Stuff You Missed in History Class

Part one of this autumn edition of Unearthed! covers updates, medical finds, animals, and lots books and letters.
Research:
Almeroth-Williams, Thomas. “Henry VIII’s dissolution enforcer stashed Catholic manuscript – its lost pages have just been rediscovered.” EurekAlert. 9/16/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1142736
Anderson, Sonja. “Archaeologists Excavating a Roman-Era Cemetery in Poland Were Surprised to Stumble Upon a 5,000-Year-Old Necklace Made of 42 Teeth.” Smithsonian. 9/9/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-excavating-a-roman-era-cemetery-in-poland-were-surprised-to-stumble-upon-a-5000-year-old-necklace-made-of-42-teeth-180989471/
Arnold, Paul. “Human blood may have helped preserve ancient Chinese rock art for 2,000 years.” PhysOrg. 8/14/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-human-blood-ancient-chinese-art.html
Arnold, Paul. “Mathematician challenges a 2,000-year-old legend about the Parthenon's optical illusions.” Phys.org. 9/16/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-mathematician-year-legend-parthenon-optical.html
Autonomous University of Barcelona. “Ceramic vessels reveal how social inequalities were also cooked into 19th-century Brazil.” Phys.org. 7/23/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-ceramic-vessels-reveal-social-inequalities.html
Bourigault, Frederic. “'Their story is our story': Pigeons and humans, 3,500 years together.” Phys.org. 7/11/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-story-pigeons-humans-years.html
Bronic, Antonio. “Byzantine gold objects help archaeologists uncover past of ship wrecked off Croatia.” Reuters. 7/23/2026. https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/byzantine-gold-objects-help-archaeologists-uncover-past-ship-wrecked-off-croatia-2026-07-23/
Clark, Gaby. “Aboriginal artists painted giant ancestral beings as colonization arrived, study finds.” PhysOrg. 8/30/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-aboriginal-artists-giant-ancestral-colonization.html
Clark, Gaby. “Chinese label once tied to Boston Tea Party reveals 19th-century Pacific trade.” Phys.org. 8/11/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-chinese-boston-tea-party-reveals.html
Clark, Gaby. “Indigenous Australian population was much larger than previously thought and decimated after First Fleet's arrival.” Phys.org. 9/15/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-indigenous-australian-population-larger-previously.html
Curtin University. “Shipwreck cargo reveals surprising global trade secrets of the 1600s.” Phys.org. 7/29/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-shipwreck-cargo-reveals-global-secrets.html
Harley, Sadie. “Expert pieces together puzzle from fragments of 1,600-year-old Roman text.” Phys.org. 8/25/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-expert-pieces-puzzle-fragments-year.html
Hashemi, Sara. “Hunter-Gatherers Brought Trout to a Norwegian Mountain Lake 7,000 Years Ago, the Earliest Known Example of Humans Translocating Fish.” Smithsonian. 7/23/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/hunter-gatherers-brought-trout-to-a-norwegian-mountain-lake-7000-years-ago-the-earliest-known-example-of-humans-translocating-fish-180989167/
Historic England. “Crystal Palace Dinosaurs Repaired and Removed from Heritage at Risk Register.” 6/27/2026. https://historicengland.org.uk/whats-new/in-your-area/london/crystal-palace-dinosaurs-removed-from-heritage-at-risk-register/
Killgrove, Kristina. “'Nothing short of a minor miracle': 'Rusty treasure' found in the Danube is full of 2,200-year-old iron bars that could equip an entire army with weapons.” LiveScience. 9/20/2026. https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/nothing-short-of-a-minor-miracle-rusty-treasure-found-in-the-danube-is-full-of-2-000-year-old-iron-bars-that-could-equip-an-entire-army-with-weapons
Kuta, Sara. “Smallpox Scabs That British Doctors Used to Inoculate Patients May Have Introduced the Deadly Disease to Australia, New Research Suggests.” Smithsonian. 7/9/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/smallpox-scabs-that-british-doctors-used-to-inoculate-patients-may-have-introduced-the-deadly-disease-to-australia-new-research-suggests-180989093/
Lawson-Tancred, Jo. “Uffizi Removes Famed Caravaggio After Flash Flood Soaks Gallery.” ArtNet. 9/18/2026. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/uffizi-caravaggio-flood-2813002
Learn, Joshua Rapp. “Ancient Pottery Reveals the Earliest Known Traces of Chocolate East of the Mississippi, Painting a Picture of Connection in the Americas.” Smithsonian. 10/2/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/ancient-pottery-reveals-the-earliest-known-traces-of-chocolate-east-of-the-mississippi-painting-a-picture-of-connection-in-the-americas-180989559/
net. “Medieval Leprosy Hospital Discovered in Copenhagen.” 9/2026. https://www.medievalists.net/2026/09/medieval-leprosy-hospital-discovered-in-copenhagen/
Mondal, Sanjukta. “Archaeologists investigate a feared young woman's 17th century vampiric grave in Poland.” Phys.org. 8/25/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-archaeologists-young-woman-17th-century.html
Oster, Sandee. “400-year-old shipwreck found during pipeline survey in Germany's Bay of Greifswald.” Phys.org. 9/25/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-year-shipwreck-pipeline-survey-germany.html
Oster, Sandee. “A museum-shelf mystery reveals 6,500-year-old human tooth pendant in Serbia.” Phys.org. 8/22/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-museum-shelf-mystery-reveals-year.html
Oster, Sandee. “Centuries of child labor left lasting spinal damage in Dutch children, study finds.” Phys.org. 8/29/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-centuries-child-labor-left-spinal.html
Paul, John. “Third Circuit denies rehearing in Philadelphia's fight over President's House slavery exhibit.” 9/4/2026. https://6abc.com/post/third-circuit-denies-rehearing-philadelphias-fight-presidents-house-slavery-exhibit/19785869/
Public Library of Science. “We may soon be able to read long-lost ancient scrolls damaged by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.” Phys.org. 9/16/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-lost-ancient-scrolls-eruption-mount.html#google_vignette
Royal Astronomical Society. “First ever solar eclipse film brought back to life.” https://ras.ac.uk/news-and-press/news/first-ever-solar-eclipse-film-brought-back-life
Shell, Gabby. “Archaeologists Unearth the 2,400-Year-Old School Where Aristotle Taught Alexander to Be Great.” Smithsonian. 9/28/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-unearth-the-2400-year-old-school-where-aristotle-taught-alexander-to-be-great-180989581/
“Scientists discover genetically distinct avocados in Nicaragua that people transported from South America thousands of years ago.” EurekAlert. 7/22/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1136257
Sneling, Emily. “Rare medieval manuscript fragments reveal Guernsey's lost literary history.” University of Kent. 8/25/2026. https://www.kent.ac.uk/news/creativity-culture-and-heritage/38343/rare-medieval-manuscript-fragments-reveal-guernseys-lost-literary-history
Solly, Meilan. “This Ship Sank in the Baltic Sea With Presents Bound for a Romanov Czar. Its Cargo Included Champagne, Luxury Mineral Water and Rare Meteorites.” Smithsonian. 7/27/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/this-ship-sank-in-the-baltic-sea-with-presents-bound-for-a-romanov-czar-its-cargo-included-champagne-luxury-mineral-water-and-rare-meteorites-180989198/
Squires, Kirsty et al. “The Real Mummy’s Curse: Health Risks Associated with the Sale and Trade of Mummified Remains.” International Journal of Cultural Property 33 (2026): e22. Web. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/international-journal-of-cultural-property/article/real-mummys-curse-health-risks-associated-with-the-sale-and-trade-of-mummified-remains/FCE6E950ED8A6BEF310766AF1CF53DB4
Staffordshire University. ‘‘Real mummy’s curse’ behind sale and trade of mummified remains exposed.” EurekAlert. 8/13/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1140009
The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI. “Ancient dental calculus reveals diverse diets of commoners in premodern Osaka, Japan, the 'Kitchen of the Realm'.” 8/25/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-ancient-dental-calculus-reveals-diverse.html
The History Blog. “Gold jewelry, signet ring found on Byzantine shipwreck.” 7/25/2026. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/76601
The History Blog. “Medieval ship’s hull reused as ceiling in Constance.” 8/25/2026. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/76799
The History Blog. “Name of 8th c. Maya astronomer deciphered.” 7/15/2026. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/76531
Thorsberg, Christian. “An English King’s Bones Were Moved Over Centuries and Eventually Lost. One Researcher Claims He Discovered Their Location—Under a Parking Lot.” Smithsonian. 7/14/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-english-kings-bones-were-moved-over-centuries-and-eventually-lost-one-researcher-claims-he-discovered-their-location-under-a-parking-lot-180989121/
Thorsberg, Christian. “One of Italy’s Most Popular Attractions, the Uffizi Galleries in Florence, Reveals Plans for a Major Renovation Over the Next Two Years.” Smithsonian. 8/7/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/one-of-italys-most-popular-attractions-the-uffizi-galleries-in-florence-reveals-plans-for-a-major-renovation-over-the-next-two-years-180989295/
Thorsberg, Christian. “This Dutch Painting Showed a 17th-Century Drinking Game Until Someone Smudged Out a Player, Spoiling the Fun. A Museum Just Restored the Imbibing Soldier.” Smithsonian. 8/10/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/centuries-ago-this-soldier-was-smudged-out-of-a-famed-de-hooch-painting-restorers-have-painted-him-back-in-180989304/
Tondo, Lorenzo. “Roman shipwreck with 500 amphorae found off coast of Sicily.” The Guardian. 8/10/2026. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/aug/10/roman-shipwreck-with-500-amphorae-found-off-coast-of-sicily
University College Dublin. “‘Kerry Cow’ bones revealed as ancient bear remains, challenging long-held theory on farming’s arrival in Ireland and Great Britain.” EurekAlert. 8/18/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1140552
University College Dublin. “Hidden DNA in medieval gospels reveals history of deadly livestock virus.” Phys.Org. 9/2/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-hidden-dna-medieval-gospels-reveals.html
University of Copenhagen. “Plague was killing entire families thousands of years before the Black Death.” Science Daily. 9/14/2026. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/09/260913082203.htm
University of Córdoba. “Diet reveals what life was like 2,700 years ago in an Italian community: Gender inequality, social status and migration.” Phys.org. 7/27/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-diet-reveals-life-years-italian.html
University of Oxford. “Did elephant energetics decide Hannibal’s Alpine crossing route?” EurekAlert. 7/6/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1134397
University of York. "This 4,000-year-old city defied the rules of history." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 30 July 2026. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/07/260729010730.htm
Wexler, Ellen. “A Landlord Found a Peculiar Print Hanging in a Vacant Apartment. It Turned Out to Be an Original Picasso That Had Been Missing for Eight Years.” Smithsonian. 8/28/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-landlord-found-a-peculiar-print-hanging-in-a-vacant-apartment-it-turned-out-to-be-an-original-picasso-print-that-had-been-missing-for-eight-years-180989417/
Wexler, Ellen. “Shipwreck Divers Discovered a 162-Year-Old Bottle of Guinness Brewed During the Reign of Queen Victoria—and They Want to Take a Swig.” Smithsonian. 8/12/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/shipwreck-divers-discovered-a-162-year-old-bottle-of-guinness-brewed-during-the-reign-of-queen-victoria-and-they-want-to-take-a-swig-180989320/
Wexler, Ellen. “Shipwreck Hunters Discover the Ruins of a British Destroyer That Split in Half During a Tragic Peacetime Accident 118 Years Ago.” Smithsonian. 8/21/2026. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/shipwreck-hunters-discover-the-ruins-of-a-british-destroyer-that-split-in-half-during-a-tragic-peacetime-accident-118-years-ago-180989379/
Whiddington, Richard. “Marble Sculpture by Baroque Master Found at U.K. Salvage Yard.” Artnet. 9/30/2026. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/pietro-bracci-pope-clement-xii-2818087
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. “Expedition captures first detailed imagery of Robert Falcon Scott’s last ship, Terra Nova, using cutting-edge Canadian Voyis 3D technology.” https://www.whoi.edu/press-room/news-release/terranova/
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. “Shackleton's final ship is no longer just a sonar shadow.” EurekAlert. 7/9/2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-shackleton-ship-longer-sonar-shadow.html
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This 2015 kickoff to the Six Impossible Episodes series features Stagecoach Mary, Edward Mordrake, Robert the Haunted Doll, the London Beer Flood, the Lost Army of Cambyses and La Maupin.
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Holly shares an odd detail about the red barn murder case. She and Tracy also discuss the way Forrest Mars may have affected the way his father's life is described.
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This installment of the eponymous foods series covers candy bars, including Snickers, Mars Bars, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, and some side mentions of other candies.
Research:
“Behind the Bar.” Snickers. https://www.snickers.com/our-story
Brenner, Joel Glenn. “Life on Mars: The Mars family saga has all the classic elements.” Independent. July 25, 1992. https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/life-on-mars-the-mars-family-saga-has-all-the-classic-elements-1535722.html
“Forrest Mars Sr., Candy Bar Titan Famed for Snickers.” The Plain Dealer. July 3, 1999. https://www.newspapers.com/image/1071308390/?match=1&terms=%22Forrest%20Mars%2C%20sr.%22&search-id=695f29a8-5f65-43f4-8445-637d2758eb9e&search-rank=1
“Frank C. Mars Buys Trotters.” The Lexington Herald. May 30, 1933. https://www.newspapers.com/image/684730957/?match=1&terms=%22Frank%20C.%20Mars%22%20Pulaski&search-id=b3e1ac20-1b03-4d55-8bb0-bf38efd85070&search-rank=7
“Frank C. Mars Dies of Heart Attack.” The Atlanta Constitution.” April 9, 1934. https://www.newspapers.com/image/398152288/?match=1&terms=%22Frank%20C.%20Mars%22%20Pulaski&search-id=b3e1ac20-1b03-4d55-8bb0-bf38efd85070&search-rank=8
“Frank C. Mars Is Victim of Death.” The Decatur Daily. April 9, 1934. https://www.newspapers.com/image/534932502/?match=1&terms=%22Frank%20C.%20Mars%22%20Pulaski&search-id=b3e1ac20-1b03-4d55-8bb0-bf38efd85070&search-rank=4
“Frank C. Mars Taken By Death.” Tacoma Daily Ledger. April 9, 1934. https://www.newspapers.com/image/725917256/?match=1&terms=%22Frank%20C.%20Mars%22&search-id=3bd9eccf-f65f-485c-ac5b-70d3f755a3fc&search-rank=6
“Frank C. Mars.” Candy Hall of Fame. https://candyhalloffame.org/inductee/frank-c-mars/
“Frank Mars.” Oak Park River Forest Museum. https://oprfmuseum.org/people/frank-mars
“The H.B. Reese Candy Company Story.” The Daily News. June 9, 1956. https://www.newspapers.com/image/517725214/?match=1&terms=%22H.B.%20Reese%22&search-id=a96c9fd5-6131-45ad-91a5-d3390afd07b1&search-rank=9
“H.B. Reese Company Housed in Large, Modern Building.” The Patriot-News. Nov. 27, 1957. https://www.newspapers.com/image/1094489845/?match=1&terms=%22H.B.%20Reese%22&search-id=cc48e553-f70b-43c6-a7b2-c7374b30be88&search-rank=1
“Harry Burnett ‘H.B.’ Reese.” Candy Hall of Fame. https://candyhalloffame.org/inductee/harry-burnett-h-b-reese/
Lieberman, Hallie. “Was It Hershey or Reese That Made Peanut Butter Cups Great?” Atlas Obscura. October 27, 2016. https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/was-it-hershey-or-reese-that-made-peanut-butter-cups-great
Mari, Christopher. “H.B. Reese.” EBSCO. 2024. https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/h-b-reese/
“Mars Family.” Forbes. June 29, 2026. https://www.forbes.com/profile/mars-1/?list=families
“Mars, Incorporated: History in the Making.” https://www.mars.com/about/history
“The Milky Way: How Frank Mars started a candy bar empire in Minnesota.” Fox9 KMSP. March 30, 2022. https://www.fox9.com/news/the-milky-way-how-frank-mars-a-minnesotan-created-a-candy-bar-empire
“Snickers History: The Horse, the War, and the World’s Top Candy Bar.” Moss & Fog. Oct. 25, 2023. https://mossandfog.com/the-history-of-snickers-the-worlds-most-popular-candy-bar/
“Sons, Daughters Willed H.B. Reese Property.” The Patriot-News. May 25, 1956. https://www.newspapers.com/image/1094130007/?match=1&terms=%22H.B.%20Reese%22&search-id=a96c9fd5-6131-45ad-91a5-d3390afd07b1&search-rank=8
“Table Data - Automobile Registrations, Passenger Cars, Total for United States.” Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. https://fred.stlouisfed.org/data/A01108USA258NNBR
Upton, Emily. “The Fascinating Rise of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.” Business Insider. June 30, 2013. https://www.businessinsider.com/the-fascinating-rise-of-reeses-peanut-butter-cups-2013-6
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In the spring of 1828, a news story broke in Suffolk, England about the horrific murder of Maria Marten. Her paramour was the only suspect, but he evaded authorities for some time before he was captured and put on trial.
Research:
Curtis, J. “AN AUTHENTIC AND FAITHFUL HISTORY OF THE MYSTERIOUS MURDER OF MARIA MARTEN, WITH A FULL DEVELOPMENT OF ALL THE EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES WHICH LED TO THE DISCOVERY OF HER BODY IN TO WHICH IS ADDED, THE TRIAL OF WILLIAM CORDER, TAKEN AT LARGE IN SHORT HAND SPECIALLY FOR THIS WORK, WITH AN ACCOUNT OF HIS EXECUTION, DISSECTION, &c. AND MANY INTERESTING PARTICULARS RELATIVE TO THE VILLAGE OF POLSTEAD AND ITS VICINITY; THE PRISON CORRESPONDENCE OF CORDER, AND FIFTY-THREE LETTERS, IN ANSWER TO HIS ADVERTISEMENT FOR A WIFE.” London. Thomas Keity. 1828. https://archive.org/details/b20443237
Devlin, Laura. “Who was the murderer whose skin binds a book?” BBC. April 22, 2025. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn0wrdleer2o
Harding, J. “Celebrated Trials of All Countries, and Remarkable Cases of Criminal Jurisprudence.” 1847. https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=pj3FyXaS91YC&rdid=book-pj3FyXaS91YC&rdot=1
“Horrible Murder.” Bristol Mirror. April 19, 1828. https://www.newspapers.com/image/970366046/?match=1&terms=%22Maria%20Marten%22&search-id=6e26d629-68a9-4c86-a81d-4164828d99b9&search-rank=1
“Horrible Murder.” The Morning Chronicle. April 24, 1828. https://www.newspapers.com/image/392094838/?search-id=6e26d629-68a9-4c86-a81d-4164828d99b9&search-rank=3
“Horrid Murder. North Wales Chronicle. May 1, 1828. https://www.newspapers.com/image/1367388437/?match=1&terms=William%20Corder&search-id=15f8324b-4277-49e4-ade3-f37de505ca71&search-rank=4
Langbein, John H. “THE PROSECUTORIAL ORIGINS OF DEFENCE COUNSEL IN THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY: THE APPEARANCE OF SOLICITORS.” Cambridge Law Journal. 58(2), July 1999, pp.314-365. https://law.yale.edu/sites/default/files/documents/pdf/Faculty/Langbein_Prosecutorial_Origins_of_Defence_Counsel.pdf
“Murder in Suffolk.” Cambridge Chronicle and University Journal, Isle of Ely Herald and Huntingdonshire Gazette. May 2, 1828. https://www.newspapers.com/image/785569973/?match=20&terms=William%20Corder&search-id=15f8324b-4277-49e4-ade3-f37de505ca71&search-rank=2
“Murder in Suffolk.” Birmingham Journal. May 3, 1828. https://www.newspapers.com/image/784498364/?match=1&terms=%22William%20Corder%22&search-id=9a769e68-25cc-42f4-b01d-1bca08e64ac6&search-rank=38
“The Red Barn Murder.” St. Edmundbury Chronicle. http://www.stedmundsburychronicle.co.uk/rbpeople.htm
“Sanguinary and Atrocious Murder.” Cheltenham Chronicle and Gloucestershire Graphic. May 1, 1828. https://www.newspapers.com/image/786265260/?match=3&terms=William%20Corder&search-id=15f8324b-4277-49e4-ade3-f37de505ca71&search-rank=1
“William Corder.” Lancaster Gazette. May 24, 1828. https://www.newspapers.com/image/395993259/?match=1&terms=William%20Corder&search-id=a5f1199d-5191-413d-943a-1cbabcb0a368&search-rank=16
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