Tyrannosaurus with feathers discovered

[Science News]  From 125-million-year-old rocks, scientists have unearthed the remains of a new species of extensively feathered dinosaurs that weighed up to about 1,400 kilograms and stretched 9 meters from nose to tail. The fossils, from one adult and two younger dinos, were unearthed in northeast China.

Caravaggio murdered by the Knights of Malta?

[The Telegraph, UK]  His mysterious death at the age of 38 has been blamed variously on malaria, an intestinal infection, lead poisoning from the oil paints he used or a violent brawl. Now an intriguing new theory has been put forward for the demise of the rabble-rousing Renaissance artist Caravaggio – that he was killed in cold blood on the orders of the Knights of Malta to avenge an attack on one of their members

Fishermen are bringing lost secrets of UK waters to land

[UK Guardian]  Every day hundreds of items, ranging from Spitfire engines to ancient stone tools, are dragged up by fishing vessels while wreck sites are revealed after nets become snagged on sunken craft.
As fishing intensifies, more discoveries are being made this way, a process that threatens to run out of control.

Expedition seeks to unearth £500m worth of masterpieces buried by Nazi looters in mine

[Daily Mail]  An Indiana Jones-style expedition has been launched in Germany to recover £500million worth of missing artworks looted by the Nazis in World War Two. Monets, Manets, Cezannes and masterpieces by other artists, along with sculptures, carpets and tapestries, are believed to be buried in an old silver mine near the Czech-German border, 90 minutes' drive from the city of Dresden.

Mystery solved? Turin Shroud linked to Resurrection of Christ

[UK Telegraph] Although he describes himself as agnostic, [the author of a new book about the Shroud] now finds himself in the curious position of being more of a believer in the Shroud than the Pope. His historical detective work has convinced him, he insists, that it is exactly what it purports to be — the sheet that was wrapped round Jesus’s battered body when it was cut down from the cross on Calvary.

Possible new lead in Peking Man fossils mystery

[Seattle Times]  The memories of a World War II-era Marine have renewed hopes of solving one of the greatest archaeological mysteries - the whereabouts of the lost Peking Man fossils. The fossils, found a century ago and believed to hold a key to studies of early mankind, disappeared at the outbreak of the war in the Pacific while destined for safe keeping in the United States.

New book says Europeans discovered America 24,000 years ago

[Daily Beast]  Across Atlantic Ice suggests that America’s first explorers came not from Asia but from Europe. The authors, Dennis Stanford and Bruce Bradley, point out that spearheads and knives made from pressure-flaked flint found throughout the U.S. have no correlation with those found in Siberia, or even Alaska. Yet they do resemble tools made by the Solutreans, who lived 24,000 years ago in France and Spain.

Mysterious Ancient Animal Mounds Discovered in Peru

[International Business Times]  Huge pre-historic animal mounds made by humans dating back to thousands of years have been discovered along the coastal plains of Peru for the first time by a university of Missouri researcher.

Oceans started warming 135 years ago

[MSNBC]  From 1872 to 1876, the HMS Challenger sailed the world's oceans along a 69,000-nautical-mile track, crossing the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans. During the voyage, scientists among the 200-person crew took 300 ocean-temperature profiles, or measurements at several depths in each spot, with pressure-protected thermometers.

Paleontologists discover fossilized embryos of oldest aquatic reptiles

[Physorg]  South American paleontologists report they have discovered fossilized embryos of the oldest aquatic reptiles, lagoon-dwelling "mesosaurs" that lived about 280 million years ago.

Century old light bulb brought to life

[ABC] Someone undoubtedly said, "let there be light," when engineers and technicians unearthed a time capsule that had been buried in the side of a building in the East Cleveland facility of GE Lighting's Nela Park.

14th century Venetian silver coins found in piggy bank

[Times of Malta]  The 54 silver coins known as grossi were found at a coastal village on the Aegean island of Naxos next to a shattered clay jar containing additional coins.

Human ancestors used fire one million years ago

[Eureka Alert] "The analysis pushes the timing for the human use of fire back by 300,000 years, suggesting that human ancestors as early as Homo erectus may have begun using fire as part of their way of life," said U of T anthropologist Michael Chazan

Calendar Puzzles Deciphered in Ancient Statue

[Discovery] The sculpture was discovered in 1902 in a bog at Trundholm on the Danish island of Seeland. Experts believe that it was buried there as a ritual offering around 1400 BC.

Discovery of Foot Fossil Confirms Two Human Ancestor Species Co-Existed

[Science Daily]   A team of scientists has announced the discovery of a 3.4 million-year-old partial foot from the Woranso-Mille area of the Afar region of Ethiopia. The fossil foot did not belong to a member of “Lucy’s” species

Europe's earliest stringed instrument discovered

[BBC] The small burnt and broken piece of carved piece of wood was found during an excavation in a cave on Skye. Archaeologists said it was likely to be part of the bridge of a lyre dating to more than 2,300 years ago.

All cattle came from one small herd 10,500 years ago

[Eureka Alert] All cattle are descended from as few as 80 animals that were domesticated from wild ox in the Near East.  "They were much bigger than modern cattle, and wouldn't have had the domestic traits we see today, such as docility. So capturing these animals in the first place would not have been easy."