Latest news with #historicaldiscovery
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Archaeologists make shocking discovery after accessing room that had been sealed up for 300 years
For the last three centuries, this dark, dusty chamber has been sealed shut. Hidden beneath a castle in Halych, western Ukraine, the mysterious room was buried beneath 150 cubic metres of soil and debris. It is believed the room was covered by a section of wall that collapsed when the castle was bombarded by canons in 1676. In 2023, experts discovered a small ventilation shaft leading to the hidden chamber. Now, after years of delicate excavation work, archaeologists have finally been able to access it. Initial theories suggest that the chamber served as a casemate – an arsenal, or vault for safeguarding precious belongings during times of conflict. But to add to the mystery, a small gap in one of the chamber's walls indicates the presence of a tunnel, or possibly a network of underground tunnels long associated with local legend. One tells of a girl who escaped through the tunnels with her lover, aided by her maid who bribed the castle guards. The building, called Galician Castle – or Starasta Castle – was originally founded in the 12th century as a wooden fortification built on a rocky outcrop overlooking the Dniester River. In the mid-14th century it was rebuilt in stone by Casimir III the Great and, later, in the early 17th century it was redesigned by an architect. It was Vladimir Oleynik, Director General of the Ancient Galich National Reserve, who first announced the discovery of a ventilation shaft two years ago. He believes the collapsed wall likely dates to the Turkish-Polish War of 1676, when Halych was attacked by forces who used a cannon to destroy the castle's defensive walls and towers. 'This part of the castle had been completely cut off since the explosion,' Mr Oleynik told Heritage Daily. 'No heavy machinery could be used, so it was all done manually to preserve the archaeological integrity.' While work is ongoing, public access to the excavation site remains restricted. Archaeologists hope that further exploration will provide deeper insights into the hidden history of one of Ukraine's most legendary fortresses. In 2018 experts unearthed mysterious tar decorations scrawled on the bones of a woman buried along the river Dniester. The burial ritual, unlike anything ever seen in Europe, is thought to have taken place after the woman had died and decomposed 4,500 years ago. This allowed ancient people to draw directly on her bones – likely using tar obtained from wood.
The Independent
3 days ago
- The Independent
Tourists find 200-year-old human remains at beachfront property
Tourists have found 200-year-old human remains, including a skull, at a South Carolina beachfront property. The tourists had been exploring an area of Edisto Island, south of Charleston, when they found what was initially thought to be fossils, according to the Colleton County Sheriff's Office. When the visitors had a closer look, and realized the remains appeared to be human, they called police. 'Early indications suggest the remains may originate from a long forgotten burial site,' the sheriff's office said in a press release. The sheriff's office said the property is 'historically significant' and was a settlement called Edingsville Beach in the 1800s. The Colleton County Coroner's office recovered the remains which have since been taken to the Medical University of South Carolina 'for forensic analysis and identification,' the sheriff's office said. Coroner Rich Harvey told Newsweek the discovery is 'rare' and the remains, which include a skull and separated bones, 'could be from [the] Revolutionary War [or] Civil War." Edingsville Beach was a popular travel destination for wealthy Charleston families in the first half of the 19th century, according to The settlement included 60 houses, multiple churches, a billiard saloon, a schoolhouse and other buildings for people's fishing and boating needs. But the lavish beach was ruined by erosion, and it went uninhabited during the Civil War. The war devastated the plantation economy, which bankrupted many and forced them to abandon their summer homes. The settlement was later inhabited by Black sharecroppers and farmers, until a hurricane in 1885 destroyed most of the remaining homes, leaving only a few still standing. After the storm, the settlement was abandoned.
The Sun
15-05-2025
- General
- The Sun
Cheap $27 ‘copy' of historic Magna Carta is revealed to be an ORIGINAL worth 78,000x more
A CHEAP copy of the monumental Magna Carta bought by Harvard University for $27 is actually an original worth a whopping $21million (£16million). The jaw-dropping revelation came after two researchers analysed the "print" - but realised it was in fact a rare version of the document issued by Edward I. 8 8 8 The original Magna Carta established in 1215 famously stated that the King is subject to law. The landmark charter, intended to make peace between King John and rebel barons in the 13th century, has formed the basis of constitutions globally. Until now, it was believed that there were only four copies of the 1215 original and just six copies of the 1300 version. But the groundbreaking discovery has now changed that fact - bringing the total amount of 1300 copies to seven. Professor of medieval history at King's College London David Carpenter said his reaction was one of "amazement, and in a way, awe". He had been searching the Harvard Law School Library website in December 2023 when he found the digitised document. The researcher said: "First, I'd found one of the most rare documents and most significant documents in world constitutional history. 'But secondly, of course, it was astonishment that Harvard had been sitting on it for all these years without realizing what it was.' Carpenter then teamed up with Nicholas Vincent, a professor of medieval history at the University of East Anglia to analyse and confirm the document's origin. Comparing it wit six other authentic copies from 1300, they made the shocking discovery that the dimensions matched up. Moment elderly Just Stop Oil eco-zealots use hammer & chisel to smash glass around Magna Carta The pair then turned to images Harvard librarians created using ultraviolet light and spectral imaging. This technology helps to highlight details on faded documents which are not perceivable to the naked eye. With these images, they compared the text word-for-word and handwriting which included a large capital "E" at the start of "Edwardus". Although the first version 1250 was annulled, the charter was reissued in 1300 by Edward I. It promised protection of church rights, limits on taxes and access to impartial justice. Four of its clauses, including the guarantee of fair legal process, have survived and are still enshrined in law to this day. 8 8 8 Carpenter said the 1300 edition of Magna Carta was "different from the previous versions in a whole series of small ways and the changes are found in every single one". Harvard needed a copy that could prove authenticity, and Carpenter said they passed this test 'with flying colours'. The tattered and faded copy is now worth millions of dollars - a 1297 version of the Magna Carta sold at auction for $21.3million in 2007. But Harvard have no plans to sell it now. The mysterious journey it took to end up in the hands of the university was uncovered mainly by Vincent, who traced it back to the former parliamentary borough of Appleby in Westmorland, England. The Harvard Law School library purchased the "copy" in 1946 from a London-based book dealer for a mere $27.50. It was wrongly dated as a 1327 version when it was bought. What is the Magna Carta? by Harvey Geh The Magna Carta, signed in 1215, was a landmark English document that limited the king's power and established the principle that everyone, including the monarch, is subject to the law. It sought to prevent the king from exploiting his power, and placed limits of royal authority by establishing law as a power in itself. The first version of Magna Carta was issued in 1215 at Runnymede - a field by the River Thames between Windsor and Staines, during a political crisis and uprising against the king. Sealed charters granting rights were issued by lords and kings, but this one was unique because it came from a rebellion by England's leading nobles. Magna Carta means Great Charter in Latin. The document contained a total of 63 different clauses, setting out rules concerning land ownership, taxes and legal rights. The researcher then determined the document was sent to an auction house in 1945 via a World War pilot. War hero Forester Maynard inherited the archives from Thomas and John Clarkson - leading campaigners against the slave trade. Thomas Clarkson had become friends with William Lowther, hereditary lord of the manor of Appleby. Vincent speculates the lord gave the document to Clarkson. The researcher said there was "a chain of connection there, as it were, a smoking gun" but there lacked clear proof that it was the Appleby Magna Carta. "But it seems to me very likely that it is," he said. Vincent still wants to find a letter or other documentation confirming the Magna Carta was given to Thomas Clarkson. The two researchers will visit Harvard in June to see its Magna Carta firsthand. 8 8
Sky News
15-05-2025
- General
- Sky News
Magna Carta 'copy' miscatalogued in 1940s found to be original
An issue of the Magna Carta, which was wrongly catalogued as a copy in the 1940s, has been identified as original. Harvard Law School Library bought what it thought was a stained and faded copy of the document from London book dealers Sweet & Maxwell in 1946 for 27 dollars and 50 cents. The book dealers had acquired it at a Sotheby's auction a month earlier from a First World War pilot for £42. It was wrongly dated as being made in 1327 under King Edward III. But two researchers have now found that the "copy" is a rare original from 1300 issued by King Edward I and is worth millions of dollars, although Harvard does not intend to sell it. David Carpenter, a professor of medieval history at King's College London, was studying online copies of the Magna Carta in December 2023 when he realised the version he was looking at on Harvard's website might be an original. A detailed comparison of text and other tests were carried out on the Harvard document, which confirmed that the "copy" was an original issue of the Magna Carta. The Magna Carta was originally established in 1215 under King John and outlined the rights of ordinary people under common law for the first time. It has since formed the basis of constitutions worldwide. There are four copies of the 1215 issue and seven of the 1300 version, including Harvard's original. One version sold at auction in 2007 fetched more than $21.3m (£10m at the time) at Sotheby's in New York. "My reaction was one of amazement and, in a way, awe that I should have managed to find a previously unknown Magna Carta," Mr Carpenter said about the "fantastic discovery". He said he was also astonished "that Harvard had been sitting on it for all these years without realising what it was". Mr Carpenter continued: "Harvard's Magna Carta deserves celebration, not as some mere copy, stained and faded, but as an original of one of the most significant documents in world constitutional history, a cornerstone of freedoms past, present and yet to be won." He teamed up with Nicholas Vincent, professor of medieval history at the University of East Anglia, to confirm the authenticity of the Harvard document. Mr Vincent said Harvard's Magna Carta is the 25th known surviving original: "The 1300 issue is the last time it was issued as a single sheet document under the king's seal as an official endorsement of the settlement of Magna Carta."
