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MEXICO CITY — Jasmín Ordóñez looks out from a wooden boat at the water as she crosses a narrow channel that connects a labyrinth of chinampas, island farms that were built by the Aztecs thousands of years ago.

“Let’s close our eyes and ask our Mother Water for permission to sail in peace,” she said as the boat moves slowly, in contrast to the frenetic traffic of Mexico City just a few miles away.

Ordóñez owns one of these island farms, first created with mud from the bottom of the lakes that once covered this area. When the boat arrives at her island, she proudly shows the corn and leafy greens she grows. Her ancestors owned chinampas, but she had to buy this one because women traditionally haven’t inherited them.

“My grandmother didn’t get any land. Back then, most was left in the hands of men,” she said. At her side, Cassandra Garduño listens attentively. She also didn’t inherit the family chinampa.

Today both are part of a small but growing group of women who have bought chinampas to cultivate sustainably in an effort to preserve an ecosystem that is increasingly threatened by urban development, mass tourism and water pollution.

Making their way in an area still dominated by men hasn’t been easy. In the chinampas of the boroughs of Xochimilco and San Gregorio Atlapulco, hardly any women work the land.

“People believe that men are the [only] ones who have the physical abilities to work them,” said Garduño. The mud stains her pale pink shirt, matching her boots. She knows her outfit gets funny looks from longtime male chinampa workers, but instead of getting upset, she finds it amusing.

After years away, she returned to San Gregorio in 2021 to dedicate herself to chinampa farming. She had gone to college and then spent long periods in Ecuador working in conservation efforts to protect manta rays and sharks. Then one day she came back to San Gregorio and was struck by the degradation of her own land: the lower water levels of the canals, the increasing pollution, the abandoned chinampas.

“That’s where I started to realize: ‘You are part of this space. And part of your responsibility is to safeguard it,’” she said.

After saving up for a year, she bought a chinampa — and was shocked to find it in such a bad state. A cleanup found pieces of armchairs, televisions and beer bottles. She worked to reopen canals that had been crammed with garbage and began planting crops. The distrust among the neighbors was palpable.

“They said: ‘Let’s see, this girl has never been down to this place, nobody knows her. And she’s already doing what she wants,’” she recalled.

But she knew much more than they thought. Garduño had learned a lot as a little girl who ran around her grandfather’s chinampa — “a paradise” of flowers. She learned that the mud from the bottom of the canals is the best fertilizer because it contains the mineral-rich ashes from the volcanoes surrounding Mexico City. She learned that planting a variety of crops keeps frost from destroying one entire crop and that the flowers attract insects, so they don’t eat the cabbage or kale.

Sharing the knowledge

“Chinampas can have up to eight rotations per year, whereas in other systems you might have two or three,” Garduño explained.

That’s why the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations recognized chinampas as one of the most productive agricultural systems on the planet. Today, her field is a melting pot of colors: the pale green of broccoli to the vivid yellow of marigolds.

Since 2016, she has been collaborating with Mexico’s National Autonomous University, advising other farmers who want to stop using agricultural chemicals and recover these traditional practices which also help preserve the ecosystem. Kneeling next to a planting bed, Garduño suggests elevating it so it won’t flood when it rains. Ordóñez takes note.

She bought this chinampa three years ago and is now seeking to obtain the “Etiqueta Chinampera,” the sustainability tag granted by the university to producers who, among other things, use mud as fertilizer instead of chemicals. With this label, their products can fetch higher prices.

Sixteen farmers have obtained the label so far, four of them women, said Diana Laura Vázquez Mendoza, of the university’s Institute of Biology, adding that the project encourages women to “take back their chinampas and produce.”

Cleaning the canals

In the chinampas supported by the university, filters made from aquatic plants are installed to clean the water and prevent the passage of carp and tilapia. Introduced in Xochimilco in the 1980s, these invasive species became predators of the most distinguished inhabitants of this ecosystem: Mexico’s salamander-like axolotl. Today, this amphibian is on the verge of extinction because of these invasive species and a combination of factors polluting the canals: the discharge of sewage from urban growth, mass tourism and agricultural chemicals in many chinampas.

“Chinampas are an artificial agro-ecosystem that was created to supply food in pre-Hispanic times to the entire population. And that endures to this day,” Mendoza said. “So the way to conserve Xochimilco is to also conserve the chinampa.”

But a walk through the area on any given Sunday makes it clear that fewer chinampas are dedicated to agriculture. Every weekend, hundreds of people come here to play soccer on chinampas converted into fields or to drink aboard the brightly painted boats known as “trajineras.” The impact of this transformation to the wetland is evident: contaminants have been found there, from heavy metals such as iron, cadmium and lead to oils, detergents and pesticides, according to a study by biologist Luis Bojórquez Castro, of the Autonomous Metropolitan University.

Most come from the treatment plants that discharge their water in Xochimilco and from the chinampas that use agrochemicals, according to Castro’s study.

Preserving what’s left of the past

“Look at the clarity of the water,” said Ordóñez as she reaches into the canal where she has installed her biofilter. She knows that taking care of the water is essential to preserving this ecosystem. This wetland is the last remnant of what was once the great Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Aztec Empire built on the lakes that once filled the Valley of Mexico. Although today what remains of Xochimilco represents only 3% of the original extent of those lakes, it’s still key to the stability of the city. If it were to disappear, the average temperature of the capital could rise by up to 3.6 degrees, according to biologist Luis Zambrano.

Xochimilco and San Gregorio also reduce flooding during the rainy season, provide a natural carbon dioxide reservoir and are home to hundreds of species, such as herons and the Tlaloc frog. “Look at the red-headed birds in the lagoon!” exclaimed Garduño, driving home at dusk along a dirt road after a long day at her chinampa.

For her, this is still the paradise she roamed with her grandfather. She’s convinced that women are needed to preserve chinampas and hopes that within 10 years, many more will own and take care of them.

“From the shared labor of women and men, we can do what we all want, which is conserve what we have left for as long as possible,” she said.

De Miguel writes for the Associated Press. This article is a collaboration between AP and Mongabay.

MEXICO CITY — Amid the constant blare of car horns in southern Mexico City, it’s hard to imagine that Cuicuilco was once the heart of a thriving ancient civilization. Yet atop its circular pyramid, now surrounded by buildings and a shopping center, a pre-Hispanic fire god was revered.

“This is incredible,” said Evangelina Báez, who spent a recent morning at Cuicuilco with her daughters. “In the midst of so much urbanization, there’s still this haven of peace.”

Her visit was part of a monthly tour program crafted by the National Institute of Anthropology and History, known by its Spanish initials as INAH.

Aside from overseeing Mexico’s archaeological sites and museums, the institute safeguards the country’s cultural heritage, including restoring damaged monuments and artworks as well as reviewing construction projects to ensure they don’t harm archaeological remains.

Its historians and archaeologists also lead excursions like the one in Cuicuilco. Each academic expert picks a location, proposes a walking itinerary to the INAH and, once approved, it’s offered to the public for about 260 pesos ($15).

“I joined these tours with the intention of sharing our living heritage,” said archaeologist Denisse Gómez after greeting guests in Cuicuilco. “Our content is always up to date.”

According to Mónica de Alba, who oversees the tours, the INAH excursions date to 1957, when an archaeologist decided to share the institute’s research with colleagues and students.

“People are beginning to realize how much the city has to offer,” said De Alba, explaining that the INAH offers around 130 tours per year in downtown Mexico City alone. “There are even travel agents who pretend to be participants to copy our routes.”

María Luisa Maya, 77, often joins these tours as a solo visitor. Her favorite so far was one to an archaeological site in Guerrero, a southern Mexican state along the Pacific coast.

“I’ve been doing this for about eight years,” she said. “But that’s nothing. I’ve met people who have come for 20 or 25.”

Traces of a lost city

Cuicuilco means “the place where songs and dances are made” in the Nahua language.

Still, the precise name of its people is unknown, given that the city’s splendor dates back to the pre-Classic era from 400 to 200 B.C. and few clues are left to dig deeper into its history.

“The Nahuas gave them that name, which reveals that this area was never forgotten,” said archaeologist Pablo Martínez, who co-led the visit with Gómez. “It was always remembered, and even after its decline, the Teotihuacan people came here to make offerings.”

The archaeological site is a quiet corner nestled between two of Mexico City’s busiest avenues. Yet according to Martínez, the settlements went far beyond the vicinity and Cuicuilco’s population reached 40,000.

“What we see today is just a small part of the city,” he said. “Merely its pyramidal base.”

Now covered in grass and resembling a truncated cone, the pyramid was used for ritual purposes. The details of the ceremonies are unknown, but female figurines preserved at the site’s museum suggest that offerings were related to fertility.

“We think they offered perishable objects such as corn, flowers and seeds,” Gómez said. “They were feeding the gods.”

Echoes of living heritage

According to official records, Mexico’s most visited archaeological sites are Teotihuacán and Chichén Itzá. The first is a pre-Aztec city northeast of the capital known for its monumental Sun and Moon pyramids. The latter is a major Mayan site in the Southeast famed for its 12th-century Temple of Kukulkán.

The INAH oversees both. But its tours focus on shedding light on Mexico’s hidden gems.

During an excursion preceding Cuicuilco’s, visitors walked through a neighborhood in Ecatepec, on the outskirts of Mexico City, where open-air markets, street food and religious festivals keep local traditions alive. A few days prior, another tour focused on La Merced market, where flowers, prayers and music filled the aisles during the feast of Our Lady of Mercy.

October’s schedule takes into account Day of the Dead traditions. But tours will feature a variety of places like Xochimilco, where visitors can take a moonlit boat tour through its canals and chinampas, and Templo Mayor, the Aztec empire’s main religious and social center in ancient Tenochtitlán.

“These tours allow the general public to get closer to societies that are distant in time and space,” said historian Jesús López del Río, who will lead an upcoming tour on human sacrifices to deities in Mesoamérica.

“Approaching the pre-Hispanic past is not only about how the Maya used zero in their calculations or how the Mexica built a city on a lake,” he added. “It’s about understanding how those societies worked — their way of seeing and relating to the world.”

Hernández writes for the Associated Press.

AN ANCIENT Roman ship downed by a storm has been found centuries later at a holiday hotspot – and there’s even treasure on board.

The 2,000-year-old discovery was made mere metres from a popular beachfront – and baffled researchers claim the ship is still in great condition.

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The archaeological sensation was unearthed along the Dalmatian Coast in Croatia this month, almost two millennia after it sunk.

Its timbers even “look like they were just carved”, according to the gobsmacked research team.

Divers suspected there might be a wreck at the Roman port of Barbir after discovering an antique plank with a metal nail in 2020.

Five years later, the entire 42-foot vessel has now been revealed, along with a haul of ancient coins.

One of them even included the ancient Roman emperor, Trajan.

The incredible shipwreck lies in the village of Sukošan just a few miles south of Zadar, one of Croatia’s biggest tourist destinations.

The International Centre for Underwater Archaeology, which led the excavation, said the ship was likely lost in a storm.

Director Mladen Pešić said: “As the evidence shows us, the ship was docked in the harbour.

“It was found just in front of the pier, so we suppose that due to the bad weather the ropes could be broken and the ship might have hit the shore.”

He added: “Broken stern elements give us evidence of this, since this beam that belongs to the keel was split like it hit a hard surface.

“The ship was probably in such bad condition that the owners decided to leave it on the bottom of the harbour.”

Radiocarbon analysis dates the ship to the first or second century AD – roughly the period of Trajan’s reign.

And though the ship was damaged enough to sink, it is in surprisingly good condition for its age.

Dr Pešić said: “The preserved ship was almost 13 meters in length and 3.5m in width.

“Many different elements were preserved – keel, planks, frames, ceilings, and many elements of the ship’s upper construction.”

He continued: “It is quite well preserved; some of the planks and frames look like they were just carved.”

The construction of the vessel suggests it was built to carry heavy loads over medium-to-long distances.

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And the artefacts found on board point to the same conclusion.

Dr Pešić said there were many shards of “pottery, glass, and other archaeological material” that could be connected with ship and the port.

“Most interesting are two complete jugs that were part of the ship’s equipment,” he explained.

“As we found many olive pits on it, we suppose that at the moment of sinking, the ship was transporting olives for further processing or for sale.”

The ship will now be preserved in-situ, being covered with a protective geotextile membrane and reburied in the sand.

But a recreation of the ship is planned for public display.

Dr Pešić said: “The plan is to make a 1:10 scale reconstruction of the existing ship construction in order to make a predictive model of ship how it looked in Roman times.”

Excavation of the ship was the work of a multinational team, including experts from Croatia, France, Poland, Germany, and the UK.

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In the narrow alleys of Old Mosul, once the proud heart of Iraq’s shoemaking industry, the workshops are coming alive again.

After years of conflict and destruction, artisans like 58-year-old Saad Abdul Aal are reviving a tradition that dates back more than 1,000 years.

Shoemaking in Iraq, known as al-qandarjiya, flourished during the Abbasid Caliphate, when Baghdad was a global hub of trade and culture.

Generations of families devoted their lives to transforming rawhide into durable footwear, their skills handed down from master to apprentice.

Before the war, the capital city of Baghdad had more than 250 factories, while Mosul boasted over 50. Iraqi-made shoes were prized for their elegance and resilience – a symbol of national pride.

“Our work began more than 40 years ago,” says Abdul Aal, his hands quick and steady as he trims a piece of leather. “I learned the profession, fell in love with it, and never left it.”

That proud tradition nearly disappeared in 2014, when ISIL (ISIS) seized Mosul. Workshops and factories were bombed, looted, or abandoned.

Abdul Aal lost everything – his equipment, his shop, his workers. “Bombings, destruction,” he recalls. “There was no money even to consider starting again.”

By the end of the war, Mosul’s 50 factories had dwindled to fewer than 10. Thousands of shoemakers were left unemployed, their skills at risk of vanishing.

The turning point came with the International Organization for Migration’s (IOM’s) Enterprise Development Fund-Tameer, which provided grants and training to displaced entrepreneurs and returnees.

For Abdul Aal, this was an opportunity to buy sewing and pressing machines, reopen his workshop, and hire staff.

“It’s not easy, but little by little we are moving forward,” he says.

Today, Abdul Aal produces about four pairs of shoes a day – fewer than before, but enough to keep his business alive. Competition from cheap imports is fierce, but he insists Iraqi craftsmanship still has an edge.

“Our shoes are genuine leather; they last. Imported shoes may appear visually appealing, but they lack quality.

“In contrast, the shoes produced in my factory are visually similar to imported shoes but offer superior quality.

“That is what makes us proud.”

THE real ‘Da Vinci Code’ is close to finally being solved after a major scientific breakthrough.

Experts are racing to crack the mystery of DNA, death and burial tied to legendary artist, scientist and inventor Leonardo da Vinci.

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The world was captivated by 2003 novel and 2006 movie The Da Dinvci Code.

It saw Tom Hanks playing a professor looking to uncover a religious mystery around the Holy Grail with clues hidden in Leonardo da Vinci’s iconic painting The Last Supper.

But the real Da Vinci Code that scientists are trying to solve involves mapping out the artist’s genome.

That’s the entire collection of DNA in da Vinci’s body – all of the genetic instructions needed to make and maintain him.

Now scientists say that they’ve confirmed a male bloodline that they can date all the way back to 1331.

This family tree spans 21 generations and involves as many as 400 individuals.

And they’ve found at least six descendants who, after DNA testing, can be traced directly to Leonardo da Vinci, who was born in 1452 in Anchiano, Vinci, Florence and died in 1519.

As part of the research, the scientists have also confirmed the existence of a da Vinci family tomb, in the Church of Santa Croce in Vinci.

The experts think this may be where several of Leonardo da Vinci’s family members are buried.

That includes his grandfather Antonio, uncle Francesco, and half-brothers Antonio, Pandolfo, and Giovanni.

“Further detailed analyses are necessary to determine whether the DNA extracted is sufficiently preserved,” said David Caramelli, of the University of Florence.

“Based on the results, we can proceed with analysis of Y chromosome fragments for comparison with current descendants.”

Now scientists hope to analyse the remains in the Vinci church tombs to find a match with the Y chromosome of the living descendants.

And scientists are also hoping to look for traces left on his original works.

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This could allow scientists to fully reconstruct da Vinci’s DNA.

“Our goal in reconstructing the Da Vinci family’s lineage up to the present day,” said Alessandro Vezzosi, of the Leonardo da Vinci Heritage Association.

“While also preserving and valuing the places connected to Leonardo, is to enable scientific research on his DNA.

“Through the recovery of Leonardo’s DNA, we hope to understand the biological roots of his extraordinary visual acuity, creativity, and possibly even aspects of his health and causes of death.”

Scientists may be able to use this information to confirm da Vinci’s final resting place.

The Renaissance painter was originally said to have been buried in Amboise, France in the Saint Florentin church.

This church was severely damaged during the French Revolution.

And bones believed to belong to him were moved to the Chapel of St Hubert in Amboise.

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But there have been doubts over whether these bones really do belong to da Vinci – a puzzle that could be solved using his DNA.

So scientists are probing what remains of da Vinci in terms of his works and descendants to crack the real code.

“Even a tiny fingerprint on a page could contain cells to sequence,” says Jesse H. Ausubel, of The Rockefeller University, who is director of the DNA project.

“21st-century biology is moving the boundary between the unknowable and the unknown.

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“Soon we may gain information about Leonardo and other historical figures once believed lost forever.”

St Just in Roseland is a civil parish and village in Cornwall, England, located just north of St Mawes and six miles south of Truro

This secluded Cornish retreat boasts stunning natural beauty and one remarkable historic structure just six miles south of the bustling tourist destination, Truro.

St Just in Roseland stands out as a charming village and civil parish renowned for its breathtaking church and surprising tropical surroundings. Positioned just north of St Mawes, this hidden gem is perfectly nestled along the Cornwall coastline, providing peaceful views far from the usual Cornish attractions.

What sets this location apart is its 13th-century Church of England parish church, referred to by locals as St Just’s Church. This ancient structure is positioned amongst waterside gardens that house some of Britain’s most unusual species.

St Just’s Church rests peacefully at the water’s edge of a tidal creek, resembling something from a storybook, sitting quietly alongside the Carrick Roads, away from the main village centre. The approach features a delightful pathway constructed from granite stones that bear inscribed Biblical passages and meaningful quotes.

The surrounding gardens burst with verdant palm trees, blooms, vegetation and more, forming an enchanting miniature wilderness around the ancient building. One TripAdvisor reviewer describes St Just in Roseland as having “tranquil” gardens that are “the most beautiful” they’ve encountered at any church, reports the Express.

Another delighted visitor said: “I have been to many wonderful churches, but this one is very special. For almost 1,500 years there has been a church on this site; even today there is a sense of peace and solitude.

“The graveyard is really a semi-tropical garden and compares well with some of the famous gardens in Cornwall.The church is relatively plain inside but provides a magic space to leave behind the modern world and all its troubles.”

Another visitor added: “This church and area are just so beautiful. The church and grounds are just so serene and peaceful and pretty. The views over the water from the church are beautiful.

“Lovely old graves and a well-kept graveyard. Definitely worth a visit if you love churches.”

The church interior welcomes respectful guests, serving as both a sanctuary for prayer and worship, plus a “place of respite” for the entire community.

According to its website, St Just in Roseland Church promises an experience “you will never forget you have visited”.

The site adds: “St Just church is open daily from 9am to 6pm in the summer and 9am to 4pm during the winter months.Please note there may be times when the church is closed – such as for a funeral or reflective service.”

The grounds also house charming Renwicks Café, which caters to both residents and holidaymakers within the subtropical gardens.

To find it, guests must venture beyond the main village along a narrow lane leading to the hillside church entrance.

While on-site parking is limited, roadside spaces offer an alternative for those travelling through.

A BUNDESLIGA club unveiled its stunning new-look tunnel ahead of their clash with champions Bayern Munich last month.

FC Augsburg have been renovating their tunnel for the last few months as part of a desperately-needed refurb.

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And the new-look tunnel players will walk out of going forward is truly a sight to behold.

The club has paid tribute to its Roman roots with a tunnel inspired by the city’s ancient amphitheatres.

The gates to the tunnel have drawn inspiration from amphitheatres in the Eternal City and Verona and features several aspects of the club’s badge.

Its walls have been stunningly designed to appear as if they’ve been covered in ancient Roman stones and have been laid out in a pattern befitting the time period.

The stones are beautifully highlighted by accent lights and an illuminated club badge.

A beautiful mosaic pattern comprised of Italian stones makes up the midway point of the tunnel, which the club proudly showed off on social media.

Augsburg CEO Michael Stroll said of the revamp: “We’ve long spoken about our desire to modernise our players’ tunnel.

“Our previous tunnel was functional, but didn’t really catch the eye.

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“The results of the renovation are impressive.

“Our new players’ tunnel features a stylish, detailed design and is a perfect fit for our club.

“There’s no doubt in our minds that we now have one of the best-looking players’ tunnels in the Bundesliga.”

St Pauli will be the next away team to have the Roman tunnel experience when they travel the WWK Arena a week on Sunday.

Sept. 2 (UPI) — A large Samaritan estate has been unearthed by archaeologists in Israel, uncovering a wealth of treasures including mosaics, baths and an ancient oil press.

The dig is in Kafr Qasim, an Arab city about 12 miles east of Tel Aviv. It is on the Israeli side of the border with the West Bank. It was financed by the Israeli Ministry of Construction and Housing before constructing a new neighborhood. The site is within the boundaries of the Kafr Hatta archaelogical site.

The estate is an agricultural site that existed about 400 years ago, from the fourth through seventh centuries, which was between the Roman and the Byzantine periods. The site of Kafr Hatta is described in historical sources as the birthplace of Menander, the Samaritan magician and successor of Simon Magus, who was considered the father of the Gnostic sects and one of Christianity’s first converts.

The dig was in preparation for building housing on the site. The Ministry of Construction and Housing is cooperating with Israel Antiquities Authority archaeologists in the field and helping with conservation operations, parallel to promoting the neighborhood’s development in other areas, a press release said.

“The size and splendor of the buildings discovered, the quality of their mosaic floors and the impressive agricultural installations, all point to the great wealth and prosperity of the local Samaritan community over the years,” said Alla Nagorsky and Dr. Daniel Leahy Griswold, Israel Antiquities Authority excavation directors.

In one of the buildings, a mosaic floor was preserved, decorated with a dense geometric pattern and vegetal images. Alongside its central medallion are acanthus leaves combined with rare decorations of fruits and vegetables — such as grapes, dates, watermelons, artichokes and asparagus. In the entrance to this room was a partially preserved Greek inscription wishing the building’s owner “Good Luck!”

The owner’s first name, Rabia, was common in Samaritan communities.

In the northern part of the estate, archaeologists found an olive press, a large warehouse building and a public purification bath called a miqveh. The proximity of the oil press to the miqveh probably was used to produce olive oil in purity.

The large olive press had two wings; the northern wing contained the main production areas, while auxiliary rooms were erected in the southern wing. In the production areas, two screw presses were found, as well as a large olive crushing basin.

“This type of olive press is more typical of the Jerusalem region and the Judean Shephelah and is less common in Samaria” Nagorsky said.

Over the years, the estate saw dramatic changes.

“The wealth and luxury of the buildings were replaced by oil production and agricultural installations. New walls damaged the mosaic floors, and the magnificent capitals and columns were integrated within the new walls,” she said.

Nagorsky suggested that these changes are related to the Samaritan Revolts under the Byzantine rule — a series of fifth- through sixth-century uprisings against the Byzantine emperors, who enforced restrictive laws on members of other religions.

“What makes this site particularly interesting is that unlike some of the other Samaritan sites that were destroyed in these revolts, the agricultural estate in Kafr Qasim actually continued in use, and even preserved its Samaritan identity — as evidenced by the Samaritan ceramic oil-lamps uncovered in our excavation,” she said.

“This is a fascinating site, which displays the historical gamut between the days of prosperity and the decline of the Samaritan community,” Nagorsky said. “Its long-term existence and impressive findings will allow us to reconstruct its history over centuries and will enrich our knowledge about this population in ancient times.”

Rabbi Amichai Eliyahu, Israeli minister of heritage, explained the connection between ancient Jews and Samaritans.

“These two ancient communities led their lives based on the Torah and shared common roots, and also experienced similar hardships during periods of antagonistic rule,” he said. “The impressive findings indicate the prosperity of a community closely related to Judaism, who lived in the Land of Israel for many centuries. These physical remains are another reminder that our heritage in this land is deep and multi-faceted.”

Wells is one of England’s most charming cathedral cities where you can browse markets, drink cider in cosy pubs and wander the cathedral’s gorgeous grounds

Nestled in Somerset lies one of England’s most picturesque cathedral cities, Wells, where you can explore markets, sip cider in quaint pubs and stroll around the stunning grounds of the cathedral. Wells is situated on the southern fringe of the Mendip Hills, with the imposing figure of Wells Cathedral at its heart, reports the Express.

Constructed between 1175 and 1490, Wells Cathedral has been hailed as the most poetic of the English Cathedrals, and it’s not hard to see why. It holds the distinction of being the earliest English Cathedral built in the Gothic style and enjoys an international reputation.

This grand cathedral is worth a visit for its architecture alone, but it also houses over 300 sculptures, Britain’s oldest functioning mechanical clock, and offers daily tours to delve into the city’s rich history.

The city itself gained international recognition after serving as the filming location for the fictional village of Sandford in the cult film Hot Fuzz, featuring Simon Pegg, Nick Frost and a host of other renowned British actors.

Many of the film’s most memorable locations such as the Swan Hotel, the corner shop where the characters purchase Cornettos and the marketplace where the epic gunfight occurs are actual places you can visit.

Wells is also home to Europe’s oldest residential street. Vicars Close boasts beautiful stone houses, cobbled streets and a breath-taking view of the cathedral, perfect for capturing memorable photos of your weekend getaway.

The marketplace in front of the cathedral opens on Wednesdays and Saturdays where you can buy fresh produce, treats and homemade crafts – perfect for a lazy day of mooching around before stopping in to one of the city’s many pubs and enjoying a pint of Somerset cider.

According to Tripadvisor, one of Wells’ finest boozers is the Sheep and Penguin, which serves up a cracking Sunday roast.

One punter raved: “The choice of beer was excellent and the bar manager’s knowledge and enthusiasm was great. We then returned for more beer and a meal. The beer remained delicious and the meal was fabulous. If we lived anywhere near, we would be enjoying the delights on a frequent basis.”

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HISTORY fans should keep their phones close for a special TV series that will air with extra augmented reality tonight.

7 Wonders of the Ancient World will transport viewers with a simple QR code each episode to scan for virtual and immersive experiences delivered by Snapchat.

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People will be able to “explore” world-famous ancient sites across the Mediterranean and Middle East from the comfort of their living room.

This includes the Great Pyramid of Giza, the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, and the Statue of Zeus at Olympia.

The show is hosted by renowned historian Bettany Hughes.

“The past is a living place, a place that’s relevant to all of us,” she said.

“Using this meticulously researched augmented reality allows viewers at home to explore right inside these ancient wonders.

“It’s an immersive experience that we hope will bring the past to life for millions.”

The three-part series launches on 5 tonight at 6.30pm.

UN cultural organisation this week announces its choice of sites to be granted World Heritage status.

The United Nations cultural organisation has added a remote Aboriginal site featuring one million carvings that potentially date back 50,000 years to its World Heritage list.

Located on the Burrup peninsula in Western Australia, Murujuga is home to the Mardudunera people, who declared themselves “overjoyed” when UNESCO gave the ancient site a coveted place on its list on Friday.

“These carvings are what our ancestors left here for us to learn and keep their knowledge and keep our culture thriving through these sacred sites,” said Mark Clifton, a member of the Aboriginal delegation meeting with UNESCO representatives in Paris.

Environmental and Indigenous organisations argue that the presence of mining groups emitting industrial emissions has already caused damage to the ancient site.

Benjamin Smith, a rock art specialist at the University of Western Australia, said Murujuga was “possibly the most important rock art site in the world”, but that mining activity was causing the rock art to “break down”.

“We should be looking after it,” he said.

Australian company Woodside Energy, which operates an industrial complex in the area, told news agency AFP that it recognised Murujuga as “one of Australia’s most culturally significant landscapes” and that it was taking “proactive steps … to ensure we manage our impacts responsibly”.

Delegation leader Raelene Cooper said the UNESCO listing sent “a clear signal to the Australian Government and Woodside that things need to change”.

Making the UNESCO’s heritage list does not in itself trigger protection for a site, but can help pressure national governments into taking action.

African heritage boosted

Cameroon’s Mandara Mountains and Malawi’s Mount Mulanje were also added to the latest edition of the UNESCO World Heritage list.

UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay has presented Africa as a priority during her two terms in office, although the continent remains underrepresented.

The Diy-Gid-Biy landscape of the Mandara Mountains, in the far north of Cameroon, consists of archaeological sites, probably created between the 12th and 17th centuries.

Malawi’s Mount Mulanje, in the south of the country, is considered a sacred place inhabited by gods, spirits and ancestors.

UNESCO is also considering applications from two other African countries, namely the Gola Tiwai forests in Sierra Leone and the biosphere reserve of the Bijagos Archipelago in Guinea-Bissau.

On Friday, UNESCO also listed three notorious Cambodian torture and execution sites used by the Khmer Rouge regime to perpetrate genocide 50 years ago.

The gorgeous beach is often overlooked because it’s near some holiday hotspots but it’s well worth the trip especially if you want to avoid the crowds

The UK’s ‘best hidden beach’ offers up some ridiculously beautiful views, a large stretch of shore, and almost no crowds.

Abermawr Bay in Pembrokeshire, Wales has recently been named the UK’s best ‘secret bay’, boasting a remote location that means visitors have to put in effort to visit; but those who have enjoyed a staycation in the area say it’s well worth it.

The pebbled beach looks like something out of a storybook with its cliff-backed coastline, pebbled shore and azure waters. One visitor on Tripadvisor wrote that it was “just stunning”, adding they “could have stayed for hours and taken a billion photos”.

But it’s not just the pretty surroundings that make this a must-visit. Abermawr boasts an ancient forest buried among golden sands, that’s revealed twice a day at low tide. Visit Pembrokeshire explains: “Low tide exposes the golden sand and buried tree stumps – the remains of a forest drowned by a sudden flood as an ice sheet melted 8000 years ago. The stumps have been perfectly preserved by salt. Behind the beach are an interesting ruined cottage, a wildlife-rich marshy area and bluebell woods climbing the hill at the southern end.”

It’s therefore no surprise that the beach continues to be a hit with intrepid explorers. “Lovely exclusive beach, out of the way and the water is a beautiful blue green, so refreshing, pebbles, went with my dogs they loved it too, small but beautiful,” wrote one happy holidaymaker. “It’ll stay with me forever,” added another impressed explorer.

However be warned; visitors have also flagged that there’s a small car park near the beach, the only one available nearby. It means that if the car park is full up, you could end up taking a detour and then still need to commit to a fairly big walk to get to the beach. As it’s so remote and hidden, it’s unlikely to get crowded, even during busier months, but if you don’t want to risk it, you can always visit off season or earlier in the morning.

If it wasn’t already established as a hidden gem, Abermawr Bay recently topped new rankings from footwear brand FitFlop that analysed Google search data to uncover some of the UK’s best underrated beaches.

The team behind the research explained: “With a 4.5 Tripadvisor rating and positioned on the wild and unspoiled north-west coast of Pembrokeshire, Abermawr Bay is a true gem for beach walkers seeking peace, beauty, and connection with nature. This secluded shingle beach is framed by rugged cliffs and backed by a whispering woodland of wind-sculpted trees to offer an atmospheric experience that feels miles away from the modern world. Stroll along the shore and listen to the rhythmic sound of waves rolling over the pebbles or follow the coastal path above the bay to admire the panoramic views over St. George’s Channel, which offers opportunities for birdwatching and spotting marine life.

“Aber Mawr is especially magical in the early morning or golden evening light, when the landscape glows and the only footprints in the sand are your own. It’s dog-friendly, rarely crowded, and perfect for those who value solitude, scenic beauty, and a refreshing sea breeze. If you park at the woollen mill you can also enjoy some delicious cake and browse the blanket shop after your walk.”

Do you have a story to tell us? Email us at [email protected].

The world’s best countries to visit in 2025 have been ranked with one gorgeous European destination taking the top spot – and it’s got heaps for Brits to explore

The world’s best country to visit in 2025 has been revealed, and it boasts some incredible Maldives-worthy beaches, not to mention it’s easy for Brits to visit on a budget as it’s in Europe.

Albania has been emerging as must-visit holiday destination in recent yers, and now travel insiders have ranked it as the top spot that’s ‘preserved from mass tourism, authentic and affordable’, closely followed by Colombia and Laos.

The travel experts at HelloSafe, who conducted the study, explained: “Among the top-rated European destinations in 2025, Albania stands out with its still largely unexplored mountainous landscapes, Ionian beaches and excellent value for money.” According to the research, the best months to visit are between May and September, which isn’t surprising considering this is when the country boasts some enviable hot and sunny weather, with temperatures reaching an average of 32-33C across July and August.

There’s so much to see and do across the country, but the team flagged that if you’re only going to visit one area, make it the “preserved valley of Theth, nestled in the heart of the Albanian Alps”. Theth itself is a small village that looks like it’s straight out of a storybook, thanks to the lush green valley that surrounds it, complete with ethereal waterfalls and colourful flowers. Hikers will definitely want to don some sturdy boots and take on many of the countless trails that weave through the landscape, with some Instagram-worthy views.

For those after more social media fodder, the small coastal village of Ksamil is worth having on your radar. Dubbed ‘Europe’s answer to the Maldives’, it boasts plenty of incredible white beaches and crystal-clear waters, while the Ksamil Islands can be reached by boat or even by kayak if you fancy a day trip. (It’s also just a 30-minute ferry ride from Corfu if you want to add a Greek island to the itinerary!).

Meanwhile, the ‘Stone City’ of Gjirokastër is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, because of its ‘rare examples of an architectural character typical of the Ottoman period’. This citadel town, along with Berat which is part of the site, looks like it belongs in a film set with the ancient ruins, historic churches and dense green surroundings.

For those who prefer a city break, the Albanian capital, Tirana, is sure to tick all of the boxes. Boasting an enviable nightlife, plenty of restaurants and heaps of museums to explore, the city also has a plethora of attractions to fill up the itinerary whether that’s taking in the mountain views from the cable car, discovering the Cold War bunkers, or taking a guided walking tour of all of the incredible street art nestled across the city.

If you want to visit Albania, one of the easiest routes is to fly direct to Tirana, with airlines including Wizz Air and Ryanair offering a range of options from the UK, with fares starting from £19.99 each way (excluding luggage fees).

You can check out the full rankings and find out more at hellosafe.com.

Bangkok, Thailand – Over several years in the mid-1960s, the crumbling ruins of an ancient temple in northeast Thailand were picked clean by local looters.

Possibly hundreds of centuries-old statues that were long buried beneath the soft, verdant grounds around the temple were stolen.

To this day, all the known artefacts from the pillaging spree, collectively known as the Prakhon Chai hoard, sit scattered thousands of miles away in museums and collections across the United States, Europe and Australia.

In a matter of weeks, though, the first of those statues will begin their journey home to Thailand.

The acquisitions committee of San Francisco’s Asian Art Museum recommended the release last year of four bronze statues from the hoard, which had been held in its collection since the late 1960s.

San Francisco city’s Asian Art Commission, which manages the museum, then approved the proposal on April 22, officially setting the pieces free.

Some six decades after the late British antiquities dealer Douglas Latchford is suspected of spiriting the statues out of the country, they are expected to arrive back in Thailand within a month or two.

“We are the righteous owners,” Disapong Netlomwong, senior curator for the Office of National Museums at Thailand’s Fine Arts Department, told Al Jazeera.

“It is something that our ancestors … have made, and it should be exhibited here to show the civilisation and the belief of the people,” said Disapong, who also serves on Thailand’s Committee for the Repatriation of Stolen Artefacts.

The imminent return of the statues is the latest victory in Thailand’s quest to reclaim its pilfered heritage.

Their homecoming also exemplifies the efforts of countries across the world to retrieve pieces of their own stolen history that still sit in display cases and in the vaults of some of the West’s top museums.

From Thai temples to the Acropolis in Athens

Latchford, a high-profile Asian art dealer who came to settle in Bangkok and lived there until his death in 2020 at 88 years of age, is believed to have earned a fortune from auction houses, private collectors and museums around the world who acquired his smuggled ancient artefacts from Thailand and neighbouring Cambodia.

In 2021, Latchford’s daughter, Nawapan Kriangsak, agreed to return her late father’s private collection of more than 100 artefacts, valued at more than $50m, to Cambodia.

Though never convicted during his lifetime, Latchford was charged with falsifying shipping records, wire fraud and a host of other crimes related to antiquities smuggling by a US federal grand jury in 2019.

He died the following year, before the case against him could go to trial.

In 2023 the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York agreed to return 16 pieces tied to Latchford’s smuggling network to Cambodia and Thailand.

San Francisco’s Asian Art Museum has also previously returned pieces to Thailand – two intricately carved stone lintels taken from a pair of temples dating back to the 10th and 11th centuries, in 2021.

While Thailand and Cambodia have recently fared relatively well in efforts to reclaim their looted heritage from US museum collections, Greece has not had such luck with the British Museum in London.

Perhaps no case of looted antiquities has grabbed more news headlines than that of the so-called “Elgin Marbles”.

The 2,500-year-old friezes, known also as the Parthenon Marbles, were hacked off the iconic Acropolis in Athens in the early 1800s by agents of Lord Elgin, Britain’s ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, which controlled Greece at that time.

Elgin claimed he took the marbles with the permission of the Ottomans and then sold them in 1816 to the British Museum in London, where they remain.

Greece has been demanding the return of the artefacts since the country’s declaration of independence in 1832 and sent an official request to the museum in 1983, according to the nongovernmental Hellenic Institute of Cultural Diplomacy.

“Despite all these efforts, the British government has not deviated from its positions over the years, legally considering the Parthenon marbles to belong to Britain. They have even passed laws to prevent the return of cultural artefacts,” the institute said.

‘Colonialism is still alive and well’

Tess Davis, executive director of the Antiquities Coalition, a Washington-based nonprofit campaigning against the illicit trade of ancient art and artefacts, said that “colonialism is still alive and well in parts of the art world”.

“There is a mistaken assumption by some institutions that they are better carers, owners, custodians of these cultural objects,” Davis told Al Jazeera.

But Davis, who has worked on Cambodia’s repatriation claims with US museums, says the “custodians” defence has long been debunked.

“These antiquities were cared for by [their] communities for centuries, in some cases for millennia, before there was … a market demand for them, leading to their looting and trafficking, but we still do see resistance,” she said.

Brad Gordon, a lawyer representing the Cambodian government in its ongoing repatriation of stolen artefacts, has heard museums make all sorts of claims to defend retaining pieces that should be returned to their rightful homelands.

Excuses from museums include claiming that they are not sure where pieces originated from; that contested items were acquired before laws banned their smuggling; that domestic laws block their repatriation, or that the ancient pieces deserve a more global audience than they would receive in their home country.

Still, none of those arguments should keep a stolen piece from coming home, Gordon said.

“If we believe the object is stolen and the country of origin wishes for it to come home, then the artefact should be returned,” he said.

Old attitudes have started breaking down though, and more looted artefacts are starting to find their way back to their origins.

“There’s definitely a growing trend toward doing the right thing in this area, and … I hope that more museums follow the Asian Art Museum’s example. We’ve come a long way, but there’s still a long way to go,” Davis said.

Much of the progress, Davis believes, is down to growing media coverage of stolen antiquities and public awareness of the problem in the West, which has placed mounting pressure on museums to do the right thing.

In 2022, the popular US comedy show Last Week Tonight with John Oliver dedicated a whole episode to the topic. As Oliver said, if you go to Greece and visit the Acropolis you might notice “some odd details”, such as sections missing from sculptures – which are now in Britain.

“Honestly, if you are ever looking for a missing artefact, nine times out of 10 it’s in the British Museum,” Oliver quips.

Gordon also believes a generational shift in thinking is at play among those who once trafficked in the cultural heritage of other countries.

“For example, the children of many collectors, once they are aware of the facts of how the artefacts were removed from the country of origin, want their parents to return them,” he said.

Proof of the past

The four bronze statues the San Francisco museum will soon be returning to Thailand date back to the 7th and 9th centuries.

Thai archaeologist Tanongsak Hanwong said that period places them squarely in the Dvaravati civilisation, which dominated northeast Thailand, before the height of the Khmer empire that would build the towering spires of Angkor Wat in present-day Cambodia and come to conquer much of the surrounding region centuries later.

Three of the slender, mottled figures, one nearly a metre tall (3.2 feet), depict Bodhisattva – Buddhist adherents on the path to nirvana – and the other the Buddha himself in a wide, flowing robe.

Tanongsak, who brought the four pieces in the San Francisco collection to the attention of Thailand’s stolen artefacts repatriation committee in 2017, said they and the rest of the Prakhon Chai hoard are priceless proof of Thailand’s Buddhist roots at a time when much of the region was still Hindu.

“The fact that we do not have any Prakhon Chai bronzes on display anywhere [in Thailand], in the national museum or local museums whatsoever, it means we do not have any evidence of the Buddhist history of that period at all, and that’s strange,” he said.

The Fine Arts Department first wrote to San Francisco’s Asian Art Museum about the statues’ illicit provenance in 2019, but started to make progress on having them returned only when the US Department of Homeland Security got involved on Thailand’s behalf.

Robert Mintz, the museum’s chief curator, said staff could find no evidence that the statues had been trafficked in their own records.

But they were convinced they had been looted and smuggled out of Thailand – and of Latchford’s involvement – once Homeland Security provided proof, with the help of Thai researchers.

“Once that evidence was presented and they heard it, their feeling was the appropriate place for these would be back in Thailand,” Mintz said of the museum’s staff and acquisition committee.

‘Pull back the curtain’

The San Francisco Asian Art Museum went a step further when it finally resolved to return the four statues to Thailand.

It also staged a special exhibit around the pieces to highlight the very questions the experience had raised regarding the theft of antiquities.

The exhibition – Moving Objects: Learning from Local and Global Communities – ran in San Francisco from November to March.

“One of our goals was to try to indicate to the visiting public to the museum how important it is to look historically at where works of art have come from,” Mintz said.

“To pull back the curtain a bit, to say, these things do exist within American collections and now is the time to address challenges that emerge from past collecting practice,” he said.

Mintz says Homeland Security has asked the Asian Art Museum to look into the provenance of at least another 10 pieces in its collection that likely came from Thailand.

Tess Davis, of the Antiquities Coalition campaign group, said the exhibition was a very unusual, and welcome, move for a museum in the process of giving up looted artefacts.

In Thailand, Disapong and Tanongsak say the Asian Art Museum’s decision to recognise Thailand’s rightful claim to the statues could also help them start bringing the rest of the Prakhon Chai hoard home, including 14 more known pieces in other museums around the US, and at least a half-dozen scattered across Europe and Australia.

“It is indeed a good example, because once we can show the world that the Prakhon Chai bronzes were all exported from Thailand illegally, then probably, hopefully some other museums will see that all the Prakhon Chai bronzes they have must be returned to Thailand as well,” Tanongsak said.

There are several other artefacts besides the Prakhon Chai hoard that Thailand is also looking to repatriate from collections around the world, he said.

Davis said the repatriation of stolen antiquities is still being treated by too many with collections as an obstacle when it should be seen, as the Asian Art Museum has, as an opportunity.

“It’s an opportunity to educate the public,” Davis said.

“It’s an opportunity to build bridges with Southeast Asia,” she added, “and I hope other institutions follow suit.”

So the white smoke emerged from Whitehall as the Prime Minister didn’t quite say “Habemas a Deal”. at the end of the much hyped UK-EU reset talks. The good news is that there is some amelioration of the 2020 Brexit Treaty negotiated by Boris Johnson. The bad news is that it won’t satisfy many on either side of the Brexit divide.

In 1992 the Swiss voted against the Maastricht Treaty enshrining Margaret Thatcher’s campaign to create a single market Europe with its four freedoms of movement of capital, goods, services and labour. Pope Saint John Paul II Mrs Thactcer’s Treat  “will hasten the process of European integration. A common political structure, the product of the free will of European citizens, far from endangering the identity of the peoples in the community, will be able to guarantee more equitably the rights, in particular the cultural rights, of all its regions. These united European peoples will not accept the domination of one nation or culture over the others, but they will uphold the equal right of all to enrich others with their difference.”

                  Quickly Europe’s richest nation in the Alps realised they had shot a crossbow arrow into their foot. Negotiations started and continue to this day to improve Switzerland’s access to the four freedoms without actually joining the EU.

                  The Alpine nation is governed by referendums and there have been 20 so far on aspects of the EU-Swiss relationship. 17 agreed to proposals put forward by negotiators in Berne and Brussels and 3 said no. In 2010 as David Cameron and Nick Clegg announced their referendum which both leaders thought would put the Europe question to bed the Swiss voted against allowing Europeans to work in sectors like care homes, agricultures, mountain tourism, or construction which Swiss like Brits chez nous didn’t want to work in.

                  Swiss employers recoiled in horror and launched a campaign to reverse the decision. Despite the fulminations of the anti-EU Swiss People’s Party a second referendum was held and Switzerland now benefits from access to the European labour market pool while the UK imported more than a million workers from Africa and Asia to do the work native Brits shunned.

                  Britain is now embarking on the laborious slog of the mountain climb of gradual  step by step improvements in the 2020 deal Boris Johnson signed.

                  This has led the ageing tenors of anti-European ideology emerging like Japanese soldiers from the jungle 20 years after the second world war ended still believing their inevitable triumph is just around the corner.

                  From Boris Johnson, through Jacob Rees Mogg, Priti Patel, David Frost, Andrew Neil or assorted peers and retired Oxbridge dons  the chorus of “Surrender!”, “Betrayal!”, or “Sell-out!” continues but is weaker and weaker.

                  As Rod Liddle who helped turn Today when he edited it into a platform for Nigel Farage and anti-European keenies now notes the old heartlands of Brexit know it has delivered none of its promises and just want to move on.

                  Some Labour ministers use Theresa May’s slogan she “would make Brexit work.” That is an oxymoron. When the very conservative governor of the Bank of England says here will be no growth if we continue to set our faces against trade with Europe that is an ex-cathedra statement saying Adieu to Brexit. 

                  The Prime minister has none of the flair, nor drive of a Tony Blair or Margaret Thatcher but after the excitements of Boris Johnson and Liz Truss, voters opted for caution, prudence, and stability.

                  `It will be a long haul but the 30 year long Brexit era of British politics is over. One day Polish workers will be welcome back in Britain and attendance at Sunday mass will go up.

Denis MacShane is the former Labour Minister for Europe. His book “Brexiternity. The uncertain future of Britain” is published by Bloomsbury.

ARCHAEOLOGISTS have unearthed ruins from a hidden ancient palace which housed popes for centuries before the Vatican was established.

The discoveries give a rare glimpse into the dangers faced by the papacy in Rome‘s medieval times.

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Archaeologists stumbled upon complex architecture beneath the square outside the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran in Rome while making renovations for Jubilee 2025 (the Catholic Holy Year).

They unearthed large walled structures made of volcanic rock bricks, known as tuff, that date back to the 9th through the 13th centuries AD.

Some of these bricks had been reused from earlier buildings, and signs of restoration were visible in some of the walls.

This structure is believed to be part of the Patriarchio – the ancient palace which served as the popes’ official residence from the 4th century until the early 14th century.

This monumental basilica was designed by Emperor Constantine in the 4th century after the famous Edict of Milan (313 AD) legalised Christianity in the Roman Empire.

The palace complex was expanded and renovated during the Middle Ages, according to the Italian Ministry of Culture.

These walled structures are said to have acted as a defensive barrier, shielding the papacy from power struggles among Rome’s aristocratic families and raids by Saracens.

The Italian ministry said: “The construction of the structure just described took place during a long period in which Rome was the object of the raids of the Saracens, and inside it there were continuous struggles, sometimes violent, between the aristocratic families.”

‘Saracens’ was the term used for various Arab groups that launched coastal raids in Italy during the 9th and 10th centuries and later clashed with European armies during the Crusades.

“Hence the hypothesis that this mighty wall, also due to its shape, functioned as a defensive wall around the Basilica’s complex and its annexed buildings,” the ministry explained.

It said this discovery is “of extraordinary importance” to Rome’s history, as these are the most extensive excavations to have taken place in the square.

Gennaro Sangiuliano, the Italian Minister of Culture, said: “The discoveries of Piazza San Giovanni in Laterano are yet another demonstration of the richness of the territory of Rome, an inexhaustible mine of archaeological treasures.”

He added: “Every single stone speaks to us and tells its story: thanks to these important finds, archaeologists will be able to know more about our past.

The Vatican officially became the permanent papal seat in 1377.

This was after Pope Gregory XI moved the papacy back to Rome from Avignon, France, where it had been located for nearly 70 years.

From thereon, a defensive structure was no longer necessary in Rome and the area was abandoned.

This discovery coincides with Cardinal Robert Prevost’s election as the new leader of the Catholic Church – making him the first-ever American pope.

The new pope stepped out onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican on Thursday to greet cheering crowds.

Prevost was born in Chicago in 1955 to immigrant parents of French, Italian and Spanish descent.

After graduating from Villanova University in Pennsylvania with a degree in maths, the future pontiff joined the Order of St. Augustine, taking his vows in 1978.

Ordained as a priest in 1982, he joined a mission in Peru where he spent many years leading a seminary.

While he is seen as more traditional than Francis, he is not the conservative hardliner that some in the church had hoped for after his predecessor’s efforts to make the faith more progressive.

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IT was an ordinary day when Mount Vesuvius plastered nearby towns in thick volcanic ash 2,000 years ago.

A treasure trove of objects was buried, each giving an insight into the lives people led.

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Butchered giraffe

In the drains beneath the long-gone markets of Pompeii, archaeologists have found a rich variety of foods – from sea urchin to shellfish.

But perhaps the most exotic find was the leg joint of a butchered giraffe.

It is thought to be the only giraffe bone ever recorded from an archaeological excavation in Roman Italy, according to archaeologist Steven Ellis, who directs the University of Cincinnati’s excavations at Pompeii.

The discoveries point to busy trade relationships outside of Italy.

“How part of the animal, butchered, came to be a kitchen scrap in a seemingly standard Pompeian restaurant not only speaks to long-distance trade in exotic and wild animals, but also something of the richness, variety and range of a non-elite diet,” explains Ellis.

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Glass brain

In Herculaneum, a town to the west of Mount Vesuvius, two bizarre pieces of dark-coloured glass were found inside the skulls of two individuals.

The first piece of glass suspected to be of ‘organic origin’ was identified in Herculaneum in 2020.

A glassy, black material was found inside the skull of a man on a wooden bed, who was buried by volcanic ash.

While the second was hunk of black glass was found earlier this year.

Experts believe these are fossilised brains, caused by the extreme heat from the short-lived ash cloud that swept through the ancient town of Herculaneum in 79CE.

Herculaneum was buried under roughly five times the amount of ash that Pompeii was.

Similarly, the second victim had also been lying on their bed when the cloud descended.

For the brain to become glass, it must have been heated to above 510°C before quickly cooling.

This is an incredibly rare process is called vitrification.

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Cheeky art

The Romans’ affinity for brothels, alcohol, and pornography has been well documented and discovered among the ruins of Pompeii.

Hundreds of sexually explicit works of art from Pompeii have been placed in the Secret Museum in the National Archaeological Museum in Naples.

These include graphic sex scenes – which experts believe could be advertisements for local brothels – as well as lots of phallic statuary, believed to bring wealth, fertility, and good luck.

Some of these pieces were so cheeky that they were deemed “pornographic” in 1821, and the museum closed the room to visitors in 1849.

The Secret Museum didn’t reopen for good until 2000.

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Graffiti

Pompeiians were politically active – and they have the graffiti to show for it.

There was an upcoming election when the city was buried by Mount Vesuvius.

Political slogans and messages of support for candidates can still be seen preserved on the walls today.

Though it wasn’t just political statements being plastered around.

Last May, charcoal wall drawings were unearthed that archaeologists believe were made by children as young as five.

The drawings, which were of children’s height, suggest they had attended gruesome gladiator battles in the city.

The simple etchings depict men with shields and spears fighting animals and each other.

Gabriel Zuchtriegel, director of the Archaeological Park of Pompeii, said children of the time would have come into contact with extreme forms of speculated violence.

This includes the frequent executions of criminals and slaves.

“We came to the conclusion that in all likelihood the drawings of the gladiators and hunters were made on the basis of a direct vision and not from pictorial models,” he said in a statement at the time.

“Probably one or more of the children who played in this courtyard, among the kitchens, latrine and flowerbeds for growing vegetables, had witnessed fights in the amphitheatre.”

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Surgical tools

Archaeologists have also recovered surgical instruments from Pompeii – which paint a squeamish picture of medical practices in 79 AD.

Medical tools have been found in various parts of the excavated city, but most most were found at a structure known as the House of the Surgeon.

While the Romans had not yet developed germ theory, many of the tools were made of copper alloys.

Copper has antimicrobial properties – meaning the tools may have prevented infections.