The Witch Stone of Great Leighs in Great Leighs, England
St Anne’s Castle, in Great Leighs, Essex, is supposedly the oldest licensed inn in the country. Though, due to a devastating fire, the current building is less than 100 years old, an inn on the site is recorded in The…
Experimenting with Natural Dyes from Home to Learn More About Ancient Life
The onions, avocados, and herbs sat in the fridge, neatly packed in baggies that disguised their colorful potential. Each of these unsuspecting items could be used to dye fabrics. I am a conservator of ancient art, so the use, production,…
The Utilitarian Pleasures of Playing Board Games By Yourself
Brandon Waite was packing up after an evening playing board games with his friends when he noticed “1 to 4 players” written on the side of one of the boxes. Just like that, he stumbled onto the idea of playing…
Boys’ poor reading skills might help explain higher education gender gap
Researchers at the University of Missouri and the University of Essex in the United Kingdom found boys’ poor reading skills in adolescence, combined with the social attitudes about women attending college, can help explain why fewer men than women enroll…
Baking Bread the Roman Way
This fresco from the house of Julia Felix in Pompeii shows traditional round loaves with eight tear-off wedges. On the far left are two broken-off pieces. Fresco of Panis Quadratus, or Panis Siligineusm from Ancient History Encyclopedia, Farrell Monaco. Last…
Video: What Is Intaglio Printmaking? And Other Useful Terms
An intaglio print is an image printed on paper from a copperplate. An artist can incise, or cut, a design onto the surface of the copperplate. When ink is applied to the plate, it is held in the incisions and…