History

January 21, 2021

This Is the Oldest Known Photograph of a U.S. Presidential Inauguration

If you tuned in to the 2021 inauguration ceremony, you saw monochromatic outfits with matching face masks, a Hunger Games-esque ensemble from Lady Gaga, a meme-worthy pose from Bernie Sanders, and so much more. Like all recent inaugurations, countless photos were taken to honor this historic day. It was not always so easy to capture the crowds and excitement of the swearing-in of a new president, though.

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January 15, 2021

This 45,000-Year-Old Warty Pig Cave Painting May Be the Oldest Known Animal Art

There is arguably nothing that makes us feel more connected to early humans than the innate desire to create art—namely to create art about the life around us, and we're still discovering these thousand-year works of art. In fact, researchers have recently uncovered a painting dating back 45,500 years, depicting the world’s oldest known figurative piece of art. The painting was found in Leang Tedongnge, a cave on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi.

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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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December 25, 2020

Explore and Learn About Christmas Traditions Around the World

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care…but not if you live in the UK. British children traditionally hang their stockings at the foot of their bed, unlike most Americans who observe the holiday. Such Christmas traditions vary by culture, faith, and geography. While American Christmas holds increasingly commercial sway over much of the world, fascinating and ancient ways of celebrating can be found wherever the faithful or the secular celebrate this winter holiday.

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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.