#TheMoment an ancient spearhead was unearthed on a family farm
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CBC
13 hours ago
- CBC
#TheMoment Elsa Lessard helped change the course of WW II
The National takes a moment to remember the legacy of Canadian veteran Elsa Lessard, whose work listening to German U-boat messages helped change the course of the Second World War. Lessard died Tuesday at the age of 101.
CTV News
19 hours ago
- CTV News
Medieval knight's complete skeleton discovered beneath Polish ice cream parlour
The knight's skeleton was found under an ornate tombstone. (S. Kurzyńska/ArcheoScan via CNN Newsource) Archeologists have discovered the remains of a medieval knight, buried under a shuttered ice cream parlour in the Polish city of Gdańsk. Experts have been working at the site in the historic Śródmieście (city centre) district since 2023, and initially uncovered a medieval tombstone decorated with the carved image of a knight, according to a statement from Polish archaeology firm ArcheoScan, sent to CNN on Tuesday. The tombstone was then lifted earlier in July, revealing the complete skeleton of an adult male, thought to have lived around the 13th or 14th century. The find is of 'exceptional significance' and 'one of the most important archaeological discoveries in Poland in recent years,' Sylwia Kurzyńska, archeologist and director of ArcheoScan, said in the statement. Polish knight The knight was far taller than the average person at the time. (S. Kurzyńska/ArcheoScan via CNN Newsource) The tombstone is made from Gotland limestone, which was highly prized in the Middle Ages, and the relief depicts a knight sporting chainmail armor and mail leggings, with a sword and a shield. The slab measures around 150 centimetres (4' 11') in length, and important details of the artwork can still be seen, despite the fact that it is partially damaged. 'The tombstone is remarkably well preserved, considering it was carved from soft limestone and lay underground for centuries,' said Kurzyńska. 'The knight is shown standing upright with an uplifted sword — a posture likely symbolizing authority and elevated social status,' she added. This marks the tombstone out from the vast majority of late medieval sepulchral art, which tended to be limited to inscribed epitaphs, heraldic panels or Christian crosses, according to Kurzyńska. 'Only a small fraction included depictions of the deceased — and among these, most were simplified engravings on flat slabs designed for church floor use,' she added. It is also unusual in that both the artwork and its archeological context remain intact. Polish knight The tombstone, pictured in situ (S. Kurzyńska/ArcheoScan via CNN Newsource) After lifting the stone, archeologists found the remains of a man who stood 170-180 centimetres (5' 7' - 5' 11') tall, far larger than the medieval average, according to Kurzyńska. The bones were arranged naturally, confirming that the tombstone marked the original burial site, and preliminary analysis indicates 'excellent preservation,' she said. 'Although no grave goods were found, all available evidence suggests that the deceased was a person of high social standing — most likely a knight or commander held in particularly high esteem and respect,' said Kurzyńska. The grave was part of a cemetery housing almost 300 burials, which was attached to the oldest known church in Gdańsk. The church was built from oak found to have been felled in 1140, and was located in an early medieval stronghold occupied from the late 11th century to the early 14th century, according to the statement. 'This was a place of power, faith, and burial — a space of symbolic and strategic significance in the history of Gdańsk,' said Kurzyńska. Polish Knight The site was part of an early medieval stronghold. (S. Kurzyńska/ArcheoScan via CNN Newsource) The latest find 'offers an invaluable source of knowledge about the lives and deaths of Gdańsk's military elite in the 13th and 14th centuries, about medieval funerary traditions, and about cross-Baltic cultural connections,' she added. Experts are now working on further analysis of both the tombstone and the skeleton. The stone slab is being cleaned and stabilized so that it can be documented and 3D scanned to allow for the digital reconstruction of missing fragments, while the skeleton will undergo anthropological and genetic analysis to reveal more about the knight's life, and a facial reconstruction will be made based on the skull. By Jack Guy, CNN
CBC
2 days ago
- CBC
Hundreds of Quebec children could lose subsidized daycare spots over eligibility confusion
Quebec's Family Ministry recently informed daycare operators that children of immigrants with open work permits are not eligible for subsidized daycare, despite these families having been able to secure spots for years.
