I love history, and I’m always reading new journal articles, and old books, and discovering new obsessions that I NEED to share with people. I’ve really been enjoying writing this series where I bring all my favorite history facts to you, so here are seven more to close out the year!
1.
In September 2023, an article was published in the journal Nature about wood artifacts recently found in Zambia, at the archaeological site of Kalambo Falls. Archaeologists discovered “two interlocking logs joined transversely by an intentionally cut notch,” at least 476,000 years old. This might sound small, boring, or insignificant — but actually, it’s now the world’s oldest-known wooden structure, predating our previous oldest wooden structure by over 450,000 years.
2.
Ancient Roman religion involved the worship of the main gods — the big dogs like Jupiter, Apollo, and Magna Mater — but they also had a much more intimate, everyday kind of worship: that of the spirits of the house and home.
3.
Other household gods probably have more recognizable (dare I say “household”) names. Vesta, goddess of the hearth, was a big one. The panes and panates were spirits of the kitchen (pantry, anyone?). And Janus, the two-faced god whom you might recognize from the Janus Films logo, is criminally underrated.
4.
Speaking of cool statues: below are two lamassu, a type of Assyrian guardian statue. Lamassu were typically placed on either side of important gateways, such as those of cities or temples, to repel evil spirits. They depict a winged bull with the head of a man. Beyond that, notice anything weird?
5.
Our beloved Santa Tracker began in a way that’s so cute it honestly sounds made-up. At CONAD (now NORAD) operations center, on Nov. 30, 1955, US Air Force Colonel Harry Shoup got a call… on the Dreaded Red Telephone. The top-secret phone rang. Who could it be? The president, telling him that the USSR had declared nuclear war? Colonel Shoup answered the phone. “Yes, sir, this is Colonel Shoup,” he reportedly said.
6.
A writer named James Harden-Hickey (who altogether seems a rather eccentric guy) once went to an island and formed his own country, the Principality of Trinidad, where he declared himself James I, Prince of Trinidad. It was taken from him by the British, who seem to be fond of doing such things.
7.
My random history obsession of the week has been Mary of Burgundy. When Mary was born in 1457, her grandfather Philip the Good didn’t even attend the baptism, as “it was only for a girl.” But despite the disadvantage of having dared to be born female (the horror!), Mary became her father’s heir and eventually the beloved ruler [cite] of the Duchy of Burgundy.
When Mary decided to marry Archduke Maximilian of Austria (what a catch!) it began a rift between France and the Habsburgs that only ended in the 18th century.
If there are any dramatic/interesting/cool facts from history that you think I would love, please, please, please drop them in the comments! I always love learning more historical stuff, and I’m sure other people do, too.
Source: https://www.buzzfeed.com/juliacorrigan/history-fun-facts-december-2023