Art historian Philip Mould identified this miniature, previously thought to be a likeness of Sir Walter Raleigh, as a portrait of Henry III of France.

Cool Finds

Petite Portrait of Henry III, King Who Challenged Sexual Norms in 16th-Century France, Discovered

Art dealer Philip Mould purchased the miniature “sight unseen” during lockdown. Now, he’s offering it to the Louvre Museum in Paris

Researchers restored the mask before reburying it to protect against looters and erosion.

Cool Finds

Human-Sized Maya Mask Found in Mexico

The stucco sculpture—dated to between 300 B.C. and 250 A.D.—probably depicts a deity or elite member of society

The remains of an individual buried at the Augustinian friary, pictured during excavations in 2016

New Research

Medieval Britons’ Remains Record the ‘Skeletal Trauma’ Inflicted by Inequality

New study reveals the horrific injuries sustained by lower-class members of English society

Trove of amulets unearthed in Pompeii

Pompeii’s Museum Reopens With Dazzling Display of Archaeological Treasures

Artifacts on view at the Antiquarium include ancient frescoes, protective amulets and casts of Mount Vesuvius victims’ bodies

Archaeologists discovered ancient amphorae from Spain and what is now Tunisia.

Cool Finds

Trove of ‘Ancient Treasures’ Found in Shipwreck Off the Coast of Greece

Researchers surveying the seabed surrounding the island of Kasos discovered pottery that holds clues to trade in the Mediterranean

The online portal features virtual exhibitions, tours, videos and images of more than 200 artifacts.

Education During Coronavirus

You Can Now Explore 200 Years of Chinese American History Online

The Museum of Chinese in America launched the digital platform one year after a fire devastated its archives

Hank Aaron (center) poses with his teammates in this 1956 photograph by Osvaldo Salas.

Smithsonian Scholars Reflect on Baseball Legend Hank Aaron’s Legacy

The former home run king died in his sleep on Friday at age 86

In full, the Greek text reads, “Christ born of Mary. This work of the most God-fearing and pious bishop [Theodo]sius and the miserable Th[omas] was built from the foundation.”

Cool Finds

Inscription Offers Earliest Evidence of Christianity in Israel’s Jezreel Valley

The fifth-century engraving, found repurposed in a Byzantine building’s wall, references “Christ born of Mary”

Gordon Parks, Boy With June Bug, Fort Scott, Kansas, 1963

Gordon Parks’ Photos of 20th-Century Black Americans Are More Relevant Than Ever

An exhibition at NYC’s Jack Shainman Gallery underscores the contemporary resonance of the photographer’s work

Robert S. Duncanson's Landscape With Rainbow (1859) “carries with it an unmistakable ray of hope,” per the Los Angeles Times. “Rainbows typically appear after a storm has passed, not before.”

Inauguration History

Smithsonian Curator Reflects on Joe Biden’s ‘Poignant’ Inaugural Painting

Eleanor Harvey posits that the 1859 landscape’s message of hope resonated with First Lady Jill Biden, who helped select the artwork

Prior to the Spanish forces' arrival, Aztec people tried to hide the bones of their victims by throwing them into wells.

After Aztecs Cannibalized Spanish Convoy, Conquistadors Retaliated by Killing Innocents

Archaeologists in Mexico discovered the remains of women and children targeted by Hernán Cortés’ forces in 1520

Researchers have identified a pyramid in the vast Saqqara necropolis as the tomb of King Teti’s wife, Queen Naert.

Cool Finds

Archaeologists Unearth Egyptian Queen’s Tomb, 13-Foot ‘Book of the Dead’ Scroll

The team also discovered dozens of sarcophagi, wooden masks and ancient board games

Gorman's inaugural poem contains lines stating “But while democracy can be periodically delayed / It can never be permanently defeated.”

Inauguration History

Meet Amanda Gorman, the U.S.’ Youngest Inaugural Poet

The 22-year-old revised her original composition, “The Hill We Climb,” in the aftermath of the January 6 storming of the Capitol

Artist María Magdalena Campos-Pons spearheaded the creation of When We Gather, a three-minute short film marking Harris' inauguration.

How Seven Women Artists Are Celebrating Kamala Harris’ Historic Inauguration

The group’s upcoming short film, titled “When We Gather,” honors the achievements of women who preceded the vice president

Last June, protesters threw a statue of British slave trader Edward Colston into Bristol Harbor. A salvage team recovered the sculpture the following day.

Proposed Legislation Seeks to ‘Protect’ the U.K.’s Controversial Monuments

If passed, the new measure would make it more difficult for local councils to remove statues of polarizing historical figures

A rendering of by Hank Willis Thomas' The Embrace, a public memorial set to be unveiled in the Boston Commons in October 2022

Monument to Coretta Scott and MLK Is Coming to Boston, City Where They Met

Hank Willis Thomas’ sculpture of intertwined arms will memorialize the civil rights leaders and their fight for racial equality

A bent metal rod discovered in the grave was likely a dog toy.

Cool Finds

2,000-Year-Old Grave of Child and Puppy Found in France

The dog, outfitted in a collar with a bell, was placed next to the 1-year-old’s feet

The original cover design for Hergé's The Blue Lotus(1936) sold at auction for a record-breaking price on Thursday. The gouache and watercolor drawing was kept folded in a drawer for many years, and the lines where the work was folded are still visible.

Tintin Drawing Sold for €3.2 Million Is the World’s Most Expensive Comic Book Art

The original cover design for Hergé’s “The Blue Lotus” spent decades tucked away in a drawer

Borden was acquitted of her father and stepmother's murders, but she remained under suspicion for the rest of her life.

The House Where Lizzie Borden’s Family Was Murdered Is Up for Sale

You can now take a virtual tour of the Massachusetts property, which most recently served as a bed and breakfast

This Project Blue Book chart shows the frequency of unidentified flying object (UFO) reports during the months of June through September 1952.

You Can Now Explore the CIA’s ‘Entire’ Collection of UFO Documents Online

Thousands of pages of declassified records are available for anyone to peruse

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