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Smart News / Smart News History & Archaeology

Ellen Ochoa was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom at the White House last week, becoming the tenth astronaut to receive the country's highest civilian honor.

Ellen Ochoa, Former NASA Astronaut and First Hispanic Woman in Space, Receives Presidential Medal of Freedom

The former Johnson Space Center director logged four space shuttle flights and 1,000 hours in orbit over her 30-year career

In A Woman Sewing With Two Children, the central character wears a light wash denim apron.

When Were Blue Jeans Invented? These Paintings Suggest the Fashion Trend Dates Back to the 1600s

Ten paintings attributed to the “Master of the Blue Jeans” depict Italian peasants wearing the storied fabric

Previous research had found leprosy in modern red squirrels, and genetic analysis suggested the strain was closely related to leprosy found in medieval humans.

Medieval Squirrels and Humans May Have Spread Leprosy Back and Forth

Archaeologists uncovered evidence of leprosy in a medieval red squirrel in England, and DNA evidence revealed the strain was similar to what was circulating in humans at the time

Archaeologists discovered 300 sealed pottery jugs in the wreckage.

Roman-Era Ship Was Carrying Jugs Full of Fish Sauce When It Sank 1,700 Years Ago

Discovered in the summer of 2019, the Ses Fontanelles wreck likely ran aground sometime during the fourth century

Close-up showing the Archaeopteryx fossil’s skull, neck, spine, rib cage and wing bones. The fossil will go on view at Chicago's Field Museum on May 7.

Chicago Museum Unveils the ‘Most Important Fossil Ever Discovered’: the Feathered Dinosaur Archaeopteryx

Archaeopteryx provided the missing link between dinosaurs and the avians of today, serving as critical evidence for Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution

Shanidar Z likely stood 5 feet tall and was around 40 years old when she died.

Meet Shanidar Z, a Neanderthal Woman Who Walked the Earth 75,000 Years Ago

After carefully piecing her skull back together, archaeologists and paleoartists have created a lifelike 3D reconstruction of the woman’s face

Researchers found the building's remains at Tel Habwa, an archaeological site northeast of Cairo.

Cool Finds

This Ancient Building May Have Served as a Rest Stop for an Egyptian Pharaoh’s Army

Found in the northern Sinai Peninsula, the multi-room structure may have housed Thutmose III’s troops over three and a half millennia ago

The Adella Shores was built in 1894 for the Shores Lumber Company. It was named after the owner's daughter.

This Ship Mysteriously Vanished 115 Years Ago. Now, It’s Been Found at the Bottom of Lake Superior

Nobody knew what happened to the “Adella Shores,” which disappeared with 14 crew members aboard in 1909

Louvre employees rehung Eugene Delacroix's 1830 oil painting Liberty Leading the People on Thursday after a six-month restoration.

The Paris Olympics

‘Liberty Leading the People’ Returns to the Louvre After a Breathtaking Restoration

Eugène Delacroix’s 1830 oil painting had been covered in grime and discolored by eight layers of varnish

The exhibition features recreations of the tomb's antechamber, burial chamber and treasury.

See 1,000 Perfect Replicas of Objects Unearthed From King Tut’s Tomb

A traveling exhibition on view in Washington, D.C. blends education and entertainment, letting visitors get up close and personal with the ancient Egyptian pharaoh’s treasures

Dutch settlers "bought" the island of Manahatta from the Lenape in 1626.

Happy 400th Birthday to New Amsterdam, the Dutch Settlement That Became New York

In 1624, Dutch settlers arrived in Manhattan. Now, officials are marking the milestone with an honest examination of the past

The bomb was discovered near Mewa Arena, home of the Mainz 05 soccer club.

World War II-Era Bomb Successfully Defused Near German Soccer Stadium

The 1,110-pound ordnance is one of many bombs that have surfaced in Europe decades after the war’s end

Researchers discovered broken pottery in a medieval ditch beneath a bridge in the city's center.

Cool Finds

Archaeologists Discover Medieval Artifacts Ahead of Bridge Demolition in England

Found during a construction project near the railway station in York, the trove includes pottery and bones

The Greek philosopher Plato was a student of Socrates and a teacher of Aristotle.

This Newly Deciphered Papyrus Scroll Reveals the Location of Plato’s Grave

The mysterious site is mentioned in a text buried by Mount Vesuvius’ eruption 2,000 years ago

The Chau Chak Wing Museum at the University of Sydney is home to Australia's largest collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts.

Australian Museum Removes Mummified Body Parts From Display

“We have become so accustomed to seeing them on show that we often forget they once belonged to living people,” says Melanie Pitkin, a senior curator at the Chau Chak Wing Museum at the University of Sydney

This photograph may depict the iceberg that caused the Titanic to sink

This Historic Photograph May Depict the Iceberg That Sank the Titanic

The image, which sold for $22,000 at auction this week, was taken aboard a recovery vessel days after the famous ocean liner went down

An aerial view of the structure, which resembles a wonky, incomplete bow tie.

Cool Finds

This Neolithic Monument Found in France Has No Equal

A trio of interlocking enclosures, the structure may date to the time of the Bell Beaker culture, but experts are unsure of its exact age and purpose

The glass bottles buried in the graves were unearthed in good condition.

Cool Finds

In This Ancient Cemetery, Romans Left Fine Glass Vessels, Platforms for Feasting and Phallic Pendants

Archaeologists in Narbonne, France, have been studying the necropolis since 2017

Authorities don't know why the sails fell off in the early hours of April 25.

Moulin Rouge Windmill Blades Fall Off in the Middle of the Night

The iconic Paris landmark has never experienced such a mishap in its 135-year history

Japanese Americans were forced to leave behind their homes and belongings, then report to incarceration sites.

The Public Finally Has Access to an Accurate List of Japanese Americans Detained During World War II

Researchers who spent years fixing errors in shoddy government records have partnered with Ancestry to make a wide selection of historical documents related to the period available for free

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