Underwater view of ship 17's hull

Cool Finds

Wreck of Unusual Ship Described by Herodotus Recovered From Nile Delta

The Greek chronicler dedicated 23 lines of his Histories to the construction of a Nile cargo boat known by locals as a baris

Cool Finds

Mariner’s Astrolabe Recovered From Shipwreck Is the World’s Oldest

The navigational gadget comes from the wreck of the Esmerelda, part of Vasco da Gama’s fleet that sunk off the coast of Oman in 1503

Archaeologists from the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration found this 19th-century clay pipe at the excavation site that contained the DNA of a woman who had connections to the region that is now modern-day Sierra Leone.

DNA From 200-Year-Old Pipe Links Enslaved Woman to Sierra Leone

A new genetic analysis suggests that certain artifacts can help descendants of enslaved people piece together their ancestral heritage

These floral watercolors may have been painted by van Gogh's unrequited love interest, the 19-year-old daughter of his landlady

Cool Finds

Newly Discovered Papers Found in Vincent van Gogh’s London Lodging

The cache includes insurance records signed by his landlady, a volume of prayers and hymns, and watercolors possibly painted by an unrequited love interest

One of a series of images from the Illustrated London News for October 13, 1888 carrying the overall caption, "With the Vigilance Committee in the East End".

New Research

No, We Still Cannot Confirm the Identity of Jack the Ripper

The case for the unmasking is tied to a shawl alleged to have been found next to Ripper victim Catherine Eddowes, but its provenance is uncertain

A 2,325-year-old bog butter weighing almost 30 pounds, alongside the keg it was found in.

Bronze Age Irish ‘Bog Butter’ Is Actually Made From Dairy, Study Finds

It previously was not clear whether the strange swampy snack originated from milk or animal fats

Artist's depiction of "Henry," a teenaged sailor on the Mary Rose.

Cool Finds

DNA Shows Ethnically Diverse Crew Sailed Henry VIII’s Flagship

The research on the skeletons found near the wreck suggests there were sailors and marines on board who came from North Africa and the Mediterranean

New Research

Stonehenge Pig Roasts Drew People From All Over Neolithic Britain

Isotopic analysis of pig bones in feasting sites near the monument show people were traveling as far as Scotland with their own pigs

Cool Finds

Birds and Humans Are Depicted Together in This Rare Scene From 12,000 Years Ago

Researchers believe the discovery, detailed in a new study, represent an “exceptional milestone in European Paleolithic rock art”

Woman's shoe found at the site of the March 1945 massacre

400 Artifacts Unearthed at Site of Nazi Massacre Targeting Polish, Soviet P.O.W.s

In March 1945, German soldiers shot 208 Polish and Soviet forced laborers in a series of three mass executions across the Arnsberg Forest

Virginia Woolf (pictured above), Margaret Kennedy, Rebecca West, Stella Benson and Hilaire Belloc are amongst the writers who answered the survey

Literary Confessions Penned by Virginia Woolf, Margaret Kennedy Unearthed

10 prominent English writers answered a 39-question survey detailing their opinions of literary predecessors and peers

A letter signed by Mary and her husband, James Hepburn, which grants ground for the making of salt to London businessmen.

Newly Discovered Letters Show a Different Side of Mary, Queen of Scots

When she wasn’t embroiled in political strife and intrigue, Mary still had to deal with the daily practicalities of running a kingdom

A newly rediscovered fragment of Ibn Sīnā's Canon of Medicine

A Medieval Arabic Medical Text Was Translated Into Irish, Discovery Shows

Ibn Sīnā’s Canon of Medicine was once a core part of the European medical curriculum

Alcatraz's recreation yard, where the structures were discovered.

Cool Finds

Radar Scans Reveal Traces of 19th-Century Fort Beneath Alcatraz

Before Capone took up residence, the island was home to military installation that guarded San Francisco Bay

Underdrawing as seen under X-ray (left) and underdrawing superimposed with elements of 1619 portrait (right)

Cool Finds

X-Ray Analysis Reveals Self-Portrait Hidden Under Artemisia Gentileschi Painting

The underpainting closely mirrors an earlier self-portrait depicting the Baroque artist as Saint Catherine

Illustrated Police News periodical detailing the murders

New Book Chronicles the Lives of Jack the Ripper’s Victims

Contrary to popular belief, the five women were not all prostitutes, but rather individuals down on their luck

Cool Finds

Cave Full of Untouched Maya Artifacts Found at Chichén Itzá

The intact offerings will allow researchers to understand changes over time at the site

Pope Pius XII's archives will be unsealed next year

The Vatican Will Unseal the Archives of Pius XII, the Controversial Holocaust-Era Pope

Some have accused the pope of remaining silent in the face of Nazi persecution, while others say he quietly worked to rescue Jews

Trending Today

Site Where Julius Caesar Was Stabbed Will Finally Open to the Public

The curia in Pompey’s Theater where Caesar died in the Largo di Torre Argentina is currently a fenced-off feral cat colony

The cactus spines, bound together with yucca leaves, are still stained with black ink

Cool Finds

These 2,000-Year-Old Needles, Still Sharp, Are the Oldest Tattooing Instruments Found in the Southwestern U.S.

Originally excavated in 1972, the pronged cactus-spine tool languished in storage for more than 40 years before its true purpose was recognized

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