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Released: 1-Mar-2016 2:05 PM EST
Excavation at Hadrian’s Villa Uncovers the Art of Ordinary Spaces
Columbia University

Twenty miles east of Rome lies the villa of the emperor Hadrian, who ruled for about 20 years during the second century A.D., but whose lavish estate has exercised a strong influence on architects and artists since its rediscovery in the 15th century.

Released: 1-Mar-2016 1:05 PM EST
Identity Unearthed
University of California, Santa Barbara

A paper co-authored by a UCSB anthropologist details how excavations in Sudan reveal the transformation Egyptian and Nubian culture.

Released: 26-Feb-2016 2:05 PM EST
Archivists Work to Preserve Obsolete Recordings
University of Alaska Fairbanks

For decades, an old Webster-Chicago Electronic Memory recorder led a surprisingly anonymous existence in a corner of the University of Alaska Fairbanks Rasmuson Library archives.

Released: 25-Feb-2016 4:05 PM EST
UNH Historian Pens Book on Women’s Quest for the American Presidency
University of New Hampshire

In “The Highest Glass Ceiling: Women’s Quest for the American Presidency,” Ellen Fitzpatrick, professor of history at the University of New Hampshire, has written a book that gives context to Hillary Clinton's current race for the White House and shows how her quest is part of a longer journey for women in the United States. As “The Highest Glass Ceiling” reveals, women’s pursuit of the Oval Office, then and now, has involved myriad forms of influence, opposition and intrigue.

Released: 23-Feb-2016 1:05 PM EST
Columbia University Announces Winner of 2016 Edward M. Kennedy Prize for Drama Inspired by American History
Columbia University

Columbia University and Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith are pleased to announce that Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton is the 2016 winner of the Edward M. Kennedy Prize for Drama Inspired by American History.

Released: 22-Feb-2016 2:00 PM EST
Gala Premiere of Keough-Naughton Institute’s Documentary Series, '1916: The Irish Rebellion,' to Be Held at Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame

The gala premiere of “1916: The Irish Rebellion,” a three-part documentary film series produced by the University of Notre Dame’s Keough-Naughton Institute for Irish Studies, will include narrator Liam Neeson, co-producer Briona Nic Dhiarmada and executive producer Christopher Fox.

Released: 22-Feb-2016 11:05 AM EST
Researchers Trace Peanut Crop Back to Its Bolivian Roots
University of Georgia

Researchers at the University of Georgia, working with the International Peanut Genome Initiative, have discovered that a wild plant from Bolivia is a “living relic” of the prehistoric origins of the cultivated peanut species.

Released: 17-Feb-2016 10:05 AM EST
U of S Historian Sees Resurgence in LSD Research
University of Saskatchewan

Psychedelic drugs such as LSD hold promise for palliative care for an aging population, said University of Saskatchewan medical historian Erika Dyck.

Released: 16-Feb-2016 11:05 AM EST
Fossil Analysis Pushes Back Human Split From Other Primates by Two Million Years
Los Alamos National Laboratory

A paper in the latest issue of the journal Nature suggests a common ancestor of apes and humans, Chororapithecus abyssinicus, evolved in Africa, not Eurasia, two million years earlier than previously thought.

11-Feb-2016 2:30 PM EST
Easter Island Not Destroyed by War, Analysis of ‘Spear Points’ Shows
Binghamton University, State University of New York

Analysis of artifacts found on the shores of Rapa Nui, Chile (Easter Island) originally thought to be used as spear points reveal that these objects were likely general purpose tools instead, providing evidence contrary to the widely held belief that the ancient civilization was destroyed by warfare. According to Carl Lipo, professor of anthropology at Binghamton University and lead on the study, the traditional story for Rapa Nui holds that the people, before Europeans arrived, ran out of resources and, as a result, engaged in massive in-fighting, which led to their collapse. One of the pieces of evidence used to support this theory is the thousands of obsidian, triangular objects found on the surface, known as mata’a. Because of their large numbers and because they’re made of sharp glass, many believe the mata’a to be the weapons of war that the ancient inhabitants of the island used for interpersonal violence

Released: 15-Feb-2016 12:05 PM EST
Detective Scientists Discover Ancient Clues in Mummy Portraits
Northwestern University

Northwestern University researchers have taken CSI to a new level: employing science to investigate details of the materials and methods used by Roman-Egyptian artists to paint mummy portraits more than 2,000 years ago. Clues about the paintings’ underlying surface shapes and colors provide very strong evidence as to how many of the portraits and panel paintings were made. The researchers concluded that three of the paintings likely came from the same workshop and may have been painted by the same hand.

Released: 12-Feb-2016 12:05 PM EST
Specimens From George Washington Carver Discovered at UW-Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison

At least 25 specimens of fungi that infect plants, collected by George Washington Carver more than a century ago, were discovered Feb. 8 in the Wisconsin State Herbarium at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Released: 11-Feb-2016 4:05 PM EST
FSU Researcher Uses Technologyto Tell Civil Rights Icon’s Story
Florida State University

Sixty years ago, the murder of an African-American teenager helped galvanize the civil rights movement in America. Today, the history of that iconic event is being shared through a location-based smartphone application.

Released: 9-Feb-2016 3:05 PM EST
Americans Recognize 'Past Presidents' Who Never Were, Study Finds
Washington University in St. Louis

Alexander Hamilton, Benjamin Franklin, Hubert Humphrey and some guy named "Thomas Moore" are among the names that many Americans mistakenly identify as belonging to a past president of the United States, finds a news study by memory researchers at Washington University in St. Louis.

4-Feb-2016 2:05 PM EST
Early Human Ancestor Didn’t Have the Jaws of a Nutcracker, Study Finds
Washington University in St. Louis

Research published in 2012 garnered international attention by suggesting that a possible early human ancestor had lived on a diverse woodland diet including hard foods mixed in with tree bark, fruit, leaves and other plant products. But new research by an international team of researchers now shows that Australopithecus sediba didn’t have the jaw and tooth structure necessary to exist on a steady diet of hard foods.

Released: 4-Feb-2016 9:05 AM EST
‘Stakes Are High’ in Pope’s Visit to Mexico, Experts Say
University of Notre Dame

When Pope Francis travels to Mexico Feb. 12-17, he will visit six cities — including two in the state of Chiapas, Mexico’s poorest state — and will celebrate a Mass in Ciudad Juárez across the Rio Grande from El Paso, Texas. A University of Notre Dame expert calls this a "defining trip" for the pope.

Released: 2-Feb-2016 4:05 PM EST
Songs in the Key of Colonialism
University of California, Santa Barbara

A UCSB historian’s new book reveals the role of music in the subjugation and liberation of African culture.

Released: 2-Feb-2016 7:00 AM EST
Nurse Anesthetist Recalls Operation to Save Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., After Near-Fatal Stabbing in 1958
American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology

Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist Goldie Brangman recalls the operation that saved Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s life after a mentally unstable woman stabbed him with a letter opener as he autographed copies of his first book in September 1958.

Released: 26-Jan-2016 12:05 PM EST
Shakespeare Discovery by UWM Historian on Exhibit at Folger Library
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

A story included in 17th century papers by an anonymous author offer a glimpse of the personal life of the famous bard, about whom relatively little is known. The anecdote, found by a UWM historian, is on exhibit through March 27 at the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C.

Released: 25-Jan-2016 8:05 AM EST
Descendants of Black Death Confirmed as Source of Repeated European Plague Outbreaks That Would Fade and Roar Back Over Centuries: Research
McMaster University

An international team of researchers has uncovered new information about the Black Death in Europe and its descendants, suggesting it persisted on the continent over four centuries, re-emerging to kill hundreds of thousands in Europe in separate, devastating waves.

Released: 22-Jan-2016 12:05 PM EST
The Hideout of the Black Death
Max Planck Society (Max-Planck-Gesellschaft)

Historical pathogens survived for more than 4 centuries in Europe.

Released: 22-Jan-2016 10:05 AM EST
Elvis’ First Venture to Las Vegas Was a Flop, Writes Historian
Missouri University of Science and Technology

Beginning with “one electrifying night” in 1969 and continuing through the mid-1970s, Elvis Presley reigned as Las Vegas’ top nightclub act. But his first attempt to win over fans in that city 60 years ago was “a painful setback” for the young performer, writes a Missouri University of Science and Technology historian.

Released: 20-Jan-2016 10:00 AM EST
Scott Merrill Named 2016 Richard H. Driehaus Prize Laureate
University of Notre Dame

Scott Merrill, an architect known for his originality and creative application of architectural precedents, has been named the recipient of the 2016 Richard H. Driehaus Prize at the University of Notre Dame.

Released: 18-Jan-2016 2:05 PM EST
A Century After Endurance Shackleton Diagnosed with 'Hole in the Heart'
SAGE Publications UK

On the 100th anniversary of the Endurance expedition to Antarctica led by Sir Ernest Shackleton, doctors writing in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine believe the inspirational explorer may have had the congenital defect commonly known as a 'hole in the heart'.

Released: 14-Jan-2016 4:05 PM EST
Historian: ‘the Revenant’ Is Part Make-Believe, Part Historic Art
University of Notre Dame

“The Revenant,” a movie nominated for 12 Oscars including for best picture and best actor, is a film that takes liberties telling the true story of mountain man Hugh Glass. Jon Coleman, professor of history at the University of Notre Dame, says the fiction in the storytelling is, in a way, the "most historical part."

Released: 8-Jan-2016 12:05 PM EST
A Medical Pop-Up Book From the 17th Century
Columbia University Irving Medical Center

Columbia University librarians have digitized an important anatomical flap book – an early attempt to represent the three dimensionality of the human body in the two dimensional format of the book.

Released: 6-Jan-2016 11:05 AM EST
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Libraries Unveil ‘Paramount’ Music, History Collection
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Libraries now has two limited edition collections of rare early jazz and blues music from Paramount Music in nearby Grafton, Wisconsin.

Released: 4-Jan-2016 4:05 PM EST
The First European Farmers Are Traced Back to Anatolia
Stockholm University

Human material from the Anatolian site Kumtepe was used in the study. The material was heavily degraded, but yielded enough DNA for the doctorate student Ayca Omrak to address questions concerning the demography connected to the spread of farming. She conducted her work at the Archaeological Research Laboratory.

Released: 23-Dec-2015 12:05 PM EST
Filling in Digital Blanks of Historic Texts
Northwestern University

Digitizing books published before 1700 has created an aesthetic as well as quite pragmatic “black-dot problem” in translated texts, with the word “love,” for example, showing up as “lo•e.”

Released: 22-Dec-2015 11:05 AM EST
Ten Years of Somber Reflection: WVU Faculty, Staff Recall Sago Mine Disaster
West Virginia University

As we embark on the 10th anniversary of the Sago Mine disaster, WVU experts are available to reflect and discuss the issues - ranging from mine safety, legal ramifications, emergency response, trauma care and media coverage - related to the tragedy.

Released: 22-Dec-2015 10:05 AM EST
New Book Challenges Remembrances of 'Christmas Truce'
University of Kentucky

In December 1914, German and British soldiers on the western front initiated a series of unofficial ceasefires. Enlisted men across No Man’s Land abandoned trenches and crossed enemy lines to sing carols, share food and play soccer. Yet new accounts suggest the tale bears little resemblance to the truth.

Released: 16-Dec-2015 3:05 PM EST
Tracing University’s Intellectual History
University of Chicago

The University’s Departmental Histories Fellowship Program challenged graduate students to research and document the histories of 17 of UChicago’s 87 academic units, as part of the University's 125th anniversary celebration.

Released: 16-Dec-2015 10:05 AM EST
The George Washington University’s Gelman Library to House Winston Churchill’s World War II Engagement Diary
George Washington University

A collection of handwritten cards detailing Winston Churchill’s appointments during World War II, including such historic events as Victory in Europe (VE) Day and the British prime minister’s regular meetings with the King of England and President Franklin Roosevelt, will have a new home at the George Washington University. The “engagement diary” will be featured in the new National Churchill Library and Center to be located at GW.

Released: 15-Dec-2015 3:05 PM EST
Antiquity's Hermaphroditus - a Gender Bender
University of Gothenburg

The view that androgynous individuals are pathologically deviant has caused scholars to reject the possibility that the mythological figure Hermaphroditus could be perceived as erotically attractive. But the Romans had a different view of sexuality and a new doctoral thesis from the University of Gothenburg shows that Hermaphroditus was an object of in particular men's desire.

Released: 14-Dec-2015 5:05 PM EST
History Meets Geography: James Gregory's Collaborative Digital Project Tracks Key 20th Century Social Movements
University of Washington

It's one thing to read that the NAACP grew from three branches nationwide in 1912 to 894 branches in 1945, but it's more interesting and revealing to watch that expansion — from Tacoma to Bangor, Maine, and beyond — on an interactive map, as the decades slide by. That sort of data visualization lies at the heart of University of Washington historian James Gregory's new collaborative digital project, "Mapping American Social Movements through the 20th Century."

Released: 14-Dec-2015 12:05 PM EST
Millet: The Missing Link in Prehistoric Humans' Transition From Hunter-Gatherer to Farmer
University of Cambridge

New research shows a cereal familiar today as birdseed was carried across Eurasia by ancient shepherds and herders laying the foundation, in combination with the new crops they encountered, of 'multi-crop' agriculture and the rise of settled societies. Archaeologists say 'forgotten' millet has a role to play in modern crop diversity and today's food security debate.

Released: 10-Dec-2015 8:45 AM EST
Uncovering the True Essence—and Fake Paintings—of Thomas Hart Benton
Case Western Reserve University

Thomas Hart Benton captured early- to mid-20th century America with a style and swagger uniquely his own. Capturing what made the painter tick—and tick-off so many people—has been a career-long pursuit of art historian Henry Adams.

Released: 7-Dec-2015 3:05 PM EST
Stonehenge Originated in Wales
Newswise Trends

A study published in the journal Antiquity explains how the bluestones that make up the famous neolithic monument in Salisbury Plain in England, were dug out at least 500 years before in Wales. Stonehenge may have stood in Wales hundreds of years before it was dismantled and transported.

Released: 1-Dec-2015 5:05 PM EST
Vanderbilt Historian Offers Unsettling Look at Bioengineered Near Future
Vanderbilt University

While some people today feel driven to purchase the latest smartphone or other technology, historian Michael Bess worries how near-future generations will deal with innovations ranging from pills that boost intelligence to bioengineered body parts for all ages.

Released: 11-Nov-2015 1:05 PM EST
One of the Nation's First Soldiers' Revolutionary War Correspondence to College Friends Revealed
Rutgers University

Rutgers University graduate Simeon DeWitt and his former classmates kept in touch through eight years of war

Released: 10-Nov-2015 1:05 PM EST
Earliest Church in the Tropics Unearthed in Former Heart of Atlantic Slave Trade
University of Cambridge

Archaeologists from the University of Cambridge have unearthed the earliest known European Christian church in the tropics on one of the Cabo Verde islands, 500km off the coast of West Africa, where the Portuguese established a stronghold to start the first commerce with Africa south of the Sahara. This turned into a global trade in African slaves from the 16th century, in which Cabo Verde played a central part as a major trans-shipment centre.

Released: 6-Nov-2015 2:40 PM EST
Prison Camp Liberators of WWII: Baylor University Finds New Way to Pay Tribute to Heroes
Baylor University

The firsthand accounts of 19 Texas veterans who helped liberate World War II Nazi concentration camps now can be seen and heard on Baylor University’s Institute for Oral History (IOH) website using a new video indexing tool that allows a rare type of access to their compelling stories.



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