This month, DAD focuses on a different kind of haunting, as Amber tells Anna about a fifty-year-old murder case that involves major players in Near Eastern Archaeology. On the morning of her general exams, Jane Britton was found dead in her apartment. What followed in the media teaches us about who Jane was, the world of Near Eastern archaeology, the unfortunate journalistic standards of mid-century America, and whether a secret murderer stalked the halls of the Peabody Museum for decades. 

Listeners, please note that this story and its sources make reference to sexual assault. 

P.S. We're trying a light touch with editing on this episode-- perhaps a peek behind the curtain might lighten the mood?

Grad Student Killed (Harvard Crimson)

Girl Grad Student Slaying A Mystery (Sarasota Herald Tribune)

Cambridge Murder Victim Is Recalled as Intelligent and Witty (New York Times)

Tepe Yahya (Encyclopedia Britannica)

The Early Bronze Age of Iran as Seen from Tepe Yahya (Expedition)

Cambridge Police Declare Black-out On Britton Case (Harvard Crimson)

Murder at Harvard (West Hunter)

Half-century later, murder evidence still under wraps (Boston Globe)

For nearly 50 years, Harvard was haunted by an unsolved murder. DNA now points to a serial rapist (Washington Post)

The 50-Year Journey to Solve the Murder of Harvard Student Jane Britton (Mental Floss)