Iron Age Brits kept ‘revered’ chickens as pets
And other stories from the stranger side of life
Ancient Brits kept chickens kept as pets and used them as symbolic burial companions for hundreds of years, new research has suggested. The bird was so “revered” that Iron Age communities viewed eating its meat and eggs as taboo, reported The Telegraph. Professor Naomi Sykes, from the University of Exeter, said the findings show that “for centuries chickens were celebrated and venerated”.
Octogenarian breaks sailing record
A Japanese man has become the world’s oldest person to sail solo non-stop across the Pacific Ocean at the age of 83. Kenichi Horie departed from San Francisco on his sailboat, the Suntory Mermaid III, on 27 March, and arrived on 4 June in Japan’s Cape Hinomisaki. “Don’t let your dreams just stay as dreams. Have a goal and work towards achieving this and a beautiful life awaits,” he told CNN.
‘Invasive’ songbird could out-croon robins
The dawn chorus of robins and blackbirds could be threatened by a species of subtropical songbird, reported The Times. Ornithologists fear that the highly invasive red-billed leiothrix could already be establishing itself in the south of England. “Its loud and frequent song could significantly alter the soundscape of Britain’s dawn chorus,” said the researchers in the paper published in the journal Ibis.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Chas Newkey-Burden has been part of The Week Digital team for more than a decade and a journalist for 25 years, starting out on the irreverent football weekly 90 Minutes, before moving to lifestyle magazines Loaded and Attitude. He was a columnist for The Big Issue and landed a world exclusive with David Beckham that became the weekly magazine’s bestselling issue. He now writes regularly for The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Independent, Metro, FourFourTwo and the i new site. He is also the author of a number of non-fiction books.
-
'Biden is smart to keep the border-security pressure on'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
Bird flu worries mount as virus found in milk, cows
Speed Read The FDA found traces of the virus in pasteurized grocery store milk
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Palazzo Durazzo Suites in Genoa: a palatial gem in northern Italy
The Week Recommends Live your Italian dream in this astonishing and recently restored palace in the heart of the city
By Nick Hendry Published
-
Zoos offer cockroach naming and hippo poo candles
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
NHS tells Scots to walk like penguins
Tall Tales Walk like penguins in the snow, says NHS
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Experts discover why dogs wag their tails
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Peruvian 'aliens' aren't really aliens
Tall Tales And other stories from stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Woman accidentally puts nan in washing machine
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Why Dutch people put pancakes on their heads today
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Fly found in man's colon
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Judi Dench accidentally video called co-star from bath
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published