History: John F. Kennedy Documents & Recordings Online for the First Time

Regardless of where in the world you live, you might have an interest in American history or American political history.  If you do, the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum in Boston, Massachusetts has just put thousands upon thousands of documents, photographs and recorded telephone conversations online that will make you very happy.

Before the digital age, amateur historians, researchers and individuals with just a passing interest would have had to travel from their homes to Boston to read, see and hear the historically significant material at the Kennedy Library and Museum.  Now, anyone with online access can view 200,000 document pages, 1,200 recordings of telephone conversations, speeches and meetings and some 1,500 photographs of the late 35th American president.

Digitizing the material was a four-year project for almost two dozen individuals at the Library and Museum and work is ongoing to further expand the collection.  Even major technology firms were involved in the process to bring these documents to the public.  EMC Corp. donated high-speed storage, Iron Mountain provided secure computing facilities, AT&T provided hosting and networking and Raytheon led project management.

Massachusetts born John F. Kennedy was the 35th president of the United States serving from 1961 until he was assassinated in Dallas, Texas by Lee Harvey Oswald on November 22, 1963.  Many Americans consider Kennedy to be one of the finest presidents to date and he remains an American hero to many to this day.  The Kennedy years, often referred to as "Camelot" are thought of by many as the closest to having royalty as the United States ever came.

Follow this link if you would like to browse the Digital Archive of the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum.

Source:  http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE70C4WE20110113

Titanic Expedition Begins and Ends After Capturing Remarkable Images

Few names spark the imagery that "Titanic" can.  The name conjures images of romance, luxury, opulence, tragedy and death.  When the Titanic struck an iceberg and sank on her maiden voyage from England to New York City ninety-eight years ago in 1912, more than 1,500 souls perished in the icy waters of the Atlantic.  Seventy-three years later, some 370 miles (600 km) south-east of Mistaken Point, Newfoundland, Dr. Robert Ballard of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute and Jean-Louis Michel of Ifremer discovered the wreckage of the Titanic 2 1/2 miles (4 km) beneath the Atlantic's surface.

The ship has always been at the center of interest for researchers.  Before Ballard and Michel discovered the ship, many wanted to do just that.  Some even wanted to raise it.  There have been several visits to the site with submersibles being dispatched to collect artifacts, video or photographs.

Ninety-eight years later, yet another expedition to the Titanic site has come and gone.  Plagued by both Hurricanes Danielle and Igor, the research expedition was conducted in two parts.  The first ended in August of 2010 when Hurricane Danielle forced the expedition to return to port in St. John's, Newfoundland.  The goal of the expedition is to document little-known areas of the wreckage before it completely disintegrates.  Their focus is the stern of the ship.  It hasn't been studied since the Titanic was discovered in 1985.  Once all danger of Danielle had passed, the expedition on the research vessel Jean Charcot returned into the cold Atlantic waters to continue their work. 

Expedition Titanic used two autonomous underwater vehicles, Ginger and Mary Ann (named for the two ladies from the American comedy Gilligan's Island) and a remotely operated vehicle loaded with cameras.  The team were successful in capturing both stunningly clear and eerie photographs and video of some of the areas of the ship that have become legendary in the past nine decades. 

The work of the researchers aboard Jean Charcot was interrupted by Mother Nature a second time, however.  News of the impending approach of Hurricane Igor forced the team to head back to land.  They arrived at port in St. John's, Newfoundland on Friday, September 17, 2010.

Even though Igor forced the team to turn back ahead of schedule, their research journey was a success.  The researchers brought home a bounty of photographs and video documenting the fast-decaying wreckage of one of the most famous ships in history.  Areas such as the bow, first-class promenade deck and the area where the ship smashed into the iceberg that sealed its fate were among the images collected by the crew.  A crystal-clear picture of what happened on that fateful night in 1912 is being painted by the new images that allow us to see in stark, high-definition clarity how severe the damage to the ship really was.  Using the mountain of video and photographic data collected, the researchers hope to be able to answer some of the long-asked questions surrounding the Titanic.

Many scientists, including Dr. Ballard have raised concerns that visits to the ship are doing more harm than good and quickening the decay of the ship.  Visitor damage has led the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to estimate that "the hull and structure of the ship may collapse to the ocean floor within the next 50 years."  P.H. Nargeolet, expedition co-leader and director of underwater research for RMS Titanic, INC., has stated that "In a few years, all the deck will collapse.  That's for sure.  There's no question about that.  The hull itself will be here for a long time."

Despite warnings that visitor interference is hastening the decay of the ship, Deep Ocean Expeditions is offering a 2011 "RMS Titanic Dive" that will set you back $40,000 (US Dollars) for a visit to the ship in a Russian submersible or a mere $5,000 if you don't want to go underwater but just stay aboard the ship.  Bill Willard and Azamara Club Cruises will also be offering two 100th anniversary cruises.  Currently, they include a topside memorial service and might offer virtual visits to the underwater site via remotely operated vehicles.

Now, this is strictly my opinion, but even if every single individual who pays the $40,000 to dive with Deep Ocean Expeditions or pays for the possible underwater virtual visit with the 2011 planned 100th anniversary cruise has a scientific goal in mind, does the Titanic really need such an intrusion right now?  As rapidly as parts of the ship are decaying, only wholly serious scientific expeditions such as those performed earlier this month by the Jean Charcot crew should be allowed to invade the wreckage site, in my opinion.  Every time the ship is disturbed a little more of it is lost.  Is profit on a cruise really worth that?

For more information:
Article Sources:
Cosmic Log:  Titanic Quest Turns to New Territory
Cosmic Log:  Expedition Bids Farewell to Titanic (Page contains expedition video)
Cosmic Log:  Underwater Frontiers Still Beckon (Page contains expedition video)
Cosmic Log:  How the Titanic Tore Apart (Page contains expedition video and photographs)
NBC News Reports of the Expeditions (contains video)

Expedition Titanic Video and Photograph Sources:
Expedition Titanic Web Site (click on the red "navigation" button on the left of the screen to navigate the site; "The Feed" contains video footage from the site)
RMS Titanic, INC. Facebook Page (houses a collection of photographs, you do not need an account to access this page)
Expedition Blog, Waitt Institute
Expedition Titanic YouTube Channel
RMS Titanic, INC Twitter Page
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Titanic News Page
David Gallo (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute) Twitter Page

Specific Photos/Videos:
Officers Cabins
First-Class Promenade Deck
Expedition Titanic Target Planning Meeting
Titanic's "Jutting Bow"

Titanic Expedition Begins and Ends After Capturing Remarkable Images

Few names spark the imagery that "Titanic" can.  The name conjures images of romance, luxury, opulence, tragedy and death.  When the Titanic struck an iceberg and sank on her maiden voyage from England to New York City ninety-eight years ago in 1912, more than 1,500 souls perished in the icy waters of the Atlantic.  Seventy-three years later, some 370 miles (600 km) south-east of Mistaken Point, Newfoundland, Dr. Robert Ballard of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute and Jean-Louis Michel of Ifremer discovered the wreckage of the Titanic 2 1/2 miles (4 km) beneath the Atlantic's surface.

The ship has always been at the center of interest for researchers.  Before Ballard and Michel discovered the ship, many wanted to do just that.  Some even wanted to raise it.  There have been several visits to the site with submersibles being dispatched to collect artifacts, video or photographs.

Ninety-eight years later, yet another expedition to the Titanic site has come and gone.  Plagued by both Hurricanes Danielle and Igor, the research expedition was conducted in two parts.  The first ended in August of 2010 when Hurricane Danielle forced the expedition to return to port in St. John's, Newfoundland.  The goal of the expedition is to document little-known areas of the wreckage before it completely disintegrates.  Their focus is the stern of the ship.  It hasn't been studied since the Titanic was discovered in 1985.  Once all danger of Danielle had passed, the expedition on the research vessel Jean Charcot returned into the cold Atlantic waters to continue their work. 

Expedition Titanic used two autonomous underwater vehicles, Ginger and Mary Ann (named for the two ladies from the American comedy Gilligan's Island) and a remotely operated vehicle loaded with cameras.  The team were successful in capturing both stunningly clear and eerie photographs and video of some of the areas of the ship that have become legendary in the past nine decades. 

The work of the researchers aboard Jean Charcot was interrupted by Mother Nature a second time, however.  News of the impending approach of Hurricane Igor forced the team to head back to land.  They arrived at port in St. John's, Newfoundland on Friday, September 17, 2010.

Even though Igor forced the team to turn back ahead of schedule, their research journey was a success.  The researchers brought home a bounty of photographs and video documenting the fast-decaying wreckage of one of the most famous ships in history.  Areas such as the bow, first-class promenade deck and the area where the ship smashed into the iceberg that sealed its fate were among the images collected by the crew.  A crystal-clear picture of what happened on that fateful night in 1912 is being painted by the new images that allow us to see in stark, high-definition clarity how severe the damage to the ship really was.  Using the mountain of video and photographic data collected, the researchers hope to be able to answer some of the long-asked questions surrounding the Titanic.

Many scientists, including Dr. Ballard have raised concerns that visits to the ship are doing more harm than good and quickening the decay of the ship.  Visitor damage has led the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to estimate that "the hull and structure of the ship may collapse to the ocean floor within the next 50 years."  P.H. Nargeolet, expedition co-leader and director of underwater research for RMS Titanic, INC., has stated that "In a few years, all the deck will collapse.  That's for sure.  There's no question about that.  The hull itself will be here for a long time."

Despite warnings that visitor interference is hastening the decay of the ship, Deep Ocean Expeditions is offering a 2011 "RMS Titanic Dive" that will set you back $40,000 (US Dollars) for a visit to the ship in a Russian submersible or a mere $5,000 if you don't want to go underwater but just stay aboard the ship.  Bill Willard and Azamara Club Cruises will also be offering two 100th anniversary cruises.  Currently, they include a topside memorial service and might offer virtual visits to the underwater site via remotely operated vehicles.

Now, this is strictly my opinion, but even if every single individual who pays the $40,000 to dive with Deep Ocean Expeditions or pays for the possible underwater virtual visit with the 2011 planned 100th anniversary cruise has a scientific goal in mind, does the Titanic really need such an intrusion right now?  As rapidly as parts of the ship are decaying, only wholly serious scientific expeditions such as those performed earlier this month by the Jean Charcot crew should be allowed to invade the wreckage site, in my opinion.  Every time the ship is disturbed a little more of it is lost.  Is profit on a cruise really worth that?

For more information:
Article Sources:
Cosmic Log:  Titanic Quest Turns to New Territory
Cosmic Log:  Expedition Bids Farewell to Titanic (Page contains expedition video)
Cosmic Log:  Underwater Frontiers Still Beckon (Page contains expedition video)
Cosmic Log:  How the Titanic Tore Apart (Page contains expedition video and photographs)
NBC News Reports of the Expeditions (contains video)

Expedition Titanic Video and Photograph Sources:
Expedition Titanic Web Site (click on the red "navigation" button on the left of the screen to navigate the site; "The Feed" contains video footage from the site)
RMS Titanic, INC. Facebook Page (houses a collection of photographs, you do not need an account to access this page)
Expedition Blog, Waitt Institute
Expedition Titanic YouTube Channel
RMS Titanic, INC Twitter Page
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Titanic News Page
David Gallo (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute) Twitter Page

Specific Photos/Videos:
Officers Cabins
First-Class Promenade Deck
Expedition Titanic Target Planning Meeting
Titanic's "Jutting Bow"

Fossils Suggest "Lucy" Species Used Stone Tools & Ate Meat

Two animal bones, both over three million years old, have yielded information to researchers that stone tools were used to butcher the animals for eating by early human ancestors, known as Australopithecus afarensis, the species best known for the "Lucy" fossil.

The study of the bones was published in the Thursday issue of the journal Nature by Zeresenay Alemseged and colleagues from the California Academy of Sciences.

The study claims afarensis carved the meat from the animal carcasses and used other stones to smash the bones to get the marrow.  Researchers believe this discovery is the earliest evidence of meat eating among hominins.  They believe the afarensis probably scavenged carcasses instead of actually hunting live prey.

Two female afarensis fossils have been found near the same site where the two animal bones were found.  In 1974 "Lucy" was found and latter, a female skeleton named "Selam" was found approximately 200 yards from the bone site.

Not all scientists are convinced by the research done by Alemseged and the California Academy of Sciences researchers. 

Paleoanthropologist Nicholas Toth of Indiana University has doubts because of the fact the bones were found on the surface rather than buried beneath the earth requiring excavation.  He also believes the markings on the bones differ from marks commonly left by stone tools, an area Toth studies.  Toth speculates the marks could have even been made by animal bites.

Other scientists agree with the Nature paper.

According to Bernard Wood of George Washington University, "I'd be willing to bet a month's salary that those are cut marks (from stone tools) and not tooth marks."

For more information about this interesting research and to see a photograph of the two animal bones you can read this MSNBC Technology and Science article.

Fossils Suggest "Lucy" Species Used Stone Tools & Ate Meat

Two animal bones, both over three million years old, have yielded information to researchers that stone tools were used to butcher the animals for eating by early human ancestors, known as Australopithecus afarensis, the species best known for the "Lucy" fossil.

The study of the bones was published in the Thursday issue of the journal Nature by Zeresenay Alemseged and colleagues from the California Academy of Sciences.

The study claims afarensis carved the meat from the animal carcasses and used other stones to smash the bones to get the marrow.  Researchers believe this discovery is the earliest evidence of meat eating among hominins.  They believe the afarensis probably scavenged carcasses instead of actually hunting live prey.

Two female afarensis fossils have been found near the same site where the two animal bones were found.  In 1974 "Lucy" was found and latter, a female skeleton named "Selam" was found approximately 200 yards from the bone site.

Not all scientists are convinced by the research done by Alemseged and the California Academy of Sciences researchers. 

Paleoanthropologist Nicholas Toth of Indiana University has doubts because of the fact the bones were found on the surface rather than buried beneath the earth requiring excavation.  He also believes the markings on the bones differ from marks commonly left by stone tools, an area Toth studies.  Toth speculates the marks could have even been made by animal bites.

Other scientists agree with the Nature paper.

According to Bernard Wood of George Washington University, "I'd be willing to bet a month's salary that those are cut marks (from stone tools) and not tooth marks."

For more information about this interesting research and to see a photograph of the two animal bones you can read this MSNBC Technology and Science article.

Egypt Unveils Discovery of 4,300-Year-Old Tombs

On Thursday, July 8, 2010 Egyptian archaeologists announced a newly-unearthed double tomb containing vivid wall paintings in the necropolis of Saqqara near Cairo, Egypt.

The tomb has two false doors containing colorful paintings of two people buried there, a father and son, both royal scribes.  The father's false door was inscribed with the name of Pepi II and dates the tomb to the 6th dynasty.  Pepi II was believed to have been the longest reigning pharaoh.  He controlled Egypt for 90 years.

The sarcophagus of the father, Shendwas, was destroyed by humidity.  The tomb of the son, Khonsu, was robbed in antiquity. 

Zahi Hawass stated that because of their "amazing colors", the tombs were "the most distinguished tombs ever found from the Old Kingdom".  Hawass believes it could be the start for uncovering a vast cemetery in the area.

Visit this article for more information and to see one of the brilliant paintings.

Egypt Unveils Discovery of 4,300-Year-Old Tombs

On Thursday, July 8, 2010 Egyptian archaeologists announced a newly-unearthed double tomb containing vivid wall paintings in the necropolis of Saqqara near Cairo, Egypt.

The tomb has two false doors containing colorful paintings of two people buried there, a father and son, both royal scribes.  The father's false door was inscribed with the name of Pepi II and dates the tomb to the 6th dynasty.  Pepi II was believed to have been the longest reigning pharaoh.  He controlled Egypt for 90 years.

The sarcophagus of the father, Shendwas, was destroyed by humidity.  The tomb of the son, Khonsu, was robbed in antiquity. 

Zahi Hawass stated that because of their "amazing colors", the tombs were "the most distinguished tombs ever found from the Old Kingdom".  Hawass believes it could be the start for uncovering a vast cemetery in the area.

Visit this article for more information and to see one of the brilliant paintings.

Cleopatra's Death Not From an Asp Bite?

Christoph Schäfer, a German historian and professor at the University of Trier, the last ancient Egyptian queen, Cleopatra didn't die from the bite of a poisonous asp, an Egyptian cobra, as we have believed for centuries.  Instead, she died from a drug overdose.

Schäfer's book, Cleopatra is the product of his search through historic writings in an attempt to disprove the theory of Cleopatra having died from the bite of an asp.  The German channel ZDF is also going to air a program featuring his research on the Egyptian queen.

According to Schäfer, Cassius Dio, a Roman historian, wrote some 200 years after Cleopatra's suicide that she died a quiet and painless death.  Schäfer states that the death from the asp's venom would not have been painless.  German toxicologist Dietrich Mebs confirms that death by asp venom would have in fact been painful and unpleasant.

Schäfer also cites the ancient texts stating that Cleopatra's two handmaidens died with her.  Had she died from an asp bite, that would have been unlikely.  According to Schäfer, a snake bite is unpredictable because of the amount of venom a snake may or may not release during the bite.  Also, he says that at the time Cleopatra died, in August of 30 B.C., the temperatures in Egypt would have been too high for an asp to stay still long enough to bite.

Schäfer states that ancient Egyptian papyri prove the Egyptians knew about poisons and that one papyrus says Cleopatra actually tested them having observed the deaths of condemned prisoners from a variety of poisons including snake venom.

Both Schäfer and Dietrich Mebs believe she died from a mixture of opium, wolfsbane and hemlock rather than snake venom.

Alain Touwaide, an international authority on ancient medicinal plants at the Smithsonian Institution and the Institute for the Preservation of Medical Traditions in Washington D.C. believes the only way to finally solve the mystery of how Cleopatra died would be for her body to be found and to apply forensic methods of testing to it.

Are Schäfer's findings truly a breakthrough or is he just putting old theories into new packaging?

For more information, please refer to this article:  Cleopatra Killed by Drug Cocktail?

Cleopatra's Death Not From an Asp Bite?

Christoph Schäfer, a German historian and professor at the University of Trier, the last ancient Egyptian queen, Cleopatra didn't die from the bite of a poisonous asp, an Egyptian cobra, as we have believed for centuries.  Instead, she died from a drug overdose.

Schäfer's book, Cleopatra is the product of his search through historic writings in an attempt to disprove the theory of Cleopatra having died from the bite of an asp.  The German channel ZDF is also going to air a program featuring his research on the Egyptian queen.

According to Schäfer, Cassius Dio, a Roman historian, wrote some 200 years after Cleopatra's suicide that she died a quiet and painless death.  Schäfer states that the death from the asp's venom would not have been painless.  German toxicologist Dietrich Mebs confirms that death by asp venom would have in fact been painful and unpleasant.

Schäfer also cites the ancient texts stating that Cleopatra's two handmaidens died with her.  Had she died from an asp bite, that would have been unlikely.  According to Schäfer, a snake bite is unpredictable because of the amount of venom a snake may or may not release during the bite.  Also, he says that at the time Cleopatra died, in August of 30 B.C., the temperatures in Egypt would have been too high for an asp to stay still long enough to bite.

Schäfer states that ancient Egyptian papyri prove the Egyptians knew about poisons and that one papyrus says Cleopatra actually tested them having observed the deaths of condemned prisoners from a variety of poisons including snake venom.

Both Schäfer and Dietrich Mebs believe she died from a mixture of opium, wolfsbane and hemlock rather than snake venom.

Alain Touwaide, an international authority on ancient medicinal plants at the Smithsonian Institution and the Institute for the Preservation of Medical Traditions in Washington D.C. believes the only way to finally solve the mystery of how Cleopatra died would be for her body to be found and to apply forensic methods of testing to it.

Are Schäfer's findings truly a breakthrough or is he just putting old theories into new packaging?

For more information, please refer to this article:  Cleopatra Killed by Drug Cocktail?

Lake Michigan Shipwreck Found After 112 Years

Over a century ago, in October 1898, the L.R. Doty, a 300-foot-long wooden steamship was carrying a cargo of corn from South Chicago, Illinois to Ontario, Canada.  A fierce storm on Lake Michigan that produced heavy winds, snow, sleet and waves as high as 30 feet caused the steamship to sink.

By all accounts, the Doty should have been able to withstand the storm.  The ship was a mere five years old and its massive hull was reinforced with steel arches.  But, it had a weakness.  It was towing a small schooner, the Olive Jeanette.  The schooner began to founder in the storm and the tow line snapped.  Experts believe the Doty sank when it came to the aid of the Olive Jeanette.  All 17 of the ships crew members, and two ship's cats, Dewey and Watson, perished when the ship sank.

Until now, the Doty was the largest wooden ship still unaccounted for.  The ship was discovered in the Milwaukee-area shoreline and appears to be completely intact having been preserved by the cold fresh waters.

In 1991, a Milwaukee fisherman reported snagging his nets on an underwater obstruction about 300 feet down.  His report was forgotten until diving technology improved to allow exploration at such a depth.  In recent months, researchers conducted preliminary surface scouting, then used deep-sea technology to finally find the massive wreckage.  Last week, divers were able to go into the waters.  Immediately, they knew they had the Doty.

The Doty is sitting upright and completely intact--including the cargo of corn in the hold--in the clay at the bottom of Lake Michigan.  The ship has been protected for the last 112 years because of the cold waters of Lake Michigan and its depth shielded it from storms.  Brandon Baillod, president of the Wisconsin Underwater Archaeology Association who worked on this find believes the bodies of the 17 crew members are likely intact as well, mostly likely in the boiler room where they believes they probably went as the ship sank.

Baillod believes the rudder chain must have snapped when the Doty was turning to assist the Olive Jeanette leaving the massive steamship at the mercy of the storm.  He imagines the crew must have had at least an hour of knowing they were going to die in the icy Lake Michigan waters before the cargo holds collapsed.

There are no plans to raise the Doty.  Doing so would probably be more harm than good.  As it sits, the ship is protected by the cold Lake Michigan waters and its depth in them.  Raised, the ship would be exposed to air that could cause it to rot away within a few years.  Diver interference isn't something the Doty must worry over either.  The depth of the ship guarantees that few divers will visit it because of the amount of experience one must have to make such a deep and dangerous dive.

For more information, to see an underwater photo of The Doty and to read about Brandon Baillod's next project, please visit the MSNBC.com Technology and Science Article.

Update:  More spectacular underwater photographs of The Doty, courtesy of John Scoles, can be seen at this link.  The photographs are amazing quality; very clear and you really get a great look at this amazing find.

Lake Michigan Shipwreck Found After 112 Years

Over a century ago, in October 1898, the L.R. Doty, a 300-foot-long wooden steamship was carrying a cargo of corn from South Chicago, Illinois to Ontario, Canada.  A fierce storm on Lake Michigan that produced heavy winds, snow, sleet and waves as high as 30 feet caused the steamship to sink.

By all accounts, the Doty should have been able to withstand the storm.  The ship was a mere five years old and its massive hull was reinforced with steel arches.  But, it had a weakness.  It was towing a small schooner, the Olive Jeanette.  The schooner began to founder in the storm and the tow line snapped.  Experts believe the Doty sank when it came to the aid of the Olive Jeanette.  All 17 of the ships crew members, and two ship's cats, Dewey and Watson, perished when the ship sank.

Until now, the Doty was the largest wooden ship still unaccounted for.  The ship was discovered in the Milwaukee-area shoreline and appears to be completely intact having been preserved by the cold fresh waters.

In 1991, a Milwaukee fisherman reported snagging his nets on an underwater obstruction about 300 feet down.  His report was forgotten until diving technology improved to allow exploration at such a depth.  In recent months, researchers conducted preliminary surface scouting, then used deep-sea technology to finally find the massive wreckage.  Last week, divers were able to go into the waters.  Immediately, they knew they had the Doty.

The Doty is sitting upright and completely intact--including the cargo of corn in the hold--in the clay at the bottom of Lake Michigan.  The ship has been protected for the last 112 years because of the cold waters of Lake Michigan and its depth shielded it from storms.  Brandon Baillod, president of the Wisconsin Underwater Archaeology Association who worked on this find believes the bodies of the 17 crew members are likely intact as well, mostly likely in the boiler room where they believes they probably went as the ship sank.

Baillod believes the rudder chain must have snapped when the Doty was turning to assist the Olive Jeanette leaving the massive steamship at the mercy of the storm.  He imagines the crew must have had at least an hour of knowing they were going to die in the icy Lake Michigan waters before the cargo holds collapsed.

There are no plans to raise the Doty.  Doing so would probably be more harm than good.  As it sits, the ship is protected by the cold Lake Michigan waters and its depth in them.  Raised, the ship would be exposed to air that could cause it to rot away within a few years.  Diver interference isn't something the Doty must worry over either.  The depth of the ship guarantees that few divers will visit it because of the amount of experience one must have to make such a deep and dangerous dive.

For more information, to see an underwater photo of The Doty and to read about Brandon Baillod's next project, please visit the MSNBC.com Technology and Science Article.

Update:  More spectacular underwater photographs of The Doty, courtesy of John Scoles, can be seen at this link.  The photographs are amazing quality; very clear and you really get a great look at this amazing find.

"Great Grandfather" of Lucy Found in East Africa

A 3.6 million year old partial skeleton from the same species as "Lucy" was recently discovered .  The skeleton, Kadanuumuu, meaning "big man", was found in Ethiopia's Afar region, the same place Lucy was found in 1974.  Both skeletons share the species name Australopithecus afarensis.  Australopiths share traits with chimpanzees and humans.  They share protruding faces and small brains with chimpanzees and skeletons built for upright walking with humans.

There isn't much information on Kadanuumu at this point.  I'm sure there will be more released as further research is conducted.

The complete press release from the Cleveland Museum of Natural History regarding Kadanummu can be found here.

"Great Grandfather" of Lucy Found in East Africa

A 3.6 million year old partial skeleton from the same species as "Lucy" was recently discovered .  The skeleton, Kadanuumuu, meaning "big man", was found in Ethiopia's Afar region, the same place Lucy was found in 1974.  Both skeletons share the species name Australopithecus afarensis.  Australopiths share traits with chimpanzees and humans.  They share protruding faces and small brains with chimpanzees and skeletons built for upright walking with humans.

There isn't much information on Kadanuumu at this point.  I'm sure there will be more released as further research is conducted.

The complete press release from the Cleveland Museum of Natural History regarding Kadanummu can be found here.

Major Mystery of the 20th Century Solved?

For seventy-three years it has been one of the most intriguing mysteries to capture international attention. 

On July 2, 1937, Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan took from from Lae with the intended destination of Howland Island some 2,556 miles away.  The last known position of Earhart and Noonan was a mere 800 miles into the flight near the Nukumanu Islands.  Approximately one hour after Earhart's last message, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) ship Itasca began search efforts that proved to be unsuccessful.  No trace of Earhart's twin-engine plane, a 1935 Lockheed Electra 10E, or of Earhart and Noonan were to be found.  The search was called off July 19, 1937.  To that point in history, the $4 million air and sea search by the USCG and US Navy was the most expensive and intense search in United States history.

In the years since that historic flight, Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan have been the subject of much spectulation, rumor and theory.  Just what did happen on that fateful day in July 1937?  Did they crash into the sea and drown?  Did they crash on Saipan Island and were executed by Japanese troops?  Perhaps we shall never know.  Or will we?

New clues have surfaced that might just solve the mystery once and for all.

Over the course of twenty-one years and ten visits, researchers have scoured Nikumaroro, a remote island in the South Pacific where they believe Earhart and Noonan spent their final days.  The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR) has found several artifacts they feel might shed a little more light on the Earhart disappearance.  Three pieces of a pocket knife and fragments of a broken cosmetic jar are the latest artifacts that have been found.  According to Ric Gillespie, executive director of TIGHAR believes that "touch DNA" can be taken from the objects and compared to an Earhart DNA reference sample held by a DNA lab working with TIGHAR. 

Nikumaroro lies approximately 300 miles southeast of Earhart and Noonan's original destination of Howland Island. 

The researchers will be working on the island through June 17, 2010.

For more in-depth reading of this fascinating development in the interesting story of Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan please read the MSNBC.com Technology and Science article and visit the TIGHAR web site.  The TIGHAR site contains photographs of a couple of of the artifacts recovered on Nikumaroro.

Major Mystery of the 20th Century Solved?

For seventy-three years it has been one of the most intriguing mysteries to capture international attention. 

On July 2, 1937, Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan took from from Lae with the intended destination of Howland Island some 2,556 miles away.  The last known position of Earhart and Noonan was a mere 800 miles into the flight near the Nukumanu Islands.  Approximately one hour after Earhart's last message, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) ship Itasca began search efforts that proved to be unsuccessful.  No trace of Earhart's twin-engine plane, a 1935 Lockheed Electra 10E, or of Earhart and Noonan were to be found.  The search was called off July 19, 1937.  To that point in history, the $4 million air and sea search by the USCG and US Navy was the most expensive and intense search in United States history.

In the years since that historic flight, Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan have been the subject of much spectulation, rumor and theory.  Just what did happen on that fateful day in July 1937?  Did they crash into the sea and drown?  Did they crash on Saipan Island and were executed by Japanese troops?  Perhaps we shall never know.  Or will we?

New clues have surfaced that might just solve the mystery once and for all.

Over the course of twenty-one years and ten visits, researchers have scoured Nikumaroro, a remote island in the South Pacific where they believe Earhart and Noonan spent their final days.  The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR) has found several artifacts they feel might shed a little more light on the Earhart disappearance.  Three pieces of a pocket knife and fragments of a broken cosmetic jar are the latest artifacts that have been found.  According to Ric Gillespie, executive director of TIGHAR believes that "touch DNA" can be taken from the objects and compared to an Earhart DNA reference sample held by a DNA lab working with TIGHAR. 

Nikumaroro lies approximately 300 miles southeast of Earhart and Noonan's original destination of Howland Island. 

The researchers will be working on the island through June 17, 2010.

For more in-depth reading of this fascinating development in the interesting story of Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan please read the MSNBC.com Technology and Science article and visit the TIGHAR web site.  The TIGHAR site contains photographs of a couple of of the artifacts recovered on Nikumaroro.

3,300 Year Old "Lost Tomb" of Egyptian Mayor Found

On Sunday, May 30, 2010, officials in Cairo, Egypt announced a most fascinating find.  The 3,300 year-old tomb of Ptahmes, mayor of the ancient Egyptian capital Memphis had been found since it had last been plundered in 1885 by treasure hunters. 

The tomb, located in a New Kingdom necropolis at Saqqara was plundered over 120 years ago and artifacts such as the decorative wall panels were removed and sold to museums.  After the ancient treasures were removed the tomb was all but forgotten.  Were it not for the artifacts that ended up in museums in the Netherlands, United States, Italy and even the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, Pthames and his tomb might have been forgotten forever.

In 2005, a team of archaeologists from Cairo University's archaeology department found the tomb while excavating in the area.  A vivid wall engraving of fishermen in papyrus reed boats, amulets and statue fragments were found in the discovered chambers.  The inner chambers and the mayor's mummy have not been discovered.

Pthames served as Mayor of Memphis, army chief, overseer of the treasury and royal scribe under the rulers Seti I and his son, Ramses II in the 13th century B.C. 

For more information and to view photographs of the outside of the tomb and an unfinished funeral painting please visit the MSNBC.com article.  (Click on "view related photos" next to the picture of the funeral painting.)

3,300 Year Old "Lost Tomb" of Egyptian Mayor Found

On Sunday, May 30, 2010, officials in Cairo, Egypt announced a most fascinating find.  The 3,300 year-old tomb of Ptahmes, mayor of the ancient Egyptian capital Memphis had been found since it had last been plundered in 1885 by treasure hunters. 

The tomb, located in a New Kingdom necropolis at Saqqara was plundered over 120 years ago and artifacts such as the decorative wall panels were removed and sold to museums.  After the ancient treasures were removed the tomb was all but forgotten.  Were it not for the artifacts that ended up in museums in the Netherlands, United States, Italy and even the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, Pthames and his tomb might have been forgotten forever.

In 2005, a team of archaeologists from Cairo University's archaeology department found the tomb while excavating in the area.  A vivid wall engraving of fishermen in papyrus reed boats, amulets and statue fragments were found in the discovered chambers.  The inner chambers and the mayor's mummy have not been discovered.

Pthames served as Mayor of Memphis, army chief, overseer of the treasury and royal scribe under the rulers Seti I and his son, Ramses II in the 13th century B.C. 

For more information and to view photographs of the outside of the tomb and an unfinished funeral painting please visit the MSNBC.com article.  (Click on "view related photos" next to the picture of the funeral painting.)

Horned Dinosuar Possibly Moved From Island to Island Into Europe

There have been several great dinosaur stories in science news lately.  This latest discovery is just as exciting as the others recently reported.

Horned dinosaurs, known as ceratopsians, were plentiful during the late Cretaceous, roughly 100 million to 65 million years ago  (Ceratopsians include such well-known dinosaurs as Triceratops.)  It wasn't until scientists found a new small horned dinosaur, possibly a dwarf dinosaur, in Europe that they believed ceratopsians lived only in Asia and North America.

Three skull bones belonging to the horned dinosaur, Ajkaceratops kozmai, were unearthed in the summer of 2009 in a Hungarian quarry near the town of Ajka.  Fully grown, the newly discovered dinosaur grew to a tiny 3 feet long.  Dwarf dinosaurs did live in what we now know as Transylvania.

In 2007, scientists reported fossil teeth that could have been ceratopsian having been found in Sweden.  But the Hungarian find is the first clear discovery of a horned dinosaur in Europe.

The newly revealed small horned dinosaur lived roughly 85 million years ago and, at that time, much of what is now Europe was part of a complex series of island chains known as the Tethyan archipelago.  These islands were situated between the African and Eurasian land masses in the Tethys Ocean.  It is theorized that the small horned dinosaur moved from island to island thus eventually ending up in what we know as Europe.

For more information and to see a photo of a research team excavating the remains of the small horned dinosaur, please refer to this MSNBC.com Technology and Science article.

Horned Dinosuar Possibly Moved From Island to Island Into Europe

There have been several great dinosaur stories in science news lately.  This latest discovery is just as exciting as the others recently reported.

Horned dinosaurs, known as ceratopsians, were plentiful during the late Cretaceous, roughly 100 million to 65 million years ago  (Ceratopsians include such well-known dinosaurs as Triceratops.)  It wasn't until scientists found a new small horned dinosaur, possibly a dwarf dinosaur, in Europe that they believed ceratopsians lived only in Asia and North America.

Three skull bones belonging to the horned dinosaur, Ajkaceratops kozmai, were unearthed in the summer of 2009 in a Hungarian quarry near the town of Ajka.  Fully grown, the newly discovered dinosaur grew to a tiny 3 feet long.  Dwarf dinosaurs did live in what we now know as Transylvania.

In 2007, scientists reported fossil teeth that could have been ceratopsian having been found in Sweden.  But the Hungarian find is the first clear discovery of a horned dinosaur in Europe.

The newly revealed small horned dinosaur lived roughly 85 million years ago and, at that time, much of what is now Europe was part of a complex series of island chains known as the Tethyan archipelago.  These islands were situated between the African and Eurasian land masses in the Tethys Ocean.  It is theorized that the small horned dinosaur moved from island to island thus eventually ending up in what we know as Europe.

For more information and to see a photo of a research team excavating the remains of the small horned dinosaur, please refer to this MSNBC.com Technology and Science article.

Divers Exploring Cleopatra's Palace in Alexandria Harbor

On Tuesday, May 25, 2010 divers entered the waters of Alexandria harbor to explore the ruins of a palace and temple complex belonging to ancient Egyptian queen Cleopatra.  They had to swim over heaps of limestone blocks that went into the sea over 1,600 years ago because of earthquakes and tsunamis.

An international team of researchers led by French underwater archaeologist Franck Goddio are using advanced technology to survey the Alexandria Royal Quarters.  It is encased deep below the harbor sediment.  They are working to confirm  the accuracy of 2,000 year-old historical descriptions left by Greek geographers and historians.  Researchers have been doing topographical surveys of the area since the early 1990's.

The researchers are have discovered such artifacts as coins, granite statues of Egyptian rules, sunken temples dedicated to Egyptian deities and every day objects.  Also among the finds is a massive stone head believed to be of Caesarion, son of Queen Cleopatra and Julius Caesar, two sphinxes, one of which most likely represents Ptolemy XII, the father of Cleopatra.  Their finds will be going on display at Philadelphia's Franklin Institute from June 5, 2010 to January 2, 2011 in the "Cleopatra:  The Search for the Last Queen of Egypt" display of more than 250 artifacts before going on the road to tour four other North American cities.

Cleopatra was from the last dynasty to rule Egypt as the country was annexed into the Roman Empire in 30 B.C. 

For more information on the Cleopatra:  The Search for the Last Queen of Egypt exhibit please visit the artmuseumjournal.com article.

For more information on the archaeological expedition and to see a photograph of a diver inspecting a quartzite block please read the MSNBC.com article.