One will never know what happened to a 16th century hairpin once belonging to French Queen Catherine de Medici. In this article, you will learn more about the hairpin and other interesting headlines to hit the new in June of 2012.
Mystery of the 16th Century Hairpin
One will never know what happened to a 16th century hairpin once belonging to French Queen Catherine de Medici. Interestingly, the artifact was discovered in a communal toilet at Fontainebleau Palace, which is situated just outside of Paris. Archeologists accidently came across the artifact while digging around the toilet so that they could prepare for restoration of surrounding areas. This is a curious find since the queen had private, royal chambers. The pin was identified by the interlocking Cs that were made to reference ‘Catherine’ as well as green and white embellishments that signified her colors.
This is the first time that someone has found something that once belonged to royalty of the Renaissance at Fontainebleau Palace. The queen owned quite a bit of elaborate jewelry in her time. Over the centuries, the majority of her collection had been stolen, lost or sold. The pin that was found is a rarity that measures 9 centimeters or 3 ½ inches. It was only after the accumulation of soil had been cleaned away that Catherine’s colors were revealed.
The real question is how the hairpin landed in a communal toilet and not one reserved for royalty. Theories includes that a lady-in-waiting may have taken it, someone stole the pin, or it simply fell in by accident.
The Identification of a Rare Egyptian Artifact
This month, news has hit the airwaves that a curator of the Egypt Centre at Swansea University has identified a rare artifact associated with the ancient Egyptians. While studying a collection belonging to another school, Carolyn Graves-Brown recognized that the faience bell was in the shape of Bes, who is known as a dwarf god responsible for the protection of children and pregnant women. A bell in the shape of the god could have been used to keep evil spirits away or presented to a temple as a gift to the gods. Graves-Brown notes that faience is commonly used for objects that possess a magical or religious significance during ancient Egyptian days.
An Ancient Pearl Found
Dating back 7,500 years, an ancient pearl has been found in a grave at a Neolithic site located in the Emirate of Umm al Quwain. French researchers discovered that the pearl was intact and is now being called the oldest ever found even though other drilled pearls have been uncovered at Neolithic burials. Finding pearls at this site suggests that the people that lived in the area thousands of years ago followed ancient fishing traditions that no longer exist in the modern-day city. Researchers also learned that oyster shells were used to fashion large fish hooks.