In Italy, the disappearance of investigative journalist Mauro De Mauro leads to the discovery of remains in a Mount Etna cave, unveiling a dark history tied to the mafia and a high-profile assassination from 1962. In New Zealand, researchers uncover fossilized remains of the giant penguin Crossvallia waiparensis, standing about five feet tall, providing new insights into prehistoric penguin evolution. Siberian fortresses, predating similar European structures by millennia, challenge existing theories of societal development. Finally, ancient DNA analysis uncovers how repeated plague waves devastated a Stone Age population in Falbygden, Sweden, revealing early Scandinavian resilience and struggle.