Smart News History & Archaeology

Winston Churchill loved Claude Monet's paintings, which he looked to as inspiration for his own art.

A Monet Masterpiece That Hung in Churchill's Home Is Now Free of Grime From Cigar Smoke

The newly restored "Charing Cross Bridge," which once hung in the politician's drawing room, is now on display at London's Courtauld Gallery

The 36 silver coins, minted between 1000 to 1065 C.E., have been declared official treasure. 

Metal Detectorists Unearth 1,000-Year-Old Viking Coins on a Small Island in the Irish Sea

Experts say that the trove of silver currency is official treasure and includes coins from England and Ireland

An interior view of the Transfiguration Cathedral in in Odesa, Ukraine, which was heavily damaged by a Russian missile on July 23, 2023

Two and a Half Years After the Russian Invasion, Ukraine's Cultural Heritage Remains at Risk

A $1 million grant from the U.S. is the latest effort to support Ukraine's fight to preserve its rich past

Oued Beht, highlighted in color

The Discovery of a 5,000-Year-Old Society in Morocco Reveals an Ancient Farming Culture

At the site known as Oued Beht, archaeologists uncovered evidence of a large farming settlement where people used advanced techniques

A high-resolution synthetic aperture sonar image of the USS Stewart

Cool Finds

This Newly Discovered Sunken Warship Served on Both Sides of World War II

The USS <em>Stewart</em> was purposefully sunk off the coast of California after the war

Archaeologists digging in ancient Fregellae uncovered the region&rsquo;s oldest known villa

The Roman Republic Quashed a Rebellion So Completely That This City Became a Landfill

Researchers studying the ancient site of Fregellae reveal the consequences of challenging the Roman army

An image of the famous Sycamore Gap tree before it was illegally cut down in 2023

One Year After England's Famous Sycamore Gap Tree Was Illegally Felled, a New Exhibition Honors Its Legacy

The show coincides with an initiative that will give away 49 of the tree's saplings to individuals and communities across the country

This long-term loan comes after Yemen and the Met formalized a partnership in 2023.

Ancient Statues Recently Returned to Yemen Are Now on Loan at the Met

The long-term loan is the latest agreement Yemen has made with a museum in order to protect its cultural heritage amid ongoing civil war

A wall painting of a crowned woman with scepter (upper left), a procession of men behind her carrying objects (upper right) and a textile workshop (below)

Cool Finds

See a Newly Uncovered Throne Room in Peru That May Have Belonged to an Ancient Queen

Built by the Moche people in the seventh century, the stunningly painted space shows signs of heavy use, including an eroded throne and traces of human hair

Guests play a throwback &quot;Donkey Kong&quot; game with an oversized controller at the Nintendo Museum.

Nintendo Switches Things Up With a New Museum That Embraces Nostalgia and Celebrates Gaming History

The Kyoto museum will feature interactive exhibits, gaming artifacts, workshop spaces and oversized controllers inspired by iconic video games

Underwater photos revealed the John Evenson&#39;s giant propeller.

This Shipwreck's Location Was a Mystery for 129 Years. Then, Two Men Found It Just Minutes Into a Three-Day Search

The "John Evenson" tugboat was helping another ship enter the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal in Wisconsin when it sank to the bottom of Lake Michigan in 1895

The Prometheus tree once stood in this grove on a mountain in Nevada.

How One Researcher Accidentally Killed One of the Oldest Trees in the World

In 1964, a graduate student cut down a bristlecone pine in Nevada. The tree, now known as Prometheus, turned out to be nearly 5,000 years old

Born in a one-room log cabin in Kentucky, Abraham Lincoln rose to the presidency in 1861.

Explore Abraham Lincoln's Life and Legacy Through Rare Copies of Historic Books and Documents

A new exhibition in New York City uses more than 200 texts and artifacts to contemplate Lincoln's rise to the nation's highest office

These ornate ear studs from the kingdom of Tabanan were among the 288 artifacts returned to Indonesia.

The Netherlands Has Returned 288 Stolen Artifacts to Indonesia

The Dutch seized the majority of the items in the aftermath of a brutal 1906 conflict that killed an estimated 1,000 Balinese

The chunks of cheese were found alongside ancient mummies in China in 2003.

New Research

The World's Oldest Cheese Was Buried in a Chinese Tomb 3,600 Years Ago. Now, Scientists Have Sequenced Its DNA

New research has revealed that the mysterious white substance found alongside three ancient mummies was once a soft cheese called kefir

Lines from tire tracks can be seen running through historic geoglyphs in the&nbsp;Atacama Desert.

Off-Road Drivers Are Destroying Ancient Artworks Stretching Across Chile's Deserts

As hundreds of motorists take to the desert, their tracks damage the massive geoglyphs made by Indigenous groups in northern Chile

James Fitzjames was a captain aboard the HMS&nbsp;Erebus. Now, researchers have identified his remains with DNA analysis.

DNA Reveals Identity of Officer on the Lost Franklin Expedition—and His Remains Show Signs of Cannibalism

Researchers recently identified James Fitzjames, a captain on the ill-fated HMS Erebus that went looking for the Northwest Passage in 1845

Some human bones, including this skull, found at the Tollense Valley battlefield were pierced with arrowheads.

New Research

These 3,000-Year-Old Arrowheads Are Pivotal Clues in the Mystery of 'Europe's Oldest Known Battlefield'

While no written records exist, new research has illuminated key details of the battle fought in northern Germany during the 13th century B.C.E.

The 200-year-old message was found inside a glass salt bottle.

Cool Finds

Students Stumble Upon a Message in a Bottle Written by a French Archaeologist 200 Years Ago

The mysterious missive was written by P.J. Féret, who conducted an archaeological dig at the same site in northern France in 1825

More than 650,000 people visit&nbsp;Kuwohi at Great Smoky Mountains National Park each year. The summit is topped by an observation tower accessible via a paved path.

The Highest Peak in Great Smoky Mountains National Park Will Now Be Called by Its Cherokee Name

In 1858, the mountain was named for a Confederate general. Now, it will once again be known as "Kuwohi"

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