Giant buried ship may be Viking find of the century

RJ Hamster

1 year ago

THE VIKING SHIP UNDER THE POTATO FIELD

Wednesday, March 15, 2023

In today’s newsletter, we catch a Viking discovery in Norway, witness thinning Arctic sea ice, learn positive thinking’s real benefits … and stare upward at Britain’s dark sky park.

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY NIKU

Just six inches below a potato field in Norway, ground-penetrating radar revealed a shocking discovery: the ghostly outline of a 60-foot-long wooden ship (pictured above).

The 1,200-year-old vessel may be one of the largest Viking burial ships ever recovered—and is the first ship to be dug up in more than a century. What secrets of Scandinavian warlords—and their preparations for the afterlife—have been uncovered?

Read the full story here.

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STORIES WE’RE FOLLOWING

PHOTOGRAPH BY DUNCAN SCOBIE

Explore the moon, the stars, and human history in Britain’s new dark sky park (Pictured, star trails above Mên-an-Tol)

Yes! Positive thinking can prolong your life

Here’s why the seasons feel… off

Reduce inflammation with these foods

‘Miss Unsinkable’ survived death at sea—thrice

Here’s what we know about Jesus’ tomb

Fail, Caesar: What are the Ides of March?

How can you tell if a person is lying? Science has these ‘tells’

PHOTO OF THE DAY

PHOTOGRAPH BY @PAOLOVERZONE

Billion-dollar baby: How much would it cost to create a museum fit for a pharaoh? The Egyptians said $1 billion—and that’s exactly what they spent. A geneticist (pictured above) collects DNA samples from an unidentified boy mummy found in Pharaoh Amenhotep II‘s tomb.

See inside the billion-dollar museum.

SECRETS OF THE MUSEUM

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

PHOTOGRAPH BY KEITH LADZINSKI, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION

‘What soil is for the forest’: That’s how foundational sea ice is to the Arctic. But now its once formidable ridges are flatter, the ice itself thinner. That makes life more difficult for creatures from algae to polar bears, Nat Geo reports. (Above, a polar bear climbs onto an iceberg in Greenland.)

BREAKING DOWN

THE NIGHT SKIES

ILLUSTRATION BY ANDREW FAZEKAS

Farewell Orion: The hunter is usually a highlight of the wintertime sky, and with the moon missing during evenings this week, it’s a good chance for final pristine views of winter’s deep sky treasures. Orion Nebula is visible even to the naked eye, near the three stars that mark the belt of the constellation. Also vying for attention at sunset this week, look for Venus and Jupiter in the west. — Andrew Fazekas

BEST NIGHT SKY EVENTS OF 2023

LAST GLIMPSE

PHOTOGRAPH BY JENNIFER ADLER, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION

Protecting the unknown: More than 10 million species roam the high seas—including outlaws and modern-day pirates (although there’s no telling if they’ll match the biggest loot in history). With many species yet to be discovered, a recent U.N. treaty aims to protect this vast swath of ocean.

There’s a surprisingly lot left to learn about these waters. Read more about what we do know. (Pictured above, a shipwreck turned coral reef.)

DIVE INTO THE HIGH SEAS

Today’s soundtrack: Here Comes The Rain Parts I and II, Marc Almond
This newsletter has been curated and edited by Jen Tse, Hannah Farrow, and David Beard. Have an idea or a link? We’d love to hear from you at
david.beard@natgeo.com. Thanks for reading!

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