Perhaps part of Jane Austen’s greatness is because her brilliance might come as a surprise. From the raw biographical details of her life, she appears pretty ordinary. She was born in 1775 and died in 1817, five months shy 41 her 42nd birthday. She was once engaged, for less than 24 hours, but never married. She lived the vast majority of her life in a few counties in rural England, 42 six years in the bustling metropolis of Bath, which she hated. 43 , her life circumstances were quite standard for an unmarried country woman of modest means. However, she was raised in a family that was highly literate. Her parents were encouraging, especially her father, and her youthful literary inclinations were supported and applauded. We know little else about her life 44 after her death her elder sister burned most of her letters and censored the rest; her family controlled most of the remaining available 45 about her and were scrupulous in creating her image as a deeply virtuous, modest woman. Even her epitaph in the north nave of Winchester Cathedral makes no mention of her writing!

   The mysteries of an ancient civilization on the island of Malta have recently drawn interest. The Temple Culture began nearly 6,000 years ago and numbered several thousand people at most, far denser than the mainland Europe. Archeologists want to understand the reasons behind this prosperity—and its eventual, sudden collapse.

   By drilling earth cores and using carbon dating, an estimation can be placed on the period of the soil. Pollen grains are individually analyzed to reveal nutrients in the soil. The islanders’ lifestyles are also assessed from tens of thousands of human bones from a burial site.

   From the findings, these people seemed to understand the importance of soil management to fend off starvation. They reared dairy animals rather than prioritizing meat, mixed manure back into the soil and may even have carted soil washed down to the valleys back uphill to refresh the upland fields.

   Their demise may have occurred around 2350 BC, a period during which, according to tree ring analysis, the whole region suffered a catastrophic climate event—possibly a dust cloud caused by a volcanic eruption. Although the circumstances are still uncertain, the new discoveries have stirred up excitement regarding ancient agriculture, religion, and lifestyles, opening doors to more knowledge about life from another era.