› added 1 year ago

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TIL that there is a history of soap being made from human corpses

QJNQk When you think of archaeology, you might think of ancient buildings or Han Solo in a fedora, but the truth is, archaeologists spend more time digging through ancient trash than avoiding ancient Peruvian blowgun traps. In fact, many of the items behind the glass at your favorite museum were most likely found in a midden or ancient dump. Even today, archaeologists believe that trash reveals more about the lives we actually lead than, say, a journal. As far as archaeologists are concerned, one man’s trash is indeed another man’s treasure. So the next time you throw that Hot Pocket wrapper in the trash, just remember: It belongs in a museum!PRODUCER/EDITOR: Chris MattleCAMERA/ASSISTANT PRODUCER: Laurence AlexanderCAMERA: Jared Gair
rWbM TIL Young Benjamin Franklin was a street performer, composing songs, poetry, and prose about current events which he would perform in public and sell in printed form. His father convinced him to stop because of the stigma of buskers, which later contributed to his support of free speech.
W7OWo TIL the United States Geological Survey (USGS) uses the term "Gage" instead of "Gauge" because one employee in 1892 reasoned that the term "Gage" was the "proper Saxon spelling," instead of the Norman "Gauge"
rRxyw TIL Trey Parker and Matt Stone, creators of South Park, were given a signed photo of Saddam Hussein by American soldiers
v5or TIL The King of Thailand was born a Citizen of the United States