► THINGS WE LEARNED THIS MONTH…
RECENT HISTORY HEADLINES THAT CAUGHT OUR EYE
Missing Darwin notebooks left on library floor
A pair of notebooks belonging to Charles Darwin have mysteriously turned up more than 20 years after they were last seen at the University of Cambridge.
The leather-bound volumes, which date from the late 1830s, were anonymously returned in March, when they were found inside a pink gift bag placed on the floor of the main university library. They were last known to have been seen in 2000, when they were removed from the special collections strongroom – where the library’s most valuable items are kept – to be photographed, before staff discovered they had gone astray. It was initially believed that the notebooks had been misplaced by accident, until 2020, when the university concluded that they had most likely been stolen and launched a worldwide appeal for their return.
Together, the tomes contain some of the naturalist’s most important writings on the theory of evolution, including his famous ‘Tree of Life’ sketch (pictured above).
Evidence of Roman beer production found in Bedfordshire
A Roman-era malting oven used during the production of beer has been discovered in Bedfordshire. The structure, unearthed ahead of proposed roadworks on the A428, was found alongside spelt grains (below), which would have been dried and used as part of the brewing process. No structures relating to brewing have yet been located, suggesting that the oven’s owners may have transported their malt to be used elsewhere. The oven was situated within the grounds of a farmstead, occupied from the Middle Iron Age to the late Roman period.
Oldest surviving map of London goes on display
The oldest complete map of the UK capital has gone on display at the London Metropolitan Archives, showing the city as it appeared during the Elizabethan era. The map, Civitas Londininum, was created during the 1570s, with only three prints – all from 1633 – known to have survived. Also dubbed the ‘woodcut map’, it contains details such as the bear-baiting arenas of Southwark and the fields of Highgate, which was then just a small village. The map is among the highlights of a new exhibition, open until 26 October, which also features a survey showing the spread of disease during the Victorian era, and a map highlighting damage caused by the 1666 Great Fire of London.
Climate change threatening the world’s oldest mummies
Abnormal weather patterns are threatening the world’s oldest mummies, say experts. According to recent reports, mummified remains buried by the Chinchorro people of northern Chile are being exposed to the elements, causing them to decompose. Although the mummies’ final resting place is usually one of the driest areas on Earth, increased rainfall is bringing the bodies to the surface. Work on a new-climate controlled museum in the region is due to start this year, which will aid efforts to preserve the remains – some estimated to be around 7,000 years old.
£8,500
The amount recently paid at auction for a gold ring that may have belonged to a 17th-century sheriff of Nottingham
Stone burial jars found in Assam
A series of jars that may have been used as part of ancient human burial practices has been uncovered in India. The 65 sandstone containers, discovered across four sites in the northeastern state of Assam, are believed to be at least 2,400 years old, with local reports suggesting that the now-empty artefacts were once filled with cremated remains and beads.
Similar jars have previously been found in Indonesia and Laos, with the latter set discovered alongside several different types of burials, including bones placed in ceramic vessels and buried in pits.