An archaeological investigation before redevelopment of the railway station in Manduria, 20 miles east of Taranto, southeast Italy, has uncovered a large section of a defensive wall built by the pre-Italic Messapian people in the 4th century B.C. The structure is composed of limestone blocks that were precisely worked and laid dry in an alternating pattern. It was built inside a moat that encircled the inner wall of the older Archaic-era defensive walls. The Messapians inhabited what is now the region of Apulia (the heel of Italy’s boot) from the 9th to the 3rd century B.C. They formed highly developed independent city-states and, fiercely defended that independence against numerous attacks from the Greek colonies of southern Italy. Manduria was one of the most prosperous Messapian cities, and built elaborate defenses to protect itself: a triple ring of megalithic walls constructed between the 5th and 3rd centuries B.C. The newly-discovered section of wall is expanding our knowledge of the complex Messapian fortification systems. Its massive defenses were put to the test repeatedly, most notably when Manduria was besieged by Taras (Taranto) and its Spartan allies in 338 B.C. That attempt failed, and the Spartan king Archidamus III lost his life outside those imposing walls. The Romans took it in 266 B.C., but Hannibal besieged it in 212 B.C. during the Second Punic War and wrested it out of their grasp. Roman legions under Quintus Fabius Maximus, former dictator and at the time consul for the fifth time, reconquered Manduria and Tarantum in 209 B.C. In agreement with the railroad, the best-preserved section of the wall will be preserved and displayed in situ. Information panels will give rail travelers an understanding of the Messapian city and its walls, thematically linking ancient Manduria and its infrastructure and connecting visitors to the Archaeological Park of the Messapian Walls a half mile down the road.

American Airlines planes taxi to terminals at the O'Hare International Airport in Chicago on Nov. 30, 2025. Nam Y. Huh/AP PhotoCHICAGO—Don Herrian was among the crowds of travelers at Chicago’s O'Hare…

Islam has been crowned the fastest-growing religion in the United States—officially, according to the latest data dump from the Pew Research Center. But hold onto your Constitution, folks, because this…

President Donald Trump issued an uncompromising warning to Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro, demanding he leave the country immediately before the U.S. declared Venezuela’s airspace closed. According…

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A photo is displayed of National Guard member Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, one of two National Guard members who were shot in Washington on Nov. 26, in Webster Springs, W.Va., on Nov. 28, 2025. Kathleen…

Today’s graphic is a map showing World Soil Quality. (Graphic courtesy of Reddit.) The thumbnail below is click-expandable.       — Please send your graphics or graphics links to JWR. (Either via e-mail or via our Contact form.) Any graphics that you send must either be your own creation or uncopyrighted. The post SurvivalBlog Graphic of the Week appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

The following simple recipe for Onion Soup Gratinee is from The New Butterick Cook Book, copyright 1924, now in the public domain. That is just one of the dozens of bonus books included in the 2005-2025 20th Anniversary Edition of the waterproof SurvivalBlog Archive USB stick that will be available to order in January of 2026. Ingredients 3 Onlon 3 tablespoons butter or butter substitute 3 pints beef stock 3 tablespoons grated cheese Pepper and salt 1/8 clove garlic (if desired) 2 tablespoons chopped parsley 1/4 loaf of French bread  Directions Slice onions and put them into a stew-pan with … The post Recipe of the Week: appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

Chainsaws are wonderful tools for wood cutting. But chainsaws are not perfect. Chainsaws are heavy. Chainsaws are noisy. Chainsaws require supplies of fuel and bar oil. These limitations can be problematic during field use. The Silky KatanaBoy Professional 700 presents an outstanding manual alternative to chainsaws for cutting trees and branches up to 14 inches in diameter. The saw is light and compact, weighing just four pounds and folding to a length of 33 inches. It creates so little noise that hearing protection is not required. It requires no supplies except the muscles of its user. And it uses those … The post Silky KatanaBoy Professional 700, by Thomas Christianson appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

We’ve announced the winners of Round 121 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. Note to the top three prize winners: Please contact me and let me know your UPS and USPS address(es), for your prizes. Thanks. – JWR The top three prize winners will each receive some great prize packages. The winners for Round 120 are… First Prize Winner: First Prize goes to  The Chemical Engineer, for Loaves, Fishes, Tree Bark, Seeds, and Knowledge. See: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, and Part 8. It was posted October 20-27, 2025. He will … The post Writing Contest Prize Winners Announced — Round 121 appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.