Stunning ancient art discovered in ruins of destroyed palace

October 31, 2022
by RJ Hamster

Monday, October 31, 2022

In today’s newsletter, we cover a surprise discovery amid a palace’s ruins, learn what doctors didn’t tell you about COVID, examine a mother’s courage in the Emmett Till murder … and explore the sudden fall of an anti-immigrant party in the U.S. Plus, Happy Halloween—Vampire-killing in Europe, and what you need to know about the Day of the Dead.

PHOTOGRAPH BY ZAID AL-OBEIDI, AFP/GETTY

Ninevah once was the biggest city in the world—and a center of stunning, rule-breaking art. Then it became a target—first pillaged by Babylonians and, more recently, pummeled by the Islamic State.

But seven awe-inspiring works have been uncovered by archaeologists digging around the ruins of an ancient palace gate destroyed by ISIS in 2016. The gypsum panels (one shown above), found behind a sealed door underground, had not been seen since the palace was sacked 2,634 years ago.

The discovery brings joy to those recovering from the horror of ISIS. There is no way, says one art and archaeological specialist, “that you can erase all that history.”

Read the full story here.

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PHOTOGRAPH BY MICHAEL DANTI

Everlasting story: This slab buried on its side, like the other art just discovered, tells an ancient story. This work depicts Assyrian archers; the conical pattern in the background indicates they are in a hilly or mountainous environment. Read more.

STORIES WE’RE FOLLOWING

PHOTOGRAPH BY TIMOTHY FADEK/CORBIS/GETTY IMAGES

When Europe went wild with fear over vampires (pictured above, a vampire-killing kit from 1840)

The swift rise of the often-fatal RSV virus—and the hopes a treatment will soon be available

What doctors didn’t tell you about COVID and its vaccines

These remote Inca ruins rival Macchu Picchu

Why did this violence-inciting, anti-immigrant U.S. political party suddenly disappear?

The wild 300-year-old legend of the Jersey Devil

What Earth would look like if all the ice melted

The secret Greek cults that changed the idea of the afterlife

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

PHOTOGRAPH VIA CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, AP PHOTO

Never forget: Mamie Till (pictured above) did not want the world to forget the brutal lynching of her young son, Emmett. She ordered that his casket be opened at the funeral, so that all could witness the brutality of a gang of white men in Mississippi. The murder—and Mamie Till’s bravery—helped spur the civil rights movement and is the subject of a new movie, Nat Geo reports.

LEGACY

PHOTO OF THE DAY

PHOTOGRAPH BY JODI COBB, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION

The Day of the Dead: As Halloween turns into the Day of the Dead, here’s what you need to know (beyond the beloved movie Coco) about this marigold-laden holiday that dominates Mexico, Central America, and parts of the U.S. The festive image above, recently part of our Photos of the Day archival collection, shows a ghoulish taxi rider wrapped in gauze. See more Halloween-Day of the Dead images here.

BOO!

Readers, a staggering number of pumpkins end up in landfills. How do you avoid pumpkin waste—compost them, eat the seeds, make a pie or bread? Let us know at sarah.gibbens@natgeo.com — and Happy Halloween!

Today’s newsletter was curated and edited by Jen Tse, Sydney Combs, Heather Kim, and David Beard. Got an idea? Send feedback to david.beard@natgeo.com. Happy trails!

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The Evening Sun: Affirmative Action Makes What Might Be Its Last Stand

RJ Hamster

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Stunning ancient art discovered in ruins of destroyed palace

Stunning ancient art discovered in ruins of destroyed palace

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