The Friday Digest brings you the best of the week's history news gathered from the experts:
* An eighteenth-century tattooed head of an autochthonous Maori tribesman has been discovered perfectly preserved at the University of Birmingham. The head was found alongside four skulls by researchers who were researching a completely different project entirely. In the eighteenth century, heads of Maori tribesman were preserved after their death as it was believed that the soul lives on iin the preserved head. Researchers intend to examine the tattoos which might reveal the community to which the individual belongs.
* Dan Snow, descendant of the great war prime-minister David Lloyd George, has praised the BBC's upcoming First World War centenary programme due to start in 2014. The programme has scheduled 2,500 hours of television and radio and will feature experts on the subject of the First World War such as Max Hastings, David Reynolds and Rupert Murdoch. Snow claimed 'It's breathtaking. It's an absolutely extraordinary range of coverage from the world's most eminent historians, and will see a fantastic, really important creation of archives and resources that will last for eternity.'
* The body of Mobutu Sese Soko is to be returned to the Congo, President Joseph Kabila has decided. Mobutu gained power after a coup and ruled the Congo, which he renamed Zaire, for more than thirty years before he was removed from power and exiled.
* Four generations of a Lincolnshire family related to Sir Isaac Newton, considered by many to be the 'father of science' have launched an appeal to find more relatives of one of science's greatest figures. The Lincolnshire Age of Scientific Discovery group will oversee the project and aims to hold a reunion for relatives in 2014.
* Researchers from the University of Buckingham have uncovered the burnt leg of a toad dating back some 7,000 years. This debunks the popular myth that the consumption of frogs legs as a delicacy is a deeply French tradition.
* The Daily Telegraph has collected what it believes to be the most dramatic deaths in the history of fiction. Do you agree?! (Warning, contains spoilers)
* Expert author Christopher Hale's blog exposes Britain's role in the Malayan wars. Hale argues that Britain's tactics in the Malayan conflict were far more ruthless than previously assumed by the press and historians.
* Tuesday's The Great British Bake Off had the nation captivated. History Extra has collected a series of Seventeenth-century recipies that give the girls a run for their money!
* Morrisey made the headlines once again this week when his autobiography was released as a Penguin Classic.
* Lord Kelvin, most commonly known for developing the Kelvin Scale of absolute temperature, struggled with the idea of potentially conflicting beliefs in God and science. Although he eventually reconciled these beliefs, arguments on both side of the debate has never been more fierce than in the modern day.
* One of the earliest photographs of the Taj Mahal taken in 1855 by John Murray.
* A tomb cut deep into the rock in Tuscany was discovered last month. Originally thought to be the resting place of a warrior prince, experts now believe that the remains found within are actually that of an Etruscan warrior princess.
* With University places still oversubscribed and the popularity of history in the ascendance, how exactly can you make a personal statement really portray your passion for the noble art?
* Notorious criminals of the nineteenth century, it has been revealed, targetted railway stations and snatched watches, liqueur, shoes and luggage.
* Publishing industry leaders say that the industry needs to adapt to compete with new industry leaders such as Amazon.
* The Folger Shakespeare library in Washington is set to release a series of apps making the largest collection of Shakespeare's works accessible to the online community.
* Why are Ian Fleming's first edition James Bond novels so pricey?
* Noel Gallagher is the king of controversial statements. He recently caused a stir by admitting that he did not read fiction as he believes it to be a waste of time. Though many might agree with his claim that 'he can't suspend belief in reality.'
* The National Maritime Museum at Greenwich has opened a new exhibition exploring how Nelson's navy became so deeply embedded in British culture and ingrained in the fabric of our nation.
* It was almost fifty years ago that the assassination of JFK took place. Twelve rare photos offer a glimpse into the life and death of the thirty-fifth president.
* Find out exactly what each country leads the world in!
* How much do you know about Ancient Egypt?
Which history and publishing stories have you enjoyed reading this week?