This Week In History News, Feb. 23 – 29

Published February 28, 2020

Ancient Roman dagger unearthed, wall of human bones found in Belgian cathedral, 46,000-year-old bird discovered with feathers intact.

Teenage Archaeologist Unearths Hunk Of Rust That Turns Out To Be An Ancient Roman Dagger

Ancient Dagger From Rome

Archaeology WorldThe ancient Roman dagger finally returned to its former glory after a lengthy restoration process.

When 19-year-old archaeologist Nico Calman unearthed a chicken finger-like lump of rust at a dig site in Germany, he wasn’t sure exactly what he’d found. Turns out it was a 2,000-year-old ancient Roman dagger.

And after a lengthy restoration process, researchers were able to return this ancient weapon to its former glory.

Read more here.

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Wall Made Of Human Bones Discovered Underneath A Cathedral In Belgium

Bone Wall At Saint Bavos

Ruben WillaertA wall made out of 500-year-old human remains was discovered under a cathedral in Belgium.

When archaeologists recently dug at the historic Saint-Bavo’s cathedral in Ghent, Belgium, they found a grisly sight: a wall made out of human bones.

The skeleton wall was discovered during construction work for a new visitor’s center at the cathedral. Experts estimated that the macabre structure was built sometime during the 17th or 18th century. But the bones may have already been about 200 years old by the time that they were used to create the wall.

Dig deeper in this report.

46,000-Year-Old Bird Found With Feathers And Talons Intact In The Siberian Permafrost

Prehistoric Bird

Love DalénAn intact 46,000-year-old bird was found for the first time in the Siberian permafrost.

Archaeologists have uncovered many remarkable, ancient specimens from the Siberian permafrost. This time they found the mummified remains of a whole bird — and it still had its feathers and talons intact.

The 46,000-year-old bird has been identified as a horned lark, or Eremophila alpestris, and scientists believe it could be a prehistoric predecessor to two subspecies alive today, the horned larks in the Mongolian steppe and those living in northern Russia.

See more here.

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All That's Interesting
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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.
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John Kuroski
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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.