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What a fascinating discovery at 'King Arthur's Castle' can teach us about human culture.

Archeologists in the U.K. just unearthed ... a really old wall at Tintagel Castle.

Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images.

And it's a big deal.

Researchers believe the wall in question is a part of the "seat of the rulers of the early medieval kingdom of Dumnonia," who ruled parts of southwestern England over 1,400 years ago, according to a BBC report.

An archeologist works at the excavation site. Photo by Emily Whitfield-Wicks/English Heritage.

"This is the most significant archaeological project at Tintagel since the 1990s," Win Scutt, a director on the project, explained in a release. "The three-week dig this summer is the first step in a five-year research programme to answer some key questions about Tintagel and Cornwall’s past."

Legend has it that Tintagel was the birthplace of King Arthur. And while Arthur is, at best, questionably real, the old royal seat is very real.

A sculpture of Merlin at Tintagel Castle. Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images.

And, this, per the BBC, is pretty cool:

"Discoveries at the site also include large amounts of pottery from the eastern Mediterranean used for olive oil and wine, as well as Merovingian glass and fine Phocaean tableware from the west coast of Turkey."

It's yet another piece of evidence that national cultures — even very old ones — are hodgepodge stews of influences from all around the world.

Items excavated at the dig site. Photo by Emily Whitfield-Wicks/English Heritage.

It's tempting to think that British people have been "British" as we conceive it today — eating fish and chips, sipping Earl Grey tea, and singing "God Save the Queen" every night before bed — since the dawn of time.

In reality, it appears that at least some ancient Britons were merrily, Greek-ily lapping up olive oil while drinking from French wine glasses and eating off of plates from the Middle East.

It isn't particularly surprising — after all, Britain was a Roman colony until the fifth century A.D., and the Romans had footprints all over Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa.

But it's still important to remind ourselves of this — specifically, whenever a politician promises to beat back foreign trade, keep out a certain group of people, or make this, that, or the other country great again.

It's certainly possible, technically speaking, that a culture, city, or country may have been "great" or "greater" in the past.

A sculpture outside Tintagel Castle. Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images.

But if it was, it probably wasn't because it was somehow perfectly isolated, free of contribution from elsewhere in the world.

Even if that contribution is flatware and a condiment to dip crusty bread in.

In that way, the Tintagel discovery isn't just a triumph for our understanding of obscure sixth-century British history.

Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images.

It's a reminder that the notion of a "pure" national culture, one uncorrupted by outside influence, is as mythical as Merlin and Arthur.

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Chewy
Chewy
Pets

Chewy Claus is fulfilling thousands of pet wishes this season. Have you written your letter yet?

Every letter submitted donates a pound of food to pets in need.

via Chewy

Adorable Dexter and his new chew toy. Thanks Chewy Claus.

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Every holiday season, millions of kids send letters asking for everything from a new bike to a pony. Some even make altruistic requests such as peace on Earth or helping struggling families around the holidays.

But wouldn’t the holiday season be even more magical if our pets had their wishes granted, too? That’s why Chewy Claus is stepping up to spread holiday cheer to America’s pets.

Does your dog dream of a month’s supply of treats or chew toys? Would your cat love a new tree complete with a stylish condo? How about giving your betta fish some fresh decor that’ll really tie its tank together?

Or do your pets need something more than mere creature comforts such as life-saving surgery?

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Celebrity

U.S. Soccer star expertly handles an Iranian reporter’s loaded questions about race.

Tyler Adams’s response proves exactly why he’s the captain of the US soccer team.

Photo by Prapoth Panchuea on Unsplash

Tyler Adams expertly handles Iranian reporter's question

Reporters are supposed to ask the right questions to get to the truth but sometimes it seems sports reporters ask questions to throw you off your game. There's no doubt that this Iranian reporter who was questioning Tyler Adams, the US soccer team captain at the press conference during the World Cup had an agenda that didn't involve getting to the truth.

It's not clear if the questions were designed to throw the young player off of his game or if the goal was embarrassment. It really is hard to tell, but Adams handled the unexpectedly harsh encounter with intelligence and poise when some may have found it justified for him to get angry.

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Mom's praise of audiobooks 'post-baby' has parents sharing how it changed their lives

'Audiobooks have helped me regain a part of myself I worried was lost. Let people read however they can.'

Canva/Twitter

Let people read however they can.

Not too long ago, it seemed like you could only be loyal to one team—team “physical books” or team “e-readers.” There was no neutral territory.

That debate might have dwindled, but it echoes on as people take a stand on physical books versus audiobooks, which have become increasingly popular—nearly half of all Americans currently pay for an audio content subscription, and the average adult in the U.S. listens to digital audio for a little over an hour and a half each day, 28% of that being spoken word. Audiobooks had a particularly big surge during the COVID-19 pandemic, as listeners found the activity more comforting and satisfying than a regular book while under quarantine.

You’d think that the general mindset would be “reading in any form has great benefits, so do whatever you want!” But alas, humans do find odd hills to die on.

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Artist captures how strangers react to her body in public and it's fascinating

Haley Morris-Cafiero's photos might make you rethink how you look at people.

Credit: Haley Morris-Cafiero

Artist Haley Morris-Cafiero describes herself on her website as "part performer, part artist, part provocateur, part spectator." Her recent project, titled "Wait Watchers" has elements of all her self-descriptors.

In an email to us, Morris-Cafiero explained that she set up a camera in the street and stood in front of it, doing mundane activities like looking at a map or eating gelato. While she's standing there she sets off her camera, taking hundreds of photos.

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Science

Machine that bats away only green tomatoes at lightning speed has people nerding out

The automated sorter technology is fascinating, as is watching it work in slow motion.

@fasc1nate/Twitter

An automated green tomato sorting machine is mesmerizing in slow motion.

For thousands of years, people around the world have been honing the art of agriculture. For the vast majority of human history, people planted and harvested and sorted produce largely by hand, gradually developing tools and machines over time that would make farming more efficient.

Many crops still have to be harvested and/or sorted by hand, but thanks to a rather mind-blowing machine, tomatoes aren't one of them. A machine that harvests tomatoes saves a ton of time and labor, but as tomatoes don't all ripen at the same time, pulling up an entire tomato plant results in a good number of green ones getting into the mix.

One solution to this problem would be to have the tomatoes transported down a conveyor belt in a factory while workers spot and remove the green ones by hand. However, an automated green tomato sorter does it right in the field as the tomatoes are being harvested, and a whole lot faster than any person ever could.

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