The Daily: November 27
Discovery of ancient ritual offerings
Archaeologists in Denmark have discovered a unique 5,500-year-old axe with its wooden handle still attached. The Neolithic tool was identified in Rodbyhavn on the Danish Island of Lolland during a dig to create a tunnel connecting Lolland to the German Island of Fehmam. According to archaeologists at the Museum Lolland-Falster, the wooden handle was protected as no oxygen could get to the tool once it was submerged in the clay seabed. It may have been thrust into the ground as some form of ritual offering.
Another item believed to have been used during ancient rituals has been discovered by a Norfolk farmer in the form of a rare 3,500-year-old Bronze Age ceremonial dagger after remaining unrecognised for over a decade. Oblivious to its extraordinary value, the farmer left it neglected in his home for over a decade, only putting it to use as a doorstop. Once finally getting the dagger checked by archaeologists, after to the insistence of a friend, Norwich Castle Museum has paid £40,000 for the ancient item. Researchers claim that the dagger was purposely bent when it was produced as an offering to the gods.
101-year-old who lived through the Great Depression gets standing ovation for her encouraging speech on unemployment
101-year-old Annie Murphy, who lived through the Great Depression, recently received a standing ovation after giving a 90-minute talk to an unemployment group at Gateshead's Dryden Centre. Murphy described her desire for education and how her alcoholic father, who returned from the First World War with post-traumatic stress disorder, wanted her to stay at home to look after her five siblings. Dedicated to educating herself, she walked the five miles and took two trains to get to her grammar school every day, ultimately qualifying to begin her two-year training course in 1932. After all her efforts the Great Depression occurred and she was left seeking work. Finally, she obtained a teaching position in Coxhoe, County Durham. Murphy says: 'I know what it's like when you can't find work through no fault of your own, and that's what I told them during my talk.'
Marilyn Monroe's personal items up for auction
Over 200 unique personal items of Marilyn Monroe's will go for auction in Los Angeles next month. This selection includes a love letter from Joe DiMaggio encouraging her to rethink their separation; an intense love letter from Arthur Miller, a message from Cary Grant, an old prescription pill bottle from a pharmacy in Bedford and even what was regarded as her favourite black coat from the mid-1950s. Each item will be sold separately at Julien's Auctions Beverly Hills gallery on the 5th and 6th of December. Martin Nolan, Executive Director of Julien's Auctions says: 'We are all in awe of this opportunity to offer such a rare collection and glimpse into Marilyn Monroe's life'.
Research has revealed that dogs really do understand their owners
Scientists at Sussex University believe they have identified the reason behind man's close relationship with dogs as researchers have found that pet dogs process language in a similar way to humans. They analysed how different forms of language seemed to go through particular parts of the brain. As a result of cross-wiring in the brain, if a dog moved its left ear towards the voice it meant the right side of the brain was processing the sound whereas moving its right ear meant the left side was processing. When a command was expressed in a low, emotionless tone, the dogs turned right, implying they were focusing on the words, not the intonation. However, when the commands magnified intonation or emotion, the dogs turned left. These results encouraged the scientists to suggest that like humans, dogs process certain forms of human speech in certain parts of the brain, conceivably illustrating why they can be trained.
Nasa's Thanksgiving Menu for their six International Space Station crew members
Nasa reported what their crew will be eating for Thanksgiving. The six International Space Station crew members, orbiting 260 miles above Earth, will savour a fairly traditional Thanksgiving dinner but with a few alterations. While the majority of Americans will be roasting turkeys and enjoying their cranberry sauce accompaniments, the station crew will be cutting into bags of irradiated smoked turkey, thermostabilised candied yams and freeze-dried green beans and mushrooms. Their meal will also consist of NASA's own freeze-dried cornbread dressing and a dessert of cherry-blueberry cobbler. Although they still have to work, Nasa said its crew onboard the station are given a more relaxed day, 'The Nasa astronauts on the orbital complex will have a light day on Thursday for the Thanksgiving holiday and will share a meal with the rest of their crewmates.'
Archaeologists in Denmark have discovered a unique 5,500-year-old axe with its wooden handle still attached. The Neolithic tool was identified in Rodbyhavn on the Danish Island of Lolland during a dig to create a tunnel connecting Lolland to the German Island of Fehmam. According to archaeologists at the Museum Lolland-Falster, the wooden handle was protected as no oxygen could get to the tool once it was submerged in the clay seabed. It may have been thrust into the ground as some form of ritual offering.
Another item believed to have been used during ancient rituals has been discovered by a Norfolk farmer in the form of a rare 3,500-year-old Bronze Age ceremonial dagger after remaining unrecognised for over a decade. Oblivious to its extraordinary value, the farmer left it neglected in his home for over a decade, only putting it to use as a doorstop. Once finally getting the dagger checked by archaeologists, after to the insistence of a friend, Norwich Castle Museum has paid £40,000 for the ancient item. Researchers claim that the dagger was purposely bent when it was produced as an offering to the gods.
101-year-old who lived through the Great Depression gets standing ovation for her encouraging speech on unemployment
101-year-old Annie Murphy, who lived through the Great Depression, recently received a standing ovation after giving a 90-minute talk to an unemployment group at Gateshead's Dryden Centre. Murphy described her desire for education and how her alcoholic father, who returned from the First World War with post-traumatic stress disorder, wanted her to stay at home to look after her five siblings. Dedicated to educating herself, she walked the five miles and took two trains to get to her grammar school every day, ultimately qualifying to begin her two-year training course in 1932. After all her efforts the Great Depression occurred and she was left seeking work. Finally, she obtained a teaching position in Coxhoe, County Durham. Murphy says: 'I know what it's like when you can't find work through no fault of your own, and that's what I told them during my talk.'
Marilyn Monroe's personal items up for auction
Over 200 unique personal items of Marilyn Monroe's will go for auction in Los Angeles next month. This selection includes a love letter from Joe DiMaggio encouraging her to rethink their separation; an intense love letter from Arthur Miller, a message from Cary Grant, an old prescription pill bottle from a pharmacy in Bedford and even what was regarded as her favourite black coat from the mid-1950s. Each item will be sold separately at Julien's Auctions Beverly Hills gallery on the 5th and 6th of December. Martin Nolan, Executive Director of Julien's Auctions says: 'We are all in awe of this opportunity to offer such a rare collection and glimpse into Marilyn Monroe's life'.
Research has revealed that dogs really do understand their owners
Scientists at Sussex University believe they have identified the reason behind man's close relationship with dogs as researchers have found that pet dogs process language in a similar way to humans. They analysed how different forms of language seemed to go through particular parts of the brain. As a result of cross-wiring in the brain, if a dog moved its left ear towards the voice it meant the right side of the brain was processing the sound whereas moving its right ear meant the left side was processing. When a command was expressed in a low, emotionless tone, the dogs turned right, implying they were focusing on the words, not the intonation. However, when the commands magnified intonation or emotion, the dogs turned left. These results encouraged the scientists to suggest that like humans, dogs process certain forms of human speech in certain parts of the brain, conceivably illustrating why they can be trained.
Nasa's Thanksgiving Menu for their six International Space Station crew members
Nasa reported what their crew will be eating for Thanksgiving. The six International Space Station crew members, orbiting 260 miles above Earth, will savour a fairly traditional Thanksgiving dinner but with a few alterations. While the majority of Americans will be roasting turkeys and enjoying their cranberry sauce accompaniments, the station crew will be cutting into bags of irradiated smoked turkey, thermostabilised candied yams and freeze-dried green beans and mushrooms. Their meal will also consist of NASA's own freeze-dried cornbread dressing and a dessert of cherry-blueberry cobbler. Although they still have to work, Nasa said its crew onboard the station are given a more relaxed day, 'The Nasa astronauts on the orbital complex will have a light day on Thursday for the Thanksgiving holiday and will share a meal with the rest of their crewmates.'