A nondescript granite plinth in the grounds of a country park has been identified as
a Roman artefact which once formed part of an emperor’s estate.
Archaeologists believe the pink granite column, thought to have been shipped back to Britain in the 1880s, dates back to around 150AD. Recent examination of the four-foot pillar – previously thought to be a piece of public art – suggests it originally supported a portico at the home of Emperor Antoninus Pius at Lanuvium, near Rome.
The monolith’s unexpected history has been pieced together by community archaeologists researching the history of Rufford Abbey Country Park, near Mansfield, Nottinghamshire.
Sunday brings sleepless nights
Research suggests that every Sunday night more than 58.2 million hours of sleep are lost across the nation due to worries about the week ahead.
Online bed retailer Time4Sleep.co.uk found that almost a third (31 per cent) of the UK population loses the most sleep on a Sunday, with half (50 per cent) losing between two and six hours more than on any other night.
Monday was voted the nation’s second most sleepless night (23 per cent), followed by Tuesday (14 per cent). Unsurprisingly, Saturday is the best night to get 40 winks with only three per cent struggling to sleep, the survey of 1,019 people across the UK found.
Oldham band is old as brass
A brass band in Oldham believes it might be the oldest and most experienced group in the world.
The Westwood Over-50s Band’s 30 members have a combined age of 2,229 years, the Oldham Evening Chronicle reports – and they boast 1,605 years of playing time between them.
The average age of band members is 74.3 years, the average playing time 53.5 years. The band’s oldest player is 84 and has been playing in various bands for more than 70 years. Band member Trevor Hughes is considering contacting Guinness World Records to see if they are the world’s most experienced and oldest brass band, the paper reported.
Fjords give an icy blast
Fjords crammed with ice from tidewater glaciers are the noisiest places in the ocean, a study says.
Glacier ice in seawater releases pressurised bubbles that gush and fizz, making more noise than storms, fish or ships, the study by Alaska, Washington and Texas researchers found.
Researchers recorded sound with underwater microphones at Icy Bay and Yakutat Bay in Alaska and at Andvord Bay in Antarctica, glaciologist Erin Pettit said. She said harbour seals may flock to the Alaska fjords because the noise offers them protection from killer whales hunting by sound.
Man makes wrong call to police
An Ohio man called 911 to report that his wife stole his cocaine – and was then arrested himself.
Officers responding to the call discovered the man had a marijuana pipe and was wanted on a warrant for failing to pay hundreds of dollars in costs in an earlier court case, The Review newspaper in Alliance reported.
Robert D. Collins, 39, of Alliance, was charged with two misdemeanour counts alleging improper use of the 911 system and possession of drug paraphernalia. The Repository in nearby Canton reported that Collins’s jail records did not indicate whether police located the reportedly stolen cocaine or his wife.
Back to the future museum
The flashy Gulf city with a skyline that looks like something out of a science fiction film is embracing its love of all things new with plans for a Museum of the Future.
The $136-million museum in Dubai will showcase innovations in design and technology in fields such as transportation, health and education, said Emirati Minister of Cabinet Affairs Mohammed Gergawi, and is expected to open in 2017.
The curving, oblong – and of course futuristic-looking building will feature poetry written by the Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who is also the Emirati Prime Minister.
Mr Gergawi said the museum aims to change its exhibits every six months to keep pace with changing technology, with a goal “to always be 10 years ahead of today”.