M.J. Rose

A series of unfortunate events, plus a wizard.

From The Vintage News,

The cursed Island of Gaiola: those who have lived there have met with a terrible fate

“Gaiola Island (Isola della Gaiola in Italian) is a small Italian island located just off the coast of Naples in the heart of Gaiola Underwater Park, a protected region of about 42 hectares. The island takes its name from the cavities that dot the coast of Posillipo.

The location was held in high regard by the ancient Romans, who built a temple to Venus on the island, which was then known as “Euplea.”

It is said that the legendary Roman poet Virgil favored the island and taught his students there. In the 19th century, it played host to a coastal battery for the defense of the Bay of Naples.

There are many legends about the place being cursed. In the early 1800s, the island was inhabited by a hermit nicknamed “The Wizard”, who lived thanks to the charity of fishermen.

Soon after, the island saw the construction of the villa that occupies it today and which was, at one time, owned by Norman Douglas, author of Land of the Siren. Without warning, “The Wizard“ mysteriously disappeared…”

For the rest, click here.

Bronze! An incredible find sheds new light on the origins of Western civilization…

From Smithsonian Magazine,

This 3,500-Year-Old Greek Tomb Upended What We Thought We Knew About the Roots of Western Civilization

The recent discovery of the grave of an ancient soldier is challenging accepted wisdom among archaeologists

For the rest, click here.

It’s funny how we are skeptical of “sunken” continents such as Atlantis when there are places like Doggerland…

From Ancient Origins,

7,000-Year-Old Forest and Footprints Uncovered in the Atlantis of Britain

“Ancient footprints as well as prehistoric tree stumps and logs have become visible along a 200-meter stretch of a coastline at Low Hauxley near Amble, Northumberland, in what is believed to be Doggerland, the Atlantis of Britain.

The Daily Mail reports that the forest existed in the late Mesolithic period. It began to form around 5,300 BC, and it was covered by the ocean three centuries later. The studies proved that at the time, when the ancient forest existed, the sea level was much lower. It was a period when Britain had recently separated from the land of what is currently Denmark. The forest consisted mostly of hazel, alder, and oak trees. Researchers believe the forest was part of Doggerland, an ancient stretch of a land, which connected the UK and Europe.

Doggerland: Stone Age Atlantis of Britain

Located in the North Sea, Doggerland is believed to have once measured approximately 100,000 square miles (258998 square kilometers). However, the end of the Ice Age saw a great rise in the sea level and an increase in storms and flooding in the region, causing Doggerland to gradually shrink…”

For the rest, and a video, click here.