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Stories from Sonja Anderson

The tomb was found in an acropolis to the right of Caana, the central architectural complex at Caracol, which is more than 140 feet tall.

Archaeologists Unearth Treasure-Filled Tomb Belonging to the First Known Ruler of a Maya City in Belize

Te K’ab Chaak was a wealthy warrior king who rose to power in 331 C.E. His burial is the first royal tomb found in the ancient city of Caracol

The box given to Brand contained records from the Dutch East India Company.

Stolen Historic Documents Surface in Attic—Ten Years After an Employee Used Them as Collateral to Borrow Money

The thief likely took the trove when he worked for the Dutch National Archives in 2015. Recently, someone found them in storage and contacted art detective Arthur Brand

The Louvre's current visitor entrance is underneath a pyramid designed by I.M. Pei in the Napoléon courtyard.

The Louvre Is Asking Architects to Submit Their Design Ideas for an Ambitious $316 Million Expansion

The Paris museum has launched a competition to design a new entrance and underground exhibition spaces, including one dedicated to the “Mona Lisa”

Guimard's Place de la Bastille Métro entrance was demolished in the 1960s.

The Architect Who Designed the Iconic Entrances to the Paris Métro Is Finally Getting the Attention He Deserves

When Hector Guimard’s subway designs were unveiled in the early 1900s, the public rejected his Art Nouveau style. Soon, a new museum devoted to his work will open in the city

The Hall of Constantine's Vision of the Cross depicts the emperor ahead of his battle with Maxentius.

The Vatican’s Newly Restored Raphael Rooms Spotlight the Great Artist Who Died Before Finishing His Final Project

As specialists cleaned and studied the rooms in the Apostolic Palace, they learned new information about the Renaissance painter’s experimental techniques

A facial reconstruction using a 3D scan of the skull

Scientists Have Sequenced an Ancient Egyptian Skeleton’s Entire Genome for the Very First Time. Here’s What They Found

Dating back more than 4,500 years, the skeleton belonged to a middle-aged man who may have worked as a potter and likely descended from ancestors in North Africa and Mesopotamia

Scholars with the "Constructing the Limes" project led the research on the newly discovered site.

Archaeologists Discover Roman Army Camp in the Netherlands—15 Miles Beyond the Empire’s Northern Border

Researchers think the camp was built during the second century C.E. Stretching across 22 acres, it was identified using a computer model developed by an archaeology student

One of the lion's head discs discovered in the grave

Four Bewildering Bronze Lions’ Heads With Slightly Different Facial Expressions Found in Ancient Roman Grave in Israel

Similar examples of ancient lion artifacts appear to have been used as door knockers. But the newly discovered discs may have served a different purpose

The Lough Kinale Book Shrine was discovered in an Irish lake in 1986.

These Medieval Monks Scribbled Notes in the Margins of Their Books More Than 1,000 Years Ago

A new exhibition in Dublin showcases historic manuscripts written in Irish monasteries. The show also features medieval artifacts, such as a rare book shrine found in a river in the 1980s

The team didn't use any maps throughout their 45-hour trip.

Scientists Built a Canoe Using Only Prehistoric Tools. Then They Sailed the Dangerous 140-Mile Route Early Humans Traveled 30,000 Years Ago

Five paddlers journeyed from Taiwan to Japan’s southern Yonaguni Island in 45 hours. Their efforts provide new insights into prehistoric mariners’ tools and techniques

The skull was fractured on its front and left side.

This Young Woman With a Cone-Shaped Skull Died After Suffering a Severe Head Wound 6,000 Years Ago

Found in the Chega Sofla cemetery in Iran, the skull appears to have been struck by a blunt object. Archaeologists don’t know whether the incident was intentional or accidental

Fragments of a limestone statue of Hatshepsut, photographed in 1929

Why Were Ancient Statues of This Egyptian Female Pharaoh Destroyed?

Shattered depictions of Hatshepsut have long thought to be products of her successor’s violent hatred towards her, but a new study presents a different narrative

The activist threw paint on Pablo Picasso’s L'hétaïre (1901).

Climate Activist Throws Bright Pink Paint on Glass Covering Picasso Painting in Montreal

The stunt is part of an environmental organization’s efforts to draw attention to the dangerous wildfires spreading through Canada

The garden features a reconstructed shaded alcove for dining.

The 2,000-Year-Old ‘Perfume Garden’ in the Ancient City of Pompeii Has Been Restored to Its Former Glory

The small garden now features thousands of roses, violets, cherry trees and vines. Experts think a perfumer may have once used the plants to experiment with new scents

The sword's hilt is made up of a six-and-a-half-inch guard, once-leather grip and nut-shaped pommel.

This Medieval Sword Pulled From a Dutch Riverbed Is Marked With Intricate Copper Symbols

The artifact was remarkably preserved for a millennium in anaerobic clay on a private estate near the city of Montfoort

Visitors posing for photos accidentally broke Van Gogh's Chair by Nicola Bolla.

Museumgoers Accidentally Break Fragile Crystal-Covered Chair Inspired by Vincent van Gogh Painting

Security footage shows the two museumgoers pretending to sit on the artwork as they pose for photos at the Palazzo Maffei in Italy. After the piece’s front legs bucked, the pair left the museum

Emerson's Patriot Radio, model FC-400, made in 1940

Explore Art and Design in 1940s America Through These 250 Paintings, Photos, Posters and Artifacts

A new exhibition at the Philadelphia Museum of Art examines how artistic expression evolved throughout the war years and the postwar period

Vincent Willem van Gogh’s Studio, Kuwakubo Toru, 2015

These Powerful Paintings Show Why van Gogh Fell in Love With Japan—and Why Japan Fell in Love With van Gogh

A new exhibition examines how the Dutch artist drew inspiration from Japanese art. It also explores how he influenced 20th- and 21st-century Japanese painters and photographers

A painting found in Pompeii depicting eggs, bronze dishes and two small birds hung on a wall

This Ancient Roman Casual Dining Joint Served Fish, Chicken and—Fried Songbird

A new analysis of the bones in the eatery’s garbage pit challenges the elite status of thrush in the Roman diet

Titled The Despair, the sculpture depicts a woman holding her leg.

This Stunning Sculpture Was Sitting on a Family’s Piano. It Turned Out to Be an Original Rodin

Titled “The Despair,” the rare artwork just sold at auction for $1 million. For many years, its owners had assumed it was merely a copy

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