Some Good News TREASURE-TROVE OF ARTIFACTS FOUND IN OLD BRITISH HALL
Stories of buried treasure are usually reserved for adventure novels — but not at Oxburgh Hall, a National Trust site (the British equivalent of a National Historic site) in Norfolk, England. Not too long ago, Oxburgh Hall, which was built in 1482, was due for a roof restoration worth $7.8 million. As archaeologist Matt Champion, who was working on his own during the lockdown, was sifting through the rafters of the Hall, he was shocked to come across a treasure-trove of historical artifacts — some of which dated back to when Oxburgh Hall could have been considered recent construction.
That might not seem too exciting, but as Champion continued digging through the dust, he uncovered older, far more interesting historical items, preserved partially by the lime plaster, which drew out moisture from the debris. These included high-quality Georgian and Elizabethan textile scraps. The Georgian era in British history ran from 1714 to 1830, and the Elizabethan era ran from 1558 to 1603, making those textiles hundreds of years old. Some of the other treasures discovered were ironically part of an ossified rat’s nest, including a page from a 1568 copy of St. John Fisher’s “The Kynges Psalmes” and some 450-year-old handwritten music. However, the crown jewels of these artifacts were no doubt the rest of the book, discovered by a worker in a cubby hole in the attic, and a 600-year-old gold leaf parchment fragment, which contained a part of Psalm 39 written in Latin in blue ink. According to National Trust curator Anna Forrest, a book containing that parchment would have been incredibly expensive to make.
While the treasure in question might not have been gold, silver, or jewels, the historical significance of the nearly 2,000 artifacts uncovered cannot be understated. The most recent artifacts dated back to World War II, including old Woodbine cigarette packs and an old box of Terry’s Chocolates. (Terry’s Chocolate Works in York, England, officially closed 15 years ago.)
Whether under the ocean, in the rafters of an old manor, or in your own backyard, you never know where the next great treasure-trove will come from!
SUDOKU
NIBBLES WITH NUG
CINNAMON-SPICED CANDIED SWEET POTATOES
Inspired by FoodAndWine.com
These candied sweet potatoes will make your family beg for more!
INGREDIENTS •
4 lbs orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, peeled and cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces, then cut lengthwise into 1‑inch wedges 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
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1 tbsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 cup unsalted butter, cubed
4 (2-inch) cinnamon sticks
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DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. 2. Place sweet potato wedges in a 4-quart baking dish. 3. Sprinkle sugar, salt, and cloves over sweet potatoes.
4. Dot with butter and place cinnamon sticks around sweet potatoes. 5. Bake, turning every 15 minutes, until sweet potatoes are tender and the liquid is syrupy, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. 6. Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes. 7. Discard cinnamon sticks and serve.
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