Good Morning! 🌞 

Yesterday was the longest day of the year. Hard to believe that days are already getting shorter from now!

Stonehenge in England is one of the most famous monuments aligned with the summer solstice. On this day, the sun rises precisely over the Heel Stone, which stands just outside the main stone circle, creating a breathtaking spectacle that has attracted visitors for thousands of years.

Culture

Shots Fired: 13th-Century Missiles Unearthed

During construction on the grounds of Kenilworth Castle in England, researchers have unearthed eight stone balls that were once hurled from catapults. These artifacts, dating back to the 13th century, are remnants of one of England’s longest sieges: when Henry III attacked Kenilworth Castle, which was held by rebels.

The catapult shots vary in size, with weights ranging from "that of a cabbage to that of a giant panda," (1kg and 105kg) as described by the London Times’ Jack Blackburn. These projectiles were fired during the 172-day siege on the central England castle in 1266.

“It’s not every day we get lucky enough to stumble across historical remains like this by chance. ... Imagine the surprise of the team when we unearthed these impressive stone projectiles that are nearly 800 years old.” says Will Wyeth, properties historian for English Heritage, per BBC News.

Henry III’s siege on Kenilworth was part of the Second Barons’ War, which erupted in 1264 when a group of noblemen seized power from the monarchy. Several years earlier, the lords had tried to limit Henry III’s authority by creating the Provisions of Oxford, which established the monarch’s accountability to a council of barons. When the king failed to honor the provisions, the lords—led by Simon de Montfort, the Earl of Leicester—took control.

During the conflict, royal forces used nine siege engines, including catapults, and fired some 60,000 crossbow bolts. However, behind the castle’s 14-foot-thick walls, the rebels had siege engines of their own. The recently found catapult shots came from both sides of the conflict.

English Heritage describes the battle:

“The king’s stone-throwing machines, erected all around the castle, bombarded it with a continuous stream of missiles. They were thwarted, however, by the superior range of the weaponry inside—one chronicler described the stone projectiles from the two sides ‘clashing in the air.’ The king had to send to London for larger machines”

The rebels held Kenilworth through six months of attacks before surrendering due to starvation and disease. The siege became one of Henry III’s most significant military campaigns, and the newly discovered remnants serve as reminders of the battle’s intensity.

Records indicate that a single well-aimed missile destroyed one of Henry III’s wooden siege towers, which contained approximately 200 crossbowmen.

Something you might be surprised to find out, what you are thinking of as a catapult, is most likely not what was actually used in the siege. If you are curious to find out what it most likely was, check out this great video by Shadiversity.

Environment

Cemeteries Transformed to Largest Urban Solar Farm

Another European city is utilizing cemetery space for generating solar power in a project called Requiem in Power (RIP).

In Valencia, three cemeteries at Grau, Campanar, and Benimàmet will be equipped with 7,000 solar panels, creating Spain's largest urban solar farm.

Former city climate councilor Alejandro Ramon explained that the city owns the cemetery land, so permission from residents wasn't necessary. However, they did seek and receive approval from the Catholic Diocese to ensure respect for the graves.

“We suffer droughts and extreme heat. It’s necessary to speed up the transition, but sometimes in cities it’s difficult to find large free spaces to install renewable energy,” Ramon told Fast Company. “After consulting with technicians, they confirmed the roofs of the niches above the mausoleums were suitable for solar panels.”

Europeans are increasingly finding innovative ways to install solar panels, such as integrating them into terracotta roof tiles in Italy and Greece or placing them on balconies and terraces in Germany.

One advantage of urban solar farms, like those in Valencia's cemeteries, is the reduced energy loss from transferring power over long distances, minimizing the need for additional infrastructure.

What do you think of this type of solar panel installation?

Culture

107-Year-Old Artist Keeps Century-Old Tradition Alive

Apo Whang-Od a 107 year old mambabatok with her arms and chest covered in tribal tattoos, tapped an ink-soaked thorn into a visitor's arm. They sat on the dirt floor of her home in the Cordillera mountains of the Philippines, where she has tattooed headhunters and women undergoing rites of passage for over 70 years. As the last tattoo artist in the Kalinga region, Whang-Od upholds the 1,000-year-old tradition of batok.

Located 17 hours north of Manila, the Kalinga region has fiercely resisted foreign rule for 400 years, repelling Spanish, British, American, and Japanese occupations through headhunting.

Every Kalinga village once had a mambabatok (master tattooist) to mark life's milestones. Women adorned themselves with tattoos to attract suitors, headhunters inked centipedes as talismans before battle, and eagles to commemorate victories. "Tattoos are one of our greatest treasures," said Whang-Od. "Unlike material things, no one can take them away from us when we die."

Mambabatoks can only teach within their bloodline. Without children of her own, Whang-Od would have been the last mambabatok in Kalinga. However, a decade ago, she began training her great-niece, Grace Palicas, as her apprentice. Starting at age 10, Palicas underwent intense training to master the ancient designs and the skill to tattoo at 100 taps per minute. "For Grace to become a good mambabatok, she will need passion and patience," explained Whang-Od.

Whang-Od emphasized the significance of traditional tattoos, stating, "I want people to know that the traditional tattoo is not just a graphic—every design represents something."

Mind Stretchers

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Answers to yesterday’s Mind Stretchers:
6666

Linda Runatz got the correct answer first!

Be the first to send us the correct answer for today’s mind stretcher for a shout-out with the answer tomorrow. Just send us the answer and your name to [email protected] or reply to the email.

If you have any uplifting stories and experience you might want to share, send those over to [email protected] for the chance to be featured.