Ponyhenge is one of Lincoln, Massachusetts’ greatest (albeit comical) attractions; who wouldn’t be intrigued by a ‘mysterious’ ring of toy ponies circled around in a field? After moving to the town, Jessica Leigh Hester set out to solve the mystery of Ponyhenge. But there was no mystery; Jimmy Pingeon and his wife Elizabeth Graver immediately confessed to being its curators. However, Ponyhenge still has a story to tell about how it evolved into the town’s hub for antics, ranging from trapeze classes to marriage vows. Read full article here
Research
Researcher uses AI to make texts that are thousands of years old readable
The Gilgamesh Epic, the oldest work of world literature, has been brought back to life by LMU researchers in the Electronic Babylonian Literature project. Using their new Fragmentarium tool, they have discovered hundreds of manuscripts, including the most recent tablet of the Gilgamesh Epic which dates from 130 BC – thousands of years after the earliest known version. This shows how highly valued the Epic was, even at a late period. With the public release of the Fragmentarium, anyone can now explore the thousands of cuneiform fragments and explore the ancient Babylonian literature. Read full article here
Merv
March 12, 2023
