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Smart News / Smart News History & Archaeology

Radiocarbon dating suggests the workshop began minting operations between 640 and 550 B.C.E.

Cool Finds

World’s Oldest Known Coin Mint Found in China

The 2,600-year-old site produced highly standardized “spade money,” possibly on government orders

Helina Metaferia, Crowning Care 1, 2021

Innovation for Good: Game Changers

Pioneering Project Explores Motherhood Through the Lens of Design

A new exhibition and book series offers an intimate view of reproductive history

Students from Cardiff University collaborated with archaeologists to excavate the mound on Soulton Hall's grounds.

Cool Finds

Mysterious Mound at English Manor May Conceal Remains of Medieval Castle

Archaeologists at Soulton Hall have unearthed sandstone walls and trinkets likely left behind by religious pilgrims

The first verse of the Book of Amos states that the events the narrator plans to relay took place “two years before the earthquake, when Uzziah was king of Judah.”

Cool Finds

Researchers Find Physical Evidence of Earthquake Described in Old Testament

Excavations in Jerusalem revealed damage dating to the eighth century B.C.E., when the natural disaster reportedly took place

The Parthenon, the temple that sits atop Athens' Acropolis, seen surrounded by smoke on August 4

Ancient Olympics’ Birthplace Saved as Fires Rage Across Southern Europe

A massive heatwave sparked blazes along the Mediterranean, threatening cultural heritage sites and forcing mass evacuations

Researchers uncovered the remains in the Umm Jirsan lava tube in Saudi Arabia.

Hyenas Hoarded Thousands of Human, Animal Bones in Saudi Arabian Lava Tube

The huge stockpile includes camel, rodent and cattle remains

“With this new tablet, we can actually see for the first time why they were interested in geometry: to lay down precise land boundaries,” says researcher Daniel Mansfield.

Babylonians Used Applied Geometry 1,000 Years Before Pythagoras

Calculations inscribed on a clay tablet helped ancient people document property boundaries, new research suggests

The gold and garnet pyramid mount found in Norfolk, England

Cool Finds

Amateur Treasure Hunter in England Discovers Early Medieval Sword Pyramid

On par with specimens found at nearby Sutton Hoo, the tiny accessory likely helped a lord or king keep their weapon sheathed

Previous research has largely drawn on texts created by Spanish colonizers.

New Research

Machu Picchu Is Older Than Previously Thought, Radiocarbon Dating Suggests

New research indicates that the Inca settlement was in continuous use from at least 1420 to 1530

The limestone slab's inscription states that Claudius “extended and redefined the pomerium because he had increased the boundaries of the Roman people.”

Cool Finds

Rare Boundary Stone Dated to Emperor Claudius’ Reign Unearthed in Rome

The 2,000-year-old travertine slab marked the sacred outer limits of the ancient city

Researchers excavating the sunken ruins of Thônis-Heracleion have discovered an array of archaeological treasures.

Cool Finds

2,400-Year-Old Baskets Still Filled With Fruit Found in Submerged Egyptian City

Wicker vessels recovered from the ruins of Thônis-Heracleion contain doum nuts and grape seeds

This slice of marzipan was likely cut from the top or side of a single-tier cake sent to Clarence House for the enjoyment of the queen mother's staff.

You Could Own a Slice of Princess Diana’s Wedding Cake

The not-so-edible, 40-year-old piece of royal history is expected to fetch more than $300 at auction

The sign states, “The use of enslaved labor to build the home of the President of the United States—often seen as a symbol of democracy—illuminates our country’s conflicted relationship with the institution of slavery and the ideals of freedom and equality promised in America’s founding documents.”

New Plaque Tells Story of Enslaved People Who Helped Build the White House

A marker in Lafayette Square is the first public work to acknowledge these individuals’ roles in constructing the presidential mansion

Two female sheep named Dilly and Dolly, as well as two unnamed lambs, helped with the project.

Grazing Goats and Sheep Help Uncover Historic Headstones in Ireland

The herbivores snacked on plant overgrowth at an 18th-century graveyard in Cork County, revealing long-hidden burial markers

The Romans invaded and occupied Son Catlar around 123 B.C.E.

Cool Finds

Trove of Roman Weapons Unearthed at Ancient Settlement in Spain

Son Catlar, a Talayotic site on the Balearic Islands, is known for its well-preserved fortifications

Researchers used a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to capture photographs of the wreck.

Cool Finds

Ancient Roman Shipwreck Loaded With Wine Amphorae Found Off Sicilian Coast

The vessel dates to the second century B.C.E.

Researchers found the remains of a high-ranking woman (left) and her two twin fetuses (right) in a Bronze Age urn in central Hungary.

Cool Finds

Remains of High-Born Woman and Twin Fetuses Found in 4,000-Year-Old Urn

A new chemical analysis suggests the wealthy mother left her homeland to marry an elite member of the mysterious Vatya culture

The cave paintings are located in the Aravalli mountain range in northwestern India.

Cool Finds

These Millennia-Old Cave Paintings May Be Among India’s Oldest

Locals have known about the artworks for generations, but government archaeologists only began documenting them this summer

Alfredo Ramos Martínez, La Malinche (Young Girl of Yalala, Oaxaca), 1940

Was La Malinche, Indigenous Interpreter for Conquistador Hernán Cortés, a Traitor, Survivor or Icon?

A new exhibition at the Denver Art Museum explores the legacy of an enslaved woman who aided Spain’s conquest of the Americas

Users play as Kendra Turner, an intern who uncovers the dark past—and present—of the fictional Blackhaven Hall Historical Society.

Innovation for Good: Game Changers

New Video Game Confronts Slavery’s Legacy Through a Historical Mystery

“Blackhaven” finds a fictional intern working to uncover a colonial estate’s hidden history while facing present-day racism

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