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Continue reading →: Why Do We Call it That? Berkshire County Edition
With my exploration of Barnstable County at an end I turn my attention to the western part of Massachusetts. Let’s get into it! AdamsPronunciation: Ad-amsPopulation in 2020: 8,166 Incorporated: 1778Original name: unknown Originally called Township Number One and then East Hoosac “a place of stones”, Adams was named for Samuel Adams, patriot and…
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Continue reading →: The Queen’s Teeth Part III: Tudor Toothpaste and You-Updated!
In Parts I and II I investigated the color and quality of Queen Elizabeth I’s teeth and her favorite sweets. Now I’m going to tackle a couple of oft-repeated assertions: Tudor Toothpaste Take a look online and you’ll see countless websites with statements like this: “Elizabeth was actually a fan…
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Continue reading →: The Queen’s Teeth Part II
As established in Part I, Queen Elizabeth I had toothaches, tooth decay and discoloration. But why? The internet thinks it knows: “Elizabeth had a notoriously sweet tooth, and had a particular taste for candied violets. Eventually, the sugar cane caused many of her teeth to go black.” “According to the…
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Continue reading →: The Queen’s Teeth Part I
While working on a future post related to 17th century dental health I repeatedly came across breathlessly relayed (and uncited) facts about Queen Elizabeth I and her teeth: In the absence of citations I can’t say that any of these things are true. So I thought I’d do a quick…
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Continue reading →: Digging in the Dirt
Recently, a colleague and I were talking history and the topic of the Mayflower came up. I know a lot about the Mayflower. She said “Oh! Did you know that John Alden is buried with an unknown woman? They know it’s him because his skull still had red hair.” I’m…