History

January 29, 2021

A Brief History of Ballet From European Courts to Modern Dance

Every winter, millions flock to see The Nutcracker, perhaps the most famous ballet of all time. Ballet's beginnings actually began centuries before little Clara began capturing hearts as she flew through a world of sweets with her gallant nutcracker. While the oldest ballets performed today date from the 19th century, choreographed dances in a style known as ballet were actually performed in the Italian Renaissance.

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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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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.