Ancient Cultures
Nice Things to Say About Attila the Hun
He was the barbarians' barbarian who called himself "the Scourge of God." But how did the terrible Attila command such loyalty—and why, in death, was he so mourned?
February 03, 2012 |
By Mike Dash
The Oldest Modernist Paintings
Two thousand years before Picasso, artists in Egypt painted some of the most arresting portraits in the history of art
February 2012 |
By Smithsonian Magazine
Emperor Wang Mang: China’s First Socialist?
In A.D. 9, the Chinese emperor nationalized his state's land and redistributed it to the peasantry. That revolutionary act cost him his throne and his life—and even now his motives remain unclear
December 09, 2011 |
By Mike Dash
The Goddess Goes Home
Following years of haggling over its provenance, a celebrated statue once identified as Aphrodite, has returned to Italy
November 2011 |
By Ralph Frammolino
July 11: Today’s Events for the Last Day of the Folklife Festival
Make the most of the last events by trying Amazonian tucupí broth, made of scalded cassava, or try your hand at the tango
July 11, 2011 |
By Julie Mianecki
July 10: Today’s Events at the Folklife Festival
Fuse two dance traditions at the event "Tango meets Salsa" at the El Rumbiadero stage today and learn about Colombian mask-making traditions at the Me Contaron Los Abuelos stage
July 10, 2011 |
By Julie Mianecki
July 9: Today’s Events at the Folklife Festival
Check out presentations about weaving and the environment and recycling in the arts this morning in the Colombia tents, then head over to the Peace Corps area to try out some Ukrainian, Jamaican and Georgian cooking
July 09, 2011 |
By Julie Mianecki
July 8: Today’s Events at the Folklife Festival
This morning, learn a thing or two about improvisation at the El Rumbiadero stage or immerse yourself in the culture of Colombia’s coffee region
July 08, 2011 |
By Julie Mianecki
July 7: Today’s Events at the Folklife Festival
Welcome back to day six of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival! Settle in to today’s scheduled events with some cowboy stories in the Colombia tents, then head next door to try cholado, a common Colombian drink made from crushed ice, fruit and sweetened condensed milk. Later in the day, watch traditional dancers from the Ukraine and [...]
July 07, 2011 |
By Julie Mianecki
July 4: Today’s Events at the Folklife Festival
Before going to the fireworks, broaden your horizons with Tango de Medellín or learn about how Peace Corps members deal with what it means to be “the American” during their time abroad
July 04, 2011 |
By Julie Mianecki
July 3: Today’s Events at the Folklife Festival
On Day 4 of the Folklife Festival, catch a performance of Aires del Campo, see dancers from Botswana and the Philippines and head over to the R&B area to enjoy performances by Swamp Dogg, Nat Dove, Sonny Til’s Orioles and more
July 03, 2011 |
By Julie Mianecki
July 2: Today’s Events at the Folklife Festival
On Day 3 of the Folklife Festival, taste traditional Moroccan food, try your hand at the marimba and get schooled on Afro-Colombian hairstyles
July 02, 2011 |
By Julie Mianecki
July 1: Today’s Events at the Folklife Festival
On day 2 of the Folklife Festival, enjoy music from South America, doo-wop and Martha Reeves, as well as cooking lessons from the Peace Corps
July 01, 2011 |
By Julie Mianecki
June 30: Today’s Events at the Folklife Festival
Today at the Folklife Festival: Colombia, The Peace Corps, and Rhythm and Blues
June 30, 2011 |
By Julie Mianecki
El Mirador, the Lost City of the Maya
Now overgrown by jungle, the ancient site was once the thriving capital of the Maya civilization
May 2011 |
By Chip Brown
Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Peace Corps
On October 14, 1960, Senator John F. Kennedy gave a speech to students at the University of Michigan in which he challenged them—future doctors, technicians and engineers–to further the cause of peace by living and working, for a time, in developing nations as a service to their country.Five months...
March 01, 2011 |
By Arcynta Ali Childs
Rehabilitating Cleopatra
Egypt's ruler was more than the sum of the seductions that loom so large in history—and in Hollywood
December 2010 |
By Stacy Schiff
July 25, 1965: Dylan Goes Electric at the Newport Folk Festival
When young folk sensation Bob Dylan took the stage on July 25, 1965 at the Newport Folk Festival, a crowd of nearly 100,000 waited expectantly. What nobody could have anticipated, however, was that by the time the set was over, Dylan would lose the support of many fans who had come to love him whil...
July 23, 2010 |
By Jess Righthand
2,168 Albums Later: The Legacy of Moses Asch
When Moses Asch (1905-1986) founded a tiny record label called Folkways with Marian Distler (1919-1964) in 1948, he wanted to be a resource for musicians to document the "entire world of sound."And by that, he really did mean the entire world. Between the label's founding and Asch's death in 1986,...
July 03, 2010 |
By Erica R. Hendry
