Smart News History & Archaeology

Tankard made in Westerwald, German , found along with lots of tanning debris in a privy 
associated with a small house on an alley that probably be
longed to tanner.

Cool Finds

Tens of Thousands of Artifacts Have Been Found in Colonial Philadelphia Toilets

Archaeologists excavating the site of the Museum of the American Revolution found a dozen privy pits full of pottery, printing supplies and animal bones

The historical flag of Prague's Jewish community.

Cool Finds

How Did the Six-Pointed Star Become Associated With Judaism?

The connection between the two goes back centuries

Trending Today

Transgender People Can Now Serve Openly in the U.S. Military

One of the last restrictions on who can serve in the military has been removed

Cool Finds

Researcher Unearths a Trove of New Shakespeare Documents

Archival papers show the Bard was interested in improving his social status

Photograph of the megalithic cluster of Carregal do Sal, one of the passage graves in Portugal that may have doubled as an ancient telescope.

New Research

These Ancient Tombs May Have Been Both Grave and Observatory

The best view of the heavens could be from within the tomb

What could be more relatable than a president and first lady in bed?

Cool Finds

These Artifacts Show the Best—And Worst—of American Election Ephemera

From trash to political treasure

An unnamed Pullman porter works at Chicago's Union Station in 1943.

Trending Today

Five Things to Know About Pullman Porters

As the oldest Pullman porters die, it's time to reflect on the proud legacy of these African-American workers

A side scan sonar image of the Royal Albert at the bottom of Lake Ontario.

Cool Finds

19th-Century Sunken Schooner Uncovered in Lake Ontario

It’s the only two-masted ship known to have sunk in the area

One of the most stunning features of Taiwan's Lukang Longshan Temple is its extravagant wood caisson ceiling.

Experience the Secrets of a Threatened Taiwanese Temple

New 3D reconstructions make it possible to look inside Lukang Longshan

A section of the Historic Route 66 in Seligman, Arizona.

Cool Finds

A New Project Tells the Stories of the Women of Route 66

An oral history project with the National Park Service follows women on the iconic highway

Cool Finds

The Poster That Started the "Keep Calm" Craze is on Sale

Learn about the print that launched a thousand memes

Inside the quiet forests near what was once Ponar, Lithuania lie mass graves that contain up to 100,000 bodies. Now, archaeologists have discovered a tunnel that 80 survivors used to attempt to escape in 1944. Twelve succeeded.

New Research

Archaeologists Found a Hand-Dug Holocaust Escape Tunnel

The tunnel was dug by desperate prisoners using spoons

USMT workers set up telegraph lines during the Civil War.

Cool Finds

You Can Help Decode Thousands of Top Secret Civil War Telegrams

Volunteers will transcribe and tease out the messages of of nearly 16,000 communiques

A squash seedling (though not one of the ancient squash)

Cool Finds

An Ancient Squash Dodges Extinction Thanks to the Efforts of Native Americans

Indigenous people carefully tended an ancient squash for thousands of years and now the seeds are seeing a resurgence in popularity

The site where the historic Stonewall Inn was located will now be the United States' first National Monument to gay rights.

Trending Today

President Obama Just Created the First National Monument to Gay Rights

The Stonewall National Monument tells the story of LGBTQ struggles in the United States

"Dance at Molenbeek," a painting by Pieter Brueghel the Younger (1564-1638) depicts pilgrims dancing to the church at Molenbeek.

Cool Finds

A Strange Case of Dancing Mania Struck Germany Six Centuries Ago Today

Modern experts still don't agree on what caused plagues of compulsive dancing in the streets

Ask Smithsonian 2017

What's the Difference Between England, Britain and the U.K.?

Listen up, would-be Anglophiles: Here's how never to mess up your realms, kingdoms and empires again

Two canal workers pose in the cut

Cool Finds

Commemorate the Panama Canal's Expansion With These Photos From Its Construction

The Panama Canal is opening a third lane to accommodate new mega cargo ships, a feat almost—but not quite—as impressive as building the original

By Augustus Koch (1840–?) - Amon Carter Museum Texas Bird's-Eye Views [1], Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9140425

Cool Finds

Solving a Neighborhood Mystery Reveals Forgotten African-American History

An abandoned lot in San Antonio turned out to be an important part of the city's story

The House of Representatives' rostrum has been the site of brawls, debates and sit-ins.

Trending Today

A Brief History of Congressional Carpets

There's more to the House floor than meets the eye

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