The Olive Tree of Vouves, in Crete, Greece, is one of the oldest olive trees in the world—estimated to be between 2,000 and 4,000 years old.
Though its exact age remains debated due to lost heartwood, nearby Geometric Period cemeteries suggest deep antiquity.
Still producing olives today, it was grafted with the ‘Tsounati’ cultivar.
Its trunk spans 4.6m in diameter, and branches were used for Olympic wreaths in 2004 and 2008. Declared a protected natural monument in 1997, it now stands beside the Olive Tree Museum, preserving centuries of olive cultivation heritage.
It is a living link to ancient Mediterranean history.
#history #greece
Birds have intellectual abilities far greater than most people had imagined. “Even inconspicuous and uncelebrated birds are capable of learning, and of sharing their learning with others,” Rivka Galchen writes. https://t.co/ahA2NDEvmC
In the 19th century, some Britons protested against the use of enslaved people in West Indies sugar production by buying sugar from the East Indies and using bowls labelled ‘not made by slaves.’ Mary Shelley protested by abstaining from sugar in her tea altogether.
A unique piece of furniture—King Edward VII’s infamous “love chair”—has been put up for sale at the renowned New Orleans antique shop, M.S. Rau Antiques. This extravagant chair once belonged to the future British king, then Prince of Wales, and was originally commissioned for his favorite Parisian brothel. Edward VII, the great-grandfather of Queen Elizabeth II, was well known for his numerous love affairs.
Among his many romantic partners were the famous actress Sarah Bernhardt and aristocrat Alice Keppel, who was the great-grandmother of Camilla Parker-Bowles, Duchess of Cornwall and wife of Prince Charles. The king was also a frequent visitor to high-end brothels, including the luxurious Le Chabanais in Paris. This elite establishment catered to high-profile clients and featured themed rooms decorated in exotic styles, such as a harem chamber, a Pompeian Hall, and a Japanese tea house.
In 1890, a special “love chair” was crafted specifically for the future king. Given his corpulent figure and tendency to tire quickly, this custom-designed piece of furniture allowed him to "entertain" two women at once while minimizing physical exertion.
-Ancient Marvels
@THR Military grade PR shills in action right now in the Blake Lively/Justin Baldoni saga - its very educational to see the tactics and organisations being used to sway public opinion.
Actress Tippi Hedren believed she would be working with mechanical birds in Hitchcock’s The Birds (1963). Instead, live birds were thrown at her and tied to her clothes. She broke down on the final day of filming after being pecked near the eye.
https://t.co/9ddrA03Ebc
How beautiful is marble? I like the sound of the old-fashioned chisel. More sculptors are working with robots to improve their productivity. https://t.co/KXtBwdj6IT