Stuff You Missed in History Class

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Stuff You Missed in History Class episodes

October 21Unearthed! in October 2026, Part 2
Part two of the autumn 2026 edition of Unearthed! kicks off with the catch-all potpourri category, then covers edibles and potables, shipwrecks, art, and Halloween-appropriate topics.

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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40 min
October 19Unearthed! in October 2026, Part 1
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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37 min
October 17 SYMHC Classics: Original Six Impossible Episodes
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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27 min
October 16 Behind the Scenes Minis: Pistols and Candy Corn
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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20 min
October 14Eponymous Foods: Full Bars
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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39 min
October 12Red Barn Murder
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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36 min
October 10 SYMHC Classics: Giordano Bruno
This 2022 episode covers Giordano Bruno, a mathematician, philosopher, astronomer, occultist, and according to the Catholic church of 16th-century Italy, a heretic. He met a bad end because of his views, but he started out as a friar.
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36 min
October 09 Behind the Scenes Minis: Martian Skulls
Tracy ponders how Sara Weiss knew some of the things she knew and whether her husband characterized her as less informed than she was. Holly talks about a possible relative of Theophilus Brome.
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23 min
October 07Two Screaming Skulls
Screaming skull lore is something that is unique to Britain, though specific skull lore varies. The first episode has roots in the English Civil war, and the second is tied to colonialism in the Caribbean and the slave trade.

Research:

Berry, Helen. “Exclusion Crisis: Challenging James II’s Right to Rule.” History Today. May 5, 2026. https://www.historytoday.com/archive/feature/exclusion-crisis-challenging-james-iis-right-rule

“The Bettiscombe Skull – Pinney Family.” Bridport and Lyme Regis News. March 25, 1904. https://www.newspapers.com/image/1325106358/?match=18&terms=Azariah%20Pinney%20&search-id=f74cfd16-6d86-49a4-a9db-d190c38e3250&search-rank=1

Collinson, John. “The history and antiquities of the county of Somerset, collected from authentick records, and an actual survey made by the late Mr. Edmund Rack. Adorned with a map of the county and engravings of Roman and other reliques, town seals, baths, churches and gentlemen’s seats.” Vo. II. Bath. R. Crutwell. 1791. https://archive.org/details/bim_eighteenth-century_the-history-and-antiquit_collinson-john_1791_2/page/n1/mode/2up?q=horrid

Cooper, W.J. “Bridport’s Most Exciting Day 280 Years Ago.” Bridport and Lyme Regis News. June 11, 1965. https://www.newspapers.com/image/1325206100/?match=2&terms=Azariah%20Pinney%20&search-id=f74cfd16-6d86-49a4-a9db-d190c38e3250&search-rank=2

Davey, Tim. “A Slave to History.” Evening Post. Sept. 28, 1999. https://www.newspapers.com/image/909493603/?match=7&terms=Azariah%20Pinney%20&search-id=f74cfd16-6d86-49a4-a9db-d190c38e3250&search-rank=10

Frere, Sheppard Sunderland, et al. "United Kingdom". Encyclopedia Britannica, 16 Sep. 2026, https://www.britannica.com/place/United-Kingdom

“Higher Farmhouse.” Historic England. https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1296177?section=official-list-entry

Hubbard, Vincent K. “Swords, Ships & Sugar: History of Nevis to 1900.” Premiere Editions. 1996.

Ingram, John H. “The Haunted Homes and Family Traditions of Great Britain.” London.Gibbings. 1901. https://archive.org/details/hauntedhomesand01ingrgoog

Kelly’s Directory of Liverpool & Birkenhead, 1894. [Part 2: Birkenhead and Trade & Court Directories]. Kelly & Co. Ltd, 1894. JSTOR, https://jstor.org/stable/community.30135909

Prickett, Katy. “The Macabre Tale of Oliver Cromwell’s Head.” BBC. Nov. 17, 2024. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0j8vn2ne70o

“Screaming Skull of Bettiscombe.” Dorset Echo. Aug. 14, 1963. https://www.newspapers.com/image/1325267462/?match=1&terms=Bettiscombe%20skull&search-id=0ee431ba-ab8d-4d60-a29c-7ac53b535399&search-rank=1

Thiselton-Dyer, T. F. “Strange Pages from Family Papers.” LONDON. SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON & COMPANY. 1895. https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/17050/pg17050-images.html#CHAPTER_II

Underwood, Peter. “Ghosts of Somerset.” Bossiness Books. 2011.

Weaver, Frederic William, M.A., ed. “Notes and Queries for Somerset and Dorset. Vol. II.” Sherbourne. J.C. and A.T. Sawtell. 1891. https://archive.org/details/notesqueriesfors02brid/page/n3/mode/2up

“A West Dorset Legend.” Dorset Echo. July 24, 1953. https://www.newspapers.com/image/1194417076/?match=7&terms=Bettiscombe%20Skull&search-id=f5da8122-4471-4f76-bbb5-a9d54fce9cc6&search-rank=11

West, John. “Britain’s Haunted Skulls.” Psychic News. October 2021. https://pocketmags.com/us/psychic-news-magazine/october-2021/articles/britain-s-haunted-skulls?srsltid=AU7gw4XzpYKPL3Gr5erHXG9udfTa62VhFURg_DaM9wBGEqMGPwm4YI-G

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34 min
October 05Sara Weiss’s Journeys to the Planet Mars
Sara Weiss wrote a lengthy account of life and afterlife on Mars, a place she said she visited through psychic travels starting in 1892.

Research:

Calanchi, A. (2024). “Renewed in health”: Meeting Giordano Bruno on planet Mars. Between, 14(27), 93-109. https://doi.org/10.13125/2039-6597/5444

Crossley, Robert. “Mars and the Paranormal.” Science Fiction Studies , Nov., 2008, Vol. 35, No. 3 (Nov., 2008). Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/25475179

Daly, Liza. “Journeys to the Planet Mars (1903).” 2/23/2022. https://lizadaly.com/utopian-novels/journeys-to-the-planet-mars/

Daly, Liza. “Sara Ditto Weiss.” https://ayonmuya.org/21-biography.html

Dickey, Colin. “Sara Weiss’ Journeys to the Planet Mars (1903).” The Public Domain Review. 2/3/2026. https://publicdomainreview.org/collection/journeys-to-the-planet-mars/

“Funeral of Mrs. S. Weiss.” The St. Louis Republic (St. Louis, Mo.), March 25, 1904. Page 14.

Hennesy, Roger. “The Martian Century.” History Today. 7/7/1998. https://www.historytoday.com/archive/feature/martian-century

Hyslop, James H. “Journeys to the Planet Mars.” Journal of the American Society for Psychical Research. Vol. 7, Issue 5. 1913.

Lane, K. Maria D. “Mapping the Mars Canal Mania: Cartographic Projection and the Creation of a Popular Icon.” Imago Mundi, 2006, Vol. 58, No. 2 (2006). Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/40234145

Mason, Brian D. “The Navy’s Greatest Refractor Turns 150.” Astronomy. February 2023.

“Mrs. Sara Weiss Passes Away.” St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Page 1. 3/23/1904.

Myers, F.W.H. “The Subliminal Self.” Chapter VIII. Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research. Vol. 11. 1895. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Proceedings_of_the_Society_for_Psychical/iuZAAAAAYAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0

Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command. “26-inch ‘Great Equatorial’ telescope.” https://www.cnmoc.usff.navy.mil/Our-Commands/United-States-Naval-Observatory/Our-Telescopes/The-26-inch-Great-Equatorial-telescope/

Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command. “Our Telescopes.” https://www.cnmoc.usff.navy.mil/Our-Commands/United-States-Naval-Observatory/Our-Telescopes/

“Romance, Philosophy, Morals.” St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Page 11. 1/15/1904.

“Spirit Bands In Mars.” Boston Evening Transcript. January 06, 1904. Page 16.

Louis Post-Dispatch. “A St. Louis Woman’s Journey to Mars.” Page 52. Dec 20, 1903.

Louis Post-Dispatch. “St. Louis Woman Draws Under Spirit Influence.” 6/2/1901.

The St Louis Republic. “What the Spirits Say of Mars.” Page 41. 4/9/1899.

The St. Louis Republic. (Saint Louis, MO) 12 Dec. 1903, p. 10. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/item/sn84020274/1903-12-12/ed-1/.

The St. Louis Republic. (Saint Louis, MO) 25 Mar. 1904, p. 10. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/item/sn84020274/1904-03-25/ed-1/.

“The ‘Weiss’ Books.” Reason. August 1910.

“WEISS.” Obituary. St. Louis Globe-Democrat. Page 7. 3/24/1904.

Weiss, Sara. “Journeys to the planet Mars, or, Our mission to Ento.” The Bradford Press. 1903.

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40 min