Smart News History & Archaeology

"We didn’t just want to view Weimar from its ending,” exhibition curator Simone Erpel says

What the Weimar Republic Can Teach Us About Modern Democracy

A Berlin exhibition draws on some 250 artifacts to explore questions of democracy past and present

David Bradley, "Hopi Maidens," 2012

David Bradley Retrospective Captures Lasting Legacy of Contemporary Native Artist

More than 30 works from his nearly 40-year career are featured in the traveling show, now in Los Angeles

Desert kites, stone structures used for hunting, discovered in the U2 images.

Cool Finds

U-2 Spy Plane Images Reveal Ancient Archaeological Sites in the Middle East

Two patient archaeologists organized and scanned the images to find structures destroyed or covered up over the last 60 years

Polish soldier and military commander Casimir Pulaski (1745 - 1779), circa 1775. From an original engraving by James Hopwood after a painting by Oleszkiewicz.

Was the Revolutionary War Hero Casimir Pulaski Intersex?

A new Smithsonian Channel documentary may affirm long-standing suspicions about the Polish fighter’s identity

A trio of air conditioners failed to meet manufacturer recommendations regarding the use of separate circuit breakers and grounding devices

A Faulty Air Conditioning Unit Sparked the Brazil National Museum Fire

The September 2018 blaze destroyed the 200-year-old building and reduced the majority of its 20-million artifact collection to ash

Thor Heyerdahl photographed with archaeological artifacts from Easter Island

Norway Will Repatriate Thousands of Artifacts Taken From Easter Island

Thor Heyerdahl Jr. says his late father had promised to return the items after they had been analyzed and detailed in published works

These illustrations come from a miniature book of classical Persian poetry.

The Library of Congress Has Digitized 155 Persian Texts Dating Back to the 13th Century

Offerings include a book of poetry featuring the epic <em>Shahnameh</em> and a biography of Shah Jahan, the emperor who built the Taj Mahal

Redoshi seen in “The Negro Farmer: Extension Work for Better Farming and Better Living"

Cool Finds

Researcher Identifies the Last Living Survivor of the Transatlantic Slave Trade

Redoshi was 12 when she was kidnapped and sold to the crew of the <i>Clotilda</i>

The so-called "Govan stones" date back to 10th and 11th centuries. Originally found in the 19th century, the stones were thought to be destroyed in the 1970s. Until this Scottish student found them again during a community dig.

14-Year-Old Boy Finds ‘Lost’ Medieval Gravestones in Scotland

The new discoveries belong to a collection known as the ‘Govan Stones,’ imposing relics of a once-great kingdom

A recently uncovered thermopolia in the ruins of Pompeii.

Trending Today

Recently Uncovered Thermopolium Reminds Us That Romans Loved Fast Food as Much as We Do

Similar snack counters dug up throughout Pompeii were once destinations for on-the-go Romans looking for a quick bite

Twitter helped identify the identities of the women involved in excavations at Skara Brae, Orkney, in 1929.

Internet Sleuths Were on the Case to Name the Women Archaeologists in These Excavation Photos

A caption in a book about the excavation at Skara Brae, Scotland, had identified them as ‘visitors’ to the dig

The royal document was signed by nine witnesses

Cool Finds

819-Year-Old Royal Charter Issued by King John Found in University Archives

A visiting historian happened upon the medieval document while conducting research in Durham, England

Krispy Kreme store in London.

German Family That Owns Krispy Kreme Admits It Profited From Nazi Ties

Upon learning that their ancestors had relied on forced labor, the family was ‘ashamed and white as sheets,’ a spokesperson said

A new study looks at the role “pro-social” religions play in fostering large-scale societies

New Research

Which Came First, Vengeful Gods or Complex Civilizations?

A new study pushes back against the hypothesis that moralizing gods were necessary to keep large societies civil

Tamara Lanier takes questions this week during a press conference announcing a lawsuit against Harvard University.

Trending Today

Why These Early Images of American Slavery Have Led to a Lawsuit Against Harvard

Tamara Lanier claims the university has profited off the images of her ancestors

Underwater view of ship 17's hull

Cool Finds

Wreck of Unusual Ship Described by Herodotus Recovered From Nile Delta

The Greek chronicler dedicated 23 lines of his <em>Histories</em> to the construction of a Nile cargo boat known by locals as a baris

Cool Finds

Mariner's Astrolabe Recovered From Shipwreck Is the World's Oldest

The navigational gadget comes from the wreck of the <i>Esmerelda</i>, part of Vasco da Gama's fleet that sunk off the coast of Oman in 1503

Archaeologists from the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration found this 19th-century clay pipe at the excavation site that contained the DNA of a woman who had connections to the region that is now modern-day Sierra Leone.

DNA From 200-Year-Old Pipe Links Enslaved Woman to Sierra Leone

A new genetic analysis suggests that certain artifacts can help descendants of enslaved people piece together their ancestral heritage

These floral watercolors may have been painted by van Gogh's unrequited love interest, the 19-year-old daughter of his landlady

Cool Finds

Newly Discovered Papers Found in Vincent van Gogh's London Lodging

The cache includes insurance records signed by his landlady, a volume of prayers and hymns, and watercolors possibly painted by an unrequited love interest

One of a series of images from the Illustrated London News for October 13, 1888 carrying the overall caption, "With the Vigilance Committee in the East End".

New Research

No, We Still Cannot Confirm the Identity of Jack the Ripper

The case for the unmasking is tied to a shawl alleged to have been found next to Ripper victim Catherine Eddowes, but its provenance is uncertain

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