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RECENT EVENTS
Notre Dame Cleanup Resumes Amid Fears of Lead Exposure
September 8, 2019
Cleanup work has resumed at Notre Dame Cathedral, the 850-year-old landmark that was damaged by fire earlier this year. Crews fanned out in and around the cathedral and in the streets surrounding the landmark, scrubbing the pavement and rinsing the ground with chemicals, to ensure that it is safe for pedestrian traffic once again. A French environmental protection group estimated that the fire had churned through 440 tons of lead that was in the roof and the spire. Fumes and other residue from that high amount of lead could still cause health risks, the group said. Cleanup crews were wearing haz-mat suits and taking decontamination showers, but pedestrians could still get very close to the plaza, certainly within range of any contaminants still being expelled. Paris city officials had in June done testing in surrounding neighborhoods for lead contamination and had found no cause for concern; subsequent testing in August had found unacceptable levels of lead particles in the air at two nearby schools, forcing authorities to close the schools. School was not in session.
DNA Links Indus River Valley Civilization to People Today
September 8, 2019
For the first time, scientists have found DNA information from a person known to have lived in the ancient Indus Valley Civilization. The DNA came from a woman who died about 4,500 years ago was buried in a cemetery near what is now Rakhigarhi, in India, which is not far from the ancient Indus city of Harappa. The DNA showed markers also found in people who live in South Asia today. Further, the scientists said, the genes of the woman were different enough from other nearby cultures like the Fertile Crescent at a time that predates the introduction of agriculture in those regions, suggesting that the woman's civilization had developed farming on its own. This validates what archaeologists had already thought about the Indus River Valley civilization.
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IN DAYS GONE BY
The Lascaux Cave Paintings
 The Lascaux Caves are near the French village of Montignac, in the Dordogne region. In those caves are some of the earliest cave art ever done.
A group of boys discovered the caves on September 12, 1940. Before that, the cave art had been virtually undisturbed since it was created, in the Upper Paleolithic period. Some estimates have said that the art is more than 17,000 years old.
The Annapolis Convention: Prelude to the Constitution
The Annapolis Convention was a gathering of concerned representatives from the various states in order to discuss ways to compensate for various difficulties that Americans were experiencing as a result of perceived weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation. In particular, the Articles' requirement that all decisions be unanimous was causing some states great difficulties with regard to finance and trade. The Annapolis Convention began on Sept. 11, 1786.
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COLONIAL AMERICA
Jamestown:
First English Colony in America
Explorers had been
landing in America for some time before English settlers
arrived in what is now Jamestown, Virginia, in 1607. But it
was in that spot on the James River that English
colonization began and with it, the history of America.
The
Pilgrims: Voyage to
Freedom
Follow the Pilgrims as they sail across the Atlantic Ocean,
from England to America, in search of religious freedom. See
who they meet when they land in New England. Find out about
the first Thanksgiving.
The
13 American Colonies
This fun, illustrated article describes the 13 American
Colonies in detail, from economics to religion to
agriculture to revolution. Also includes a clickable map
with links to individual descriptions of each colony and a
list of the first European settlements in North America.
Outstanding resource!
 Farming
in the 13 American
Colonies
The focus is on agriculture in this look at how the
colonists farmed and what they grew. See wheat turn into
flour!
Religion
in the 13 American
Colonies
In colonial America, how you worshipped depended on
where you lived. See how each colony taught religion and
where they gathered for worship.
Education
in the 13 American
Colonies
Did colonial schools really keep girls out? Find out
this and more in this entertaining look at education in
colonial times.
Food
in the 13 American
Colonies
What did the colonists eat and how did they get it? This
fun, illustrated article tells you.
Parks
and Fun in the 13 American
Colonies
Did colonial kids play? If so, what games did they play?
This article has the answers for you. Some things haven't
changed.
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Significant Sevens are the highest, the lowest, the deepest, the farthest, the oldest, the youngest, and a host of other lists in economics, geography, history, and much more.
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Cultural Icons are the instantly recognizable monuments, landforms, buildings, and many other kinds of landmarks that define a people, place, or culture.
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ANCIENT GREECE
One of the shining lights in ancient times was the city-states of Greece. Athens and Sparta are perhaps the most famous of these, but they numbered many more than that. So many of the traditions of Western (and Eastern) nations can be traced to these ancient peoples and their triumphs and struggles.
Find out more about the ancient Greeks:
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