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Stories from Julia Binswanger

Micro-CT scans of the bone needles and the other examples of bone they were compared against

These Delicate Needles Made From Animal Bones May Have Helped Prehistoric Humans Sew Warm Winter Clothing

Researchers have discovered 32 needle fragments made from the bones of smaller animals. The tiny tools may have been used to sew insulated garments during the last ice age

A cat in a stroller examines ancient Egyptian artifacts at the Shanghai Museum.

Hundreds of Curious Cats Contemplated Ancient Egyptian Artifacts During a Series of ‘Meowseum Nights’ in China

For ten nights, animal lovers brought their furry friends to “On Top of the Pyramid: The Civilization of Ancient Egypt” at the Shanghai Museum, where many examples of ancient cat imagery are on display

Pantone is betting that Mocha Mousse will reflect next year's trends.

What Is Mocha Mousse, the First-Ever Shade of Brown Chosen as Pantone’s Color of the Year?

The 2025 hue is an “evocative soft brown” that was selected to suggest the rich flavor of a piece of chocolate or a cup of hot coffee

The temple's north tower, which holds a newly discovered chamber

Hidden Entrance to a Mysterious Ancient Temple Found Tucked Away in an Egyptian Cliff Face

Researchers have been carefully excavating the artifacts and decorative reliefs found at the 2,100-year-old site in the ancient city of Athribis

Left: Portrait of Paul Gauguin, Vincent van Gogh, 1888. Right: The Little Cat, Paul Gauguin, 1888

X-Rays Reveal a Tiny 19th-Century Beetle Embedded in a Paul Gauguin Painting

A new analysis of the artist’s “The Little Cat” has uncovered a wealth of new information about the strange artwork—including the one-millimeter-long creature

"Brain rot," which is now linked to social media overload, first appeared in Henry David Thoreau's Walden in 1854.

‘Brain Rot,’ the Scourge of the Chronically Online, Becomes Oxford’s 2024 Word of the Year

The term refers to “the supposed deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state” that’s linked to spending extensive stretches of time scrolling through low-quality content

The Met's employee art show features more than 600 works.

Every Two Years, Staffers at the Met Get to See Their Own Art on the Prestigious Museum’s Walls

The museum has been staging exhibitions featuring employee art since 1935. This year’s show is only the second in history that’s been open to the public

Sotheby's recent Keith Haring exhibition, "Art in Transit," displayed the 31 artworks in an immersive recreation of the New York subway.

Keith Haring Created These Striking Subway Drawings While Waiting for Trains on His Way to Work

The artist used white chalk to draw on blank advertising panels inside subway stations. Now, 31 surviving examples of these works have sold at auction for more than $9 million

The amulet contains an image of King Solomon and a Greek inscription that reads, "Our Lord defeated evil."

Rare 1,600-Year-Old Pendant Discovered in Turkey Depicts King Solomon Defeating the Devil

The fifth-century artifact was found in the ruins of a structure that may have been connected to the military. Historians think it was used as a protective amulet

The York Theatre Royal says Richard III has been given a voice so he can finally "speak for himself."

Listen to the Resurrected Voice of Richard III—Who Speaks With an Unexpected Accent

A team of experts has created a digital avatar of the maligned monarch, who speaks with a Yorkshire accent. The 15th-century king was born in Northampton, but he spent much of his life in northern England

As part of the study, researchers created a 3D replica of the ancient mug.

Ancient Egyptians Drank Psychedelic Concoctions From This 2,000-Year-Old Mug, Study Finds

Scientists have discovered traces of hallucinogens in a small vessel depicting an Egyptian deity that may have been used in ancient rituals

Italian authorities have recovered several Etruscan antiquities stolen by tomb raiders from a burial site in central Italy.

Italian Police Arrest ‘Clumsy’ Tomb Raiders Who Allegedly Posted Stolen Etruscan Artifacts on Facebook

The items include artistic urns, a bone comb and an ancient sarcophagus with a full skeleton inside

L'empire des Lumières, René Magritte, 1954

This Surrealist Masterpiece by René Magritte Sold for Over $120 Million

The artist’s “L’empire des lumières” sold for a massive $121 million, and experts hope the large number could be a sign of renewal for a struggling art market

This marble tablet weighs 115 pounds and measures two feet tall.

An Ancient Tablet Inscribed With Nine of the Ten Commandments From the Book of Exodus Is for Sale

The marble slab, which dates to between 300 and 500 C.E., is the oldest-known stone tablet inscribed with the Commandments. Nobody recognized its significance until decades after its discovery

Steadfast Stride Toward Justice by artist Basil Watson is the first life-sized depiction of John Lewis in his home state.

New Statue Honoring Civil Rights Activist John Lewis Unveiled in His Home State of Alabama

The life-sized bronze sculpture of the congressman joins statues of Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks in the Equal Justice Initiative’s Legacy Plaza in Montgomery

This tiny Roman gladiator figurine used to be the handle on a folding knife.

Ancient Roman Gladiators Were Huge Celebrities Who Even Had Their Own Merch

A tiny gladiator figurine was used as a handle on a 2,000-year-old copper folding knife found in an English river, suggesting that popular fascination with the ancient fighters reached the edges of the empire

A crowd of tourists gathers on the main street at Pompeii.

Pompeii Introduces New Limits on Daily Visitors to Protect the Ancient City From Overtourism

A maximum of 20,000 people will be allowed to enter each day in an effort to protect the historic site in Italy, where misbehaving tourists are becoming a persistent problem

First-edition Jane Austen novels in a special display case at her former home

See Rare First-Edition Copies of Jane Austen’s Novels at the Cottage Where She Wrote and Revised Them

A new exhibition at the author’s home in Chawton, which has never previously displayed all six first-edition books together, is part of preparations for the author’s 250th birthday celebrations

The decorative coffin of Lady Chenet-aa, a high-status woman who died some 3,000 years ago

Scientists Are Using CT Scanners to Reveal the Secrets of More Than Two Dozen Ancient Egyptian Mummies

For the first time, researchers were able to see inside the mummies in the Chicago Field Museum’s collections. Their findings paint a more comprehensive picture of ancient Egyptian life

Prints from Warhol's Reigning Queens series ahead of a 2021 Christie's sale. These portraits depict the United Kingdom's Elizabeth II and Denmark's Margrethe II.

When Art Thieves Stole Four Andy Warhol Prints, They Didn’t Realize Only Two Would Fit in the Getaway Car

The robbers only made away with two of the screen prints, which they swiped from a gallery in the Netherlands. They abandoned the other artworks on the street

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