Posts

The sexual energy of these phalluses depictions was thought to protect people by invoking the power of the god Fascinus. Museo Archeologico (Naples)A winged phallus was a protective amulet linked to the god Fascinus. Humankind has something of a fascination for the form of penises, from any guffawing gaggle of preteens at schoolhouse graffito to the world’s largest collection of mammal penises in Reykjavik. Not only is it seemingly universal, but this phallic fascination is nothing new—the cities and towns of the Ancient Roman Empire were dotted with penises just about everywhere....

Wojciech Frykowski was an aspiring writer from Poland who tried to make it in Hollywood with the help of his friend, Roman Polanski. But his connections would prove deadly. Bettmann/Getty ImagesWojciech Frykowski was a Polish writer and filmmaker who was slain in the 1969 Manson murders. Wojciech Frykowski was brutally murdered along with his girlfriend, Abigail Folger, in the 1969 Manson Family killing spree. The couple were dear friends of director Roman Polanski and actress Sharon Tate, and had moved into the Polanski-Tate house to keep the pregnant starlet company....

The mosaic, located near the caliph’s palace of Khirbat al-Minya off the coast of the Sea of Galilee, depicted flora and fauna from the Nile, a nod to the Egyptian river’s life-giving powers. Johannes Gutenberg University MainzArchaeologists work to excavate the centuries-old mosaic. After a three-year pause induced by the COVID-19 pandemic, archaeologists from Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz returned to their site near the Sea of Galilee in Israel and made a stunning discovery....

This tiny papyrus fragment is 2,700 years old and is one of just three that has ever been discovered from the First Temple Period. Israel Antiquities Authority/FacebookAnalysis of the fragment confirmed that it dates back to the late seventh or early sixth century B.C.E. A lost fragment of the Dead Sea Scrolls has been found in an unlikely place — Montana. For almost 60 years, it hung in the home of an American woman who’d acquired the treasure during a trip to Israel....

The actor set a “herculean” record by granting 650 wishes through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, hundreds more than anyone else. John Lamparski/Getty ImagesJohn Cena and actress Hailee Steinfeld with Make-A-Wish Foundation children at the Empire State building in 2018. John Cena is well-known as an actor and a wrestler — but for decades, he’s also played a far different role behind the scenes. According to Guinness World Records, Cena has spent his free time granting hundreds of wishes through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, setting an impressive new record for the number of wishes “granted” to ill or dying children....

Though James “Buffalo Jim” Barrier’s 2008 death was declared accidental and likely related to cocaine use, his family is convinced that he was murdered by his enemies. To many who knew him, “Buffalo Jim” Barrier seemed invincible. Broad-shouldered with wild, black hair, Barrier was a Las Vegas legend who’d made a name for himself as an auto repairman, a wrestling promoter, and a friend to the variety of characters who make Vegas the unique place it is....

“He was so much more than this, so very much more, and we will remember him for all that he was — someone, not something.” Like this gallery?Share it: Share Flipboard Email And if you liked this post, be sure to check out these popular posts: 1 of 11Chris the sheep became famous after he was discovered in the Australian wilderness. BBC/Instagram 2 of 11A back view of Chris’s problematic wool coat....

By analyzing 103 skulls of early Caribbean inhabitants, experts were able to reassess when and where they settled. This, in turn, lent credence to Columbus’ infamous tales of cannibalism. Ann Ross/North Carolina State UniversityExperts analyzed the skulls of early Caribbean inhabitants dating between 800 A.D. and 1542. In recent years, Christopher Columbus has been increasingly considered more of a ruthless conquerer than a well-intentioned pioneer as taught to us in school....

The wealth of material recovered from the site is so stunning that archaeologists believe this discovery will allow research to advance by “leaps and bounds.” Eyal Marco, Israel Antiquities AuthorityThe excavation uncovered large buildings, alleyways, burial plots, and countless artifacts like arrowheads and beads. An excavation project archaeologists are calling “a game changer” in Motza near the city of Jerusalem, has revealed an expansive 9,000-year-old settlement. According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, the site was saved when builders surveyed it before their planned construction of a highway....

These vivid images reveal how the French Resistance fought back against the Nazis and helped make France free once more. Like this gallery?Share it: Share Flipboard Email And if you liked this post, be sure to check out these popular posts: 1 of 32An armed member of the French Resistance poses alongside some children in Châteaudun.Wikimedia Commons 2 of 32An encampment of the Maquis, bands of rural Resistance fighters. They played an important role in hampering the German mobilization to counter the D-Day landings....

One of the world’s most glamorous movie stars, Audrey Hepburn died on January 20, 1993, just three months after she was diagnosed with cancer. Hulton Archive/Getty ImagesBefore Audrey Hepburn retired from acting in the 1960s, she was one of Hollywood’s most in-demand stars. Audrey Hepburn died in her sleep at the age of 63 from cancer. Although it may seem like a common way to go, how Audrey Hepburn died — how she dealt with it and how she dictated how she wanted the end of her life to play out — is inspirational....

Jonathan is a male Seychelles giant tortoise that, at 186-years-old, is the oldest known tortoise alive today. Meet Jonathan — a male Seychelles giant tortoise that, at 185-years-old, is the oldest known tortoise alive today. He hatched on an island in the Seychelles around 1832 and moved St. Helena in 1882, some 1,200 miles of the Southwest African coast. About 26 years ago researchers decided to introduce Jonathan to a partner he could reproduce with they named Frederika....

Also known as Bathynomus giganteus, the giant isopod is the biggest isopod in the world. Famous for feasting on dead whales, fish, and squids, it’s one of the creepiest sea creatures on the ocean floor. Jesse Claggett/FlickrGiant isopods are the largest isopods on the planet. Lurking on the ocean floor in deep, dark waters lies the giant isopod. It’s a sea creature so ready to feast that it could eat an entire whale on its own — as long as the whale is no longer alive....

The only other time police arrived at the victim’s home was after a robbery. Just before midnight on Sunday evening, Ismael Lopez lay asleep in bed with his wife Claudia Linares. Barking dogs and the sound of police cars outside woke up Lopez, who proceeded to walk to the front door. He opened the door, and was shot dead by cops. The cops apparently thought Lopez, 41, was someone else — mainly because they had arrived at the wrong property....

Shawn Hornbeck was held prisoner for more than four years by pizza shop owner Michael Devlin — until he was rescued in January 2007 alongside a second boy named Ben Ownby. FBI/GettyThis undated handout photo provided by the FBI shows Shawn Hornbeck as he was pictured on a missing person poster from 2002. On Oct. 6, 2002, 11-year-old Shawn Hornbeck straddled his lime green bike and headed to a friend’s house near Richwoods, Missouri, a small town just outside of St....

Sierra Halseth, 16, and her boyfriend Aaron Guerrero, 18, allegedly killed her father because he didn’t want them to date anymore. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police/Salt Lake CountySierra Halseth and Aaron Guerrero now face murder charges. On April 9, Las Vegas police found 45-year-old Daniel Halseth’s body in his garage. He’d been stabbed about 70 times, stuffed into a sleeping bag, and set on fire. But his killers had left plenty of evidence....

Source: Huzlers The Golden Arches may soon be only a memory in the States, as McDonald’s has seemingly lost its flame in the American market. Fast food restaurants like Chipotle and Shake Shack offer healthier options just as quickly as the aging fast food chain, and have a better public image. Even Burger King’s sales have risen by going back to the basics. McDonald’s will have to make changes in order to survive, but if their non-American menus prove anything, it’s that they can meet local needs and tastes....

Dinosaur fossil kept secret finally revealed, Machu Picchu’s secrets unraveled, grim details of Incan child sacrifices uncovered. Englishman Unveils Ichthyosaurus Fossil His Christian Ancestors Kept Buried In Their Yard Richard Austin/SWNSJulian Temperley spent more than $3,600 to restore and mount the Ichthyosaurus fossil. He plans on using it on his 20-year-old cider brandy labels. When a devout Christian family unearthed an enormous Ichthyosaurus fossil in Victorian England, they chose to rebury it to protect their religious beliefs....

Salmon sometimes have trouble getting over today’s manmade dams. Whooshh Innovations’ salmon cannon can provide an interesting solution. Salmon are truly awe-inspiring creatures. They can swim hundreds of miles against river currents without eating, jump up to 12 feet in the air over rocky outcrops, and grow to a size of five feet and 97 pounds. What they can’t do, however, is conquer modern man’s giant dams. But that’s where the salmon cannon comes in....

Stolen at just three days old, Zephany Nurse had been missing for 17 years. Two girls randomly attended the same secondary school in South Africa in early 2015 and looked so similar that classmates even said that they looked a lot a like. One girl was 17, the other was 13. The parents of the younger girl arranged to get a look at the two of them together eating burgers at McDonald’s, where they also saw the similarities in appearance....