"Is this what the progressive movements of the Western Left want to create?” The post Salman Rushdie: A Palestinian State Would Be Hamas appeared first on Frontpage Mag.

In the quiet town of Chalatenango, El Salvador, a farm’s routine night was disrupted by an occurrence that has since ignited a firestorm of speculation and intrigue. A security camera installed on the premises captured (see video below) a small, obscure figure meandering past a resting farm animal, only to vanish as quickly as it appeared, reports coasttocoastam.com. This peculiar incident, which took place in late March, has recently gained widespread attention after the footage resurfaced and circulated across social media platforms in Latin America. The grainy video presents a scene straight out of a supernatural thriller: an unassuming figure emerges seemingly from the ether, takes a brief stroll in the farm’s enclosure, and then dissolves into the night air. The animals nearby continue their rest, oblivious to the transient visitor that had crossed their path. The community of Chalatenango, along with netizens from far and wide, have been engrossed by this mysterious occurrence. Theories abound, ranging from extraterrestrial visitations to the presence of otherworldly creatures like goblins. Some locals have even tied the sighting to a ghost child, a figure woven into the fabric of local folklore. This spectral child, they say, roams the area, a silent witness to the passage of time. On the other side of the debate, skeptics have raised their voices, suggesting that the video is nothing more than an elaborate hoax—a modern-day myth in the making, designed to bewilder and entertain. They argue that digital manipulation could easily account for the figure’s sudden appearance and disappearance, casting doubt on the authenticity of the event. The post Small humanoid figure captured on farm in El Salvador appeared first on Anomalien.com.

The Tennessee man charged with the rape and murder of Memphis mother Eliza Fletcher has been sentenced to 80 years in prison for raping and kidnapping another woman. In September 2022, Cleotha Abston made national headlines when he was arrested in connection with the abduction and murder of billionaire heiress Eliza Fletcher. Abston is accused of forcing the mother-of-two into a black SUV, which is reportedly seen on surveillance video. Fletcher, a 34-year-old kindergarten school teacher who had been jogging on Central Avenue in Memphis when she was kidnapped, was found dead days later near a vacant duplex.In September 2021, Abston reportedly kidnapped and raped another woman at gunpoint. On Friday, Abston was sentenced to 80 years in prison for the kidnapping and rape of Alicia Franklin.Abston was sentenced in the Franklin case to 40 years in prison for aggravated rape, 20 years for aggravated kidnapping, and 20 years for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. He waived his right to a formal sentence hearing.Shelby County Criminal Court Judge Lee Coffee ruled that the sentences would run consecutively.Judge Coffee said Abston treated Franklin with "exceptional cruelty.”The judge told the courtroom, "When this defendant placed a gun to her face, to her neck and told her quote 'BLEEP' if you say anything or move, I will kill you.' This is especially troubling."Deputy District Attorney Paul Hagerman said in a statement, "We've been committed to justice for Alicia Franklin and Liza Fletcher since the awful crimes against them. My office asked for, and he received an 80-year maximum sentence with no possibility of parole.""His violent history and these crimes demand sentences that ensure he'll get out of prison, ever," Hagerman continued. "This sentence alone ensures that — but we are not done." Reaction to Cleotha Abston verdict youtu.be Abston, 40, was not arrested until the death of Fletcher – a full year later after his heinous crimes against Franklin.Abston has a history of criminal charges dating back to the 1990s – starting when he was 12 years old. The judge said Abston was involved with more than 30 infractions during his life. An autopsy report showed Fletcher died of a gunshot wound to the head, and also suffered injuries to her right leg and jaw.Abston's trial for the suspected kidnapping and murder of Fletcher is expected to begin on June 17.Prosecutors have said they will pursue the death penalty if Abston is convicted of first-degree murder in Fletcher's death. Abston has pleaded not guilty. Woman claims she was assaulted by suspect in Eliza Fletcher case l GMA www.youtube.com Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Recent meta-analyses confirm that exercise significantly alleviates symptoms of depression, with activities like walking, yoga and strength training showing robust benefits for mental health. However, doing more than one hour of strength […]

The Pope claims it's "sheer madness" to attempt to prevent migrants crossing the southern border Pope Francis describes as “sheer madness” any attempt to close the US southern border with Mexico, in an interview with CBS’s Norah O’Donnell that will air later today. The Pope sat down to speak with the CBS anchor in a first-of-its-kind interview. No other pope has given an interview to a US news station before. In a clip released ahead of the interview’s release, O’Donnell asks the Pope what he thinks of efforts to secure the US southern border and prevent migrants from crossing. Pope Francis, in the first-ever interview of a pope with an American TV network, speaks candidly with @NorahODonnell about many topics, including the migrant crisis in the U.S.: “The migrant has to be received.”Watch their historic conversation Sunday on @60Minutes. pic.twitter.com/QQlErLc76i— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) May 17, 2024 “I grew up in Texas, and I don’t know if you’ve heard, but the State of Texas is attempting to shut down a Catholic charity on the border of Mexico that offers undocumented migrants humanitarian assistance. What do you think of that?”Save 10% on ALL storable food and Alexapure Pro Water Filtration Systems! Secure your independence with our delicious kits TODAY to beat the coming demand! “That is madness,” Pope Francis replies. “Sheer madness. To close the border and leave them there—that is madness. “The Migrant has to be received. Thereafter you decide how to deal with them. Maybe you have to send them back, I don’t know, but each case ought to be considered humanely.” Religious charities, including Catholic charities, have come in for significant criticism for their part in the US migrant crisis. They have been accused not just of providing shelter and aid for migrants, but of actively trafficking them across the border and within the US. Catholic groups have hit back by claiming they are receiving “threats” as a result of a “far-right anti-migrant campaign.” Israeli Plan To Force All Gazan Survivors Onto US Ships Exposed

from Revolver News: It’s truly baffling why the media shows little curiosity about the origins of COVID or details concerning Joe Biden showering with his daughter. Instead, they dedicate endless hours and vast resources to hunting down and doxxing anonymous right-wing accounts. It seems they’ve found their new career path. Forget real news—our media is […]

  Ancient Egypt is one of history’s most fascinating civilizations. However, Egypt was conquered several times by some of the world’s most famous ancient empires. Each of these empires left its mark on Egypt, adding foreign influences to a culture that had already existed for thousands of years. In turn, Egypt’s wealth and prestige allowed its conquerors to increase their power even further, affecting events throughout the ancient world.   The Hyksos: Ancient Egypt’s First Foreign Rulers Photograph of the Seal of the Hyksos king Apophis, circa 1581 to 1541 BCE. Source: The Metropolitan Museum of Art   At the end of the prosperous Middle Kingdom period, Egypt’s pharaohs had ruled for thousands of years. However, the Second Intermediate Period saw Egypt’s power decline due to plagues and feuding dynasties. In the resulting upheaval, Egypt’s first foreign rulers would emerge in approximately 1650 BCE to form the Fifteenth Dynasty, otherwise known as the Hyksos.   According to later Egyptian scholars, like Manetho in the third century BCE, the Hyksos were bloodthirsty foreign invaders who seized control of Egypt. This was the accepted view until new discoveries were made in the mid-twentieth century CE.   Now, modern scholars believe that the Hyksos had been moving into Egypt as migrants for centuries before the emergence of the Fifteenth Dynasty. These migrants likely came from parts of the Levant in Western Asia, with the majority of them being Canaanites.   ‘Hyksos‘ is a Greek word derived from the Egyptian phrase ‘heka khasut’, which means ‘rulers of foreign lands.’ As Egypt’s native dynasties collapsed, the Hyksos gradually took control of Lower Egypt (Northern Egypt). Their main power base was centered around the city of Avaris (modern-day Tell El-Dab’a) and the East Nile Delta.   Bronze ax head, circa 1981 to 1550 BCE. Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art   Despite the attempts of later Egyptian dynasties to demonize them, the Hyksos were incredibly influential. They introduced several technological innovations that may have included chariots, composite bows, and the bronze khopesh; the famous sickle sword associated with ancient Egypt.   In approximately 1580 BCE, the native Seventeenth Dynasty emerged in Thebes in Upper Egypt (Southern Egypt). Twenty years later, Pharaoh Seqenenre Tau tried to remove the Hyksos but was killed in battle. His sons, Kamose and Ahmose I, continued their father’s campaign.   Although Kamose died after a few years in power, Ahmose I succeeded in defeating and expelling the Hyksos in approximately 1550 BCE. Ahmose I went on to unite Egypt and founded the Eighteenth Dynasty, beginning the New Kingdom period.   The Kushite Empire: Nubia’s Revenge Against Egypt Shabti of the Kushite Pharaoh Taharqa, 690 to 664 BCE. Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art   During the New Kingdom era, Egypt conquered several neighboring kingdoms and expanded to its greatest extent. Many pharaohs, like Thutmose III, launched campaigns into Nubia, a prosperous civilization to the south also known as the Kingdom of Kush.   Although the Egyptians conquered much of Nubia, the region flourished. Nubia possessed valuable commodities like gold, ebony, ivory, and horses. The flow of these luxury goods made Egypt even wealthier. The Egyptians also built several temples to their gods throughout Nubia. Thutmose III even built a large temple complex dedicated to Amun at modern-day Jebel Barkal in the city of Napata.   However, Egypt’s power began to wane after the Bronze Age Collapse in the Twelfth Century BCE. This decline culminated with the start of the Third Intermediate Period in approximately 1077 BCE. As Egypt fractured once again, Nubia began to expand its influence.   In the Eighth Century BCE, a Kushite king named Kashta managed to peacefully take control of Upper Egypt. However, his son and successor, Piye, took a very different approach. In approximately 728 BCE, after ruling for about twenty years, Piye assembled an army and invaded Lower Egypt.   Head of a Kushite ruler, circa 716 to 702 BCE. Source: Brooklyn Museum   Meanwhile, the Twenty-fourth Dynasty pharaohs that controlled Lower Egypt formed an alliance with other rulers in the Nile Delta to resist Nubia’s growing influence. Piye responded by defeating these chieftains and assuming control over the Nile Delta, establishing the Twenty-fifth Dynasty. However, Lower Egypt was still largely ruled by his opponent, Tefnakht I.   After Piye’s death, his son, Shabaqa, launched a new campaign to subdue Egypt and defeated Tefnakht’s son, Bakenrenef. After his victory, Shabaqa ruled a new Kushite Empire that controlled both Egypt and Nubia from his new capital at Memphis. However, the Kushite pharaohs would soon attract the unwelcome attention of one of the ancient world’s most powerful empires — the Assyrians.   The Assyrians: Egypt’s Most Brutal Conquerors Relief depicting an Assyrian soldier transporting captives by boat, circa 668 to 627 BCE. Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art   As the Nubian pharaohs of the Twenty-fifth Dynasty consolidated their power over Egypt, they also tried to expand their influence further afield. In 701 BCE, Taharqa, a Nubian prince, led an army to assist Hezekiah, the King of Judah, against Assyrian forces besieging Jerusalem. The Assyrians were driven back, but Egypt had made a dangerous enemy.   Taharqa became pharaoh in 690 BCE and presided over a flourishing empire. He restored and expanded Egypt’s temples and monuments, especially at the Temple of Karnak. Under Taharqa’s rule, Egyptian and Kushite culture became further entwined.   Meanwhile, the Assyrian king Esarhaddon marshaled his forces and invaded Egypt in 674 BCE. Despite a costly campaign, Taharqa defeated Esarhaddon, inflicting one of Assyria’s worst losses. But Esarhaddon regrouped and invaded again in 671 BCE with a larger force. This time, the Assyrians won and seized control of Memphis and much of Lower Egypt. Taharqa fled south, but his family was captured and deported to Assyria.   Taharqa retook Memphis in 669 BCE and instigated revolts in Lower Egypt. After Esarhaddon’s death the following year, his son, Ashurbanipal, defeated the Egyptians in 667 BCE and forced Taharqa to retreat to Thebes. Ashurbanipal sacked several cities before installing Necho I, the ruler of Sais, as an Assyrian vassal.   Bust of a Saite King, possibly Psamtik I, circa 664 to 610 BCE. Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art   After Taharqa’s death in 664 BCE, his son, Tantamani, continued to resist the Assyrians. During one of Tantamani’s campaigns, Necho I was killed and his son Psamtik I retreated to Assyria. Tantamani retook most of Egypt. However, Ashurbanipal and the Assyrians returned with a huge army, backed up by Psamtik’s forces.   The two armies clashed north of Memphis, with the Assyrians victorious. The battle effectively ended Nubian control of Egypt. Ashurbanipal then led the brutal Sack of Thebes, plundering the city and deporting many of its citizens. Psamtik I founded the Twenty-sixth Dynasty and eventually reunited Egypt in approximately 656 BCE.   Achaemenid Persia: Egypt’s First Superpower Limestone head of an Achaemenid Persian guard, circa 486 to 475 BCE. Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art   The Achaemenid Persian Empire was one of the ancient world’s true superpowers. Starting in 550 BCE, the Persians ascended rapidly under Cyrus the Great and conquered much of Western Asia, including Babylon. After Cyrus’s death, his son, Cambyses II, sought to capture the wealthy lands of Egypt.   After the reunification of Egypt under Psamtik I and the fall of the Assyrian Empire in 609 BCE, the Twenty-sixth Dynasty pharaohs started to expand into the Near East again. For the nascent Achaemenid Empire, this was a potential threat.   In 525 BCE, Cambyses engaged the Egyptians at the Battle of Pelusium. Cambyses emphatically defeated his opponents before besieging and capturing Memphis. The last pharaoh of the Twenty-sixth Dynasty, Psamtik III, was captured and deported to Susa after just six months on the throne.   After his quick victory, Cambyses became the first pharaoh of the Persian Twenty-Seventh Dynasty. Egypt was incorporated into the empire as a satrapy, with Memphis as the capital. After ruling for three years, Cambyses died in 522 BCE. Almost immediately, several provinces across the empire rebelled, including Egypt. However, the new Persian king, Darius the Great, marched to Egypt and quickly ended the uprising.   Wax cylinder seal of Darius the Great, circa Sixth to Fifth Century BCE. Source: The British Museum   Egypt flourished under Darius, who sponsored many Egyptian temples and even completed a canal near modern-day Suez. After Darius’s reign, Egypt rebelled against several Achaemenid kings, including Darius’s son, Xerxes I.   In 404 BCE, a major rebellion saw the Persians lose control of Egypt for approximately 60 years. During this time, Egypt was ruled by three native dynasties. The last of these, the Thirtieth Dynasty, was eventually reconquered by the Persians in 343 BCE under Artaxerxes III. The Persians ruled Egypt under the Thirty-first Dynasty until the fall of the Achaemenid Empire just over a decade later.   Alexander’s Macedonian Empire and Ptolemaic Egypt Engraving of the Lighthouse of Alexandria, by Philip Galle after Maerten van Heemskerck, 1572. Source: National Gallery of Art   After being the dominant power in Western Asia for centuries, the Persians faced a new challenge with the arrival of Alexander the Great. At just twenty years old, Alexander gathered his Macedonian armies and set out to conquer the mighty Achaemenid Empire.   By 332 BCE, Alexander had already defeated the Persians twice at the Battle of the Granicus and the Battle of Issus. After the brutal Siege of Tyre, Alexander headed south and entered Egypt. Instead of a fearsome conqueror, the Egyptians saw Alexander as a liberator who could overthrow the Persians. Indeed, the Achaemenid satrap, Mazaces, quickly surrendered Egypt to Alexander.   As he did across Asia, Alexander founded a new city in his name: Alexandria. He also reformed the tax system and restored or dedicated new temples to the Egyptian gods. Alexander then traveled to the famous Oracle at Siwa, where the priest declared that he was the son of the Egyptian god Amun.   Alexander only stayed in Egypt for a year before pursuing the Persian king Darius III. After his victory at the Battle of Gaugamela, Alexander took control of the Persian empire. However, he never returned to Egypt and died in Babylon in 323 BCE.   Gold stater of Ptolemy I, circa 305 to 284 BCE. Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art   After Alexander’s death, his generals, also known as the Diadochi, fought among themselves to control his vast new empire. During the chaos, Ptolemy I Soter assumed control of Egypt and founded the Ptolemaic Dynasty in 305 BCE.   Ptolemy chose Alexandria as his new capital and declared himself pharaoh. He also intercepted Alexander’s body en route to Macedon and interred the corpse in Alexandria, possibly to legitimize his claim as Alexander’s greatest successor.   Ptolemaic Egypt gradually became one of the leading successor kingdoms of the Hellenistic world. However, after over 250 years, another new empire would eventually supplant the Ptolemies as masters of Egypt.   The Roman Empire: The Final Conquerors of Ancient Egypt The Meeting of Antony and Cleopatra, by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, 1745 to 1747. Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art   By the reign of Ptolemy XII in approximately 80 BCE, Egypt was a shadow of its former glory. When Ptolemy XII died in 51 BCE, his son, the ten-year-old Ptolemy XII, and his teenage daughter, Cleopatra VII, succeeded him. However, several powerful court officials exiled Cleopatra and took control of Ptolemy XIII, plunging Egypt into civil war.   Across the Mediterranean, another civil war engulfed the Roman Republic. After Julius Caesar’s victory at the Battle of Pharsalus, his rival, Pompey Magnus, fled to Egypt. However, Pompey was murdered by Ptolemy’s officials, prompting Caesar to side with Cleopatra. After a series of battles in Alexandria, Caesar and Cleopatra defeated Ptolemy’s forces in 47 BCE.   After Caesar’s assassination in 44 BCE, his successor Octavian and former ally Marc Antony engaged in their own civil war. Once again, Cleopatra played a major role by siding with and marrying Marc Antony. Octavian’s fleet decimated the navy of Antony and Cleopatra at the Battle of Actium in 31 BCE.   After the subsequent Battle of Alexandria, Antony and Cleopatra committed suicide, leaving Octavian in control of Egypt. When Octavian declared himself Emperor Augustus in 27 BCE, Egypt became one of the most important provinces in the Roman Empire. Although Rome would control Egypt for centuries, it was not always easy.   Zenobia’s last look on Palmyra, by Herbert G Schmalz, 1888. Source: Art Gallery of South Australia   During the Crisis of the Third Century, several of Rome’s eastern provinces rebelled and formed the Palmyrene Empire under the formidable Queen Zenobia. In 269 CE, Zenobia’s armies invaded Egypt and seized control. However, the Romans reconquered Egypt in 272 CE under the leadership of Emperor Aurelian.   While the Western Roman Empire collapsed in 476 CE, Egypt remained under the control of the Eastern Roman Empire. In 618 CE, Egypt was occupied for ten years by the rival Sasanian empire before reverting to Roman control. However, the final blow came in 641 CE, when the Muslim Arabs of the Rashidun Caliphate captured Egypt.

  October 24, 79 CE was just another ordinary day in the Bay of Naples. As the populations of Pompeii and Herculaneum went about their business, they were unaware of the event that was about to befall them, an event that would put them in the history books for all time. Without warning, an almighty bang resounded around the Bay of Naples causing the people living in the bay to look to the heavens. Coming out of the “mountain” called Vesuvius was a huge plume of dark ash rising into the sky.   The Eruption of Vesuvius The ruins of Pompeii, ominously overlooked by Vesuvius, by ElfQrin, Source: Wikimedia Commons   As pumice and ash began to rain from the sky, a young male figure stood over the bay watching the chaos unfold. His name was Pliny, the nephew of the illustrious Roman general and author of the Natural Histories, Pliny the Elder. Seeing the plume of ash, which was now 17 miles high, Pliny’s uncle called for his shoes and ordered a boat to be readied. Down in the towns, pure darkness had descended. Doors were locked and precious items were thrown in safe boxes for later. Men, women, and children ran and screamed, wondering if their gods had finally left them. Dodging the large projectiles being thrown from Vesuvius, some escaped on horseback, some in carts, and some on foot, while others, burdened by age, pregnancy, or preference, chose to wait it out.   In a letter to the Roman historian Tacitus, Pliny the Younger later described the plume as pine tree shaped: “It rose into the sky on a very long ‘trunk’ from which spread some ‘branches’” (translation by Amery and Curran Jr., 2011). It was towards this “tree” that Pliny’s uncle set off with his sea fleet to investigate and help in the rescue efforts. Unbeknownst to Pliny the Younger, his decision to stay and study instead of joining his uncle’s rescue effort would save his life. His uncle would never return from the terror unfolding at the foot of Vesuvius. Instead, he was destined to suffer a fatal asthma attack on the beach, surrounded by his soldiers.   The Destruction of Pompeii and Herculaneum, by John Martin, 1822, Source: Wikimedia Commons   As the day progressed, the column rising from Vesuvius reached such a weight that it eventually collapsed in on itself. The result was a series of six fast-moving and incredibly hot pyroclastic flows made up of toxic gases, pumice, and ash which ran down the side of the volcano. Herculaneum, located only 7 km (5.3 miles) from Vesuvius on the western side, suffered the greatest impact and heat from the flows. Pompeii, 10 km (6.2 miles) to the southeast of Vesuvius, suffered no less, despite the flows having cooled down by the time they reached the town. All people and animals who had so far survived the falling building, toxic gases, and pumice were killed instantly upon impact.   The History of the Towns The site of Herculaneum, now located at a distance from the coast, by Jerónimo Roure Pérez, Source: Wikimedia Commons   The descriptions of Pliny the Younger, written some years later, provide the most significant and detailed record of the eruption that we have in the literary record. Although for many years the date of the eruption was translated from Pliny’s words as August 24, recent excavations have instead confirmed historians’ suspicions of a later date. Now it is set to either October 24 or 25 of the same year (79 CE). Nonetheless, the two letters penned to Tacitus were destined to memorialize the towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum, two relatively ordinary towns in the Roman period. But what of the towns before their infamous fate?   Pompeii was a Greek colony located on the coast of the Bay of Naples. Even in the Roman Period, Pompeii was considered an old town, with Samnite, Oscan, and Greek cultural roots going back to the 8th century BCE. Following the Battle of Cumae in 450 BCE between the Greeks and local Etruscans, the town of Pompeii began developing at a rapid rate. By the Late Republican Period, it had become a thriving trading town complete with a forum and basilica, public baths, two amphitheaters, and over 160 shops to serve the growing population. Today, scholars estimate that the population size was somewhere between 10,000 and 20,000.   The Bay of Naples, by Auguste Renoir, 1881, Source: The MET Museum of Art   Only a few miles away, the town of Herculaneum sat proudly on the cliffs overlooking the Bay of Naples. In comparison to its big brother Pompeii, Herculaneum was smaller and much richer. With only a small harbor (later moved inland by the effects of the eruption), Herculaneum enjoyed a beautiful climate and view. Although it also had the same typical Roman buildings as Pompeii, some streets in Herculaneum were paved in marble, while overall the houses exhibited a higher standard of design and artwork. Unlike Pompeii, we know less about the origin of this town (apart from that it was named after the fearsome Hercules), but we do know that by 79 CE it had developed into a holiday resort for rich landowners.   Pompeii Before the Eruption Temple of Apollo, by Mark de Nijs, 2018, Source: Wikimedia Commons   Tourists walking the town of Pompeii today are often surprised by the sheer size of the city. Covering 163 acres (66 hectares), the walls of Pompeii measure 2 miles in circumference. In ancient times, as today, visitors would have entered through one of the seven guarded gates built into the walls of the town. Within the walls, the town was laid out in a grid design, much like the blocks of New York today. These were known as insula in the Roman period, each being divided up into houses, shops, commercial production buildings, bakeries, inns, and even religious properties.   Visitors entering via the Marina Gate in antiquity would have been faced with the spectacular sites of the Temples of Apollo and Venus, their columns reaching high into the sky. Beyond this, new visitors would likely head straight to the Forum, the civic center of any Roman town. Looming above the paving, and flanked by the imposing figure of Vesuvius in the not-too-far distance, the Temple of Jupiter cut an impressive figure. Around the forum were civic buildings for carrying out and governing trade.   Beyond the Forum, a complex web of streets and side alleys branched off. These streets are a familiar site today; high sidewalks and stepping stones provided pedestrians safety from wheeled and hooved traffic, as well as the muck and rainwater flowing down the streets. Whether here on business, for leisure, visiting family and friends, or perhaps even searching for a new job or home, visitors would have been in no shortage of things to do in this busy town. With over 160 restaurants to choose from, as well as shops, entertainment venues, exercise buildings, public baths, pop-up markets, gardens, temples, and even brothels, the town of Pompeii was a buzzing center of activity.   The Preservation of the Towns Victims of Vesuvius from the Gardens of the Fugitives in Pompeii, by Sarah Hoa, Source: Wikimedia Commons   The pervasion of ash and pumice which had caused the bay to experience over 24 hours of night finally thinned out on the second day, giving way to the Italian sunshine. The towns which once lay along the Bay of Naples were now completely lost. Over the next few days, the material solidified into cement, preserving all people, animals, plants, and buildings inside. Emperor Titus appointed two ex-consuls to coordinate the relief effort for those impacted by the eruption and set up a recovery fund from the state treasury. Within a decade, the towns had already become legend.   Due to its proximity to Vesuvius, the town of Herculaneum was preserved rather differently. Here, the rapid exposure of the town to high heat meant that organic material was carbonized, while humans and animals were in effect cooked. Mercifully this would have been at an incredibly rapid rate, if they had not first died from suffocation. Due to this, skeletons have been recovered within the town’s remains, alongside the often perfectly carbonised remains of furniture and house structures, such as a baby’s cradle (tragically still with the skeleton of a baby inside), storage cabinets, wooden doors, and house beams. Though walls and other structures were smashed down by the pyroclastic flows and falling pumice, the remaining frescoes, marble, and stone were almost perfectly preserved.   Plaster cast of man from Pompeii, photo by Wknight94, Source: Wikimedia Commons   In Pompeii, the situation was slightly different. Though still incredibly hot and powerful, the flows of gases, ash, and pumice that hit the town were cooler. Here, so much pumice fell that it filled the first floor. Those who were hit by the pyroclastic flows were killed in an instant by thermal shock. It was during these last moments that their bodies would have constricted into a “boxer’s pose,” due to their muscles tensing, and the pumice and ash would have buried them in their final position. Over time, as their bodies decayed and the material cemented around them, the victims of the eruption left cavities which excavators later filled with plaster to produce the shapes of bodies that we continue to reference.   The Rediscovery of the Towns View through the Herculaneum Gate, Pompeii, by Giovanni Battista Piranesi, 1778, Source: The MET Museum of Art   Pompeii and Herculaneum did not remain hidden forever. In 1549 while digging a water channel, Domenico Fontana discovered the walls of what he thought to be an ancient city, belonging to what would later be identified as Pompeii. Not long after, remnants of the ancient city of Herculaneum were discovered during earthworks, followed by more discoveries on the site during the digging of a well in 1709. So began the systematic excavations at Herculaneum in 1738, with excavators at Pompeii following suit in 1748. It was not until 1763 after the discovery of an inscription that read “Rei Publicae Pompeianorum” that excavators knew with certainty that this was the ancient town of Pompeii mentioned by ancient writers.   Don Carlos, the King of Naples, took great interest in the site of Pompeii and carried out extensive excavations between 1750 and 1764. However, these were more akin to treasure hunting as many materials, including wall paintings, everyday objects, and even bones were thrown away as rubbish and little to no notes or plans were recorded. More glamorous items, such as marble statues, gold jewelry, and silver tableware, were taken away as trophies. This continued until the Italian archaeologist, Giuseppe Fiorelli, took over as director of excavations and began the systematic digging at the site. Each find and site was carefully documented, and his records still provide useful guidance for historians today.   Frescos at Villa of the Mysteries Pompeii, by Gisleh, Source: Wikimedia Commons   Fiorelli’s efforts were taken up by Amadeo Maiuri between 1924 and 1961, with a pause during WWII. By the 1990s, two-thirds of the city had been uncovered. Only sporadic excavations have been undertaken since to preserve the site in lieu of better conservation technology, understanding, and funding. In recent times, excavations have once again begun in earnest in one of the nine regions marked out by Fiorelli in Pompeii — “Region V” — with some incredible results, including beautiful frescoes, a perfectly preserved restaurant, and a baker’s oven. Meanwhile, only a fraction of Herculaneum has yet been uncovered (due to it being buried under modern residential properties), with the full extent of the town still uncertain. Only time will tell what other mysteries are hidden in the ash in the two cities.

When you need to judge how unpopular our 46th president is at the moment, don't just look at the polls. You can look at those, too, mind you; they're bad enough that even one of Joe Biden's favorite voices in the mainstream media, Fareed Zakaria, is sounding the alarm over...