 5th News

I apologize for missing several days of posting. Partly this was due to solving problems with the new(ish) Firefox 3. Now however, everything is working properly again.

New stories as of 10:38 AM:

Ancient Greek Ship Argo Sets Sail Once Again
Gulf Times
ATHENS: A replica of the legendary ship on which Jason and his Argonauts battled various creatures to recover the Golden Fleece according to ancient mythology sailed in Greek waters yesterday and will anchor at 23 cities before ending up at the Italian port of Venice next month...
http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=228189&version=1&template_id=39&parent_id=21

France Hands Over Ancient Looted Pottery To Italy
Associated Press
ROME (AP) — Italy's Culture Ministry says France has handed over 50 pieces of pottery dating back to as far as the fourth century B.C. that were looted from southern Italy...
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5is_bcmuTOwPCXlYk6aWb_ugCT9RgD91N41M00

At Last, A Declaration Of Hope For Pompeii
theage.com.au
The Italian Government has declared a state of emergency at the Pompeii archaeological site as it tries to rescue one of the world's most important cultural treasures from decades of neglect...
http://www.theage.com.au/world/at-last-a-declaration-of-hope-for-pompeii-20080705-328u.html
Also published at:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4608907a12.html
http://in.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idINIndia-34380320080704
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=aaedffcc-e424-476e-b783-1b1fb00bf559

Italy Moves To Protect Pompeii Ruins
Chicago Tribune
ROME — Italy's government moved Friday to help combat damage to the buried ancient city of Pompeii, which has been harmed by decay and inadequate management, officials said...
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-pompeii_wor_05jul05,0,6152751.story
Also published at:
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jjwFyYLT-xmCK-YkaHGe8Pf8NKBAD91N6QDG8

Italy Declares Pompeii 'Emergency'
AFP
ROME (AFP) — Italy on Friday declared a "state of emergency" for the vast archaeological site of Pompeii, saying the volcano-stricken Roman city and major tourist attraction has fallen into serious disrepair...
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gOEmS5nsntYXaaGj9VEgfa66_o2g

Italy Declares State Of Emergency At Pompeii Ruins
RTTNews
(RTTNews) - Italian government on Friday declared a 'state of emergency, at the archaeological site of the ancient of Pompeii in a desperate attempt to restore and preserve the architecture and artifacts there from decay...
http://www.rttnews.com/ArticleView.aspx?Id=647114&SMap=1

Astronomers Re-Date Caesar's Invasion Of Britain
SpaceRef
Researchers from Texas State University have revised the date when Julius Caesar invaded Britain in 55 BC, a transformational event in world history. Despite what most history books state, Caesar could not have landed on August 26-27...
http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=25881

Italy Declares Pompeii Emergency
BBC News
The ancient city of Pompeii has fallen into such disrepair that the Italian government has declared a "state of emergency" in a bid to save the ruins...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7490735.stm

Why The Elgin Marbles Should Stay
Telegraph.co.uk
Jonathan Keates reviews Who Owns Antiquity?: Museums and the Battle Over Our Ancient Heritage by James Cuno...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2008/07/06/bocun106.xml

Ancient Egypt Settlement Sheds Light On Everyday Life
National Geographic News
A well-preserved mud-brick settlement in southern Egypt is providing a rare glimpse into nearly 3,000 years of ancient Egyptian daily life, archaeologists announced Tuesday. (See photos.) ...
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/07/080701-egypt-discovery.html

Photos: Rare Egyptian Mud-Brick Settlement Uncovered
National Geographic News
July 2, 2008—A remarkably intact mud-brick settlement has been partially excavated near the ancient temple at Edfu, archaeologists announced recently. ..
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/07/photogalleries/Edfu-photos/index.html

Doubt Over Date For Brit Invasion
BBC News
Julius Caesar's invasion of Britain in 55BC could not have occurred on the dates stated in most history books, a team of astronomers has claimed...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7483566.stm

Rare Roman Artifact Found Near Sicily
UPI.com
PALERMO, Italy, July 1 (UPI) -- Italian researchers say a rostrum, used by ancient Romans to ram enemy ships, was found off the coast of Sicily...
http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2008/07/01/Rare_Roman_artifact_found_near_Sicily/UPI-17071214966114/

June 30th News

The news today covers all the time-periods for this list: prehistory, classical and medieval.

New stories as of 8:47 AM:

Egypt Retrieves A 2500-Year-Old Stone Relief From Bonhams Auction House In London
PR-Inside
CAIRO, Egypt (AP) - Egypt said Monday that it retrieved a 2,500-year-old limestone relief from London after its sale was blocked by Bonhams auction house there because it had been looted from a pharaoh's tomb...
http://www.pr-inside.com/egypt-retrieves-a-2-500-year-old-stone-r674800.htm
Also published at:
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/06/30/africa/ME-GEN-Egypt-Antiquities.php

Thracian Tomb Unearthed In Bulgaria
Southeast European Times
Bulgarian archaeologists discover an ancient Thracian tomb in Bulgaria. Also in the news: Greek companies use graphological analysis to hire new employees, and Macedonia inaugurates a solar energy testing lab...
http://www.setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/features/setimes/roundup/2008/06/30/roundup-st-03

Archaeologists Piece Together Prehistoric Mann
Isle Of Man Today
AS aircraft soar into the sky, a team of archaeologists are busy piecing together the lives of prehistoric Mann...
http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/Archaeologists-piece-together-prehistoric-Mann.4235659.jp
The article has a link to both a photo slide-show and a video of the archaeological dig.

Vikings Believed That Their Dead Played Board Games On Their Way...
Top News
?
http://www.topnews.in/vikings-believed-their-dead-played-board-games-their-way-afterlife-250118
I can't get the link to work, but hopefully that's only because the site is too busy.

Cemex Find Neolithic House In Quarry
Builders Merchants Journal
Building materials group Cemex, owners of the Rugby Cement brand, have found a 5000 year old house and other prehistoric items in a quarry in Berkshire...
http://www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net/news/news.asp?id=5312&title=Cemex+find+Neolithic+house+in+quarry

Histories: Viking Longships Brought Rape, Pillage And Cod
New Scientist
Just over a thousand years ago, a Viking chieftain named Ohthere paid a visit to England and the court of King Alfred. An intrepid mariner, Ohthere told the king about his homeland in Arctic Norway, and described long sea voyages around what are now Norway and Denmark...
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg19826622.400-histories-viking-longships-brought-rape-pillage-and-cod.html?DCMP=ILC-hmts&nsref=news5_head_mg19826622.400

Syria Unearths 2,300-Year-Old Pharonic Engraving
Yahoo! News
DAMASCUS (AFP) - Syrian archaeologists have unearthed a hieroglyph close to Damascus which dates back to the pharaonic period around 1,300 years BC, the official SANA news agency reported on Saturday...
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080628/lf_afp/syriaarchaeology_080628171204;_ylt=ApllVQvWjNxCpX3SHGqmZ.pFeQoB

June 28th News

Things have been pretty quiet for the last couple of days.

New stories as of 9:37 AM:

Egypt Archaeologists Find Ancient Painted Coffins
Yahoo! News
CAIRO (AFP) - A team of Egyptian archaeologists have discovered several painted wooden coffins, including some dating back to the 13th century BC rule of pharaoh Ramses II...
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080626/wl_mideast_afp/egyptarchaeology_080626175358;_ylt=AnR223zwBF0nd4qQ6LqRYGZFeQoB

Dig Shows Paris Is 3,000 Years Older Than First Thought
The Independent
Paris has long been known to be a very old city but its history as a settlement has just been extended by more than 3,000 years...
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/dig-shows-paris-is-3000-years-older-than-first-thought-854341.html

Biblical Text Writing May Have Poisoned Monks
Discovery News
June 27, 2008 -- Medieval bones from six different Danish cemeteries reveal that monks who wrote Biblical texts and other religious materials may have been exposed to toxic mercury, which was used to formulate just one of their ink colors: red...
http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/06/27/poison-monks-mercury.html