HISTORY NEWS ROUND-UP
From skeletons to the origins of art, a selection of stories that have hit the history headlines
Child skeleton found in Pompeii
The skeleton of a child who died during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79 has been found in the remains of the ancient city of Pompeii – the first child skeleton to be found there in 50 years. The child, believed to have been about seven or eight years old, had taken refuge in the city baths and was probably suffocated by the clouds of ash that covered the city. The find was made using scanning instruments in a previously unexcavated part of the city.
Early cave art credited to prehistoric autism
Archaeologists and autism experts have proposed that much of the world’s earliest art may have been created by people on the autistic spectrum. The study suggests that the harsh conditions of the Ice Age favoured the natural selection of genes conferring an ability to focus on tasks for long periods, and to develop skills in analysing patterns of movement and geography – skills required for producing such paintings, and often found in people on the autistic spectrum.
Ancient horse received high- ranking burial
A chariot-pulling horse from c949 BC received an ornate burial usually reserved for high-status humans, acaccording to a study published in Antiquity Journal. The horse’s remains, buried over 2.5 metres underground in a tomb in Tombos, in what is now Sudan, still bore patches of chestnut fur with white markings. A piece of iron (one of the oldest found in Africa) and a carved scarab beetle found alongside the horse also indicate its high status.
Forgotten suffragette gets musical tribute
The life of a Welsh suffragette who went to prison in 1913 for blowing up a Newport postbox with a homemade device is to be made into a musical that will be performed by the Welsh National Opera. Margaret Haig Thomas (Lady Rhondda) played a key role in the campaign to allow women the right to sit in the House of Lords. The musical will open in Newport this summer before touring the UK.