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There are a great many common misconceptions about the ‘first Thanksgiving’ – not the least of which is the menu. But according to the US writer, artist and noted eel expert James Prosek, eels likely would have been prominent on the plates of the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag people who attended that meal at Plymouth Plantation in 1621. Inspired by Prosek’s writing on the subject and a general lack of interest in traditional Thanksgiving fare, the US animator Drew Christie created the lighthearted short video A Thanksgiving Eel, which considers whether it’s possible or practical for the eel to make a Thanksgiving comeback.
Video by Drew Christie
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Ageing and death
Memories of friends and neighbours light the streets of a seaside village in England
11 minutes
video
History
Hags, seductresses, feminist icons – how gender dynamics manifest in witches
13 minutes
video
Food and drink
The passage of time is a peculiar thing in a 24-hour diner
14 minutes
video
Anthropology
For an Amazonian female shaman, ayahuasca ceremonies are a rite and a business
30 minutes
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Fairness and equality
‘To my old master’ – a freed slave answers the request to return to his old plantation
7 minutes
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Information and communication
‘Astonished and somewhat terrified’ – Victorians’ reactions to the phonograph
36 minutes
video
History
From Afghanistan to Virginia – the Muslims who fought in the American Civil War
22 minutes
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The ancient world
Petty squabbles and bloody battles – the life of an ancient Roman soldier
18 minutes
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Art
Why Diego Velázquez needed a lifetime to paint his enigmatic masterpiece
31 minutes