Jane Recker

Jane Recker

 

Jane Recker has written for Washingtonian Magazine and the Chicago Sun-Times. She is a graduate of Northwestern University and holds degrees in journalism and opera. 

Ochre, an iron-rich rock, has been used as paint pigment by humans for hundreds of years in various applications, such as body paint, sunscreen and as a component in adhesives.  

Researchers Discover Oldest-Known Ochre Workshop in East Asia

Tools and pieces of the clay earth pigment found in northern China date to about 40,000 years old, and introduce new theories about early human migration

Artist Victor Ehikhamenor posing with his work, Still Standing, a mixed-media depiction of a Benin ruler.

New Artwork in St. Paul's Cathedral Reckons With the British Attack on Benin 125 Years Ago

Nigerian artist Victor Ehikhamenor's 'Still Standing' sparks conversation about how to deal with colonial monuments

Artists in Ukraine are assisting defense groups in welding tank traps called "hedgehogs," to push back against the Russian invasion. 

These Ukrainian Artists Are Making Traps for Russian Tanks

Berlin-based artists Volo Bevza and Victoria Pidust have joined with defense groups in Lviv to help fight back against Russian forces

Many surviving ancient descriptions are fragmented and unable to be radiocarbon dated. Now researchers say a new artificial intelligence program may help fill in those gaps.

A New A.I. Can Help Historians Decipher Damaged Ancient Greek Texts

The developers announced that their program, called "Ithaca," is able to reconstruct missing or damaged inscriptions

This rare stone covered in carved Pictish symbols is one of just 200 stones like it that have been discovered.

Rare Stone With Pictish Symbols Discovered in Scotland

Unearthed in a farmer's field, the monument is one of only 200 of its kind known to exist

Researchers discovered a 50-foot stucco frieze in the ancient archeological site of Atzompa in Monte Albán, Mexico.

Researchers Decipher the Glyphs on a 1,300-Year-Old Frieze in Mexico

The 50-foot-long limestone and stucco relief contains one of the lengthiest examples of Zapotec writing in the Oaxaca Valley

The purpose of Stonehenge's creation remains a mystery, as the culture at the time of its construction lacked a written language.

Explore the Mysteries of Stonehenge at the British Museum

The institution's latest exhibition examines the history of the famous monument through the lives of the people who built it

Protesters gather outside of Kyiv in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

How Artists Are Responding to Russia's Invasion of Ukraine

The violence has prompted protests, cultural boycotts and more

Flea-ridden rats in crowded medieval cities were the primary cause of Black Death infections in the 14th century, which historians believe killed off nearly half the European populaton. A new study argues, however, that the death toll may have in fact been way lower. 

The Black Death Wasn't as Deadly as Previously Thought, Research Suggests

Ancient pollen deposits reveal that some areas of Europe may have experienced a 'much lighter touch' of the disease, according to the study

Archaeologists found a 5,300 year old skull, possibly from an elderly woman, that showed signs of early ear surgery.

5,300-Year-Old Skull Offers Earliest Known Evidence of Ear Surgery

Bone growth suggests the patient survived the procedure, which was likely conducted to treat an infection

Instllation view of "In Event of Moon Disaster," the centerpiece of an exhibition that explores the history of deepfakes on display at the Museum of the Moving Image. 

This Deepfake Exhibition Shows How Convincing the New Technology Can Be

The Museum of the Moving Image tests whether patrons can spot the difference between fabrication and reality

Archaeologists found a 5,000-year-old drum, a clay ball and a polished bone pin at a burial site in the English village of Burton Agnes. 

An Ornate, 5,000-Year-Old Stone Drum Is the U.K.'s Most Significant Prehistoric Art Find in a Century

Now on view in London, the chalk sculpture was buried alongside three children between 3005 and 2890 B.C.E.

Belgium has launched new passport designs honoring its comic roots, such as Tintin (above) and the Smurfs.

Belgium's New Passport Spotlights Classic Comic Characters

The design features boy reporter Tintin, the Smurfs and other beloved pop culture figures

The tiny Piel Island has an inn and pub and an ancient castle.

A Tiny English Island Is Looking for a New Monarch to Run its Pub

Piel Island needs its ruler to manage its inn and maintain its campgrounds

Archaeologist discovered a large number of ostraca, or inscribed fragments of pottery, at the ancient Egyptian temple of Athribis.

Archaeologists Uncover 18,000 Ancient Egyptian 'Notepads'

Known as "ostraca," the inscribed pottery shards document everyday life in the city of Athribis

Reserachers descend into a Yucatan sinkhole to examine sacred Maya cacao groves. 

Researchers Now Know Where the Ancient Maya Planted Their Sacred Cacao Groves

Sinkholes across the Yucatan Peninsula provided perfect growing conditions for the plant, used as currency in the Mesoamerican civilization

Alexander Calder's Flamingo sculpture in Chicago is one of the pieces of art in federal buildings that wouldn't have met Trump's strict requirements.

Biden Reverses Trump Order Mandating American-Centric Art in Federal Buildings

The General Services Administration says the change will help represent the diversity of the nation

Archaeologists unearth a limestone foundation of one of the buildings of St. Mary's College - an Oxford College left to decay 500 years ago as result of Henry VIII's dissolution of the monasteries.

Archaeologists Discover Foundations of Oxford University's 'Lost' College

Founded for Catholic priests, the institution was destroyed 500 years ago when Henry VIII established the Church of England

French Culture Minister Roselyne Bachelot stands next to Gustav Klimt's oil painting Rosebushes under the Trees (1905), as she announces the return of 15 Nazi-looted artworks to Jewish families at an event at Musee d'Orsa in Paris.

France to Return 15 Works of Nazi-Looted Art to Jewish Families

The works include pieces held in the collections of the Louvre and Musée d’Orsay in Paris

Scientists examine the first-known pregnant Egyptian mummy.

What Preserved This Pregnant Egyptian Mummy's Fetus for Millennia?

The combined effects of decomposition and embalming basically "pickled" the fetus, sealing it in its mother's womb

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