This is the Oldest Family Tree in the World

Long barrows are the earliest great monuments of the British Isles. They could be over 100m/330ft long and there are hundreds of them, dating from 3800 BC.

But what were they? But who built them? Why did they put so much effort into making them?

And what can the latest studies on ancient DNA tell us, about the family relationships of the people buried inside them and the societies that they lived in?

This is the story of the mysterious Long Barrows of Neolithic Britain.

England's Virgin Queen: Her Story & Facial Reconstructions Revealed

Elizabeth I lived a life of tremendous ups and downs. In her 69 years, she was at one point a bastard Princess, a prisoner, and a glorious monarch - ruling as a woman in her own right. Elizabeth was one of the most astute rulers England ever had. So what did she really look like? In today’s video, we’ll explore her life, history, and true appearance. We’ll discuss which portraits of her may be the most accurate, her resemblance to her mother Anne Boleyn, and of course reveal some re-creations.

History & Facial Reconstructions of the Celtic Rebel & British Hero

Meet the woman who gathered the largest army the Roman Empire ever faced.

Boudica was the Queen of the Iceni tribe, located in what is now Norfolk, England. She led an uprising of Celtic tribes after the Romans pillaged her town, and raped her daughters. Although she was eventually defeated, she remains a British folk hero to this day.

But what's most mysterious is her appearance. Boudica’s grave and body have never been found.

The only physical description we have to work from comes from Roman Historian Cassius Dio, although he was writing over a hundred years after her death:

"In stature she was very tall, in appearance most terrifying, in the glance of her eye most fierce, and her voice was harsh; a great mass of the tawniest hair fell to her hips; around her neck was a large golden necklace; and she wore a tunic of diverse colors over which a thick mantle was fastened with a brooch…"

We’ve created Boudica’s appearance based on what we know - she was in her late twenties or early thirties when she died. She would have classic Celtic-Briton features, which are all backed up by the description given by Dio - she would be tall, with light coloring - red or blonde hair, blue eyes, and pale skin. Common Celtic-Briton facial features are a high forehead, defined cheekbones, narrow nose, and eyebrows that lay close to the eyes.

The Celts are not a unified people, so different tribes would have different traditions. But overall, the Celts were a very decorated people - they loved brightly colored clothing, woven with wool and dyed with natural dyes. Actually, Celtic outfits were so colorful that the Romans often remarked upon it, which is probably why Dio mentions it in his description of Boudica.

The design of the garments would be something like a Roman tunic.

Dio also mentions this large gold necklace that she wears - and he’s talking about a Torc - this thick gold ring worn around the neck. There are dozens of archaeological examples of these.

Despite romantic depictions of Boudica as a painted warrior queen, she probably never wore the blue face paint called woad, although she may have worn eyeliner or other makeup.

We know her hair was long and tawny - although Romans use this term loosely, most assume she had red or red-gold hair. Celtic women would decorate their hair with braids or twists, as well as beads or bits of metal. The warriors would sometimes use chalk-lime to bleach or decorate their hair, although we aren’t sure if Boudica did this.

So while a definitive likeness of Boudica is no longer possible, this is a reliable depiction of what a Celtic Queen from Roman-Era Britain could have looked like!

2,500-year-old bronze artefacts found in eastern Poland

A metal detectorist has uncovered a hoard of bronze artefacts during a survey in the village of Czernięcin Poduchowny, eastern Poland.

The discovery was made by Łukasz Jabłoński, a licensed detectorist who notified authorities at the Provincial Office for the Protection of Monuments in Lublin.

A total of 13 bronze artefacts dating from 2,500-years-ago have been located, including pins for clothing, shin guards, and bracelets which are associated with the Lusatian Culture.

The Lusatian Culture emerged during the Late Bronze Age and expanded their territories across most of present-day Poland, parts of the Czech Republic, Slovakia, eastern Germany and western Ukraine during the Early Iron Age.

The New Discovery in Egypt That Scares Scientists

In the realm of ancient wonders, Egypt has once again unveiled a revelation that has sent shockwaves through the scientific world. Prepare to be enraptured as we venture into the depths of this enigmatic discovery, shrouded in mystery, poised to ignite our imagination and forever etch its secrets into the annals of history. From the 4300-year-old mummy to the first full-color complete mummy portraits, today, we embark on a captivating exploration of the 15 strangest things recently discovered in Egypt.

Scientists Claim This Is Why The Byzantine Empire Collapsed – And Humans Today Should Be Scared

Even though the Roman Empire was one of the world's greatest civilizations, that did not stop it from falling apart. What's more, albeit roman culture figured out how to live on inside the Byzantine Realm, this powerful realm would likewise happen to disintegrate ultimately. Therefore, what is preventing our societies from suffering the same fate? According to scientists, not much, although it is possible that the same threat that was believed to have decimated the Byzantines may still exist today. Watch the video for more!

The 6,000-year-old Lovers of Valdaro discovered in a Neolithic tomb

Discovered in a Neolithic tomb in Italy, the Lovers of Valdaro are a pair of skeletons that have been holding each other for 6,000 years.

In 2007, a team of archaeologists discovered a tomb near Mantua in the region of Lombardy, Italy. Inside, they found a pair of skeletons lying face to face, their bodies intertwined as if holding each other in a “lovers’ embrace.”

Photos of the skeleton couple quickly circulated throughout the media — and the fact that the Lovers of Valdaro, as they came to be known, were discovered just before Valentine’s Day made the story especially resonant.

For many, the positioning of the bodies called to mind the story of Romeo and Juliet, star-crossed lovers who met an untimely and tragic end. As archaeologists examined the Valdaro Lovers, they made a number of curious discoveries.

How the BLACK DEATH affects YOU! How the Black Death has affected our DNA

WHY did some people survive the BLACK DEATH when others did not and how is arguably the most famous plague in history still affecting us today? In this video we’re going to look at this medieval disaster, which swept through Europe and parts of Asia in the 14th century and hear how new research shows how one of the long-term effects of the Black Death has affected our DNA so that it is still protecting and harming us, even now.

We’ll start with a history of the Black Death, which was caused by the yersinia pestis bacterium and spread to humans by a mixture of rats and fleas. We’ll then look at how the Black Death was spread, the symptoms of the Black Death, famous victims of the Black Death and how many people died from the Black Death, for its mortality rate was so high that it is considered by many to be the most deadly plague in history. We’ll also learn why was it called the Black Death and spoiler alert, it has nothing to do with the symptoms of the disease. After this overview we’ll look at research released in 2022 and based on a scientific study of hundreds of skeletons of victims of the Black Death from England and Denmark which shows that those with a particular trait in their DNA were 40% more likely to survive it (and pass on their stronger genes to later generations). This would make the pestilence one of the most important natural selection events in human history, but that this genetic quirk also makes modern possessors of it more likely to succumb to certain auto-immune diseases.

Museum exhibit in Norway reveals new details on Neanderthals

No one knows what happened when we, Homo sapiens, first encountered the Neanderthals. But we know we met.

We know that for thousands of years we lived side by side in Europe and Asia. And we know we had children together. So you’re probably carrying around a bit of Neanderthal DNA.

Kind of cool to be part Neanderthal, don’t you think? It’s not as strange an idea as you might think.

Discovered huge dinosaur bone store stuck in the Sahara desert

There are 20 tons of dinosaur bones covered in sand in the south-central Sahara.

Sereno and his team uncover a sail-backed dinosaur called an ouranosaurus in Niger in 2018. (Matthew Irving)

Reptiles with wings exist. a being that resembles a dog with armor. There are eleven unidentified species, all of which have lengthy necks. According to scientists, they roamed the desert up to 200 million years ago, when it was still green.

A world-class display in Niger has long been envisioned thanks to one of Africa's largest fossil caches, a prehistoric cemetery. The unique find is at risk from sand dunes that are collapsing and looters. However, excavation must be postponed while the country deals with a second wave of the coronavirus in addition to growing Islamist insurgencies.

Boubé Adamou, an archaeologist at the Institute for Research in Human Sciences in the nation's capital, Niamey, who assisted in the discovery of the treasure, remarked, "This is our cultural identity." But saving the lives of the living comes first.

About twice the area of France and made up primarily of desert, Niger has long been known for its dinosaur wealth. Many bones can be seen poking through the sand. In order to access what scientists refer to as the continent's most diversified collection of extinct giants, paleontologists must endure a scorching trip through bandit country.

Foreign explorers have received the most of the credit for these remains throughout history. Even now, for both practical and aggravating reasons, the country's dinosaurs tend to migrate to Europe or North America. Richer nations provide temperature-controlled chambers to stop bones from breaking. Termites have infected Niger's premier museum.

Sereno brushes sand off a skull cap, part of a burial some 8,000 years old. The bones belonged to people who lived in the Sahara when it was green, he said. (Matthew Irving)

Before the pandemic, leaders were working to restore such cultural infrastructure. They desired a long-lasting location for their scattered findings.

Mahamadou Ouhoumoudou, the chief of staff to the president of Niger, stated that "we need to make it so that everything that has been taken from us can be returned."

Paul Sereno, a well-known University of Chicago paleontologist whose decades-long explorations in Niger have contributed nine species to the catalog of dinosaur species, collaborated with local experts.

Two new museums, one in the capital and one in the desert region of Agadez, were the result of a collaborative partnership. Sereno's discoveries, which are currently housed at his laboratory in Chicago, would be stored there, along with whatever the upcoming generation of explorers found in the soil of Niger.

Sereno observed, generally speaking, "The best place for priceless specimens in any country is on display. Everyone is aware of their location. They're well-known. They develop into treasures."

The land has already been designated by Niger. The NigerHeritage project is expected to cost tens of millions of dollars. Officials reported that international donors including the World Bank expressed interest.

Sereno's team found 20 tons of dinosaur bones in Niger's Agadez region over a series of trips in 2018 and 2019. (Matthew Irving)

However, when the epidemic broke out, planning came to a halt, and now 20 tons of bone are lying in the midst of the Sahara.

Unintentional discovery

The beginning of the dinosaur saga in Niger was another secret graveyard.

Early in the 1960s, French nuclear energy agency prospectors were searching for uranium in the Ténéré wilderness when they came across a massive, bluish-stone object.

French paleontologist Philippe Taquet quickly determined that they were the vertebral columns of a dinosaur.

He had never gone on a fossil expedition when he was 24 years old and fresh out of college. But he was dusting off a new species just a few days after joining the prospectors.

Taquet described the incident in his 1994 memoir, writing, "There is a place on this Earth where, simply by hopping out of your car, you risk suddenly finding yourself nose to nose with a dinosaur."

Although the French team had government approval to excavate, until the late 1980s there were no rules preventing foreigners from collecting dinosaurs from Niger. In the US, France, and Italy, some bones found their way into the hands of private collectors. Others wound up at London's British Museum.

The Ténéré fossils were sent back to Niamey by Taquet after he investigated them in France; they are still housed in wooden crates at the National Museum.

A member of Sereno's team cleans rock from a 60-foot dinosaur. (Matthew Irving)

The Frenchman's efforts gave Sereno's group a route to follow. To make fresh discoveries, scientists and armed escorts in Land Rovers heed local advice: For large teeth, go this route.

Over the course of a series of journeys covering around 1,000 km in 2018 and 2019, the researchers cataloged hundreds of bones in Agadez. They were led by a man riding a moped to a massive spinosaurus, also known as a "spine lizard."

"It's everything, everywhere in Niger," Sereno declared. In actuality, it's excessive.

The specimens' excavation took several months. They span all geological time periods, including mammals, humans, and dinosaurs. One Neolithic woman wore an ivory bracelet even now. Before being given names, the 11 new dinosaur species must first undergo peer assessment.

Each skeleton was given a temporary plaster covering by Sereno's team. To cover them, they brushed sand over the top. They hoped that anything sticking out would be mistaken for rocks by onlookers.

Paleontologists frequently rebury dig sites before coming back with moving trucks. But for at least a year, that process has been halted by the pandemic.

Niger has sent soldiers to guard the expanse from looters. Bandits are known to roam those parts, while extremist groups typically operate hundreds of miles south. Nomads are also keeping an eye on the dinosaurs, periodically texting Sereno with updates.

Locations of fossil discoveries

So far, no one has reported a theft or sand avalanche.

“I have my fingers crossed that the wind god is on my side,” Sereno said, “and things will look the same in a year.”

‘We can’t keep them like this’

One of the world's poorest nations must shoulder a significant burden in order to preserve dinosaurs. It became harder due to the pandemic. Leaders are juggling issues that are more urgent.

Extremist group attacks increased at this time. On January 2 2021, Islamic State fighters carried out the worst ambush in recent memory, murdering at least 100 people in two villages in the southwest.

The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project reports that during 2019 and 2020, the number of Nigeriens killed in such violence more than doubled. Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State affiliates have used a sense of despondency to expand their ranks throughout West Africa ever since extremists seized control of the neighboring country of Mali nearly ten years ago.

Sereno's team collects the surface fragments of a dinosaur. (Matthew Irving)

"We need education, services, and jobs that support young people," said Moulaye Hassane, director of the violent extremism program at the National Center for Strategic and Security Studies in Niamey. "In that sense, dinosaurs and tourism could be great for Niger."

At the National Museum in Niamey, resolve for that aim is present even though it is shaken.

Crates labeled "FRAGILE" contain pieces of Taquet's early discoveries that are on the tile floor. Brooms, some rope, and a toilet brush are placed nearby. Termite cracks can be seen in the walls.

Director of the museum Haladou Mamane said, "We can't keep them like way.

In the past, visitor traffic generated $370 on average per day. People posed with replicas of the long-necked jobaria and sail-backed suchomimus dinosaurs, which Sereno found in the 1990s.

The seasoned Sahara rover is aware of what is still undiscovered. He was traveling with Sereno when he went to the restroom and came across a 10,000-year-old human skull.

Old pals Mamane and Amadou discussed taking back their national heritage. There would be vaccines. Travel limitations would be loosened. They hoped that the coronavirus would decline.

Adamou remarked that dinosaurs were more valuable than uranium, oil, or anything like. They are welcome here.

Paleontologists in Agadez usually travel after dawn and near dusk with the help of a GPS device and local guides. (Matthew Irving)

The typical threats were manageable for him. Since 2008, when bandits raided his caravan, the researcher has never gone fossil hunting without a rifle.

Reasonable risk. A priceless reward.

The prospect of the dinosaurs from Niger being at last at home makes him grin.

Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/...

Forbidden Confucius Quotes Filled With Wisdom That Inspire And Motivate

Wise quotes from Confucius have been helping people all over the world to live in harmony with nature for many centuries. Confucius lived at the turn of the 4th-6th centuries. The best quotes and aphorisms of Confucius are like diamond thoughts. The wise sayings of Confucius influenced many great figures, conquerors, scholars and ordinary people. The wisdom that Confucianism keeps in itself is cherished not only by the Chinese, but also by other peoples around the world.

The great wisdom of Confucius will help you strengthen your character, find peace and become a wise person.

The Irish DNA Story

In the video below we will analyze the Irish DNA story. Watch the video to find out more!

What Just Appeared In The Grand Canyon SHOCKED Scientists!

Today, rumors reverberate throughout the world, all emanating from the heart of the Grand Canyon—an iconic wonder transformed into a confusing riddle that has perplexed even the most seasoned experts. A mystery has emerged among the formerly calm beauty, evading explanation and leaving the globe in amazement. What lurks within the Grand Canyon's depths, provoking such intense curiosity? Today, let's go into the unknown, unraveling the unfathomable and searching for solutions.

In northwest Arizona, the Colorado River cuts through a canyon that is over a mile deep. Forty distinct sedimentary layers, including rocks that are a mind-boggling 1.8 billion years old, have been exposed to its erosive effect. Watching the flaming sun fade into the starry night as the purple shadows of dusk fall is a sight to behold.