Blog Feed: Abroad in the Yard

Discovery of oldest modern human DNA reveals how ancient Europe networked

Published on 2012-07-02 15:57:58

The 8,000 year old fragments of modern human DNA suggest a surprising link between the ancient hunter gatherers of Spain and the modern populations of northern Europe.

Dog’s tooth accessories were all the rage in Stone Age Europe

Published on 2012-06-30 15:26:42

German archaeologists discover the world's oldest purse, dated to 4,500 years ago, decorated with over 100 dog teeth.

Rare campaign medal won by British sailor in War of 1812 still in hands of his great-great-grandson

Published on 2012-06-26 18:03:50

The medal was won in a 15 minute pitched battle between British and American sailors in Boston Harbour which left 71 dead and 155 wounded.

Hunt for DNA match with Orkney Islanders killed in South Seas in 1791 while bringing Mutiny on the Bounty suspects to justice

Published on 2012-06-25 02:32:41

An Australian archaeologist is searching the Orkney Islands for the relatives of 7 men killed in a shipwreck on the Great Barrier Reef with the apprehended mutineers on board.

New evidence suggests sea-faring Paleo-Indians were colonising America 2,000 years before Ice Free Corridor opened

Published on 2012-06-23 17:56:45

Core samples on the Aleutian island of Sanak provide new clues about the colonisation of America via the Pacific coast up to 17,000 years ago - 2,000 years before the Mackenzie Corridor became ice free and passable.

How did this piece of Roman jewellery end up in a 5th century Japanese tomb?

Published on 2012-06-22 17:44:57

Three glass beads discovered in a 5th century burial mound near Kyoto, Japan were believed to have been made by Roman craftsmen.

The dangerous legacy of WW2, WW1, and even the US Civil War, is still a threat to life and limb today

Published on 2012-06-20 18:20:51

Reports of a WW2 mine under a North Sea gas pipeline highlight how unexploded ordnance from history's wars still pose a threat, and claim lives, today.

Humans were diving for pearls 7,500 years ago – oldest natural pearl discovered at Neolithic site in Arabian Peninsula

Published on 2012-06-20 01:00:41

French researchers have discovered the world's oldest natural pearl, dating back 7,500 years, at a Neolithic site at Umm al Quwain, United Arab Emirates.

Australian rock art dated to 28,000 years ago

Published on 2012-06-19 15:58:31

The explicit scenes were created by Aborigines who occupied a remote Outback cave for 45,000 years.

Anglo-Saxon manuscript warns Nuns in 7th century Essex against dressing provocatively

Published on 2012-06-17 16:32:45

1,300 year old vellum manuscript advises nuns in the then rural village of Barking to dress modestly to avoid "nourishing the fires of sexual anticipation."

Victorian journalist predicts slaughter and destruction of 20th century’s world wars – 1891

Published on 2012-06-16 00:00:47

"...his grandchildren may see so blest a sight as fleets of steam-machines battling in the blue, charging each other, wrecking each other, and hurtling down to earth with their cargoes of the newest bombs..."

Census from 7th century AD discovered in Japan

Published on 2012-06-14 15:15:36

Archaeologists have discovered census records, inscribed on 10 wooden tablets dating from between 685 and 701 AD, at a site in southwestern Japan.

Remains of British soldier found on battlefield of Waterloo, with the musket ball that killed him still lodged in his ribs

Published on 2012-06-13 15:26:31

The soldier, thought to be British, was 5ft 1in tall and was around 20 years old at the time of his death on 18 June 1815.

“Can Men Fly?” – 1891

Published on 2012-06-09 18:01:36

The brains of many an engineer are puzzling over the problem of constructing a machine that will do the duty of the wings of a bird and enable human beings to navigate the air.

China accused of ‘distorting history’ over claims about length of Great Wall

Published on 2012-06-08 18:10:50

South Korea fears that increased estimates of the Wall's length by China is a plot to grab territory should North Korea's Stalinist regime collapse.

Mapping the decline of golden and sea eagles in the British Isles since 500 AD

Published on 2012-06-08 01:23:15

The RSPB has mapped the decline in numbers of golden and white-tailed sea eagles in Britain and Ireland over the last 1,500 years.

Discovery of Roman coins and jewellery buried in Judea around 132 AD

Published on 2012-06-06 18:01:31

A treasure trove of Roman jewellery and gold and silver coins has been uncovered by archaeologists near Kiryat Gat, Israel.

9,000 year old fishing traps found on bottom of Baltic Sea

Published on 2012-06-06 01:12:31

Swedish marine archaeologists have found what they believe are the world's oldest stationary fishing traps on the bottom of the Baltic Sea; the oldest dates back at least 9,000 years.

“How long will the war last?” – the question preoccupying Europe in August 1914

Published on 2012-06-05 02:14:48

The Times, 8 August 1914 - "The question how long this great war is likely to last interests every soul in Europe, but it is astonishing to see how wide apart are the different estimates."

Evidence of mysterious cosmic event around 775 AD discovered in ancient trees

Published on 2012-06-04 04:55:35

Evidence of a mystery blast of cosmic rays which hit Earth over 1,200 years ago has been discovered in two Japanese cedar trees.

4,000 year old Bronze Age dwellings discovered in Scotland had all mod cons

Published on 2012-06-03 02:13:06

Six Bronze Age roundhouses unearthed at a settlement near Oban had primitive refrigeration and heating systems.

Veterans of 1857 Indian Mutiny re-live it 55 years later through film – 1912

Published on 2012-05-22 16:26:15

Four old veterans of the Indian Mutiny in 1857 were shown a film produced to commemorate it's 55th anniversary; the showing in London revived some dramatic memories.

Victorian parlourmaid’s tragic suicide letter to her sister – 1900

Published on 2012-05-19 17:01:23

A tragic letter written by young housemaid, Charlotte Ellen Reeve, about her pending suicide formed the chief evidence at her inquest in London. The letter began by expressing regret at the trouble about to fall on her sister.

Descendant of bone setter boy, shipwrecked off Anglesey in 1740s, leads journey of discovery about his origins

Published on 2012-05-19 04:13:11

The remarkable tale of a shipwrecked boy with a gift for mending broken bones, will be re-told by his 6th generation descendant to Anglesey coast hikers.

A Complete Beginner’s First Year of Blogging – 50 Lessons Learned

Published on 2012-05-17 23:11:55

Abroad in the Yard is 1 year old today! Here are 50 lessons I've learned over the last 12 months on branding, content, traffic, feedback, making money and life as a blogger.

Logistics of Roman Empire brought to life by online ancient Route Planner

Published on 2012-05-16 16:26:50

Historians and IT specialists at Stanford University have created an amazing online route planner for the ancient world.

1852 letter describes incredible hardship of family’s 2000 mile wagon journey across the Old West

Published on 2012-05-13 04:39:48

A letter, written by Lydia Jones Simmons to her mother in 1852, recounts the suffering and deprivation her family suffered on the trail from Indiana to Oregon.

WW2 RAF fighter plane found in the Sahara – pilot survived crash, but likely died trying to escape the desert on foot

Published on 2012-05-11 14:04:50

The untouched aircraft was discovered where it crash landed in the Sahara Desert in 1942, more than 200 miles from the nearest civilisation.

Better social networking allowed modern humans rather than Neanderthals to conquer the planet

Published on 2012-05-10 00:59:58

The creation of symbolic objects, rather than improved hunter gatherer techniques allowed modern humans to network across vast territories.

Folding Chair suggests direct Bronze Age Germanic links to Ancient Egypt

Published on 2012-05-06 04:43:52

The ingeniously designed folding chair, in existence in Mesopotamia 4,500 years ago and still widely used today, suddenly became popular in northern Europe 3,500 years ago.

How 10 great World Cities used to look

Published on 2012-05-04 17:41:41

Reconstructions of how 10 of the world's greatest cities looked when they were first settled.

Canadian couple find 10,000 year-old bison skeleton buried in basement

Published on 2012-05-02 01:09:40

A couple laying a power line to their suburban basement last week have unearthed the near-complete skeleton of a prehistoric bison.

Mass Grave reveals horror of Thirty Years’ War’s bloodiest battle

Published on 2012-04-28 09:15:26

Until recently there was no trace of the thousands killed at the Battle of Lützen in 1632. Now the discovery of a mass grave is revealing the grisly details of its victims.

Australian VC hero walks in his great-grandfather’s footsteps on the beaches of Gallipoli

Published on 2012-04-27 05:34:23

This week, Australian SAS soldier Ben Roberts-Smith VC joined a pilgrimage to Anzac Cove, where his great-grandfather fought 97 years before.

Native American tribes and University of California in legal fight over Paleo-Indian remains

Published on 2012-04-26 16:05:49

University of California and Kumeyaay Indians are locked in a legal battle over the "the genetic crown jewels of the peopling of the Americas”.

Viking Silverdale Hoard should go to Lancaster City Museum

Published on 2012-04-25 15:37:43

Housing the Silverdale Hoard in Lancaster City Museum will help understanding of Lancashire's Viking history.

Queen Victoria’s rarely seen letters and photographs go online

Published on 2012-04-22 00:49:58

An insight into the private thoughts of Queen Victoria brings her reign to life.

Chincoteague Island Heritage Day draws descendants of James Alone, the Spanish child who was the only survivor of an 1802 shipwreck

Published on 2012-04-19 01:10:36

This week visitors to the Chincoteague Island Museum discovered more about their origins, particularly the descendants of the sole survivor of an Assateague shipwreck in 1802.

New online database reveals ancestry from Spanish and Portuguese Jews who escaped the Inquisition

Published on 2012-04-18 01:03:13

Descendants in South America and southwestern US may be unaware that their ancestors were Jews who escaped the Inquisitions over 500 years ago.

Final gift to wife from husband who stayed on the sinking Titanic

Published on 2012-04-14 02:59:24

Ellin Dixon Miller still wears the simple emerald ring given by her great-grandfather to his wife as he helped her into a lifeboat on the Titanic.

English student traces family of American GI who declared his love on a tree

Published on 2012-04-12 01:11:01

The fascinating study of tree carvings in England and France made by soldiers during the 2 world wars.

How the Beringian land bridge between Asia and North America killed off the Neanderthals

Published on 2012-04-10 13:55:59

The Beringian land bridge opened up the Americas to modern humans, but drove the Neanderthals to extinction in Europe.

Six brothers enlist together as soldiers in the Boer War – 1900

Published on 2012-04-08 17:18:54

"The remarkable enlistment together of six brothers is proof of the strong patriotic feeling about the present war in South Africa..."

Y-DNA test reveals ‘Irish-American’ is actually Native American

Published on 2012-04-06 16:33:04

Steve Woodall believed his direct ancestors came from Irish stock, but a Y-DNA test revealed a Native American who hid his ancestry to save his life.

The ‘evolution’ of Neanderthals over the last 100 years says more about us

Published on 2012-04-05 05:53:52

The slow 'humanisation' of the Neanderthals, shown through the images of the past 100 years.

Irish police records give fascinating insight into life in 18th century Dublin

Published on 2012-04-02 01:20:17

Records from the parish of St John in Dublin covering 1724 - 1785 have been digitised and published online.

Remarkable images of life on the streets of 1870s London

Published on 2012-04-01 03:27:10

Fascinating photographs and quotes from the people pictured originally published in the 1870s magazine, 'Street Life in London'.

English castaway found living among “murderous savages” of the South Seas – 1890

Published on 2012-03-29 02:32:08

Shipwrecked American crew in South Pacific encounter Englishman Charles Irons living among island natives.

10 occasions when the ‘little people’ stuck two fingers up to officialdom

Published on 2012-03-27 16:41:24

When ordinary citizens have simply had enough...

Extinction of lost Beringian Mammoths 3,600 years ago was not due to inbreeding

Published on 2012-03-26 16:20:59

A new study suggests that human hunters or environment change rather than inbreeding killed off the last mammoths just 3,600 years ago.

“Homes beyond the sea” – 1886

Published on 2012-03-25 03:23:19

"These limited islands are becoming less able to afford subsistence to their growing population; fortunately for this little kingdom its empire provides ample room."

“Posterity will lay many sins to the charge of the nineteenth century” – 1883

Published on 2012-03-24 05:02:13

"If this be true, our treatment of the darker brethren, whom we indiscriminately call 'savages', will form a serious item in the indictment".

“Colonials at Chelsea for the Diamond Jubilee” – 1897

Published on 2012-03-23 15:21:45

"A display more calculated to impress a visitor with a sense of the vastness of our Empire...could not well be imagined".

Thirty years of hard hunting earns husband and wife genealogists a small fortune

Published on 2012-03-22 14:55:40

US couple sell their painstakingly researched collection of Massachusetts family records to Ancestry.com.

Waterford city bypass digs up 9,000 years of Irish history

Published on 2012-03-20 15:03:33

Cois tSiúire covers the human settlement of the Lower Suir Valley through ancient artefacts uncovered during road construction.

Viking explorations revealed by ancient DNA of Norse mice

Published on 2012-03-19 02:21:10

A study of ancient mouse DNA has revealed how they were carried on Viking longboats to colonies in Iceland and Greenland in the 10th century.

Was the Anglo-Saxon girl found buried with this cross Christian or Pagan?

Published on 2012-03-18 16:06:27

The remarkable discovery of the grave of an Anglo-Saxon teenage girl and her gold cross raises questions about whether her beliefs were Christian or Pagan.

Cry God for England, St George, and St Patrick!

Published on 2012-03-16 01:19:05

One of the biggest English gripes about St Patrick's Day is that it is celebrated more in England than their own patron saint's day - St George's Day.

Lost documents of first black Harvard graduate found in abandoned Chicago attic

Published on 2012-03-11 14:48:11

Papers found in the attic of an abandoned Chicago house have been identified as those of Richard T Greener, the first ever African-American graduate from Harvard in 1870.

Ancient Trees Now and Then

Published on 2012-03-08 16:32:16

Ancient trees around the world, with old images showing how they have stood as silent witnesses through hundreds of years human history.

Appeal for family mementos for online archive of WW1 artefacts

Published on 2012-03-07 01:06:43

An appeal has been made to the people of Lancashire for family heirlooms to contribute to a unique pan-European online archive of First World War artefacts.

Pocket Watch that stopped when Lusitania sank in 1915

Published on 2012-03-05 01:08:47

A pocket watch worn by a survivor ­of the sinking of the Lusitania has resurfaced on the BBC TV programme 'Antiques Roadshow'.

Project to trace 10,000 years of change in Northumbrian landscape

Published on 2012-03-04 04:59:03

Archaeologists will lead a community project to trace the natural and human history of a Northumberland wetland site since the last Ice Age.

Religionists hit back quick and hard on discovery of ‘remains of Jesus’

Published on 2012-03-02 16:38:09

The discovery of a 2,000 year old sealed tomb in Jerusalem, said to contain the remains of Jesus and his family, has provoked a swift rebuke by religionists.

Evidence for Neanderthal seafaring culture

Published on 2012-03-01 01:01:48

Growing archaelogical evidence suggests that Neanderthals took to the open seas of the Mediterranean 100,000 years ago.

New evidence suggests Europeans reached America by boat up to 26,000 years ago

Published on 2012-02-28 01:03:21

New archaeological evidence suggests that Europeans reached America 10,000 years before the Siberian-originating ancestors of the American Indians.

Couple discover 200-year-old well underneath their patio

Published on 2012-02-23 13:27:42

A couple from Greater Manchester have discovered a 200-year-old well underneath their patio while extending their kitchen.

Wicklow, Ireland, to be location for the filming of ‘Vikings’

Published on 2012-02-23 01:02:49

Wicklow, Ireland, will be the location for the filming of 'Vikings', a new 10-part TV series.

Famous faces your ancestors fought alongside, or against, in World War 1

Published on 2012-02-20 00:19:24

My great-grandfather, Billy Whiteside, was a Great War veteran. Most of his fellow survivors went on to lead unremarkable lives; some went on to fame, or infamy.

8,000-year-old Stone Age settlement found under the Solent was laid out like a modern “high street”

Published on 2012-02-17 02:08:05

An 8,000-year-old Stone Age settlement under the surface of the Solent in Hampshire was laid out like a modern "high street", according to archaeologists.

Haplogroup I men at higher risk of heart disease

Published on 2012-02-15 14:36:45

A new study shows that Haplogroup I men inherit a higher risk of heart disease from their direct male ancestral line.

10 Surprising Ancestral Origins Revealed by DNA Testing

Published on 2012-02-11 04:38:30

How sure are you of your origins? 10 examples where DNA testing has thrown up some unexpected results.

People from Tuscany are most similar to Neanderthals

Published on 2012-02-09 14:50:16

The level of introgression of Neanderthal genes into various modern human populations.

Heartbreaking last letters to loved ones from soldiers who never came home

Published on 2012-02-01 14:10:38

Historian Sian Price has published a collection of final letters by soldiers to their families in her new book, 'If You're Reading This...Last Letters From the Front Line'.

Little Ice Age caused by tropical volcanoes at the end of the 13th century

Published on 2012-01-31 01:19:46

A new study has indicated that the Little Ice Age was caused by a series of tropical volcanic eruptions and started at the end of the 13th century.

Today’s Luxuries were beyond your Average Ancestor: Cost Comparison 1910 to Today

Published on 2012-01-29 12:42:30

Average yearly incomes from 1910, 1938, 1977 and today, compared against the cost of the equivalent of today's luxury goods.

Grandsons of 10th US president John Tyler still living 222 years after he was born

Published on 2012-01-26 23:59:12

John Tyler, the 10th US president, was born in 1790; two of his grandsons are still alive – and were born nearly 140 years after their grandfather was.

Altai region of Siberia may be the genetic source of Native Americans

Published on 2012-01-26 13:58:50

Altai was a hub of migrating human traffic 20-25,000 years ago; DNA samples from modern Altai inhabitants share unique mutations with modern Native Americans.

At home for 100 years: Centenarian lives in the house where she was born

Published on 2012-01-22 23:33:50

Georgina Brown was born in the front bedroom of her home 100 years ago, and is still going strong in the same cottage which has been in her family since 1850.

Escaping Blackburn for a Life at Sea – Researching Royal Navy Service: 1902-1934

Published on 2011-07-01 16:08:00

How my great-grandfather, James Thompson, left Blackburn in 1902 at the age of 17 to join the Royal Navy. What various sources, including his RN Service Record and BMD certificates, told me about his life in his 22 year career and how the Navy becam

Blackburn Brothers Missing at Sea – Researching Royal Navy Service: 1932-1945

Published on 2011-07-01 16:01:50

My grandfather, Frank Thompson, served in the Royal Navy 1932-45. How I researched his pre-war years on board HMS Hood, how he and his brother survived the sinking of HMS Eagle in the Mediterranean in 1942 (plus the effect on the family at home) and

Living History

Published on 2011-06-21 15:53:28

Who wants to live forever? A look at human lifespan through the ages, living links to history and celebrated last survivors of the major wars and battles of history; plus, the day I met one of the most famous ones.

Living Links to History – ‘Making Old Bones’

Published on 2011-06-21 15:53:28

Who wants to live forever? A look at human lifespan through the ages, living links to history and celebrated last survivors of the major wars and battles of history; plus, the day I met one of the most famous ones.

Y-DNA Test – I am a Viking, OK!

Published on 2011-05-29 18:26:19

Our Viking origins were assumed in the family for years, but never proved. A Y-DNA test changed that. A look at the science behind DNA testing, how to get tested and making sense of the results. I link those results to history and to others with m

Rift Valley to Ribble Valley in 60,000 Years

Published on 2011-05-29 18:25:13

How Y-DNA has revealed that my Haplogroup I2b2 male ancestors left Africa 60,000 years ago and were the first modern humans to settle in Europe. A timeline of the environments they lived in and the events they lived through, before making Lancashire

5 Ways a DNA Test can Change Your World View

Published on 2011-05-29 18:24:45

Genetic geneaolgy is booming online and is the next logical step for family history research. But the implications of genetic genealogy can be much wider than just uncovering your ancestral origins. This post introduces 5 ways a DNA test can change

5 Ways a DNA Test can Change Your World View #1 – Human Origins

Published on 2011-05-29 18:23:36

How has a DNA test changed my view of humanity? Modern humans emerged in Africa 200,000 years ago; they looked like us, but did they behave like us? A look at how the environment often left our ancestors on the brink of extinction and how the Neande

5 Ways a DNA Test can Change Your World View #2 – Natural World

Published on 2011-05-29 18:22:25

How a DNA test got me thinking about just how closely related we are to other animals and, despite our evolution to 'super-ape', how our bodies have retained elements of our ancient past.

5 Ways a DNA Test can Change Your World View #3 – Race

Published on 2011-05-29 18:21:20

Did taking a DNA test make me think differently about race? Is race an illusion or a genetic reality? A look at the views of 'genetic supremacists' vs mainstream geneticists and the implications of the Neanderthal Genome Project for Europeans, Asians

5 Ways a DNA Test can Change Your World View #4 – Religion

Published on 2011-05-29 18:19:33

How did taking a DNA test make me think differently about religion? Can billions of people around the world be wrong? A look at Creation myths, Christianity, evolution, Darwin and Dawkins. How Christian geneticists reconcile the Bible with advances i

5 Ways a DNA Test can Change Your World View #5 – Class

Published on 2011-05-29 18:18:39

How did taking a DNA test make me think differently about class? What is it about the upper classes that has made them ‘superior’ to me and my ancestors for the last 1000 years? Is it genetic? Can it continue? A look at the aristocracy, monarc

Gallipoli 1915 – Churchill’s Part in my Great-Grandad’s Downfall

Published on 2011-05-23 15:49:44

How my great-grandad went from iron moulder to infantryman in the East Lancs Regt, but was one of the tens of thousands who fell sick in the awful conditions at Gallipoli in 1915 - and why the family blamed Winston Churchill for his downfall.

Irish Band of Brothers – WW1

Published on 2011-05-22 15:42:12

Uncovering my roots in Co. Kilkenny, Ireland, and the exploits of my granny's brothers as Irish soldiers in WW1. And how the cost of WW1 to Ireland became forgotten as it struggled to become a Republic.