Tag: 11.14.19

Gastronomic Archaeology (Wait, What’s That?)

“Until quite recently, archaeologists mostly thought about the hardware involved in ancient food – the utensils people cooked with and the pots and beakers they ate and drank from – as well as the rituals surrounding a meal. Now there is a growing interest in what people actually consumed. Historical research into ancient diets can tell us about people’s historic tastes, lifestyle, wealth, health, class, gender and culture.” And sometimes actual dishes and meals can be recreated. – 1843 Magazine

Macron’s Notre-Dame Reconstruction Czar Starts Ugly Fight With Chief Architect

General Jean-Louis Georgelin, a brusque army man appointed by President Macron to oversee the reconstruction of the fire-damaged cathedral, was speaking to the cultural affairs committee of the National Assembly when he said of chief architect Philippe Villeneuve, “Je lui ai déjà expliqué qu’il ferme sa gueule” (roughly, “I’ve already explained to him that he should shut his fat trap”). The genuinely horrified legislators strongly rebuked the general and suspended further meetings on the subject. – Yahoo! (AFP)

The One Bookstore In Venice That Figured Out How To Handle Floods Couldn’t Handle This One

“Keeping a large collection of books in a canal city prone to flooding was always a dangerous idea, which is why Venice’s Libreria Acqua Alta (High Water Bookshop) had decided to store its books inside bathtubs, waterproof bins, and even a full-sized gondola. But … this measure wasn’t enough to save the countless books, magazines and other items crammed inside the famous bookstore when the worst floods in half a century hit Venice this week.” – The Local (Italy)

This Woman Had More Than 70,000 Shows That News Stations Lost, Deleted, And Recorded Over

Marion Stokes, a former Communist activist who turned into a recluse, recorded MSNBC, CNN, FOX News and many other news programs, more than 70,000 of them, on Betamax and VHS tapes. “Stokes began recording around the birth of the 24-hour news cycle. She felt it was an important influence on public opinion and wanted to capture this lens through which people view current events,” according to her son. – WBUR

The 1920s Secret Society Of Women Writers At Oxford

Spearheaded, and named, by Dorothy L. Sayers, the name of Mutual Admiration Society “both captures the spirit of the group and misrepresents it. They supported each other boldly and emphatically: no false modesty or feminine shame here. They were willing to be relentless and did not insist on being liked. … They were critical, and they were at odds. They fell apart and came together again, over the course of decades and remarkable careers that ranged from birth control advocacy to genre fiction, from classrooms to the stage.” – Literary Hub

The Neurological Connections Between Gorgeous Landscapes And Our Relentless Desire To Photograph Them

There’s a bit of a problem: At least one study has shown that we remember less about the places and things we photograph. Going outside can combat our phone addictions and calm our brains … but there’s an issue. “Your cortisol levels may decrease when traveling in Banff National Park, but they’ll still increase every time you pick up your phone to take a picture. It’s the great paradox of our globally connected world.” – The Smart Set