British History

Researchers have long debated the Cerne Abbas Giant's age, with some dating it to the prehistoric period and others to the medieval era.

Scholars Are One Step Closer to Solving the Mystery of an Enormous Chalk Figure

A new analysis of the 180-foot-tall Cerne Abbas Giant dates the English landmark to between 700 and 1100 A.D.

This facial reconstruction envisions what HMS Erebus engineer John Gregory may have looked like.

Descendant's DNA Helps Identify Remains of Doomed Franklin Expedition Engineer

New research marks the first time scholars have confirmed the identity of bones associated with the fateful Arctic voyage

This 1540 miniature by Hans Holbein may depict the Tudor king's fourth wife, Anne of Cleves, not his fifth wife, Catherine Howard.

Presumed Portrait of Catherine Howard May Actually Depict Anne of Cleves

A Hans Holbein miniature long thought to depict Henry VIII's fifth queen may instead portray the Tudor king's fourth wife

“We used five isotope methods in all to provide information on geology, coastal proximity, climate and diet,” says study co-author Richard Madgwick, an osteoarchaeologist at Cardiff University.

Ethnically Diverse Crew of Henry VIII's Flagship Hailed From Iberia, North Africa

New multi-isotope analysis illuminates early lives of sailors stationed on the Tudor "Mary Rose," including three born outside of Britain

Remains of individuals unearthed at the site of the former Hospital of St. John the Evangelist in Cambridge

Medieval Britain's Cancer Rates Were Ten Times Higher Than Previously Thought

A new analysis of 143 skeletons suggests the disease was more common than previously estimated, though still much rarer than today

This plaque depicts musicians, a page holding a ceremonial sword and a high-ranking warrior. It numbers among the thousands of works looted by British forces during an 1897 raid of Benin City.

Germany Will Return Benin Bronzes to Nigeria in 2022

Culture Minister Monika Grütters describes the move as a "historic milestone"

The find marks the first ancient fingerprint recorded at the Ness of Brodgar archaeological site.

5,000-Year-Old Fingerprint Found on Pottery Shard Unearthed in Scotland

The Ness of Brodgar is home to a massive complex of Neolithic buildings

Samuel Ntiro's Chopping Wood (circa 1967) is one of 12 newly attributed African Modernist artworks set to go on view in Scotland next month.

Trove of African Modernist Masterpieces Spent Decades Hidden in Rural Scotland

A two-year research project identified 12 overlooked paintings, drawings and prints by pioneering 20th-century artists

James Stanley supported the Stuart monarchy during the English Civil Wars, which pitted Royalists against Oliver Cromwell's Parliamentarians.

17th-Century Gold Mourning Ring May Be Linked to Executed English Aristocrat

A piece of jewelry found on the Isle of Man may honor James Stanley, 7th Earl of Derby, who was beheaded in 1651

The villa's unique layout includes a central circular room and a bathhouse.

Archaeologists Unearth Sprawling Roman Ruins Unlike Any Found in the U.K.

An ancient complex in Yorkshire may have been a luxury villa, a religious sanctuary or a mixture of both

“[The ring's] sentiment reflects the high mortality of the period, the motif and inscription acknowledging the brevity and vanities of life,” says scholar Mark Redknap.

Trove of Treasures, From Gold Skull Ring to Tudor Coins, Unearthed in Wales

The macabre jewelry is a unique example of "memento mori" art, which aimed to remind viewers of their mortality

Prince Philip, who died on April 9 at age 99, married then-Princess Elizabeth in 1947.

How Prince Philip Modernized—and Fought to Preserve—the Monarchy

The U.K.'s longest-serving royal consort died Friday at age 99

A previously unknown Thomas Gainsborough portrait of composer Antonín Kammel

Newly Discovered Gainsborough Portrait Reveals Likeness of Overlooked Composer

The acclaimed British artist's painting of Czech musician Antonín Kammel may be worth upward of $1.3 million

The team used LiDAR scanning and computer modeling to recreate the acoustics of Linlithgow Palace's chapel.

Hear a 16th-Century Concert Recreated by a 'Musical Time Machine'

Researchers modeled the acoustics of Linlithgow Palace in Scotland to transport listeners back to a 1512 performance

Clothing and soft furnishings were cleaned with machines that used high-pressure steam and formaldehyde to kill germs and vermin.

This London Building Tells the Story of a Century's Worth of Disease and Epidemics

In the borough of Hackney, a 'disinfecting station' ostensibly kept the public safe from the spread of infectious illness

A stone-lined latrine was one of the few surviving remnants of a medieval hall in Oxford's Jewish quarter.

Medieval Jews in England Kept Kosher Laws, New Research Suggests

An 800-year-old trash dump in Oxford reveals adherence to Jewish dietary codes

The custom-made gallery will house more than 80 miniature works by leading contemporary artists.

Dollhouse-Sized Exhibition Will Showcase Mini Creations by Art-World Giants

A new show at the Pallant House Gallery in England features pint-sized works by Damien Hirst, Rachel Whiteread and more

The site of the rabbit burrow has apparently been occupied by different groups over the millennia.

Burrowing Bunnies in Wales Unearth Trove of Prehistoric Artifacts

Rabbits on Skokholm Island discovered Stone Age tools and fragments of a Bronze Age cremation urn

An undated view of the Seven Hills of Bonn by Josephine Butler, who campaigned for sex workers' rights and pushed Parliament to raise the age of consent

Pioneering Victorian Suffragist's Unseen Watercolor Paintings Are Up for Sale

Seven landscape scenes by 19th-century British social reformer Josephine Butler are headed to the auction block

Archaeologists confirmed the find in late 2019 but only announced the news now due to delays caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. This drawing shows what the St. Mary's Fort may have looked like.

Researchers Discover Ruins of Maryland's Earliest Colonial Site, a 386-Year-Old Fort

A team used ground-penetrating radar to identify the outlines of a defensive outpost at the St. Mary's settlement

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