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History / World History

The monastery from inside the ramparts at twilight.

In Iraq, a Monastery Rediscovered

Near Mosul, war has helped and hindered efforts to excavate the 1,400-year-old Dair Mar Elia monastery

Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas debated in seven different locations in Illinois.

Lincoln-Douglas Debate Negotiations

Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas engaged in pre-debate negotiations in 1858

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September Anniversaries

Momentous or Merely Memorable

Buck's Row, site of the murder of Mary Ann Nichols

August Anniversaries

Momentous or Merely Memorable

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Stouthearted Men

Brutal, yes, but also strong-willed

The Sea Stallion from Glendalough

Raiders or Traders?

A replica Viking vessel sailing the North Sea has helped archaeologists figure out what the stalwart Norsemen were really up to

Quebec city's Parliament building, the site of the Place de l'Assembée-Nationale.

Let Me Be Franc

A Look Back for Quebec City’s 400th

View of Beirut, Lebanon, with palm and pine trees in the foreground

Times of Trouble

Flashpoints in Modern Lebanese History

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Showing Their Age

Dating the Fossils and Artifacts that Mark the Great Human Migration

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Were “Hobbits” Human?

Debate rages over an Indonesian fossil find

Christopher Henshilwood (in Blombos Cave) dug at one of the most important early human sites partly out of proximity—it’s on his grandfather’s property.

The Great Human Migration

Why humans left their African homeland 80,000 years ago to colonize the world

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July Anniversaries

Momentous or Merely Memorable

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June Anniversaries

Momentous or Merely Memorable

Babe Ruth, the star of Headin’ Home (1920)

Crowd Pleasers

Too good to be true?

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May Anniversaries

Momentous or Merely Memorable

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Dispatch from Stonehenge, Day 14

April 13: The Druids Bless Our Departure

The dig’s emerging physical evidence—including fragments of bluestone and sarsen scattered throughout the site—reflect a complex history.

Dispatch from Stonehenge, Day 10

April 9: Archaeology in a Fishbowl

Archaeologists at Stonehenge continue to make discoveries within the inner circle of the monument.

Dispatch from Stonehenge, Day 9

April 8: The Clock is Ticking

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Dispatch from Stonehenge, Day 2

April 1st: An Ill Wind Blows

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