Posts by Madeleine Muzdakis

Madeleine Muzdakis

Madeleine Muzdakis is a Contributing Writer at My Modern Met and a historian of early modern Britain & the Atlantic world. She holds a BA in History and Mathematics from Brown University and an MA in European & Russian Studies from Yale University. Madeleine has worked in archives and museums for years with a particular focus on photography and arts education. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys hiking, film photography, and studying law while cuddling with her cat Georgia.
Science
December 9, 2022

Fossil of Ancient Giant Sea Turtle the Size of a Rhino Discovered in Spain

Sea turtles are an ancient animal. Their relatives have roamed Earth’s waters for millions of years. Some species such as the protostegid Archelon, a behemoth of the Late Cretaceous period, dominated the seas with their impressive size. An exciting new fossil discovered in Spain suggests a previously unknown species of ancient marine turtle was the size of a rhino. This exciting discovery was recently announced in Scientific Reports.

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Endangered Animals
December 1, 2022

New Owl Species Has Been Documented on Príncipe Island off the Coast of Africa

While vanishing species receive a lot of well-deserved attention, new species are also continually being discovered and documented. About 18,000 new species are described scientifically each year. Estimates suggest millions more remain unknown. A new species of the adorable scops owl has recently been documented for the first time, emerging from obscurity. Announced in ZooKeys, the small bird is likely critically endangered, but utterly adorable.

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Archeology
November 24, 2022

Here’s What the Monumental Rosetta Stone Says

The Rosetta Stone is one of the most famous ancient Egyptian artifacts. The 1,680-pound granodiorite stone was first discovered in 1799 by a French soldier on Napoleon's Egyptian campaign. The military mission—which also served as a convenient mechanism for colonial pillaging—brought the giant slab to Europe. By 1802, the stone fell into the hands of the victorious British, and it has sat in The British Museum ever since.

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Archeology
November 16, 2022

Archeologists Find 24 Ancient Bronze Statues in Tuscan Spa

The Romans were known for their bath houses, which served as centers of social, health, and ritual significance. Studying these sites, researchers can peer into the lives of ancient civilizations. Recently, archeologists mucking around in the remains of an ancient bath house near Siena, Italy, were investigating a fascinating period of Italian history as the land transitioned from Etruscan to Roman rule.

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My Modern Met

Celebrating creativity and promoting a positive culture by spotlighting the best sides of humanity—from the lighthearted and fun to the thought-provoking and enlightening.