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From ancient Greek amphorae in Ukraine to timber from the real “Goonies” shipwreck off the coast of Oregon, these archaeological finds changed history forever. The past may seem like a stagnant thing, frozen in time like an insect preserved in amber. But as these 11 archaeology news stories prove, the past is very much alive. It’s all around us, even when we don’t know it. Below, dig into some of the biggest archaeology news stories of the year, from the 700-year-old medieval ship discovered underneath the streets of Tallinn, Estonia, to the Neolithic shrine found in the Jordan desert....

Globalization has resulted in the blending and appropriation of cultural traditions around the world. These tribal traditions, however, have been left out. World history has always been a story of blending and clashing cultures, but globalization and its technologies have made these events seem specific to our time. Nowadays people are not only intrigued by cultures vastly different from their own, but also have almost instant access to learn more about them, and appropriate some of their traditions....

A law professor from Michigan State University uncovered a constitutional loophole that could let a killer walk free. For hundreds of years, legal experts and criminals alike have been enamored with the “perfect crime.” A crime that is so well orchestrated that it can be pulled off without a hitch, and the perpetrator can walk free. Most lawmakers are insistent that the perfect crime doesn’t exist, but back in 2004, one law professor found out that it could, in fact, happen....

Known as a “devil in jump boots” and a “petty tyrant,” Herbert Sobel was one of the strictest U.S. Army officers during World War II. To historian Stephen E. Ambrose, who wrote the book Band of Brothers, U.S. Army officer Herbert Sobel was “a petty tyrant put into a position in which he had absolute power.” To Major Richard Winters, who served under Sobel, he was “just plain mean.” But while this portrayal of Sobel has been dominant for years, his loved ones tell a different story....

How a small and unlikely town in Oklahoma became target practice for U.S. bombers during World War II. Small Town, USA is the most accurate description of Boise City, Oklahoma. It sits on a remote western edge of the Oklahoma panhandle. The population of this rural town has been between 1,000 and 2,000 since 1943 and the majority of the residents are ranchers and farmers. Yet this sleepy town is the only continental U....

The teenager had a history of mental disturbance, but no one could have predicted a murder streak in him. Public Domain Zachary Davis. On Aug. 10, 2012, the trajectory of an everyday middle-class family in Tennessee irreparably changed. Fifteen-year-old Zachary Davis in a flurry of madness murdered his mother with a sledgehammer and attempted to burn his house down while his older brother was still inside. Even the courts debated as to whether the young man was deeply disturbed or simply pure evil....

From Japan’s Kanamara Matsuri penis celebration to the gigantic La Tomatina food fight in Spain, experience some weird holidays and bizarre festivals from around the world. Like this gallery?Share it: Share Flipboard Email And if you liked this post, be sure to check out these popular posts: 1 of 27Beltane Fire FestivalDuring the Beltane Fire Festival, held in Scotland each April, hordes of mostly nude revelers don body paint, light torches, and set bonfires as part of a raucous celebration meant to mark the coming of summer....

From Eminem’s four-day hospitalization at the hands of a bully to the cult that traumatized Rose McGowan for life, these famous celebrities nearly didn’t escape their youths. As masters of their craft, these nine celebrities have captivated audiences in the millions. From Marshall Mathers to Marilyn Monroe, they have created some of America’s most beloved works of art. Before they were famous, however, tragic upbringings nearly kept them from accomplishing anything at all....

According to The New York Times, the disturbing merchandise was first discovered by the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum in Poland, which shared images of the products to their 784,000-plus followers on Twitter. The merchandise in question included Christmas ornaments, a mouse pad, and a bottle opener emblazoned with photographs of Auschwitz. By late Sunday evening, the products featuring images of the concentration camp — where a million Jews are estimated to have been killed — were no longer available on the website....

After an ugly divorce left Betty Broderick bitter and heartbroken, she exacted revenge on her philandering ex Dan Broderick in a crime of passion that remains shocking decades later. It was shortly before dawn on November 5, 1989, when Betty Broderick entered the San Diego, California home of her former husband, Dan Broderick ⏤ and shot him and his new wife as they lay screaming in their bed. Her story became a lightning rod for jilted exes across America, especially when she described how her husband, who she financially supported through school, betrayed her for a younger woman....

First made famous by Holiday in 1939, “Strange Fruit” protested the mass lynchings of Black people across the American South. PinterestThe meaning behind “Strange Fruit” made it so controversial that many hounded Billie Holiday to stop singing it. On a spring evening in 1939, a crowd gathered at the New York City jazz club Café Society, where the last singer of the night stunned the crowd with her final song. It was none other than Billie Holiday, singing a haunting tune about the horrors of lynching titled “Strange Fruit....

Authroities believe that Dr. Grant Robicheaux and his girlfriend Cerissa Riley used their good looks and charm to lure in unsuspecting victims. Orange County District Attorney’s OfficeLeft: Cerissa Riley, Right: Dr. Grant Robicheaux A former reality show contestant and prominent California surgeon has been arrested in connection to two sexual assaults, along with his girlfriend. During a press conference on Sept. 18, the Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackuckas announced charges against Dr....

The Chernobyl disaster of April 26, 1986 in Pripyat, Ukraine remains the most catastrophic nuclear accident of the 20th century. The Chernobyl disaster of April 25 and 26, 1986, was the most catastrophic nuclear accident of the 20th century. It has shaped and inspired nuclear policy, influenced environmentalist and activist groups, and left a direct, physiological impact on Pripyat, Ukraine and the Eastern European regions it contaminated. The event happened due just as much to negligence as inevitability — with no fail-safes to prevent radiation from escaping in case of an accident, improperly trained personnel, and no enacted safety measures to ensure that those mistakes wouldn’t occur in the first place, the disaster was arguably lying in wait....

A Chippewa Indian named John Smith who lived in the woods near Cass Lake, Minnesota claimed to be 137 years old before he died in 1922. In 1922, a man named Chief John Smith died. He was a Chippewa Indian living in the northern woods of Minnesota, spending most of his life by Lake of the Woods and Cass Lake. The Chippewa people referred to him as Ga-Be-Nah-Gewn-Wonce, which translates roughly to “wrinkled meat....

Dr. Amanda Hess was dressed in a hospital gown and ready to have a baby when she heard another mom-to-be crying in pain down the hall. Amanda Hess was dressed in a hospital gown and ready to give birth to her second child last week in Frankfort, Kentucky. But when she heard another mom-to-be’s cries of pain, the obstetrician-gynecologist figured her own kid could chill in the womb for a few extra minutes....

Militants have gone to great lengths to evade capture and battle — including dressing as women. AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/AFP/Getty Images Following the July 10th announcement that Mosul, Iraq, had been liberated from the Islamic State, ISIS fighters fled the city in droves. Some of them, apparently, fled in mascara. According to photos released by the Iraqi army and first shared by the Sun, one of the captured militants donned violet eyeshadow, black eyeliner, red lipstick, and blush....

Turns out the real patriotic pursuit in the U.S. is turning a profit. People love a good comeback story — especially if it involves an American icon. This genesis of this particular revival story began in the place where some men do their best thinking: the bathroom. The story goes that the presidents of Hasbro and Marvel entertainment introduced themselves to one another in the restroom at an early 1980s charity event....

Dancer and actress Lola Montez left a trail of broken hearts — and one abdicated throne — across 19th-century Europe. Wikimedia CommonsLola Montez in 1851. Lola Montez led such a colorful life that it’s hard to separate the fact from the fiction. Even her earliest biographies contain various degrees of conflicting information, partly due to the fact that, as one recent and more thoroughly-researched biography points out, “the subject was an incorrigible liar....

How to simply and cheaply build a rainwater collection system out of everyday items you already have. We’re in the middle of a water crisis. Some of the worst droughts in recorded history are currently sweeping through Australia, the Americas, and Africa, turning once-productive farmland into desert and placing a growing barrier between the poor and potable water. The United States of America leaves the world’s largest water footprint (about 400 gallons per person every day)....

The Glasgow Ice Cream wars were a lot less sweet and a lot more deadly than their name suggests. Matt Cardy/Getty Images The sound of an ice cream truck coming down the street makes the child in all of us reach for our wallets. But in 1980s Scotland, it was safer to skip the frozen treat. Otherwise, you might get caught up in the deadly Glasgow Ice Cream Wars. The dessert-related violence came at a time when Scotland was caught up in the unprecedented drug crisis that spawned what is now known as the Trainspotting generation....