Historic Eras
Historic eras—including prehistory, ancient and modern history—represent time viewed through the lens of human eventsStudents of the Game
When the Aztec and Maya played it 500 to 1,000 years ago, the losers sometimes lost their headsliterally. Today scholars are visiting remote Mexican villages to study the oldest sport in the Americas, ulama, now on the verge of extinction
April 2006 |
By John Fox
Secrets of the Range Creek Ranch
Archaeologists cheered when Waldo Wilcox's vast spread was deeded to the state of Utah, believing that it holds keys to a tribe that flourished 1,000 years ago - and then mysteriously vanished.
March 2006 |
By Keith Kloor
Spain Makes a Stand
After more than 400 years, a fort built by conquistadors in the Carolinas has finally been found
March 2006 |
By Andrew Lawler
Native Intelligence
The Indians who first feasted with the English colonists were far more sophisticated than you were taught in school. But that wasn't enough to save them
December 2005 |
By Charles C. Mann
Lewis and Clark: The Journey Ends
The triumphant return of the Lewis and Clark expedition
December 2005 |
By Smithsonian magazine
Push to the Pacific
Guided by the Nez Percé, the men and women of the corps reach the Columbia amid threats for their lives
October 2005 |
By Smithsonian magazine
Cold and Hungry
When snow blankets the mountains, the expedition is once again imperiled
September 2005 |
By Smithsonian magazine
The Ambush That Changed History
An amateur archaeologist discovers the field where wily Germanic warriors halted the spread of the Roman Empire
September 2005 |
By Fergus M. Bordewich
Mystery Man of Stonehenge
Who was he and where did he come from? And what was his role in the making of the great monument? The discovery of a 4,300-year-old skeleton surrounded by intriguing artifacts has archaeologists abuzz
August 2005 |
By Richard Stone
A Bittersweet Homecoming
As the corps finally makes contact with the Shoshone Indians, interpreter Sacagawea reunites with her family
August 2005 |
By Smithsonian magazine
The Elusive Shoshone
Needing horses and a route across the Rockies, the corps must find Sacagawea's people or risk the fate of the expedition
July 2005 |
By Smithsonian magazine
King Tut: The Pharaoh Returns!
An exhibition featuring the first CT scans of the boy king's mummy tells us more about Tutankhamun than ever before
June 2005 |
By Richard Covington
A Fork in the River
After deliberating for nine days, the captains choose the tortuous southwest branch of the Missouri toward the Great Falls
June 2005 |
By Smithsonian magazine
Rocky Mountain High
After a canoe capsizes, the first sight of the mountainous "snowey barrier" lifts the corps' spirits
May 2005 |
By Smithsonian magazine
The Seeds of Civilization
Why did humans first turn from nomadic wandering to villages and togetherness? The answer may lie in a 9,500-year-old settlement in central Turkey
May 2005 |
By Michael Balter
Swords and Sandals
In Libya, again open to U.S. travelers after more than two decades, archaeologists have uncovered spectacular mosaics of the glories of Rome
April 2005 |
By Vivienne Walt
Just What the Doctor Ordered
During Prohibition, an odd alliance of special interests argued beer was vital medicine
April 2005 |
By Beverly Gage
A Formidable Anamal
After a winter of waiting, the corps leaves Fort Mandan and heads warily into bear country
April 2005 |
By Smithsonian magazine
Where East Met (Wild) West
Excavations in a legendary gold rush town uncover the unsung labors of Chinese immigrants on the frontier
March 2005 |
By Raffi Khatchadourian
Traces of a Lost People
Who roamed the Colorado Plateau thousands of years ago? And what do their stunning paintings signify?
March 2005 |
By Kurt Repanshek
