M.J. Rose

A 55,000 year old flute! Humans were playing music in the the time of the Neanderthals? Is it possible the Neanderthals also played music? We have so many questions….

From The Vintage News,

The Divje Babe Flute, found in 1995 is 43,000-years-old

“In the Divje Babe archaeological park in northwestern Slovenia, researcher Ivan Turk found a 43,000-year-old cave bear femur that had been reshaped as a flute.

Turk named the flute a “Neanderthal flute,” not because the Neanderthals made it, but because it came from the period when they existed, which was approximately 55,000 years ago.

The Divje Babe archaeological park is located near the town of Cerkno and is one of the oldest archaeological sites in Slovenia.The site is a cave that sits 750 ft above the Idrija River; it is 148 ft long and up to 49 ft wide. So far, researchers working on this very rich site have uncovered over 600 finds in over ten levels in the dig site.

This includes finding 20 hearths and the skeletal remains of cave bears. The scientists have been using the rocks to investigate further into climate changes in the Pleistocene epoch. The flute that was found is possibly from the end of the middle of the Pleistocene epoch and comes from a juvenile cave bear….”

For the rest, click here.

What’s cooler than a secret compartment in a Leonardo da Vinci statue? — Maybe the secret apartments inside the New York Public Library?

The back bedroom of Fort Washington Library’s secret apartment. (Sarah Laskow for Atlas Obscura)

From Atlas Obscura,

11 Secret Spaces Hiding in Famous Places
Thousands of people pass through these destinations each day unaware there’s a hidden gem tucked inside.
by Meg Neal

“When planning a trip, it’s easy to feel torn between wanting to experience a city’s must-see iconic landmarks and discovering something unknown to the most passersby. As it happens, there’s a third category that checks off both of these things at once: unknown spaces hiding in extremely well-known places.

These secret gems can add an extra layer of exploration to checklist destinations like Times Square or the Eiffel Tower—if you know where to find them. We combed through the Atlas to pull out 11 of the least obvious spaces lurking in the most obvious places…”

For the list, click here. It’s fantastic!

Happy Tuesday, Museum goers. Enjoy this irresistible list of mysterious books — all of which you will be curious about…

From Ranker,

12 Mysterious Books Throughout History No One Can Explain
by Juliet Bennett Rylah

“There are certain books that aren’t exactly listed in great detail on Amazon. These weird and mysterious works often have unknown authors and describe forgotten histories or strange and fantastical worlds. There are some books that are so mysterious that no one has ever been able to read them, as they are written in cryptic codes that have yet to be cracked. Some contain odd pictures depicting battles or the origin of the earth, or flora and fauna that we’ve never seen in the world we know.

While some argue that these works are hoaxes intentionally left behind to befuddle us, others insist that these books hold ancient truths. Read on to find out what’s in the Vatican’s secret archives and meet a Chicago area janitor who spent years writing and illustrating an epic saga about a child slave rebellion in the secrecy of his own home…”

For the rest, click here.