Mortimer Wheeler (1890–1976) was a British archaeologist and army
officer who served as Director of the National Museum of Wales and the
London Museum, headed the Archaeological Survey of India, and wrote
twenty-four books on archaeology. He argued that excavation and the
recording of stratigraphic context required an increasingly scientific
and methodical approach, developing the "Wheeler Method". In 1934, he
established the Institute of Archaeology as part of the federal
University of London, becoming its Honorary Director and overseeing
excavations of the Roman sites at Lydney Park and Verulamium and the
Iron Age hill fort of Maiden Castle. During World War II, he rose to the
rank of brigadier, serving in the North African Campaign and the Allied
invasion of Italy. In India, he oversaw excavations of sites at Harappa,
Arikamedu, and Brahmagiri. In later life, his popular books, cruise ship
lectures, and appearances on radio and television, particularly the BBC
series Animal, Vegetable, Mineral?, helped to bring archaeology to a
mass audience. Appointed Honorary Secretary of the British Academy, he
raised large sums of money for archaeological projects.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mortimer_Wheeler>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1793:
French Revolution: The Royalist counterrevolutionary army was
decisively defeated in the Battle of Savenay, although fighting
continued in the War in the Vendée for years afterward.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_in_the_Vend%C3%A9e>
1876:
The Great Powers convened the Constantinople Conference to
discuss political reforms both in Bosnia and in the Ottoman territories
with a majority Bulgarian population.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constantinople_Conference>
1919:
The Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act 1919 was enacted,
lifting most of the existing common-law restrictions on women in the
United Kingdom.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sex_Disqualification_(Removal)_Act_1919>
1957:
Ian Craig of Australia became the youngest Test cricket captain
in history.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Craig>
2010:
A monsoonal trough brought torrential rain to Queensland,
causing massive flooding that killed 38 people and caused A$2.38 billion
in damage.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010%E2%80%9311_Queensland_floods>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
pappardelle:
A broad form of fettuccine, or a narrow form of lasagne, traditionally
eaten with a meat sauce (especially one made with hare).
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/pappardelle>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
For some people the revelation comes too late that life is best
kept to the essentials. Some people are given their last rites and that
person might say in their last breath, "I should have celebrated
Festivus."
--Jerry Stiller
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Jerry_Stiller>