https://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/archaeology/RSS feed for ArchaeologyenThu, 23 Jul 2026 15:42:28 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/hunter-gatherers-brought-trout-to-a-norwegian-mountain-lake-7000-years-ago-the-earliest-known-example-of-humans-translocating-fish-180989167/Researchers have long known that the animals were introduced into the region's high-altitude bodies of water, but they weren't sure when it happened or whether humans had a hand. Analyses of recently discovered ancient fish traps provide new cluesThu, 23 Jul 2026 15:42:28 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/hunter-gatherers-brought-trout-to-a-norwegian-mountain-lake-7000-years-ago-the-earliest-known-example-of-humans-translocating-fish-180989167/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/before-cultural-and-natural-wonders-earn-unesco-world-heritage-status-they-are-put-on-a-tentative-list-here-are-five-nominees-worth-visiting-now-180989155/Featuring more than 1,800 sites from 181 countries and territories, UNESCO’s tentative list is a treasure trove of lesser-known marvelsThu, 23 Jul 2026 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/before-cultural-and-natural-wonders-earn-unesco-world-heritage-status-they-are-put-on-a-tentative-list-here-are-five-nominees-worth-visiting-now-180989155/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/their-names-were-lost-to-history-but-now-you-can-see-what-their-faces-may-have-looked-like-when-they-lived-in-a-roman-era-city-nearly-2000-years-ago-180989179/A new exhibition in Budapest features 16 facial reconstructions based on skulls excavated from the ancient city of Aquincum. Curators don't know the details of their lives, but they've invented backstories to fill in the gapsThu, 23 Jul 2026 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/their-names-were-lost-to-history-but-now-you-can-see-what-their-faces-may-have-looked-like-when-they-lived-in-a-roman-era-city-nearly-2000-years-ago-180989179/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/aboriginal-spiritual-leaders-performed-magic-healing-cursing-rituals-in-this-australian-cave-for-25000-years-new-research-finds-180989178/Archaeologists collaborated with members of the GunaiKurnai Aboriginal community to explore layers of ash from burned grasses dating back thousands of years inside Cloggs CaveWed, 22 Jul 2026 21:25:07 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/aboriginal-spiritual-leaders-performed-magic-healing-cursing-rituals-in-this-australian-cave-for-25000-years-new-research-finds-180989178/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/thousands-of-kidnapped-africans-died-on-an-island-in-the-atlantic-after-being-rescued-from-slave-ships-evidence-in-their-teeth-traces-their-journeys-180989145/Remains in the graves of St. Helena, where the British military housed "liberated" enslaved Africans, contain isotopes from inland Angola and ZimbabweMon, 20 Jul 2026 16:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/thousands-of-kidnapped-africans-died-on-an-island-in-the-atlantic-after-being-rescued-from-slave-ships-evidence-in-their-teeth-traces-their-journeys-180989145/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/did-these-ancient-egyptian-princesses-wield-weapons-and-train-in-martial-arts-just-like-the-men-of-their-time-180989151/A new analysis of their bones suggests they were buried alongside arrows, maces and daggers because they had repeatedly used those weapons in lifeMon, 20 Jul 2026 10:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/did-these-ancient-egyptian-princesses-wield-weapons-and-train-in-martial-arts-just-like-the-men-of-their-time-180989151/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/was-there-ever-an-original-version-of-the-odyssey-and-do-we-need-to-worry-about-what-homer-would-think-180989143/The earliest surviving fragments of the epic poem—the subject of Christopher Nolan's latest Hollywood blockbuster—date back more than 2,000 years. But oral storytelling about a hero named Odysseus is much olderFri, 17 Jul 2026 18:40:24 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/was-there-ever-an-original-version-of-the-odyssey-and-do-we-need-to-worry-about-what-homer-would-think-180989143/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/thisviking-longship-crossed-the-atlantic-before-starring-in-christopher-nolans-odyssey-as-odysseus-greek-galley-180989137/Hollywood stars including Matt Damon went to rowing camp to learn how to operate the vessel for the new filmThu, 16 Jul 2026 20:27:45 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/thisviking-longship-crossed-the-atlantic-before-starring-in-christopher-nolans-odyssey-as-odysseus-greek-galley-180989137/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ancient-egyptians-believed-that-these-newly-discovered-gold-tongues-allowed-the-dead-to-communicate-in-the-afterlife-180989127/Excavations at Marina el-Alamein, an archaeological site west of Alexandria, unearthed about two dozen of the rare artifacts, including one shaped like the Eye of HorusWed, 15 Jul 2026 17:31:42 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ancient-egyptians-believed-that-these-newly-discovered-gold-tongues-allowed-the-dead-to-communicate-in-the-afterlife-180989127/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/meet-sak-tahn-waax-a-maya-math-whiz-who-lived-more-than-1000-years-ago-and-left-behind-a-really-elegant-complex-formula-180989125/For the first time, archaeologists identified one of the culture’s famed Classic era mathematicians and astronomersWed, 15 Jul 2026 13:03:15 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/meet-sak-tahn-waax-a-maya-math-whiz-who-lived-more-than-1000-years-ago-and-left-behind-a-really-elegant-complex-formula-180989125/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-english-kings-bones-were-moved-over-centuries-and-eventually-lost-one-researcher-claims-he-discovered-their-location-under-a-parking-lot-180989121/Alfred the Great defended Wessex from the Vikings. Researchers have been searching for his remains for years after their resting place in an abbey was disturbedTue, 14 Jul 2026 20:37:52 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-english-kings-bones-were-moved-over-centuries-and-eventually-lost-one-researcher-claims-he-discovered-their-location-under-a-parking-lot-180989121/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/romans-put-their-faith-in-guardian-spirits-archaeologists-just-found-a-rare-1600-year-old-carving-of-one-in-northern-england-180989118/Known as a “genius,” the protective spirit or deity was believed to bring good fortune and prosperity to a particular person, household or place. Archaeologists haven't found many depictions of them across Roman BritainTue, 14 Jul 2026 11:45:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/romans-put-their-faith-in-guardian-spirits-archaeologists-just-found-a-rare-1600-year-old-carving-of-one-in-northern-england-180989118/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-did-two-wolves-end-up-on-this-remote-island-thousands-of-years-ago-researchers-think-humans-brought-them-there-then-cared-for-them-180989110/The discovery suggests humans may have maintained relationships with wolves long after domesticated dogs came on the sceneMon, 13 Jul 2026 10:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-did-two-wolves-end-up-on-this-remote-island-thousands-of-years-ago-researchers-think-humans-brought-them-there-then-cared-for-them-180989110/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-artifacts-that-archaeologists-discovered-in-this-1600-year-old-byzantine-christian-town-buried-in-an-oasis-in-egypt-180989106/The mud-brick village boasts streets, towers and a large church. Researchers unearthed everyday objects like grain grinders, an oven and some 200 ostraca—ancient receipts and notes written on broken potteryFri, 10 Jul 2026 20:07:04 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-artifacts-that-archaeologists-discovered-in-this-1600-year-old-byzantine-christian-town-buried-in-an-oasis-in-egypt-180989106/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/roughly-100000-years-ago-this-man-got-stabbed-in-the-face-and-survived-hes-likely-one-of-the-first-known-victims-of-an-attack-by-a-sharp-weapon-180989103/Researchers who investigated the remains of a young adult male found in the Qafzeh cave say the injury healed over time, which means the victim's community may have tended to himFri, 10 Jul 2026 13:53:24 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/roughly-100000-years-ago-this-man-got-stabbed-in-the-face-and-survived-hes-likely-one-of-the-first-known-victims-of-an-attack-by-a-sharp-weapon-180989103/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/are-moose-colorado-natives-or-introduced-outsiders-new-research-suggests-that-the-animals-have-lived-in-the-state-for-centuries-180989091/Officials say moose weren't established in the state until they were brought there in the late 1970s. But historical documentation and archaeological evidence indicate that they resided there long before thatThu, 09 Jul 2026 20:15:43 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/are-moose-colorado-natives-or-introduced-outsiders-new-research-suggests-that-the-animals-have-lived-in-the-state-for-centuries-180989091/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/kazakhstans-iron-age-golden-man-and-other-elite-scythians-of-eurasia-inherited-their-high-social-status-ancient-dna-suggests-180989089/Researchers have long wondered whether upper-class members of the ancient nomadic warriors earned their social status through individual achievements or birthrightThu, 09 Jul 2026 16:04:08 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/kazakhstans-iron-age-golden-man-and-other-elite-scythians-of-eurasia-inherited-their-high-social-status-ancient-dna-suggests-180989089/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/take-an-exclusive-look-at-three-newly-discovered-medieval-shipwrecks-in-menorcas-cove-of-mysteries-180989092/Meteorological tsunamis likely sank the 13th-century trading vessels, whose cargo included objects from both Christian kingdoms and Moorish communities on the Iberian PeninsulaThu, 09 Jul 2026 12:45:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/take-an-exclusive-look-at-three-newly-discovered-medieval-shipwrecks-in-menorcas-cove-of-mysteries-180989092/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/our-ancestors-loved-shell-trinkets-just-like-neanderthals-new-research-suggests-its-a-sign-of-shared-culture-across-species-180989085/Based on artifacts found in a limestone cave on the Mediterranean coast, scientists think the two species might have shared similar survival strategies, stone tool technologies and symbolic traditionsWed, 08 Jul 2026 14:26:56 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/our-ancestors-loved-shell-trinkets-just-like-neanderthals-new-research-suggests-its-a-sign-of-shared-culture-across-species-180989085/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-pair-of-2000-year-old-gold-rings-one-engraved-with-indian-script-was-discovered-in-an-iron-age-burial-ground-in-thailand-180989081/The engraving seems to reference an "auspicious" zodiac sign in Indian or Vedic astrologyTue, 07 Jul 2026 19:19:19 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-pair-of-2000-year-old-gold-rings-one-engraved-with-indian-script-was-discovered-in-an-iron-age-burial-ground-in-thailand-180989081/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-new-expeditiion-will-create-3d-digital-twins-of-polar-shipwrecks-tied-to-voyages-of-rival-explorers-who-raced-to-the-south-pole-180989074/Robert Falcon Scott led an expedition aboard the ship ‘Terra Nova’ and Ernest Shackleton led one from the ship ‘Quest’—but neither explorer got to plant the first flag in the heart of AntarcticaMon, 06 Jul 2026 17:44:29 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-new-expeditiion-will-create-3d-digital-twins-of-polar-shipwrecks-tied-to-voyages-of-rival-explorers-who-raced-to-the-south-pole-180989074/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-a-hungry-komodo-dragod-led-scientists-to-determine-our-small-hobbit-like-cousins-probably-werent-that-smart-after-all-180989078/New research indicates "Homo floresiensis" probably wasn't hunting big game or using fire on Flores Island, suggesting the small-brained species wasn't quite as "behaviorally advanced" as once hypothesizedMon, 06 Jul 2026 15:31:58 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-a-hungry-komodo-dragod-led-scientists-to-determine-our-small-hobbit-like-cousins-probably-werent-that-smart-after-all-180989078/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/3d-printing-gives-new-life-to-an-ancient-game-board-discovered-at-a-roman-fort-near-hadrians-wall-in-england-180989064/Soldiers and civilians alike enjoyed the strategy game Ludus Latrunculorum in the Roman Empire, especially in Roman BritainThu, 02 Jul 2026 19:45:54 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/3d-printing-gives-new-life-to-an-ancient-game-board-discovered-at-a-roman-fort-near-hadrians-wall-in-england-180989064/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-ancient-monolith-archaeologists-unearthed-in-mexico-may-depict-people-receiving-divine-liquid-in-a-ritual-180989049/The stela was found with a large, decorated platform and remnants of offerings in the state of VeracruzWed, 01 Jul 2026 14:33:20 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-ancient-monolith-archaeologists-unearthed-in-mexico-may-depict-people-receiving-divine-liquid-in-a-ritual-180989049/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-a-scientific-first-researchers-recovered-ancient-dna-that-humans-left-behind-on-rock-art-and-cave-walls-180989038/DNA preservation on cave walls is highly variable, but scientists say their work is an important step on the path toward gaining a deeper understanding of our creative ancestorsMon, 29 Jun 2026 14:27:58 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-a-scientific-first-researchers-recovered-ancient-dna-that-humans-left-behind-on-rock-art-and-cave-walls-180989038/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/deep-in-the-mexican-jungle-archaeologists-discovered-a-lost-maya-city-that-may-yield-clues-about-the-civilization-just-before-it-collapsed-180989030/Researchers hacked through more than three miles of vegetation to get to the site, which lies out of bounds of familiar logging tracks. There, they found unique carved stelae and altarsFri, 26 Jun 2026 21:44:58 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/deep-in-the-mexican-jungle-archaeologists-discovered-a-lost-maya-city-that-may-yield-clues-about-the-civilization-just-before-it-collapsed-180989030/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-have-deciphered-the-surviving-fragments-of-a-2000-year-old-philosophical-treatise-frozen-in-time-by-mount-vesuvius-eruption-180989036/The papyrus manuscript was part of a vast library preserved by volcanic ash. Now, the remaining passages—which examine ethics, knowledge and human nature—are accessible for the first time since 79 C.E.Fri, 26 Jun 2026 19:51:06 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-have-deciphered-the-surviving-fragments-of-a-2000-year-old-philosophical-treatise-frozen-in-time-by-mount-vesuvius-eruption-180989036/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/early-humans-may-have-used-fire-1-8-million-years-ago-nearly-doubling-the-age-of-the-oldest-known-evidence-for-the-feat-180989015/In Wonderwerk Cave in South Africa, burned bones were found in a dirt layer associated with Homo erectus. The inhabitants probably hadn't mastered fire-making, but researchers say they may have moved and maintained flames from a natural fireFri, 26 Jun 2026 16:59:18 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/early-humans-may-have-used-fire-1-8-million-years-ago-nearly-doubling-the-age-of-the-oldest-known-evidence-for-the-feat-180989015/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/did-these-prehistoric-primates-really-bury-just-their-female-dead-deep-in-a-cave-180989020/Researchers say that the fossilized bones of "Homo naledi," so far found exclusively underground in South Africa, lack a key genetic male markerThu, 25 Jun 2026 21:18:12 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/did-these-prehistoric-primates-really-bury-just-their-female-dead-deep-in-a-cave-180989020/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/large-textile-production-site-discovered-in-denmark-challenges-the-stereotype-of-vikings-as-uncivilized-barbarians-180989014/The massive settlement, which spans more than a million square feet, likely dates to the late Iron Age or early Viking Age between 600 and 950 C.E.Wed, 24 Jun 2026 21:31:17 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/large-textile-production-site-discovered-in-denmark-challenges-the-stereotype-of-vikings-as-uncivilized-barbarians-180989014/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/revealing-its-original-shape-not-seen-in-centuries-greece-restored-part-of-the-parthenons-western-facade-180988996/The project in Athens started in 2017 and involved quarrying, transporting, hand-carving and placing new marble blocks in one of the landmark’s triangular pedimentsWed, 24 Jun 2026 13:12:11 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/revealing-its-original-shape-not-seen-in-centuries-greece-restored-part-of-the-parthenons-western-facade-180988996/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/authorities-investigated-reports-of-an-illegal-excavation-in-rome-then-they-stumbled-upon-an-ancient-villa-adorned-with-mosaics-180988995/In the second century C.E., Roman emperors such as Marcus Aurelius and Antoninus Pius frequented the area where the residence was foundMon, 22 Jun 2026 17:58:44 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/authorities-investigated-reports-of-an-illegal-excavation-in-rome-then-they-stumbled-upon-an-ancient-villa-adorned-with-mosaics-180988995/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/two-well-preserved-roman-busts-were-discovered-inside-a-wine-vat-in-israel-near-the-capital-city-of-a-roman-province-180988975/One is inscribed with the name "Lycurgus," suggesting the bust may depict the legendary founder of ancient SpartaMon, 22 Jun 2026 13:51:06 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/two-well-preserved-roman-busts-were-discovered-inside-a-wine-vat-in-israel-near-the-capital-city-of-a-roman-province-180988975/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-discover-evidence-a-wooden-prototype-for-stonehenge-may-have-aligned-with-the-solstice-500-years-before-the-stone-circle-180988988/The remains of a wooden monument in southern England, three miles away from Stonehenge, may demonstrate Neolithic people's interest in the heavensFri, 19 Jun 2026 16:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-discover-evidence-a-wooden-prototype-for-stonehenge-may-have-aligned-with-the-solstice-500-years-before-the-stone-circle-180988988/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-6-year-old-boy-spotted-something-sticking-out-of-the-ground-in-a-field-it-turned-out-to-be-a-viking-sword-180988989/Henrik Refsnes Mørtvedt was on a school field trip when he found the roughly 1,200-year-old weapon. The single-edged blade will now be preserved at an Oslo museumThu, 18 Jun 2026 21:20:56 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-6-year-old-boy-spotted-something-sticking-out-of-the-ground-in-a-field-it-turned-out-to-be-a-viking-sword-180988989/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-discovery-that-hunter-gatherer-children-died-of-plague-more-than-five-millennia-ago-sets-back-the-date-of-the-earliest-outbreak-180988983/The skeletons of nomadic families unearthed in Siberia harbor "Yersinia pestis" bacteria, which challenges theories about conditions needed for the disease to spreadThu, 18 Jun 2026 20:58:09 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-discovery-that-hunter-gatherer-children-died-of-plague-more-than-five-millennia-ago-sets-back-the-date-of-the-earliest-outbreak-180988983/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-june-1775-the-american-patriots-faced-off-with-the-british-at-the-battle-of-bunker-hill-archaeologists-are-uncovering-evidence-of-the-fighting-251-years-later-180988979/Researchers discovered gun parts, musket balls and other artifacts in Boston's Charlestown neighborhoodThu, 18 Jun 2026 10:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-june-1775-the-american-patriots-faced-off-with-the-british-at-the-battle-of-bunker-hill-archaeologists-are-uncovering-evidence-of-the-fighting-251-years-later-180988979/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/hidden-tunnels-dating-back-to-henry-viiis-reign-were-discovered-at-english-boarding-school-New-Hall-School-where-the-king-once-lived-180988965/Bones, bottles and pottery were found at the New Hall School, which was once Henry VIII's Palace of Beaulieu. Before that, Anne Boleyn's father owned the estateWed, 17 Jun 2026 20:56:56 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/hidden-tunnels-dating-back-to-henry-viiis-reign-were-discovered-at-english-boarding-school-New-Hall-School-where-the-king-once-lived-180988965/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-unearth-hundreds-of-artifacts-at-fort-ticonderoga-the-site-of-americas-first-offensive-victory-of-the-revolutionary-war-180988971/The objects were discovered on Liberty Hill, the place where many Continental Army soldiers heard the text of the Declaration of Independence for the first timeWed, 17 Jun 2026 18:54:33 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-unearth-hundreds-of-artifacts-at-fort-ticonderoga-the-site-of-americas-first-offensive-victory-of-the-revolutionary-war-180988971/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/indigenous-art-an-eagle-feather-and-a-3d-rendering-of-abraham-lincolns-hand-see-the-items-just-sealed-in-americas-time-capsule-180988973/The capsule was created and filled at the direction of Congress, through the America250 commission. It will be interred beneath an original sculpture on July 4Wed, 17 Jun 2026 17:20:38 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/indigenous-art-an-eagle-feather-and-a-3d-rendering-of-abraham-lincolns-hand-see-the-items-just-sealed-in-americas-time-capsule-180988973/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/construction-in-germany-revealed-the-princely-grave-of-a-celtic-warrior-who-was-buried-with-weapons-and-a-two-wheeled-wagon-180988952/Archaeologists say the find proves "the previously only assumed presence of a local Celtic elite." Grave goods also included gold jewelry and a jug imported from modern-day TuscanyFri, 12 Jun 2026 20:21:27 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/construction-in-germany-revealed-the-princely-grave-of-a-celtic-warrior-who-was-buried-with-weapons-and-a-two-wheeled-wagon-180988952/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-unearth-an-marble-aphrodite-a-pharoahs-cartouche-and-a-roman-basilica-all-in-one-ancient-egyptian-city-180988930/The collection of artifacts represents the layered history of Ehnasiya, an ancient Egyptian capital that became the Roman city of Heracleópolis MagnaThu, 11 Jun 2026 14:40:10 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-unearth-an-marble-aphrodite-a-pharoahs-cartouche-and-a-roman-basilica-all-in-one-ancient-egyptian-city-180988930/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/whats-behind-steven-spielbergs-lifelong-obsession-with-flying-saucers-and-extraterrestrial-visitors-180988903/Half a century after "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," the director returns to the subject of UFOs with "Disclosure Day." His science fiction films are informed by his fascination with alien encounters in American suburbiaThu, 11 Jun 2026 11:45:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/whats-behind-steven-spielbergs-lifelong-obsession-with-flying-saucers-and-extraterrestrial-visitors-180988903/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-womans-brains-were-scooped-out-and-her-bones-were-broken-and-whittled-in-scotland-2000-years-ago-180988935/Researchers say the modifications may represent a previously unknown funerary ritual in Iron Age BritainWed, 10 Jun 2026 21:23:55 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-womans-brains-were-scooped-out-and-her-bones-were-broken-and-whittled-in-scotland-2000-years-ago-180988935/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-rare-intricate-brooch-represents-the-roman-empires-long-disjointed-attempt-to-conquer-scotland-180988923/The "miniature masterpiece" will go on display during an upcoming exhibition focused on the legacy Rome left in the highlands the empire dubbed CaledoniaTue, 09 Jun 2026 19:55:13 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-rare-intricate-brooch-represents-the-roman-empires-long-disjointed-attempt-to-conquer-scotland-180988923/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-italian-teenagers-stayed-overnight-at-their-school-they-found-ancient-roman-ruins-hidden-in-the-basement-180988917/Students at a high school in Rome stumbled upon a well-preserved villa that dates to the mid-second century C.E. Eventually, archaeologists hope to open the sprawling space to the publicMon, 08 Jun 2026 20:01:05 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-italian-teenagers-stayed-overnight-at-their-school-they-found-ancient-roman-ruins-hidden-in-the-basement-180988917/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-shipwreck-almost-beyond-belief-stunned-archaeologists-in-norway-with-its-cargo-of-intact-porcelain-dishes-and-luxury-goods-180988910/So far, archaeologists have recovered 40 artifacts from the discovery, an 18th-century shipwreck that likely will yield thousands more treasuresFri, 05 Jun 2026 22:07:44 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-shipwreck-almost-beyond-belief-stunned-archaeologists-in-norway-with-its-cargo-of-intact-porcelain-dishes-and-luxury-goods-180988910/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/secrets-from-centuries-of-paris-history-are-emerging-from-archaeological-digs-after-the-notre-dame-cathedral-fire-180988886/Ahead of planned redevelopment around the iconic Gothic landmark, researchers are digging into the city’s past, through medieval and Roman layersWed, 03 Jun 2026 14:13:52 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/secrets-from-centuries-of-paris-history-are-emerging-from-archaeological-digs-after-the-notre-dame-cathedral-fire-180988886/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-excavating-a-monastery-in-spain-identified-the-remains-of-a-14th-century-queen-and-multiple-skeletons-buried-in-the-wrong-graves-180988877/The tomb of Elisenda of Montcada has long fascinated experts. But the team was surprised to learn that burials supposedly belonging to a medieval knight and abbess held entirely different individualsWed, 03 Jun 2026 13:01:56 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-excavating-a-monastery-in-spain-identified-the-remains-of-a-14th-century-queen-and-multiple-skeletons-buried-in-the-wrong-graves-180988877/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-century-after-causing-controversy-red-cave-markings-in-wales-are-classified-again-as-britains-oldest-rock-art-180988879/The team of scientists used modern dating methods to confirm an old hypothesis by the rock art’s initial discoverersTue, 02 Jun 2026 20:59:14 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-century-after-causing-controversy-red-cave-markings-in-wales-are-classified-again-as-britains-oldest-rock-art-180988879/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-600-year-old-chinese-surgical-instruments-are-coated-in-an-early-local-anestheticcarefully-extracted-from-a-poisonous-plant-180988865/Researchers say the numbing agent splashed onto iron scissors and tweezers during a procedure. They were found in a Ming dynasty doctor's tombFri, 29 May 2026 20:15:09 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-600-year-old-chinese-surgical-instruments-are-coated-in-an-early-local-anestheticcarefully-extracted-from-a-poisonous-plant-180988865/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/pigeon-bones-found-at-an-ancient-cyprus-settlement-reveal-that-our-relationship-with-these-birds-began-earlier-than-we-thought-180988791/Before common pigeons were considered urban pests, people domesticated them and relied on them for meat, fertilizer, messages and more. A new study suggests humans have lived alongside the winged creatures for at least 3,400 yearsFri, 29 May 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/pigeon-bones-found-at-an-ancient-cyprus-settlement-reveal-that-our-relationship-with-these-birds-began-earlier-than-we-thought-180988791/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-4500-year-old-neolithic-hall-replica-rises-at-stonehenge-as-archaeologists-and-volunteers-build-with-prehistoric-tools-and-techniques-180988806/The reconstruction of a prehistoric building, likely originally a place for winter feasts at the nearby Durrington Walls site, will serve as a learning space for studentsTue, 26 May 2026 20:29:45 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-4500-year-old-neolithic-hall-replica-rises-at-stonehenge-as-archaeologists-and-volunteers-build-with-prehistoric-tools-and-techniques-180988806/