Crossroads Roundup: Cézanne Mural Discovered, Origins of the Basque Language, and an Update on the Pyramid of Menkaure

Our favorite stories on art, archaeology, folklore, and more from this past week.

Welcome to the Crossroads Roundup! This is our weekly roundup of news related to history, art, archaeology, and anything else that our readers might enjoy. While many of our essays are free, the Crossroads Roundup is for paid subscribers only. If you haven’t already, you can sign up below to gain access to all essays, exclusive patron videos, and the Crossroads Roundup:

Examining the previously unknown mural, Entrée du port by Paul Cézanne, ca. 1859-1864. © Ville d'Aix-en-Provence / Philippe Biolatto

A previously unknown mural by Paul Cézanne has been discovered during restorations of Bastide du Jas de Bouffan, the artist’s family home in Aix-en-Provence.

Buried under decades of wallpaper and plaster, the mural Entrée du port depicts what appears to be a port scene; while much of the work has been lost to time, one can make out the masts of ships, sails, and buildings on the edge of the mural. Restorers made the initial discovery this August in the Grand Salon of Bastide du Jas de Bouffan, and after months of research and careful restoration work, the mural’s discovery was announced this week.