Posts by Madeleine Muzdakis

Madeleine Muzdakis

Madeleine Muzdakis is a Contributing Writer at My Modern Met and a historian of early modern Britain & the Atlantic world. She holds a BA in History and Mathematics from Brown University and an MA in European & Russian Studies from Yale University. Madeleine has worked in archives and museums for years with a particular focus on photography and arts education. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys hiking, film photography, and studying law while cuddling with her cat Georgia.
Archeology
October 30, 2023

Family Looking for a Lost Earring Accidentally Discovers a Viking Burial

Losing an earring is frustrating; but, for one family in Norway, their search for a lost gold trinket in their backyard led to an incredible discovery. While it remains unclear whether they ever found the missing earring, the Aasvik family found something else much more exciting with the help of a metal detector. They discovered an early medieval buckle and another item that date to the Viking period, a rare 1,000-year-old find.

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Archeology
October 23, 2023

Students Use AI To Decipher Words of Ancient Scroll Burned by Mount Vesuvius

Lost libraries hold something of a mystique. The lost library of Alexandria, for example, famously burned in 48 BCE. Similarly, writings to be found in Pompeii and Herculaneum were so charred by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE that they now resumble scroll-shaped lumps of coal. However, due to the preservation effect of the layered ash, these charred remains survived to be excavated in the 18th century.

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Archeology
October 11, 2023

Archeologists Discover 1,500-Year-Old Mayan Palace in Mexico

Would you live in a magnificent palace topped with palm leaves? Approximately 1,500 years ago, a Maya ruler likely did live in this kingly manner. Excavations at the archaeological zone of Kabah, located in the Puuc region of Yucatán, Mexico, has unveiled newly discovered ruins. Known as Petenero Palace, this site is large and imposing, with intricate decoration.

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My Modern Met

Celebrating creativity and promoting a positive culture by spotlighting the best sides of humanity—from the lighthearted and fun to the thought-provoking and enlightening.