Researchers studying Edvard Munch's Madonna (left) discovered hidden underdrawings (right) that reveal how the artist tinkered with his composition over time.

Art Meets Science

Hidden Sketch Reveals a More Traditional Version of Edvard Munch’s Sensual ‘Madonna’

A chance discovery suggests the woman’s provocative pose was originally somewhat subdued

The white pipeclay Venus statuette before (right) and after (left) cleaning

Roman-Era Statue of Venus, Goddess of Love, Discovered in England

The seven-inch-tall figurine likely stood in a household shrine in what is now Gloucestershire some 1,800 years ago

A cubicle surrounding the toilet and a deep septic tank beneath it were both carved out of limestone bedrock.

Cool Finds

2,700-Year-Old Private Toilet Found in Jerusalem

Bowls discovered inside the bathroom cubicle may have held incense or other air fresheners, researchers say

The golden bowl may have been used in religious ceremonies honoring the sun.

Cool Finds

3,000-Year-Old Golden Bowl Adorned With Sun Motif Found in Austria

Researcher Michał Sip described the prehistoric vessel as the “discovery of a lifetime”

Of the 1,525 artifacts included in the show, 881 were recovered from abroad.

Trove of Artifacts, Many Recovered From Abroad, Traces 4,000 Years of Mexican History

A new exhibition in Mexico City features 1,525 objects linked to the Maya, Toltec, Teotihuacán, Aztec and Mixtec cultures

The stone seats are inscribed with Latin names in Greek letters.

Inscribed VIP Seats Unearthed at Roman Amphitheater in Turkey

Pergamon’s elite watched gladiator and animal fights, public executions, and naval reenactments at the ancient arena

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the audit found that the majority of America's monuments commemorate white, male historical figures.

History of Now

Scholars Spent a Year Scrutinizing America’s Monuments. Here’s What They Learned

A major audit of nearly 50,000 monuments reveals the historical figures, themes and myths that dominate the nation’s commemorative landscape

Scientists used DNA analysis of mummies from ancient Egypt to reconstruct the faces of three men buried more than 2,000 years ago.

Art Meets Science

3-D Reconstruction Reveals the Faces of Three Ancient Egyptian Mummies

Researchers used a combination of DNA and physical analysis to approximate the trio’s visages

An aerial view of the "In America: Remember" installation on the National Mall, which commemorates the nearly 700,000 Americans who've lost their lives to Covid-19.

Covid-19

In D.C., 695,000 Flags—and Counting—Memorialize the Americans Who Have Died of Covid-19

Created by artist Suzanne Brennan Firstenberg, the installation covers the National Mall in white pennants featuring handwritten dedications to the dead

The photographs show the "fossil" imprint of a wooden ship that rotted away long before the dig.

You Can Now Explore a Trove of Behind-the-Scenes Photos From the Famed Sutton Hoo Dig

Schoolteachers Mercie Lacks and Barbara Wagstaff captured the snapshots in August 1939

"Remember Me," now on view at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, unites more than 100 European Renaissance portraits. Pictured here is Albrecht Dürer's 1508 chalk sketch of an unidentified African man.

Display of 100 Renaissance Portraits Underscores Humans’ Enduring Desire to Be Remembered

An exhibition at the Rijksmuseum unites two early likenesses of African men in Europe, among other 15th- and 16th-century masterpieces

Early Etruscans had advanced knowledge of art, farming and metallurgy, leading some historians to believe the civilization originated elsewhere before settling in what is now Italy. DNA analysis shows they were actually locals.

New Research

Where Did the Ancient Etruscans Come From?

A new DNA analysis suggests the enigmatic civilization was native to the Italian Peninsula

Researchers in Turkey have uncovered an all-but-forgotten ancient Greek temple and a 50,000-seat stadium (shown).

Entrance Gate to Greek Temple of Zeus Unearthed in Turkey

Archaeologists excavating the ancient city of Magnesia hope to fully restore the 2,300-year-old sacred structure

The fire destroyed the property's porch, which was built more than 100 years ago but wasn't originally part of the house.

‘Suspicious’ Fire Destroys Porch at Susan B. Anthony House and Museum

Authorities are investigating the blaze, which left the New York landmark’s historic interior and contents largely unscathed

The National Gallery's Samson and Delilah (1609-10) is attributed to Peter Paul Rubens, but some scholars have raised doubts regarding its authenticity in recent decades.

Art Meets Science

Did Peter Paul Rubens Really Paint ‘Samson and Delilah’?

A.I. analysis renews doubts over the authenticity of a star painting in the London National Gallery’s collection

Two men found the coins while diving in Portitxol Bay along the Mediterranean coast.

Cool Finds

Amateur Divers Discover Trove of 53 Roman Gold Coins in Spain

A wealthy landowner probably hid the hoard to protect it from “barbarian” invaders

The cache of newly returned items includes 15 handwritten papers and a small collection of looted antiquities.

Colonial-Era Papers Stolen From Mexico’s National Archive Return Home

The documents, many of which are directly linked to conquistador Hernán Cortés, were smuggled out of the country and auctioned in the U.S.

Believed to be the world's oldest jewelry, the perforated shells date to about 142,000 years ago.

Cool Finds

Are These Snail Shells the World’s Oldest Known Beads?

Found in a Moroccan cave, the prehistoric jewelry dates to between 142,000 and 150,000 years ago

The letters "IMP" stand for imperator, meaning the tile maker was "supplying tiles fit for the emperor" or "on the emperor's demands."

Cool Finds

Tiles ‘Fit for the Emperor’ Found in Roman Ruins Beneath English Cricket Club

The objects, as well as an inscription at the site, suggest ties to Septimius Severus, who led campaigns nearby in the early third century C.E.

"Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams" is on view at the Brooklyn Museum through February 20, 2022.

Tracing Christian Dior’s Evolution, From the Postwar ‘New Look’ to Contemporary Feminism

An exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum in New York chronicles the fashion house’s 75-year history

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