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.
Wildlife Photography
January 8, 2021

Rare Sighting of a White Moose in the Swedish Woods [Interview]

A beautiful white moose has been spotted roaming the forests of Sweden along the Norway border. Wildlife photographer and Nikon Ambassador Roger Brendhagen happened to catch this rare creature on camera in its beautiful natural surroundings. The experienced Swedish photographer is no stranger to encountering unique wild creatures; he has spent his career documenting the beautiful, unusual, and endangered species of habitats around the world.

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History
January 1, 2021

Discovery of a 9,000 Year-Old Burial of a Female Hunter Challenges Prehistoric Gender Roles

It is common knowledge that our prehistoric ancestors were hunters and gatherers. Men stalked game while women collected edible plants—or so the accepted story goes. A new paper published in Science Advances upends this accepted division of gendered labor. In 2018, a team of anthropologists discovered an important 9,000-year-old grave at Wilamaya Patjxa, a site in the Peruvian Andes.

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Music
December 19, 2020

1970s Italian Singer’s English-Sounding Gibberish Song Is Becoming a Hit… Again!

The 1970s was a golden age for American music. Listeners and performers all over the world were influenced by the styles of American artists—despite the language barriers. Among the fans of English-speaking performers was the Italian singer Adriano Celentano. He composed a peppy song entitled Prisencolinensinainciusol to sound like contemporary American soft rock in the English language.

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History
December 12, 2020

What Did the Romans Eat and Drink? Learn About Dining and Diets in the Ancient Empire

Have you ever wondered what the ancient Romans ate? After all, their lavish banquets are legendary, but the focus on the ultra-elite obscures a wider Roman culinary tradition. The diets and dining habits of everyday people throughout the Roman Empire varied greatly. Many provinces adapted their pre-Roman cuisines to take advantage of new trade networks within the empire. Italian wine was drunk in Gaul while grain from Northern Africa supplied populations across the Mediterranean.

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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.