Podcast Summary

Stuff You Missed in History Class

Episode: Unearthed Year-end 2025, Part 1
Date: January 12, 2026
Hosts: Tracy V. Wilson & Holly Fry

Overview

This installment of the "Unearthed" series covers a rich tapestry of historical, archaeological, and cultural updates from across the world, as uncovered or revealed in the last quarter of 2025. Holly and Tracy discuss new research, significant finds, and poignant updates on long-running historical topics, ranging from ancient artifacts to modern public media developments. The episode encompasses a mix of major institutional updates, archaeological discoveries, exhumations, and advances in understanding historical animal domestication.

Main Themes & Segments

1. Institutional Updates in History & Media

Smithsonian Funding and Federal Pressure

• Discussion of Executive Branch pressure on the Smithsonian for compliance regarding museum materials and federal funding, centered on Executive Order 14253.
  • Quote (Holly, 01:22): "The letter characterized the museum's submission as a partial production ... and suggested that the Smithsonian's federal funding could be withheld if it does not comply."
• Tracy reiterates the previously discussed fact that the Smithsonian is not an Executive Branch agency.
  • Quote (Tracy, 02:27): "We've already talked about how the Smithsonian is not an Executive Branch agency."

Dissolution of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB)

• CPB Board voted to dissolve after Congress rescinded funding.
  • Quote (CPB CEO Patricia Harrison, read by Tracy, 02:57): "CPB's final act would be to protect the integrity of the public media system and the democratic values by dissolving rather than allowing the organization to remain defunded and vulnerable to additional attack."

2. New Research & Archaeological Discoveries

The Endurance: Ernest Shackleton’s Antarctic Ship

• New findings challenge the ship's legendary strength, attributing its destruction more to structural weaknesses, especially around the engine room, rather than just a weak rudder.
  • Quote (Holly, 05:35): "Shackleton may have known this before setting out on the expedition...in a letter to his wife Emily, he framed the Endurance as not as strong as the Nimrod..."
  • Sourced from underwater imaging and analysis of historical documents.

Tudor Pendant Discovery

• Gold pendant linked to Henry VIII's court, believed to have been commissioned for Mary Tudor’s betrothal celebration in 1518.
  • Quote (Holly, 07:31): "This pendant is being described as one of the most important 16th century pieces ever discovered in Britain."
  • Currently on display at the British Museum, with efforts underway to acquire it permanently.

Rapa Nui (Easter Island) – The Walking Moai

• Renewed research and debate over whether the famous moai statues were "walked" to their sites using a rocking-roped motion.

  • Quote (Tracy, 09:10): "The prevailing narrative...was that its residents had committed ecocide by cutting down the trees to make the rollers to move the statues."
  • The latest paper affirms the "walking" hypothesis and engages Rapa Nui community members in research but notes that it is not fully settled.
  • Quote (Sue Hamilton, 10:37): "The current work...demonstrates the technical possibility...but does not prove that it happened."

• Role of rats in Rapa Nui deforestation is highlighted, shifting blame from people to invasive rats for most palm loss (11:04).

• New evidence of decentralized society and moai carving: 3D modeling identifies 30 centers in the main quarry, supporting a non-centralized social structure (12:03).

Culloden Battlefield Projectile Finds

• Discovery of over 100 projectiles at Culloden, site of the 1745 Jacobite uprising’s last major battle.
  • Includes Jacobite and Irish Piquet fired musket balls and the context of their significance (13:45–14:31).

Maya Train and the Foundation Stone

• Construction of the controversial Maya tourist train led to discovery of a 7th-century inscribed stone in Kabah, revealing the name and influence of a female ruler, Ixchakchin (16:53–17:42).

Tulsa Race Massacre – Cemetery Work

• Ongoing efforts to identify victims at Oaklawn Cemetery, with 80 more unmarked graves documented and nine exhumations under consideration (17:42–18:18).

Benin City Archaeology

• Pre-colonial palace remains and metalworking shops found; these finds will help reconstruct Benin’s history before and after British destruction (19:30–20:13).

Pompeii – Clothing and Eruption Timing

• New findings suggest wool garments could indicate the eruption happened in autumn (October) rather than August, challenging older interpretations (21:03–22:18).

Bayeux Tapestry – Origins & Exhibition

• Speculative research argues it was hung in St. Augustine’s Abbey, as visual accompaniment for Benedictine monks during meals, not Bayeux Cathedral (22:52–24:21).
  • British Museum to exhibit the tapestry for the first time in 2026, insured for £800 million (24:40).

3. Books, Letters & Languages

• Teotihuacan Symbols as Written Language: New research suggests murals and pottery signs could represent written Uto-Aztecan language, interpreted much like a rebus (25:32).

• Norway’s Oldest Book: A religious songs booklet, written in Latin and bound in seal skin from a monastery, may be Norway’s oldest surviving book (26:25).

• WWI Messages in a Bottle: Letters from two Australian soldiers, cast adrift during WWI and found on a beach, enable modern families to reconnect with ancestor messages (27:19–27:53).

  • Quote (Tracy, 27:53): "There's been a lot of very heartwarming coverage... If you want to just go read some feel good stories about family members being reconnected to this message from an ancestor, go Google that."

• Ancient Celtic Dictionary: Ongoing project to create a comprehensive dictionary from scattered sources, with about 1,000 words expected (28:32).

4. Animal Domestication and Archaeology

Dogs

• 3D morphometric analysis of over 600 skulls shows dog breed differentiation appeared soon after domestication, but ancient breeds were less physically extreme than some modern breeds (29:08).
  • Quote (Tracy, 31:28): "There was variety, but the spectrum was smaller."

Cats in China

• Ancient bones show leopard cats lived alongside Neolithic communities until about 150 CE, with domesticated cats arriving via the Silk Road much later than previously thought (31:34–32:31).

Mules and Donkeys in Europe and Jamestown

• The oldest Western European mule discovered in Catalonia, dating 8th–6th century BCE, pushes back the timeline for equine hybridization (33:03).
• Archaeological evidence found for donkeys at Jamestown, alongside historical horses (34:03), both reportedly used as food during harsh winters.

Wolves and Dogs in Ancient Scandinavia

• Wolves found on the Swedish island of Stourokarlzo showed signs of close interaction with humans and subsisting on human food scraps, opening questions about ancient man-wolf relationships (34:48–35:56).
• Dog burial with bone dagger from 5,000 years ago in Sweden may represent a ritual rather than a pet grave (36:22–36:48).

Roman-Egyptian Monkey Trade

• Evidence from Berenike port shows Roman officers kept Indian macaques as status animals, indicating early intercontinental trade in exotic pets (37:06–38:17).

5. Exhumation

Eliza Monroe Hay:

• Remains of President James Monroe’s daughter repatriated from Paris to Richmond, Virginia, after efforts inspired by her biographer (38:17–39:17).

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Smithonian–Executive Branch Tensions:
  "We've already talked about how the Smithsonian is not an Executive Branch agency." (Tracy, 02:27)

• On Importance of Public Media:
  “CPB's final act would be to protect the integrity of the public media system...” (CPB CEO Patricia Harrison, quoted by Tracy, 02:57)

• On the History of Archaeological Debate:
  “The idea that moai walked to their destinations goes back to the 18th century...” (Holly, 08:41)

• On Rapa Nui Ecocide Narrative:
  “...contradicts and undermines this whole ecocide theory on past installments..." (Tracy, 09:10)

• On Personal Stories Bridging Past and Present:
  "There's been a lot of very heartwarming coverage... If you want to just go read some feel good stories about family members being reconnected to this message from an ancestor, go Google that." (Tracy, 27:53)

Detailed Timestamps of Key Segments

| Segment | Start Time | |-----------------------------------------------|------------| | Smithsonian & CPB media updates | 00:46 | | Shackleton's Endurance new findings | 04:21 | | Henry VIII pendant discovery | 06:26 | | Rapa Nui (Easter Island) Moai studies | 08:00 | | Culloden Jacobite Projectiles | 13:07 | | Maya Train & Foundation Stone discovery | 16:07 | | Tulsa Race Massacre, Oaklawn Cemetery | 17:42 | | Benin City archaeology | 19:30 | | Pompeii, wool clothing and Vesuvius timing | 21:03 | | Bayeux Tapestry origin & exhibition | 22:52 | | Teotihuacan signs, Norway's oldest book | 25:32 | | WWI soldiers' messages in a bottle | 27:19 | | Ancient Celtic language dictionary | 28:32 | | Animal research (dogs, cats, mules, donkeys) | 29:08 | | Wolves in ancient Scandinavia | 34:48 | | Ritual dog burials in Sweden | 36:22 | | Roman-Egyptian monkey burials | 37:06 | | Eliza Monroe Hay exhumation | 38:17 |

Tone & Style

The episode balances an engaging and conversational tone with rigorous, evidence-based reporting. Tracy and Holly interact warmly, inserting humor and thoughtful speculation, often referencing past episodes and prior research to connect threads for long-time listeners. They ensure accessibility for newcomers while satisfying dedicated history enthusiasts.

Conclusion

Part 1 of the Year-end Unearthed 2025 episode is a dense, energetic, and wide-ranging roundup of significant happenings in the world of history, archaeology, and cultural research. From shifting understandings of famous shipwrecks and ancient societies, to moving stories of connection through lost letters and the ongoing evolution of language documentation, this episode deftly combines the strange, the scholarly, and the deeply human side of historical exploration.
Stay tuned for Part 2 to hear even more discoveries!