A scientific paper published in PNAS reveals that Jackson Pollock's 1948 masterpiece *Number 1A* contains an extinct variety of manganese blue paint. Using Raman spectroscopy, researchers from Stanford University, City College of New York, and MoMA's conservation department identified the synthetic pigment, which was popular in the 20th century but phased out in the 1990s due to environmental concerns.
Archaeologists and geologists have uncovered a Postclassic Maya settlement at the Birds of Paradise field complex in the Rio Bravo floodplain of Belize. Utilizing LiDAR mapping and 20 years of field research, the team discovered exceptionally preserved wooden architecture, stone structures, and domestic artifacts dating from 800–1500 CE. These findings reveal that Maya communities successfully migrated to wetland environments after inland urban centers were abandoned due to prolonged droughts.