Mummified monk inside Buddha statue. Jan van Esch / Meander Medisch Centrum
1. Islamic State Militants Destroy Ancient Art in Iraq
The Islamic State group has released a video appearing to show the destruction of statues in what seems to be a museum in the city of Mosul in Iraq. The video shows militants drilling through and smashing archaeological artifacts, including what appears to be a human-headed, winged bull Assyrian protective deity from the 9th century BC. Watch the video and learn more at BBC.
2. Banksy Releases New Works In Gaza Strip
While art was destroyed in one war zone, it was created in another. The graffiti artist Banksy posted his latest politically charged works created in Gaza on Instagram. A publicist for the artist released a quote she attributed to Banksy: “I don’t want to take sides. But when you see entire suburban neighborhoods reduced to rubble with no hope of a future — what you’re really looking at is a vast outdoor recruitment center for terrorists. And we should probably address this for all our sakes.” Read more at New York Times.
3. Pharaoh Brutally Killed in Battle
A new study has reconstructed Pharaoh Senebkay’s last moments blow by blow. He was one of the earliest kings of Abydos Dynasty and brutally killed in battle more than 3,600 years ago. The research identified 18 wounds on the pharaoh’s bones. Read more at Discovery News.
Watch Secrets of the Dead: Resurrecting Richard III and find out what the bones of King Richard III reveal about his fitness for battle.
4. Gerbils, Not Rats, May Have Spread Black Death
A study that looked at past weather conditions indicates that Asian gerbils, not black rats, may be to blame for repeat epidemics of the Black Death, which originated in Asia and arrived in Europe in the mid-14th century. Read more at BBC.
5. Mummified Monk Sits Inside Ancient Buddhist Statue
An examination conducted in the Netherlands found that a nearly 1000-years-old Buddhist statue from China encases the mummified remains of a monk. Read more at International Business Times.
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