Rare intact Roman sarcophagus unearthed in Croatia

 

Archaeologists have uncovered an exceptionally rare late Roman sarcophagus dating to around 1,500 years ago during excavations in the coastal town of Cavtat, southern Croatia.

https://www.heritagedaily.com/2026/06/rare-intact-roman-sarcophagus-unearthed-in-croatia/158407 

FamilySearch Volunteer

 One of the most comprehensive collections of historical documents was compiled by FamilySearch.org. If you'd like to get immersed in history and help others locate what they need, consider volunteering some time to them in indexing the archival material. 

https://www.familysearch.org/en/getinvolved/opportunities 

Volunteer

 GoEco has many opportunities, from assisting at a zoo to archeology. Most cover housing and food. Your only cost is getting to the location, the organization will pick you up from the airport. This will build your resume in a major way.

https://www.goeco.org/tags/ 

MyHeritage Translator Community

 Earn free upgrades and use your skills to make the search better for everyone.

https://translations.myheritage.com/ 

This is your chance to help make family history accessible to all people, across all languages, around the world. By joining the MyHeritage Translator Community, you can make a difference,
just like our hundreds of other volunteer translators already do.

As a member of our Translator Community, you enjoy great perks: 

• Free upgrades and extensions to MyHeritage subscription plans
• Access to exclusive virtual events and webinars
• Early access to new features
• Special seasonal gifts
• “Power User” icon on your MyHeritage profile
• You will be featured on our blog and in the “Our translators” section of this site
• The appreciation of thousands of users who benefit from translation to their language

Transcribe Library of Congress Documents

This is a great way to be immersed in history, at your own pace.  Help transcribe Library of Congress documents. Volunteers create and review transcriptions to improve search, access, and discovery of these pages from history.

https://crowd.loc.gov/ 

Translation

 FamilySearch.org needs help with translation services of historic documents.

Translate written content for the FamilySearch website from English into another language.

Volunteer remotely, at your own pace.

 

https://www.familysearch.org/en/info/volunteer-translation 

Transcribing Historic Handwriting

 The Smithsonian has volunteers to transcribe historic writing. Join them or ask for help with your search. https://transcription.si.edu/historic-handwriting

Citizen Archivist

From NARA: We're excited that you are going to help tag and transcribe records in the National Archives Catalog. Every contribution will help make these records more searchable and discoverable in our Catalog.  

https://www.archives.gov/citizen-archivist/missions/work-from-home 

FamilySearch YouTube Channel

 FamilySearch is a global nonprofit organization dedicated to helping you discover and preserve meaningful family connections—past and present. In this video, learn more about who we are, what we stand for, and how we help unite families across generations.

https://www.youtube.com/c/familysearch/

As you dig deeper into your own history, this channel can help you to get beyond road blocks. It is a great resource. 

Facial Recognition Tech

New technology is at work to gain a better understanding of history. The article explores the face of Ann Boleyn in art.

Boleyn became Henry VIII's second wife in 1533, but her reign was short-lived: approximately three years. She was accused of adultery, incest and treason and was executed.

All the painted portraits that exist of her were made after her lifetime, creating a mystery around what she actually looked like and making her appearance the subject of fascination and debate for centuries.

The research team, led by the University of Bradford, says the new discovery is "exciting" and the methodology could be replicated to do more art detective work. But there is scepticism from within the art history community over the findings.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp9pz53e891o?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-us 

Citizenship by Descent

 If you like digging through history and finding your roots. Explore citizenship by descent opportunities. Countries like Romania, Hungary, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Poland, Croatia and Slovakia offer citizenship via your ancestors. Some allow you to go back quite far, like Canada and Croatia. Start a family tree for free at FamilySearch.org. Once you find the ancestor, start collecting the documents. You'll need to prove the relationship through birth certificates, marriage licenses and death certificates. But, for all your hard work you will have learned so much of your own history and be rewarded with a second passport.

Scientists Studied an Ancient Roman Shipwreck and Found a 2,200-Year-Old Portal to the Past

A very quick, but interesting read: Flecks of pollen embedded in the ship’s ancient waterproofing material contained evidence of the ship’s many stops along the Adriatic Sea.

https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/archaeology/a71140561/roman-shipwrecks-waterproof-coating/ 

Open Yale Courses

 About Yale Open Courses: Each course includes a full set of class lectures produced in high-quality video accompanied by such other course materials as syllabi, suggested readings, exams, and problem sets. The lectures are available as downloadable videos, and an audio-only version is also offered. In addition, searchable transcripts of each lecture are provided. Please note that we have recently removed Craig Wright's, "Introduction To Classical Music," and Ian Shapiro's, "Moral Foundations of Political Philosophy," from this site. Both courses have been updated and are now available through the Coursera platform. Please visit Yale's home on Coursera to enroll in all of our courses for free. 

https://oyc.yale.edu/courses

Many history and humanities courses are listed, a great selection! 

Oxford University's 750-year-old medieval library

 Great article, great pictures! 

Predating the Aztec Empire, Merton College Library in Oxford has been used by everyone from celebrated 14th-Century mathematicians to JRR Tolkien. In an exclusive interview with the BBC for its 750th birthday, its librarian describes what makes it so special.

 https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20260423-the-enchanting-story-of-oxfords-medieval-library

 

See the World-Peace Corps

 

 For 65 years, Peace Corps Volunteers have partnered with community members in more than 140 countries—putting their experience, skills, grit, and purpose to work on locally led projects. It’s been called the toughest job you’ll ever love. Tough because it asks so much of you. And the love part comes from knowing your work can transform lives and build bridges across cultures.

https://www.peacecorps.gov/serve/ 

Research Article on Governance of Maya

 Archaeologists in northern Guatemala unearthed a colonnaded open hall that may have served as a council house, where local leaders and everyday people met to discuss political issues

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-times-trouble-maya-rejected-divine-kingship-newly-discovered-public-building-reveals-how-the-transition-to-shared-power-unfolded-180988567/ 

National Park Service Volunteer

 Each year, the NPS recruits volunteers to serve as modern-day “keepers” at a handful of historic lighthouses, living and working inside—or just beside—these monuments to another age. 

https://www.outsideonline.com/adventure-travel/national-parks/volunteer-lighthouse-keeper-national-park-service/ 

See The World, Teach English

Teacher Record offers a free training course to get certified in TEFL 

https://teacherrecord.com/tefl-certificate/1000 

 The aim of 120-Hour TEFL Course is designed to cover every aspect of teaching English from planning your first lesson to applying for your first Job abroad

Sites like https://www.eslcafe.com/ and https://www.tefl.com/ have listings of jobs all over the world that pay you to teach English. Look for the online learning lists. If you enjoy the work, they have placements all over the world, you can explore the planet while still working.

Voyager 1

https://www.livescience.com/space/space-exploration/nasa-shuts-off-another-voyager-1-instrument-as-humanitys-most-distant-spacecraft-prepares-for-risky-big-bang-maneuver-to-save-power

From the Article:  After nearly half a century in space, the Voyager 1 spacecraft just shut down one of its last remaining science instruments in a desperate attempt to preserve power. NASA's decision to turn off the instrument comes just ahead of a last-ditch "Big Bang" moment that mission managers hope will give the two Voyager probes an extra boost of life later this summer.

Wow! It is still a valuable effort after 50 years. I cannot imagine the information it has provided to all of us over time. To those against things like NASA, this should change your mind. 

Blogs to Follow

There are other blogs worth following, if you're a history buff. Some are specialized, others broad. Here's a list of some I find worth my effort to check in on regularly:

The History Blog, https://www.thehistoryblog.com/

The author writes: My interests are primarily European ancient and medieval, but I’m quite undiscriminating when it comes to history, so I’ll pretty much blather about anything that catches my eye. 

hmmlorientalia  https://hmmlorientalia.wordpress.com/ 

The author description: Some remarks—often with photos!—about manuscripts and the languages, literature, scholarship, and history of Christian culture in the Middle East.

Just History Posts, https://justhistoryposts.com/

Just History Posts is a blog dedicated to exploring all aspects of history. From stunning castles, to royal weddings, reindeer on submarines, and medieval marginalia, you will find something to interest you. 

For me, I could read a blog about castles every day!  

 

Construction Workers Discovered Not One, Not Two, But Six Centuries-Old Shipwrecks

 Crews working on the Varberg Tunnel railway project in Sweden uncovered six shipwrecks near the historic city.

What an interesting article. The history and archeological finds are so prevalent in all parts of Europe.  Articles like this prove the work is not done, we still have so much to discover. 

 

 https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/archaeology/a71085888/sweden-six-shipwrecks-discovery/

National Register of Historic Places

 As someone who has gone through the process and gotten a property on the National Register, I can absolutely state they are rigid and accurate on what they recognize. Use the information and list of locations to explore the lesser known bits of history around you. Not everything has an admittance fee and big neon sign out front. Find those important places that shaped your area.

https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalregister/index.htm 

Virtual Museum Tours

 I always have my students write a paper about a virtual museum tour, it is a great way to explore history without having to fight the traffic.

Travel + Leisure Magazine has a nice jumping off point, 16 museums which have the virtual tour option available:

https://www.travelandleisure.com/attractions/museums-galleries/museums-with-virtual-tours 

Hopefully this sparks your interest in getting to the museum you view. there's nothing better than being there, but this can be a good substitute at the right time. 

Smithsonian Magazine

The Smithsonian Magazine is available online, no subscription needed. Keep up on the latest finds, new explorations and the best coverage of history anywhere.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/ 

If you need a reminder, subscribe to the newsletter. They will send you links to great stories according to your preferences. 

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/email/ 

Museums on Us

 Bank of America offers our cardholders free general admission – during the first full weekend of every month – to cultural institutions across the United States.

So, if you have a debit card or credit card from BofA, add this to your free travel planning.  

 https://about.bankofamerica.com/en/making-an-impact/museums-on-us-find-locations-map

Chase Museums on Us is a fantastic program that offers eligible Chase credit and debit cardholders free admission to hundreds of museums, historical sites, and cultural institutions across the United States on the first full weekend of every month.  

https://www.wonderfulmuseums.com/museum/chase-museums-on-us/ 

History and Travel

 Those of us who love exploring history, many times also love travel. The crossover is easy to see. You read and learn about it, then you want to see the location. One way you can do this without leaving the house or breaking the bank is online. I like Rick Stev es Monday Night Travel. Give it a try, I'm sure you'll like it too: 

https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/travel-classes/monday-night-travel 

He introduces the events in this way: Are you dreaming of travel? Join us live on Mondays for our Monday Night Travel series! Together we'll journey to destinations across Europe and beyond with expert guests leading the way. Each week, you'll learn about art, history, food, and culture while picking up tried-and-true travel tips along the way. You'll even have a chance to ask questions during a live Q&A. Whether you're planning a specific trip, dreaming up vacation ideas, or craving a virtual adventure with our merry band of travelers, Monday Night Travel welcomes you aboard! 

Grant Writing for Historic Organizations

 All local historic societies and locations need help to stay running. Think ab being that help from home!

Take the grant writing courses through the following sites and build up your resume, skills and professional portfolio material. 

https://www.nonprofitready.org/grant-writing-classes 

https://alison.com/tag/grant-writing 

https://www.learngrantwriting.org/free-grant-writing-course/ 

https://ylai.state.gov/online-courses/fundamentals-of-grant-writing/ 

https://www.eventbrite.com/d/online/free--events/grant-writing-classes/ 

Once you feel ready, take the exam for certification. (https://www.grantcredential.org/) This is an asset to any organization. Take the knowledge and ask to write a grant for your local library or park system to get a foot in the door and experience with the process. Grant writing is a large WFH segment of the workforce!

Genealogy

 This topic may seem a stretch, but your own history is very valuable and can teach you a lot about daily lives. Genealogy is the tool to a second passport (I can cover this more in the future) and learning about your own path to where you are. Familysearch.org is a free site and easy to use for locating ancestors. The documents they hold are immense. You can see pictures and documents from your family you never knew existed. Let this be a jumping off point for a deeper dive into history!

Ancient Tools Story

With all the scary news from the Middle east, this story caught my eye. The historians and archeologists are still doing the work we need. 

Archaeologists in Israel have unearthed 10 "extremely rare" prehistoric stone hand axes that were crafted to deliberately include geological features, including fossils and geodes, a new study finds. 

https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/human-evolution/homo-erectus-tools-include-stunning-geodes-and-fossils-possibly-as-a-way-to-connect-with-the-cosmos-study-finds

State Historical Societies

 Joining a state level historical society will provide you with a wealth of information on events and state resources. One example, in Michigan:

https://www.hsmichigan.org/join/household-memberships

Each Household Membership includes:

• Michigan History and Chronicle magazines
• Free access to our History Hounds^® lecture series
• Participation in our Michiganders on the Road^® motorcoach tours
• Discounts on conferences and workshops
• And more!

A Household Membership includes immediate family members residing in the same household. 

 

Local Historical Societies

 If it is difficult to get out, but you still wish to get immersed in history, check your local historical society out on YouTube. The Detroit Historical Society is one which operates a channel, https://www.youtube.com/c/DetroitHistoricalSociety. They have over 500 videos! This is an excellent way to plan for an urban exploration.

The Open University

 https://www.open.edu/openlearn/history-the-arts/free-courses?filter=date/grid/78/all/all/all/all

There are so many unique course offering in history listed, you are bound to find one you love. These are not the typical U.S. or World History 101 classes. A Few sample course titles: 

Exploring the history of prisoner education 

What do historians do?

Who gets to be a human? Religion in colonial histories and Indigenous resistance

 

 

Harvard History Courses

 Many history topics are available to study for free through Harvard University: 

https://pll.harvard.edu/subject/history/free

This would be a great way to spend free time this summer if a beach book isn't your thing. Listen to the great teachers here and learn about a topic you love. 

Getting Immersed in History

 The National Park Service offers volunteer opportunities across the nation and its territories in parks, regional offices, and programs. 

https://www.nps.gov/subjects/archeology/volunteering.htm

Make your passion a valuable addition to the park service. Volunteer to join a dig as a way to live the history you read about. In most cases it is a great addition to a resume or can help you to stay active. There are so many choices, you are bound to find the perfect fit.

Good News

 169 artifacts have been returned to Peru this year from 13 different countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Luxembourg, and Italy. 

https://andina.pe/ingles/noticia-peru-foreign-ministry-hands-169-repatriated-artifacts-from-13-countries-to-culture-sector-1068822.aspx

Major ancient sarcophagus discovered in heart of Dubrovnik

 A major archaeological discovery has been made in the historic centre of Dubrovnik, as a large sarcophagus measuring approximately two metres in length has been unearthed in front of the iconic Dubrovnik Cathedral.

https://www.croatiaweek.com/dubrovnik-sarcophagus-late-antiquity-discovery/