Eras
Eras are periods of time defined by geologic or historic events
Programs Announced for 2010 Folklife Festival
Every year since 1967, more than one million people gather on the National Mall over two weeks for cultural immersion and exploration. Last year, visitors learned about the power of words in African American culture, the culture of Wales and music in Latino culture. The three programs for the 2010 ...
December 09, 2009 |
By Abby Callard
The Glorious History of Handel's Messiah
A musical rite of the holiday season, the Baroque-era oratorio still awes listeners 250 years after the composer's death
December 2009 |
By Jonathan Kandell
The Waldseemüller Map: Charting the New World
Two obscure 16th-century German scholars named the American continent and changed the way people thought about the world
December 2009 |
By Toby Lester
The Mystery of Bosnia's Ancient Pyramids
An amateur archaeologist says he's discovered the world's oldest pyramids in the Balkans. But many experts remain dubious
December 2009 |
By Colin Woodard
Nan Madol: The City Built on Coral Reefs
One of the oldest archaeological sites not on a heritage list, this Pacific state, like Easter Island, is an engineering marvel
November 03, 2009 |
By Christopher Pala
Looting Mali's History
As demand for its antiquities soars, the West African country is losing its most prized artifacts to illegal sellers and smugglers
November 2009 |
By Joshua Hammer
Trekking Hadrian's Wall
A hike through Britain's second-century Roman past leads to spectacular views, idyllic villages and local brews
October 2009 |
By Andrew Curry
Looking for Leonardo
Are figures in a Florentine altar panel attributed to Italian artist Andrea del Verrocchio actually by Leonardo da Vinci?
October 2009 |
By Ann Landi
Columbus' Confusion About the New World
The European discovery of America opened possibilities for those with eyes to see. But Columbus was not one of them
October 2009 |
By Edmund S. Morgan
UBI in the Knife and Gun Club
The secret language of doctors and nurses
October 2009 |
By Richard Conniff
Ancient Greece Springs to Life
Athens’ New Acropolis Museum comes to America in an exhibition highlighting treasures of antiquity
September 22, 2009 |
By Jamie Katz
The Burgess Shale: Evolution's Big Bang
A storied trove of fossils from a Canadian paleontological site is yielding new clues to an explosion of life on earth
August 2009 |
By Siobhan Roberts
Finding King Herod's Tomb
After a 35-year search, an Israeli archaeologist is certain he has solved the mystery of the biblical figure’s final resting place
August 2009 |
By Barbara Kreiger
Galileo's Vision
Four hundred years ago, the Italian scientist looked into space and changed our view of the universe
August 2009 |
By David Zax
Day 1: A Geological Trip Back in Time
Smithsonian Secretary Clough flies to Wyoming to learn about a period of intense global warming that occurred 55 million years ago
July 23, 2009 |
By G. Wayne Clough, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution
Day 2: Uncovering Earth’s History in the Bighorn Basin
Secretary Clough tours the different Smithsonian excavation sites and discovers some prehistoric fossils while there
July 23, 2009 |
By G. Wayne Clough, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution
Hominids’ African Origins, 50 Years Later
Before Mary Leakey’s discovery of hominid fossils in East Africa, many experts thought that human ancestors evolved in Asia
July 23, 2009 |
By Laura Helmuth
Galileo's Instruments of Discovery
With these various instruments, Galileo Galilei was able to look into space and change our view of the universe.
July 20, 2009 |
By Sarah Zielinski
Can Computers Decipher a 5,000-Year-Old Language?
A computer scientist is helping to uncover the secrets of the inscribed symbols of the Indus
July 20, 2009 |
By David Zax
