M.J. Rose

The tomb is strangely small for a pharaoh. Is there more?

From National Geographic,

Exclusive Photos: Search Resumes for Hidden Chambers In King Tut’s Tomb

Two previous investigations disagreed about what’s behind the tomb walls. Now scientists are launching an all-out effort to solve the mystery.

By Kristin Romey and A. R. Williams

“Luxor, EgyptA third round of ground penetrating radar (GPR) scanning is underway inside the burial chamber of King Tutankhamun, Egypt’s Ministry of Antiquities announced today, as part of an effort to answer a question that has long intrigued and stumped researchers: Are the walls of the famous tomb hiding other chambers—perhaps another royal burial concealed for more than 3,300 years?

Ever since archaeologist Howard Carter discovered the treasure-packed tomb in Luxor’s Valley of the Kings in 1922, experts have believed the space to be strangely small for a pharaoh. Various theories about the tomb have been proposed over the decades, but in 2015 Egyptologist Nicholas Reeves suggested an astounding possibility: The north and west walls might conceal the mummy—and fabulous possessions—of Tut’s stepmother, the legendary beauty Queen Nefertiti.

Two previous scans of the burial chamber, conducted in 2015 and 2016, varied in their results and were determined inconclusive. A third non-invasive GPR scan was commissioned by Egypt’s Minister of Antiquities Khaled El Enany following the recommendation of experts who met in 2016 to study the results of the previous scans. This latest investigation, conducted under the direction of the Polytechnic University of Turin, aims to resolve those results and verify whether or not there are voids behind the walls…”

For the rest, and many photos, click here.

Stay back Mr. Columbus, and scoot over Norse explorers, we have some news…

The migration routes of Polynesian seafarers have become more clear — and all thanks to the sweet potato. (Photo: John Webber/Wikimedia Commons)

From Mother Nature Network,

Polynesian seafarers discovered America long before Europeans, says DNA study
New DNA analysis of sweet potatoes, which were first cultivated in the Americas, is the key.
by Bryan Nelson

“The prevailing theory about the “rediscovery” of the American continents used to be such a simple tale. Most people are familiar with it: In 1492, Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue. Then that theory was complicated when, in 1960, archaeologists discovered a site in Canada’s Newfoundland, called L’Anse aux Meadows, which proved that Norse explorers likely beat Columbus to the punch by about 500 years.

Now startling new DNA evidence promises to complicate the story even more. It turns out that it was not Columbus or the Norse — or any Europeans at all — who first rediscovered the Americas. It was actually the Polynesians.

All modern Polynesian peoples can trace their origins back to a sea-migrating Austronesian people who were the first humans to discover and populate most of the Pacific islands, including lands as far-reaching as Hawaii, New Zealand and Easter Island. Despite the Polynesians’ incredible sea-faring ability, however, few theorists have been willing to say that Polynesians could have made it as far east as the Americas. That is, until now.

Clues about the migration patterns of the early Polynesians have been revealed thanks to a new DNA analysis performed on a prolific Polynesian crop: the sweet potato, according to Nature. The origin of the sweet potato in Polynesia has long been a mystery, since the crop was first domesticated in the Andes of South America about 8,000 years ago, and it couldn’t have spread to other parts of the world until contact was made. In other words, if Europeans were indeed the first to make contact with the Americas between 500 and 1,000 years ago, then the sweet potato shouldn’t be found anywhere else in the world until then.

The extensive DNA study looked at genetic samples taken from modern sweet potatoes from around the world and historical specimens kept in herbarium collections. Remarkably, the herbarium specimens included plants collected during Capt. James Cook’s 1769 visits to New Zealand and the Society Islands. The findings confirmed that sweet potatoes in Polynesia were part of a distinct lineage that were already present in the area when European voyagers introduced different lines elsewhere. In other words, sweet potatoes made it out of America before European contact…”

For the rest, click here.

As it turns out, not only is Prussian blue one of our favorite colors, it has a most interesting history…

“It was an accident in a Berlin laboratory (then a center for alchemy) in 1704 that changed the course of art forever. A chemist rushing to create a batch of cochineal red (made from bugs) accidentally used potash contaminated by (the iron in) animal blood that turned the concoction a deep blue – henceforth known as Prussian blue due to its geographic origins…”

Prussian blue is the gorgeous saturated color in this detail of the portrait of Maria de los Dolores Collado and Echague by Vicente Palmaroli, 1870, that hangs in the Prado.

From the Quintessence blog,

Prussian Blue – The Art and Science of Color
by Stacey Bewkes

“As I was scrolling through Instagram the other morning, I stopped to “like” and admire a post on Charlotte Di Carcaci’s artful feed.

I am constantly tempted by both fashion and decor items I encounter in this shade, such as Christopher Spitzmiller‘s handsome Alexander lamp I spied in his showroom. But did you know that Prussian blue was the link between art and science that truly transformed the world of paint? It’s easy to forget that before the 18th century paint was made from natural sources – plants, flowers, rocks etc. and creating artistic effects in paintings was a much more complicated and expensive matter. Ultramarine, made from lapis lazuli, was the first blue and more valuable than gold…”

For a series of incredible pictures of, and commentary on, Prussian blue objects, click here to go to the Quintessence blog.