Smart News History & Archaeology

The clay head of the Roman god Mercury is roughly two inches long.

Cool Finds

Archaeologists Unearth 'Incredibly Rare' Roman-Era Clay Figurine of the God Mercury

The excavations led to the discovery of a previously unknown ancient Roman settlement in England

Remains of a stillborn infant with Down syndrome from the Iron Age, found in a 2,800-year-old house at the Las Eretas archaeological site in Spain.

DNA Reveals Presence of Down Syndrome in Ancient Society

The burials of infants with Down syndrome in Europe provide insight into how babies with genetic conditions were cared for in premodern times, according to a new study

The 1,500-year-old gold ring's semiprecious red stone likely served as a symbol of power.

Cool Finds

Metal Detectorist Finds Rare 1,500-Year-Old Gold Ring in Denmark

The distinctly decorated artifact may be linked to a powerful family in the area with ties to the Merovingians

The Granada Relocation Center, also known as Amache, had cramped Army-style barracks that housed thousands of Japanese Americans and people of Japanese descent.

A Japanese American Incarceration Camp in Colorado Is America’s Newest National Park

More than 10,000 Japanese Americans were imprisoned at the Granada Relocation Center, also known as Amache, during World War II

The Mississippi John Hurt Museum stood on the eastern edge of the Mississippi Delta.

Fire Destroys Museum Honoring Legendary Blues Musician Mississippi John Hurt

The three-room shack in the town of Avalon, Mississippi, was once the singer and guitarist's home

Abraham Lincoln pardoned Moses J. Robinette on September 1, 1864.

Abraham Lincoln Pardoned Joe Biden's Great-Great-Grandfather, 160-Year-Old Records Reveal

Historian David J. Gerleman discovered the link between the two presidents while reviewing historic documents at the National Archives

The USS Jacob Jones, an American destroyer, sank off the southwest coast of England in December 1917.

Divers Recover Bell From Wreck of American Destroyer Sunk in World War I

Sixty-four American sailors died when a German torpedo hit the USS "Jacob Jones" on December 6, 1917

The trove of goods was discovered alongside the graves of three individuals who died 1,700 years ago.

Cool Finds

Graves of Roman Family Held Jewelry, Coins and 'Exquisite' Vials for Storing Mourners' Tears

Archaeologists in Bulgaria unearthed the remains of three individuals interred with rare treasures dating to the third century

The National Museum of Natural History holds the majority of the human remains in the Smithsonian's collections.

The Smithsonian’s Human Remains Task Force Calls for New Repatriation Policies

The report provides recommendations regarding the return of human remains in the Institution’s collections

Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford starred in Star Wars: Episode IV—A New Hope.

Harrison Ford Forgot This 'Star Wars' Script in an Apartment He Rented During Filming

A fourth draft of "Star Wars: Episode IV—A New Hope" sold at auction for over $13,000

The Hand of Irulegi

Cool Finds

Words Etched Into an Ancient Bronze Hand Hint at the Mysterious Origins of the Basque Language

Archaeologists unearthed the 2,100-year-old artifact in northern Spain and discovered the inscription contains two words that resemble those of the modern language Euskara

In late January, workers began moving the Pyramid of Menkaure's granite blocks, many of which were abandoned around the structure's base.

Egypt Halts Controversial Plans to Renovate Ancient Pyramid

A committee of experts concluded that altering the Pyramid of Menkaure would compromise its historical value

Researchers discovered labels for Clemente Guardia chocolate at the site.

Cool Finds

Archaeologists Discover 19th-Century Chocolate Factory in Barcelona

Housed in a medieval mansion, the workshop once produced sweets for Clemente Guardia, a thriving Catalonian chocolatier

The ancient red pigment was held in an intricately decorated chlorite vial.

New Research

Tube of Ancient Red Lipstick Unearthed in Iran

New research suggests the nearly 4,000-year-old cosmetic may be among the oldest discoveries of its kind

The Treasure of Villena was discovered in Spain's Iberian Peninsula in 1963.

New Research

These 3,000-Year-Old Treasures Were Forged From Meteoritic Iron

New research reveals that two Bronze Age artifacts from the Treasure of Villena contain iron from a meteor that hit a million years ago

The steering wheel at the site of the newly identified shipwreck

Eight Decades Ago, a Ship Vanished Into the Depths of Lake Superior. Why Did the Captain Remain Aboard?

The wreck of the S.S. Arlington has finally been found—but it provides no answers about Captain Frederick Burke's final moments

While the egg was found during excavations in 2010, researchers learned only recently that it still contains liquid.

Archaeologists Were 'Amazed' to Find That a 1,700-Year-Old Chicken Egg Still Has Liquid Inside

Discovered in England, the egg is thought to be the only one of its kind—and analysis of its contents could shed new light on its origins

An example of the cave art found in northwestern Patagonia, Argentina. Researchers dated the paintings to as early as 8,200 years ago.

This Ancient Cave Art Passed Survival Information Across 130 Human Generations in Patagonia, Study Suggests

Dating to as early as 8,200 years ago, the paintings may have maintained collective memories during an extremely dry period in history

Today, the rongorongo script survives on less than 30 objects.

New Research

Did the People of Easter Island Invent a Writing System From Scratch?

Radiocarbon dating has found that a tablet inscribed with the mysterious rongorongo script predates European contact

The 43-foot-tall replica of Constantine's statue was constructed to mirror the dimensions of the fourth-century original.

Experts Recreate Looming 43-Foot-Tall Statue of Constantine Using 3D Modeling

Although only fragments of the 1,700-year-old colossus remain, experts hope to paint a fuller picture for the public with a new installation at Rome's Capitoline Museums

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