DISCOVERED! Hidden world of life discovered beneath Antarctic iceberg

Ever wonder what's under the ocean surface around Antarctica? Scientists have found some cool environments. That's what today's blog is about.

(Photo: A large sponge and a cluster of anenomes are seen among other lifeforms beneath the George VI Ice Shelf in the Bellingshausen Sea. (Image credit: ROV SuBastian/Schmidt Ocean Institute)

DISCOVERED! Hidden world of life discovered beneath Antarctic iceberg 

 By Ben Turner LIVE SCIENCE, April 1, 2025

The newfound ecosystem is filled with sea crabs, octopuses and gigantic sponges, suggesting it may have been thriving for centuries.

A gigantic iceberg that broke off of an Antarctic glacier has revealed a thriving never-before-seen ecosystem in the depths beneath.

The iceberg A-84, which is roughly the size of Chicago, calved from Antarctica's George VI Ice Shelf on Jan. 13, 2025.

After receiving news of the iceberg’s movement from satellite imagery, scientists aboard the Schmidt Ocean Institute's research vessel Falkor quickly hurried to the site. Just 12 days later, they arrived to find a never-before-seen ecosystem filled with giant sponges, fish, enormous sea spiders and octopuses exposed to the open air for the first time.

"We seized upon the moment, changed our expedition plan, and went for it so we could look at what was happening in the depths below," expedition co-chief scientist Patricia Esquete, a marine biologist at the University of Aveiro in Portugal, said in a statement. "We didn't expect to find such a beautiful, thriving ecosystem. Based on the size of the animals, the communities we observed have been there for decades, maybe even hundreds of years."

(Photo: An octopus rests on the ocean floor beneath the Bellingshausen sea off Antarctica. (Image credit: ROV SuBastian/Schmidt Ocean Institute.)

What lies beneath Antarctica's roughly 500 feet (150 meters) of ice is scarcely known, but scientists have suspected that it is filled with a gigantic network of rivers, lakes and estuaries. Yet it wasn't until very recently that scientists discovered that this hidden underworld harbored life.

Without sunlight or nutrients raining down from above, this life is likely sustained by deep-sea ocean currents that slip beneath the surface of the shelf, although scientists are unsure if this is the only mechanism at play.

To investigate the once-hidden biome, the scientists deployed a remotely operated submarine (named SuBastian), which — due to the thick ice blocking off GPS signals — navigated using sound waves to arrive at the ocean floor.

Once there, the submarine collected biological and geological samples from among the region's coral and sea sponges. Some of these creatures' enormous sizes suggested they'd been growing for centuries. The researchers also deployed other autonomous vehicles to study how meltwater is affecting the region.

What Those 'Hello' Scam Texts Everyone Is Getting Are REALLY About

If you've ever received a "hello" text from a number you don't recognize, delete it. Scammers are trying to find out if your phone number is active, so they can get info from you to use later. Here's the story.

What Those 'Hello' Scam Texts Everyone Is Getting Are REALLY About Don't fall for this common scheme.

Huff Post, By Monica T orres Apr 2, 2025 

When someone you do not know texts you "hello," what this scammer is first trying to figure out is if your phone number is active.

“Hello?”

Nowadays, we regularly receive dozens of these texts from unknown numbers. But these innocuous greetings often have a sinister goal.

These unsolicited texts to mobile numbers are often part of “smishing” campaigns ― a term that combines “SMS” and “phishing.” Under these schemes, bad actors send people texts to tap into their curiosity or fear, in order to get victims to respond, click links, and disclose sensitive personal and banking information.

That first message of “hello” is often a test. When someone you do not know texts you “hello,” what this scammer is first trying to figure out is whether your phone number is active.

In this way, any response, from a bewildered ”???” to a “Sorry, wrong number,” is actually benefiting your potential scammer.

“If they’re using an algorithm to just generate hundreds of thousands of random phone numbers, they’re just trying to see which ones actually have a person tied to them,” explained Maril Vernon, an ethical hacker and certified information systems security professional. “They’re just trying to get you to respond so they know that that phone number is live first, and then they start the social engineering.“

In worst-case scenarios, that “hello” text will lead to conversations to gain your familiarity or trust. These texts are “successful because they make their victims feel so special. Like, ‘This is just for you. I only reached out to you. Only you are in this opportunity,’” said Amy Nofziger, the director of victim support for the AARP Fraud Watch Network.

In some other examples, scammers impersonate government agencies, companies that you might have done business with, people you went to high school with, or a package delivery service, in order to get you to click links in messages. You may think you are paying a forgotten delivery fee, but in reality you have just been tricked into giving up your credit card information.

And if you do reply, expect more texts from random numbers in the future.

Here’s how to not get fooled:

1. Do not reply. Replying “I’m sorry, I think you have the wrong number” is not going to stop the texts from coming. The best response to any “hello” or greeting from a number you do not know is the silent treatment.Do not feel bad about blocking this number without a response. “Hello” text scammers are betting upon your desire to not be perceived as rude or unkind, so that you will respond.

2. Delete and report the text. On iMessages, a warning stating “The sender is not in your contact list” will appear at the bottom of any message from an unknown sender. Tap “Report Junk,” then tap “Delete and Report Junk” to remove the text.If you get recurring messages from an unwanted number, you can also tap the number on your iOS device, select “Info,” then tap the option to “Block this Caller.“ On Android phones, reporting a conversation as spam will block the sender and move the text message to your “Spam & blocked” folder.

3. Change passwords and review your information if you did say more than you should. If you do reveal too much of your identity to a threat actor, Vernon said to immediately change your login credentials, your passwords, and block that number.

My friend's 2 Min Video report: Ghosts of the Middle Bridge Ruins, Kentucky

Recently when I visited friends in Kentucky, I had breakfast with my friend Chris who is a talented video producer for WNKY-TV station there. He produced an awesome video to tell the story of a local haunting. The haunting is in Bowling Green, Kentucky, and is associated with a former bridge, but the ghost still wanders the road leading to it. The story and the link to Chris's video are today's blog.

Ghosts of the Middle Bridge Ruins, Kentucky

October 29, 2020 , WNKY-TV Telia Butler

Approaching the full blue moon on Halloween night this week, Throwback Thursday shares legends of the ghosts of Middle Bridge in Bowling Green. Over the past 70 or so years, these terrorizing tales can be found in many sources, like Lynwood Montell’s book Ghosts Across Kentucky, the Urban Legends of the Barrens website, and in the WKU Special Collections archives of the Folk Studies department.

Middle Bridge Road is now divided into sections and in ruins. What was once a busy bridge on the bluffs of Drakes Creek, washed away in the 1970s and was never rebuilt. Middle Bridge Road was farmland on the southeastern outskirts of the city, weaving toward Lovers Lane.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH 2 MIN VIDEO: https://youtu.be/geD2WIWcNZY?si=gyr1MgrlGk308Ujt

They say a girl was raped and murdered in the 1950s on Middle Bridge, by a group of WKU boys. Anytime a couple parked near the old bridge, the ghost of the girl would come to the car to see if this is one of the boys who killed her. Fred Fenimore, president of the WKU Interfraternity Council at the time, verified that a light followed him down that particular bridge hill one night at two in the morning.

Three WKU professors in the 1960s hunted for the ghost, studying philosophy and psychology, reporting a light followed their car and made it vibrate on the road when it wouldn’t start, a presence that drove the dog with them into a panicked paranormal frenzy, and the light taking the shape of a girl as it crossed the bridge.

Locals from those days also say a young girl died falling out of the back door of a car crossing the bridge. Farmers never worked past dark, as the bewitching hour brought her presence to life. One man swears there was a wild wind blowing only the trees at the old bridge one night, and he jumped off his tractor to run home, never working after dark again. Many locals have driven down the now blocked Middle Bridge Road, hoping to catch ghostly glimpses.

Idiot of the Week: Minnesota Republican Arrested for Teenage Sex Solicitation

Republicans seem to have cornered the idiot market for sex with teenagers. This week's idiot is a Minnesota republican who was recently arrested for that reason. He's also a bigot, and in 2021 he objected to a bill requiring Minnesota schools to teach about sexual orientations and gender identities. This is the same fool who co-authored a Republican bill seeking to define criticism of President Donald Trump as a mental illness. Here's the story about this sick idiot of the week.

 PHOTO: State Sen. Justin Eichorn, was arrested Monday in Bloomington. He’s a Grand Rapids Republican. Official Senate photo.

GOP Minn. state Sen. Justin Eichorn arrested on suspicion of soliciting sex with a 16-year-old girl

Michelle Griffith and Christopher Ingraham - March 18, 2025 Minnesota reformer News

State Sen. Justin Eichorn, R-Grand Rapids, was arrested in Bloomington on suspicion of soliciting a minor for sex.

Bloomington Police led Eichorn, 40, to believe he was talking to a 16-year old girl and then met the senator and arrested him Monday near the 8300 block of Normandale Avenue, according to a Bloomington Police Department press release.

Senate Republicans have called for Eichorn’s resignation.

“We are shocked by these reports and this alleged conduct demands an immediate resignation. Justin has a difficult road ahead and he needs to focus on his family,” Senate Republicans said in a statement Tuesday afternoon.

Police say they saw Eichorn arriving in the area by pick-up truck and arrested him without incident outside his vehicle.

Eichorn, who also serves as chair of the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board, was booked into the Bloomington Police Department jail and will be transported to the Hennepin County Adult Detention Center, the release said. Felony charges of soliciting a minor to practice prostitution are pending, Bloomington police said.

“As a 40-year-old man, if you come … looking to have sex with someone’s child, you can expect that we are going to lock you up,” Bloomington Police Chief Booker Hodges said in the release. “I have always advocated stiffer penalties for these types of offenses … We need our state Legislature to take this case and this type of conduct more seriously.”

Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy, DFL-St. Paul, in a statement, said the allegation against Eichorn is “deeply disturbing.”

“The felony allegation against Sen. Eichorn is deeply disturbing, and raises serious questions that will need to be answered by the court, as well as his caucus and constituents.”

Unlike her Republican colleagues, Murphy did not call Eichorn’s resignation.

Eichorn’s arrest complicates efforts by Senate Republicans to expel DFL Sen. Nicole Mitchell from the upper chamber, following her arrest last year after she was alleged to have burglarized her stepmother’s home.

Although some Democrats — including Gov. Tim Walz and some of Mitchell’s colleagues — have called on Mitchell to resign, the ethics case against her has been blocked by Democrats, who say expulsion should only come after she’s received due process in the courts. Her trial is scheduled for after the session.

Republicans have said she’s brought dishonor to the institution and should be immediately expelled, even before a criminal trial.

During debate about a motion to expel Mitchell, Sen. Jordan Rasmusson, R-Fergus Falls, said doing so would restore integrity to the Senate.

“We don’t need the results of a criminal trial to know Sen. Mitchell’s conduct fails to meet the standards of ethical behavior that we expect from senators,” Rasmusson said in January.

That argument presumably now applies to Eichorn, as well. Having already called for his resignation, it remains to be seen if Republicans will seek an ethics case and potential expulsion of Eichorn. Expulsion of either candidate would lead to a special election. Each won their 2022 Senate races by significant margins.

In February, Eichorn reposted an article on Facebook about attempts to expel Mitchell, saying that the “growing scandal keeps pulling focus from the Legislature’s important work. We need to end the disruption and let voters choose a new senator.”

In 2021 he objected to a bill requiring Minnesota schools to teach about sexual orientations and gender identities, saying “before you know it, they’ll be reading kids ‘50 Shades of Grey.’ This discussion is better had at a more mature age.”

Eichorn was first elected to the Minnesota Senate in 2016 and works at his family’s outdoor store in Grand Rapids.

Eichorn also co-authored a bill to classify “Trump Derangement Syndrome” as a mental illness.

Heroes of the Week: 300 Residents of Chelsea, Michigan Move Bookstore Inventory 1 at a time

Anyone can be a hero. In today's blog you'll read about a small local bookstore that was moving to a new location nearby but couldn't figure how to move their inventory. So a call was put out, and 300 residents answered... moving the books 1 at a time. This is a story to make anyone smile.

(Photo: People help move books for Serendipity Books. Credit:Burrill Strong)

See how a Michigan town moved 9,100 books one by one to their new home 

AP April 15, 2025

CHELSEA, Mich. (AP) — Residents of all ages in a small Michigan community formed a human chain and helped a local bookshop move each of its 9,100 books — one by one — to a new storefront about a block away.

The bookshop owner, Michelle Tuplin put out a call for volunteers, hoping some might lend a hand. What she got was a full-on movement — a human conveyor belt stretching 350 feet from the old store’s stockroom, around the corner and into the new location.

More than 300 people — and one very good dog — showed up to help. Neighbors, customers and even passersby joined in, forming two human chains to get the job done.

The “book brigade” of around 300 people stood in two lines running along a sidewalk in downtown Chelsea on Sunday, passing each title from Serendipity Books’ former location directly to the correct shelves in the new building, down the block and around the corner on Main Street.

“It was a practical way to move the books, but it also was a way for everybody to have a part,” Michelle Tuplin, the store’s owner, said. “As people passed the books along, they said ‘I have not read this’ and ‘that’s a good one.’”

(Michelle Tuplin, became the sole owner of Serendipity Books in 2017. Credit: Serendipity Books) 

Momentum had been building since Tuplin announced the move in January.

“It became so buzzy in town. So many people wanted to help,” she said Tuesday.

Tuplin said the endeavor took just under two hours — much shorter than hiring a moving company to box and unbox the thousands of titles. The brigade even put the books back on the shelves in alphabetical order.

Now Tuplin hopes to have the new location open within two weeks.

The bookstore has been in Chelsea, about 60 miles (95 kilometers) west of Detroit, since 1997. Tuplin has been the owner since 2017 and has three part-time employees.

About 5,300 people call Chelsea home and residents described it as a place where neighbors help neighbors.

“It’s a small town and people just really look out for each other,” said Kaci Friss, 32, who grew up in Chelsea and has worked at the bookstore for a little over a year. “Anywhere you go, you are going to run into someone you know or who knows you, and is going to ask you about your day.”

Friss said Sunday’s book brigade reminded her of “how special this community is.”

ABOUT THE SHOP/HISTORY: Serendipity has been in Chelsea since 1985, initially set up as a paperback exchange ( i.e., bring in ten books, take out ten books). Now, in addition to selling used books, the shop has accounts with multiple publishers, bringing in new books on the release day. Serendipity Books carries a diverse selection, including literary fiction, young adult fiction, children’s books, mystery, poetry, biography, spirituality/religion, and history. MORE:  https://www.a2books.org/serendipity-books/

Rob's Many Events in PA & ME and live Interviews 4/29-5/29/2025

If you think just because I retired from my career job that I'm bored... you're wrong! :) Below is a list of events and interviews I have over 30 days that don't even include a half dozen pre-recordings of interviews. I'm working on 2 books at the same time, doing pet readings, writing blogs, daily social media posts, scheduling countless readings, answering emails from around the world (just connected with the Switzerland, Israel, England and Wales and lots of U.S. folks) . Here's a Look at my events and interviews over 30 days:

Rob's Many Events in PA & ME and live Interviews 4/29-5/29/2025

Whether you're into Haunted Places or Pets and the Afterlife, I've got LOTS of events from Pennsylvania's Biggest Paracon to Maine Classes and Animal Rescue Fundraisers! Here are the dates and info from April 29 to May 27th!

MAINE CLASS: Learn How Pets Communicate from the Afterlife (In-person)

Tuesday, April 29 6 - 7:30 Noble Adult & Community Education, 100 Noble Way, North Berwick, Maine 03906 Courses: $15 school fee

REGISTER: https://noble.coursestorm.com/category/spirituality

******************************************* ***MAINE EVENT FUNDRAISER** (In-person)

ME Cat Rescue Friends Of Feral Felines ME Saturday May 3rd , 1-3pm , Friends Of Feral Felines,

WHERE: Westbrook Community Center!,  426 Bridge St, Westbrook, ME 04092 \Tel. (207) 797-3014

TICKETS: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/an-afternoon-with-rob-gutro-pet-medium ($20 before March 31, $25 after 3/31. ALL PROCEEDS BENEFIT THE RESCUE***) Rescue Website: https://feralfelines.net/

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MAINE CLASS : Haunting of Emery Estate (In-person)

Tuesday, May 6 6 - 7:30p -Noble Adult & Community Education, 100 Noble Way, North Berwick, Maine 03906 / Courses: $15 school fee

REGISTER: https://noble.coursestorm.com/category/spirituality

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LIVE YOUTUBE INTERVIEW**

May 7 at 8pm ET -The Galactic Family Podcast talks with Rob about all things Paranormal https://www.youtube.com/@Mantoid-Hybrid 

https://www.facebook.com/PAMUFON

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LIVE YOUTUBE INTERVIEW** - Spirit Switchboard

May 9, 2025 6-8pm ET with Host Kerrilynn Shellhorn

WATCH/LISTEN:

https://www.youtube.com/@kerrilynn-SpiritSwitchboard/streams https://www.facebook.com/kerrilynn.shellhorn https://www.uprntalkradio.com/

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MAINE LIBRARY LECTURE (In-person)

May 10, 2025 at 1pm ET -The William Fogg Library presents "Pets and the Afterlife"

Author Rob Gutro will be presenting some highlights from his Pets and the Afterlife series of books, teaching grieving pet parents what signs to look for from their spirit pets and he will be signing copies.

William Fogg Library, 116 Old Rd, Eliot, ME 03903

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LIVE YOUTUBE INTERVIEW

May 12, at 9pm ET - Paranormal Zone TV's host Norene Balovich welcomes Monique Toosoon and Rob Gutro to talk about "Haunting of Emery Estate"

WATCH: http://www.youtube.com/c/PzTV

https://www.facebook.com/Norene.ParanormalZoneTV

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MAINE CLASS: Poltergeists, Demons and Near-Death Experiences (In-person)

Tuesday, May 13 6 - 7:30p -Noble Adult & Community Education, 100 Noble Way, North Berwick, Maine 03906 /Courses: $15 school fee

REGISTER: https://noble.coursestorm.com/category/spirituality

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PENNSYLVANIA! ***LIVE EVENT !!***(in-person)

May 17-18, 2025 -Pennhurst Asylum Paracon - Rob will be Speaking about Pets and the Afterlife, and will be signing books in the Vendor area

Join us at the famous former Pennhurst State School campus for a 2 day Paranormal Enthusiast & Oddities Expo event featuring vendors, psychics, special Guests, historical tours, & Paranormal Investigations.  Meet in person special guests like Ghost Hunters, Destination Fear, Kindred Spirits and more!

WHERE: 601 N Church St, Spring City, PA 19475

https://pennhurstasylum.com/paracon-2024/

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MAINE CLASS: The Haunted Causey Mansion Bed and Breakfast (in-person)

Tuesday, May 20 6 - 7:30p

Noble Adult & Community Education, 100 Noble Way, North Berwick, Maine 03906 /Courses: $15 school fee

REGISTER: https://noble.coursestorm.com/category/spirituality

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MAINE CLASS: The Many Hauntings of the Linville Manor Bed & Breakfast (in-person)

Tuesday, May 27 6 - 7:30p

Noble Adult & Community Education, 100 Noble Way, North Berwick, Maine /Courses: $15 school fee

REGISTER: https://noble.coursestorm.com/category/spirituality

Enjoyable Cozy Mystery : Murder Spills the Tea by Vicki Delany

 As a fan of cozy mysteries, I like to sample different series, and I happened to find one at a library sale, so I bought it. It was really enjoyable. "Murder Spills the Tea" by Vicki Delany has great characters, and had a mystery that kept you guessing right until the last couple of chapters!  

The main character, Lily Roberts owns her own Tea room on Cape Cod where she bakes all the pastries. Her grandmother bought a nearby mansion turned into a luxury B and B. When a reality tv series about bakeries comes to visit with their crew, a murder happens and there are a LOT of suspects. But Lily, her best friend and grandmother decided to put together suspect lists. It kept me guessing, and I read the book in 3 days!  Looking forward to reading another in the series. 

ABOUT THE BOOK: Lily Roberts pores over the clues in a piping hot new case when a confrontational celebrity chef is murdered at her Cape Cod tearoom during the filming of a popular baking show in the latest Tea by the Sea mystery from national bestselling author Vicki Delany . . .

The country’s hottest TV cooking show is coming to Cape Cod. And against her better judgment, Lily Roberts is entering America Bakes! with her charming tearoom, Tea by the Sea. Filming is already proving disruptive, closing the tearoom during Lily’s busiest season. But tensions really bubble over when infamous bad-boy chef and celebrity judge, Tommy Greene, loses his temper with Lily’s staff, resulting in an on-camera blowup with Cheryl Wainwright. Just as Lily thinks the competition can’t get more bitter, Tommy ...

How and When did Cats Become Domesticated?

Have you ever wondered how cats became domesticated? Well, new research provides a look at how that happened over time.

(Photo: Max the Cat from the book: Pets and the Afterlife 4: Messages from Spirit Cats)

The history of cat domestication

LIVE SCIENCE, March 30, 2025 By Stephanie Pappas, Marilyn Perkins

The domestic cat is one of the smallest members of the family Felidae — the group that includes lions, tigers, jaguars and cougars. It is also the only member of that family that has been domesticated.

Cats have lived among humans for thousands of years. They probably started hanging around human grain stores, attracted by mice and other vermin, and eventually spread around the world as sailors brought them aboard ships.

Today, cats still help humans control pests, as well as provide companionship. In the past few centuries, humans have bred some cats to display certain traits, like hairlessness, thereby establishing dozens of cat breeds. With their charming mix of aloofness and goofiness, cats continue to amuse and fascinate us.

(Photo: Levin the cat from the book: Pets and the Afterlife 4: Messages from Spirit Cats)

When were cats domesticated?

Cats were domesticated around 10,000 years ago. Today's domestic cats descend from Felis silvestris lybica, a wildcat subspecies found in Africa and the Middle East. Genes from cats found in archaeological sites in the Middle East, Europe and Africa reveal that about 10,000 years ago, in modern-day Turkey, cats started to associate with humans and split from their wild relatives.

Despite having relatively small natural ranges, F. s. lybica showed up in eastern Europe by 4400 B.C., according to ancient cat DNA found at archaeological sites. This suggests that cats hitched rides aboard ships with traders, who probably appreciated that cats kept rats in check. Cats certainly traveled long distances: DNA from Egyptian cats has been found as far as a Viking site in northern Germany dating to between A.D. 700 and 1000.

The oldest known burial of a domesticated cat comes from Cyprus, where a human and a cat were buried together 9,500 years ago. Cat bones also have been found buried in 5,300-year-old refuse pits in China.

Cats took on a starring role in ancient Egypt. Scientists aren't yet sure whether the Egyptians domesticated cats separately from the Middle East lineage, or whether the cats spread from Turkey to Egypt.

Either way, Egyptians treasured cats' protectiveness and independence and saw the traits of their gods in cats. Cats were sometimes even mummified lovingly next to their deceased owners, but they were also sacrificed in large numbers during religious rituals. Bastet, a feline-headed goddess, was worshipped as a protector and as a deity of pregnancy and childbirth.

(Photo: Cover of  the book: Pets and the Afterlife 4: Messages from Spirit Cats)

Did cats domesticate themselves?

You might hear that cats "domesticated themselves." This is because ancient wildcats likely chose to hang around human agricultural settlements, resulting in a mutually beneficial relationship between cats and humans. These settlements provided ample food and shelter for cats.

Because the cats helped keep vermin at bay, the people who inhabited these settlements tolerated — and eventually welcomed — cats' presence. Whereas humans domesticated dogs through artificial selection by breeding for desirable traits, domestic cats evolved simply through natural selection, as friendlier and more docile cats thrived in close contact with humans.

Even now, modern-day cats are categorized primarily by appearance.

Archaeology: 'Exceptional' hoard of 800 Iron Age artifacts found in Britain

 A metal detectorist in the village of Melsonby in North Yorkshire, United Kingdom, discovered a trove of over 800 Iron Age items named the Melsonby Hoard. Today's blog is about that discovery and includes a short video about the findings.

(Photo: The crushed cauldron excavated from the Melsonby Hoard (Image credit: Department of Archaeology/Durham University)

Archaeology: 'Exceptional' hoard of 800 Iron Age artifacts found mysteriously burned and buried in UK field

By Laura Geggel, LiveScience, March 26, 2025 

An Iron Age hoard discovered in England is on a "kind of scale and size that is exceptional for Britain and probably even Europe."

 An amateur metal detectorist in Northern England has discovered an "unusual" 2,000-year-old hoard of artifacts that was burned and then buried.

The Iron Age finding, named the Melsonby Hoard after the nearby village of Melsonby in North Yorkshire, contains more than 800 artifacts, including a cauldron, wine-mixing bowl, horse riding equipment, pieces of wagons or chariots, a large iron mirror, and ceremonial iron spearheads.

"The bowl we discovered is very interesting because it was a very unusual type — not something you'd normally find in Northern Britain," said Tom Moore, a professor and head of the Department of Archaeology at Durham University in the U.K. who helped excavate and analyze the hoard.

"Its decoration combines both Mediterranean and British Iron Age styles," Moore said in a video released by Durham University. This suggests that whoever owned it likely had "a network across Britain and across into Europe and even the Roman world," he said.

Peter Heads, a hobbyist metal detectorist, discovered the hoard in December 2021 after he secured permission from a private landowner to survey a field. He then contacted Moore, who looped in the government and The British Museum, according to a statement released Tuesday (March 25, 2025) by Durham University.

"It was only really when we went back to excavate the hoard and we opened up a much larger area that I think Peter and I, and all of the team, realized we were on to something really exciting," Moore said in the video.

VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCaqkb08_w0

VIDEO TITLE: The Melsonby Hoard – Archaeologists unearth one of the UK’s largest Iron Age hoards

The excavation revealed that the entire find included a small hoard, as well as a large hoard "that was of a kind of scale and size that is exceptional for Britain and probably even Europe," Moore said.

 From the field, the team cut out a large block of earth holding the artifacts and they then had it CT scanned so they could create a virtual, 3D model of it. An analysis revealed that much of the ironwork and copper alloy items had either been burned or broken. It's possible that these items had been placed in a funerary pyre, although no human bones were found at the site.

"Our working theory at the moment is that [the hoard had] been gathered together and maybe heated in a sort of a big bonfire or perhaps a pyre," Sophia Adams, curator of the European Iron Age and Roman Conquest Period at The British Museum who is studying the find, said in the video.

After the burning, some of the items appear to have been further damaged as they were thrown into a ditch and had stones tossed on top of them, she said.

Despite the damage, many of the artifacts are still recognizable. Some of the horse harnesses are decorated with red coral from the Mediterranean and colored glass, which hints at far-flung trade.

"The destruction of so many high-status objects, evident in this hoard, is also of a scale rarely seen in Iron Age Britain and demonstrates that the elites of northern Britain were just as powerful as their southern counterparts," Moore said in the statement.

Researchers are still analyzing the artifacts, and they hope that the finds will one day go on display in a museum, they said in the video.