This Week In History News, Jan. 28 – Feb. 3

Published February 2, 2018

Samurai sword found in attic, newly discovered mass grave may hold Viking army, ancient stone tools may rewrite human history.

Rare 12th Century Samurai Sword Found In Attic

Kohoki Bade

TwitterThe kohoki blade pulled from the attic of the Kasuga Taisha shrine.

If you’ve ever thought that your attic was just full of old junk, you may want to think again.

A rusty blade pulled from an attic decades ago was just revealed to be one of the oldest Japanese samurai swords in existence.

Discover more here.

Mass Grave May Hold Evidence Of Viking’s Storied Grand Heathen Army

Viking Grave

Martin Biddle/University of Bristol via HISTORY

For centuries, stories have told of the Viking’s Grand Heathen Army that conquered cities in what’s now England during the ninth century. But the archaeological evidence just wasn’t there.

But a recently discovered mass grave may just hold bones that prove the existence of the Grand Heathens, according to a new study.

Dig deeper at HISTORY.

Discovery Of Ancient Stone Tools Could Rewrite Human History

Stone Tools

Sharma Centre for Heritage Education, India via Smithsonian

In many ways, the history of early humans tools is the history of early humans. The development of our ancestors’ tools reveals a wealth of telling information about how they lived and how they evolved into modern human beings.

Now, a new discovery of ancient stone tools in India could drastically alter much of what we thought we knew about early human development. Namely, these shockingly well-developed tools could prove that humans migrated out of Africa far earlier than experts thought.

Learn why at Smithsonian.

author
All That's Interesting
author
Established in 2010, All That's Interesting brings together a dedicated staff of digital publishing veterans and subject-level experts in history, true crime, and science. From the lesser-known byways of human history to the uncharted corners of the world, we seek out stories that bring our past, present, and future to life. Privately-owned since its founding, All That's Interesting maintains a commitment to unbiased reporting while taking great care in fact-checking and research to ensure that we meet the highest standards of accuracy.
editor
John Kuroski
editor
John Kuroski is the editorial director of All That's Interesting. He graduated from New York University with a degree in history, earning a place in the Phi Alpha Theta honor society for history students. An editor at All That's Interesting since 2015, his areas of interest include modern history and true crime.