Author: Ms. R.

A holy text, in both form and content, is an instrument of awe. The first thing one might notice about them, in many cases, can be their sheer bulk, as if heft must correspond to importance. But it’s often the smaller objects that are most truly impressive, representing examples of discipline, precision, craft, and devotion. That makes this miniature Quran, currently on display in the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, Scotland, a marvel: the totality of a divine scripture……

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David Maxwell’s office at Simon Fraser University could easily be mistaken for a dorm room. The walls are plastered with antique beer signs, which, when turned on, illuminate the small space in a neon glow. Beer cans are lined up like trophies on top of the bookcase and prop up archaeology textbooks. Maxwell is not just an avid collector of breweriana; he’s also the world’s foremost—and probably only—archaeological scholar of beer cans. For most people, archaeology conjures images of……

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This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Due to Antarctica’s extreme winter, which includes four months of total darkness, polar explorers endured intense confinement in close quarters for long periods of time. American pioneer Richard Byrd explained, “little things … have the power to drive even the most disciplined … to the edge of insanity. The ones who survive with a measure of happiness are those who can live profoundly off their intellectual resources,……

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This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Due to Antarctica’s extreme winter, which includes four months of total darkness, polar explorers endured intense confinement in close quarters for long periods of time. American pioneer Richard Byrd explained, “little things … have the power to drive even the most disciplined … to the edge of insanity. The ones who survive with a measure of happiness are those who can live profoundly off their intellectual resources,……

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Saturday, April 25, 2015, was a devastating day for Nepal. At 11:56 a.m., an 8.1 magnitude earthquake struck the Gorkha District, about 60 miles west of Kathmandu. The quake killed some 9,000 people throughout Nepal. Around 243 of those unfortunate souls were visiting or living in the village of Langtang, which was almost completely annihilated by a landslide.  Situated in a valley at over 11,000 feet above sea level, Langtang was a popular teahouse community for trekkers exploring the Himalayas……

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St David’s Church, more commonly known as Leicester’s Church or “Leicester’s Folly” was designed to be the first great Protestant church constructed in Britain following the Reformation. The church takes its nickname from Robert Dudley, the Earl of Leicester and Baron of Denbigh, who was responsible for its construction. It was originally intended to be a Protestant cathedral and a replacement for St Hilary’s Chapel. However, funds for the project ran dry around 1584, partly due to the unpopularity……

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This architectural reclamation yard, at Cheadle in Staffordshire, England, sells a fascinating mix of reclaimed materials and antiques. One could spend hours wandering around looking at examples of items from bygone eras. The building is also modified to showcase examples of products on sale as architectural elements. One of the best examples is a demolished pub door on the exterior of the building that leads nowhere. However, the story of how the late Les Oakes started his business is……

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Pop culture has its crocodile hunters, house hunters, ghost hunters, and more. Matthew Moore, a photographer currently based in Maryland, has lived on and off in Czechia for the past 20 years. In that time, he has become fascinated by public relics of Soviet power. So he became a statue hunter or, more precisely, a void hunter, seeking out the places where since-relocated Soviet monuments once stood, and then the monuments themselves. “When I first moved to the Czech……

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If there is one historical fact that most people are familiar with regarding the tragic life of Mary Stuart, Queen of Scotland is that she lost her head due to a degree mandated by her cousin Queen Elizabeth II. Mary, Queen of Scots’s life was fraught with misfortune and peril from an early age. Just days after being born at Linlithgow Palace, her father King James V passed away. Mary was raised in France, away from those who wished to do……

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It’s not very common for a fruit to get its own monument. But residents of Blace, a small town in Serbia, are so thankful to plums that in 2012, the town erected a statue in their honor. The town unveiled Spomenik Šljivi, “Monument to Plum” by Dragan Drobnjak, during their annual “Plum Day” festival. Many residents of the Toplica region work with plums, making jam, juice, compote, or Rakija fruit brandy, the most popular alcoholic drink in Serbia. Along with the statue,……

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After passing through a 19th-century turnstile, visitors to this area will come across the amazing Lady Wimborne Bridge, also known as the London and South Western Railway Bridge 77.  The bridge boasts some of the most elaborate carvings of any railway bridge in the country. It’s a reflection of the power landowners had over British railway companies during the 19th-century. It’s said the bridge was designed to replicate the exultant arches, which often guarded grand country estates. They were also crafted……

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