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WHAT WAS IN THOSE
MYSTERIOUS MOUNDS?

Monday, September 2, 2024

On this Labor Day, we hit the backyard and find treasure—and more treasure. We also explore the surprising history of cats in the military and quiz you about this workers’ holiday. Oh, and after the barbecue, here’s the best way to freeze leftovers.

A voyage into the afterlife? This is the imprint of an 80-foot-long boat, the richest ship burial ever found in northern Europe.

PHOTOGRAPH BY ULLSTEIN BILD, CORDON PRESS

These odd mounds on a widow’s land vexed her. She had a fascination with the occult, and she knew: Something strange was buried there.

If she hadn’t decided to excavate those mounds, and bring an amateur archaeologist aboard, the world may never have known about the treasure in this heath on England’s southeastern coast.

DISCOVER THE TREASURE

Related: In Norway, an intact Viking ship burial held enormous riches—and a mystery
Also: How tomb raiders are stealing our history

QUIZ: How Labor Day began

Alt text: A Labor Day parade in Gastonia, North Carolina in 1934.

PHOTOGRAPH BY BETTMANN, GETTY

Why does the U.S. celebrate this day? A 1938 Fair Labor Standards Act set a minimum wage, mandated a shorter workweek, and limited child labor, but the nation designated Labor Day as a holiday earlier. When, exactly?

A. 1880
B. 1894
C. 1910
D. 1932

CLICK FOR THE ANSWER

Related: How technology radically changed the American workplace?

STORIES WE’RE FOLLOWING

This image based on Leonardo Da Vinci's "Last Supper" shows Jesus Christ and the Twelve Apostles.

PHOTOGRAPH BY LEBRECHT MUSIC AND ARTS PHOTO LIBRARY, ALAMY

These 12 men shaped the face of Christianity—but did they really exist?

The best way to freeze and defrost your food, according to experts

Why fitness experts swear by this simple military-inspired exercise

How did wolves turn into dogs? Intriguing clues emerge.

Photo of the Week: The 7,000-year-old woman

Social media likes to villainize dolphins. Here’s why that’s wrong.

The Nat Geo Explorer studying pink dolphins in the Amazon

6 of our favorite point and shoot digital cameras

LAST GLIMPSE

U.K. Royal Navy sailors pose by a rum barrel in 1914 with the ship cats of HMS Sentinel.

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF DR. RUTH J. SALTER

This Labor Day, remember furry friends in the armed forces. Yes, these cats played a role in the world’s navies—and some had their own custom miniature uniforms and tiny hammocks. We’re not kidding.

SEEING IS BELIEVING

Video: Thank these cats for their service
Also: These cats had passports

Today’s soundtrack: Work, Bob Marley & the Wailers

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Today’s newsletter was curated and edited by David Beard. Let me know if you have ideas or suggestions for stories—or a song of the day.

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