https://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/artifacts/RSS feed for ArtifactsenTue, 19 May 2026 18:30:58 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-was-this-ancient-roman-soldiers-gravestone-hidden-in-a-louisiana-backyard-archaeologists-solved-the-mystery-and-helped-return-the-artifact-to-italy-180988761/The funerary marker, which surfaced on a New Orleans property last year, once belonged to a Roman soldier who died nearly 2,000 years ago. Officials repatriated the stone in a recent ceremony in RomeTue, 19 May 2026 18:30:58 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-was-this-ancient-roman-soldiers-gravestone-hidden-in-a-louisiana-backyard-archaeologists-solved-the-mystery-and-helped-return-the-artifact-to-italy-180988761/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-magical-mirror-the-powerful-queen-of-a-british-tribe-may-have-used-goes-on-display-as-part-of-britains-largest-iron-age-hoard-180988751/Visitors to the Yorkshire Museum can see artifacts from the Melsonby Hoard, dating to the first century C.E., that rewrite the story of wealth and power in Britain around the time of the Roman invasionFri, 15 May 2026 20:44:03 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-magical-mirror-the-powerful-queen-of-a-british-tribe-may-have-used-goes-on-display-as-part-of-britains-largest-iron-age-hoard-180988751/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/the-national-museum-of-american-history-is-displaying-250-objects-to-commemorate-the-countrys-big-birthday-heres-the-story-behind-ten-of-the-artifacts-180988745/Featuring iconic and everyday items, including a Revolutionary War gunboat and a first-generation iPod, “In Pursuit of Life, Liberty & Happiness” is open now at the museumThu, 14 May 2026 19:03:48 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/the-national-museum-of-american-history-is-displaying-250-objects-to-commemorate-the-countrys-big-birthday-heres-the-story-behind-ten-of-the-artifacts-180988745/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/marilyn-monroe-collections-assembled-for-her-100th-birthday-cut-through-hollywood-glamour-to-reveal-the-stars-human-side-180988726/A selection of the movie star’s clothing, jewelry and dark, personal letters will be auctioned for the big anniversary of her birthTue, 12 May 2026 20:00:41 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/marilyn-monroe-collections-assembled-for-her-100th-birthday-cut-through-hollywood-glamour-to-reveal-the-stars-human-side-180988726/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/researchers-discovered-the-remnants-of-a-secret-illegal-distillery-in-a-stunning-scottish-park-180988718/The copper still, likely used to make whisky, would have been hidden away from the oversight of tax collectors after Scotland outlawed unlicensed distilling centuries agoMon, 11 May 2026 20:23:46 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/researchers-discovered-the-remnants-of-a-secret-illegal-distillery-in-a-stunning-scottish-park-180988718/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/heres-what-underwater-robots-are-finding-at-frances-deepest-shipwreck-a-16th-century-merchant-vessel-resting-at-the-bottom-of-the-mediterranean-180988685/Known as the "Camarat 4," the ship was loaded with cannons, cauldrons and hundreds of ceramics—which are still visible on the seafloor. Researchers are surveying the site and carefully recovering a small selection of artifactsThu, 07 May 2026 10:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/heres-what-underwater-robots-are-finding-at-frances-deepest-shipwreck-a-16th-century-merchant-vessel-resting-at-the-bottom-of-the-mediterranean-180988685/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-souvenir-bowl-may-have-commemorated-an-ancient-roman-soldiers-service-at-hadrians-wall-it-was-discovered-on-a-spanish-farm-1900-years-later-180988665/The artifact is decorated with an illustration of the defensive fortification in northern England, but it was unearthed some 1,200 miles away. A new study suggests the design reflects a soldier’s achievements at the siteMon, 04 May 2026 18:23:56 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-souvenir-bowl-may-have-commemorated-an-ancient-roman-soldiers-service-at-hadrians-wall-it-was-discovered-on-a-spanish-farm-1900-years-later-180988665/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-man-fled-pompeii-as-mount-vesuvius-erupted-archaeologists-found-him-2000-years-later-holding-a-bowl-to-protect-his-head-and-a-lamp-to-light-his-way-180988647/Recent excavations revealed two skeletons just outside the ancient city's walls. Researchers also created an A.I.-generated reconstruction of one of the victim's harrowing final momentsThu, 30 Apr 2026 15:10:21 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-man-fled-pompeii-as-mount-vesuvius-erupted-archaeologists-found-him-2000-years-later-holding-a-bowl-to-protect-his-head-and-a-lamp-to-light-his-way-180988647/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-unearth-a-papyrus-fragment-from-the-iliad-tucked-inside-the-wrappings-of-a-1600-year-old-egyptian-mummy-180988603/The excerpt from Homer's epic poem features his catalog of ships, a famous passage listing the Greek forces that sailed to Troy. It may be the first Greek literary text found in the context of mummificationThu, 23 Apr 2026 15:07:03 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-unearth-a-papyrus-fragment-from-the-iliad-tucked-inside-the-wrappings-of-a-1600-year-old-egyptian-mummy-180988603/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/bob-dylans-original-typewritten-draft-lyrics-for-im-not-there-have-been-rediscovered-after-more-than-half-a-century-180988592/For decades, eager fans could only hear the obscure song on bootleg vinyl recordings. The draft lyrics, which were found inside a first-edition copy of Allen Ginsberg poetry, just sold at auction for $6,800Wed, 22 Apr 2026 16:15:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/bob-dylans-original-typewritten-draft-lyrics-for-im-not-there-have-been-rediscovered-after-more-than-half-a-century-180988592/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-titanic-carried-3500-life-jackets-but-almost-all-of-them-have-been-lost-to-history-this-one-just-sold-at-auction-for-nearly-1-million-180988574/The artifact belonged to first-class passenger Laura Mabel Francatelli, a secretary heading to Chicago with her employer. It's the only life vest connected to a survivor of the 1912 shipwreck to ever appear at auctionMon, 20 Apr 2026 19:11:49 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-titanic-carried-3500-life-jackets-but-almost-all-of-them-have-been-lost-to-history-this-one-just-sold-at-auction-for-nearly-1-million-180988574/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/newly-discovered-stone-tools-made-from-geodes-and-fossils-hint-at-homo-erectus-connection-with-the-cosmos-180988565/Archaeologists in Israel unearthed prehistoric hand axes that Homo erectus crafted from stones including fossils and crystals, perhaps a sign that they wanted to connect with the cosmosMon, 20 Apr 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/newly-discovered-stone-tools-made-from-geodes-and-fossils-hint-at-homo-erectus-connection-with-the-cosmos-180988565/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/hundreds-of-spanish-settlers-died-at-the-port-of-famine-this-newly-discovered-silver-coin-reveals-where-the-doomed-colony-was-founded-400-years-ago-180988519/Ciudad del Rey Don Felipe was established on the north shore of Chile's Strait of Magellan in 1584. When an English navigator came across it several years later, few survivors remainedFri, 17 Apr 2026 17:42:14 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/hundreds-of-spanish-settlers-died-at-the-port-of-famine-this-newly-discovered-silver-coin-reveals-where-the-doomed-colony-was-founded-400-years-ago-180988519/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/rare-1897-film-discovered-in-an-old-trunk-in-michigan-features-the-first-on-screen-appearance-of-robot-180988547/Filmmaker Georges Méliès employed some of his signature special effects techniques to create comedy in "Gugusse and the Automaton"Wed, 15 Apr 2026 13:16:42 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/rare-1897-film-discovered-in-an-old-trunk-in-michigan-features-the-first-on-screen-appearance-of-robot-180988547/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-millennium-old-sacrificial-altar-in-mexico-belonged-to-a-civilization-that-thrived-before-the-aztecs-180988539/Surrounded by human skulls, the artifact was uncovered at the site of the Toltec people's capital in central Mexico ahead of construction of a new railway projectTue, 14 Apr 2026 11:45:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-millennium-old-sacrificial-altar-in-mexico-belonged-to-a-civilization-that-thrived-before-the-aztecs-180988539/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/the-james-webb-space-telescope-and-the-parker-solar-probe-changed-how-we-see-the-universe-now-their-models-have-found-a-home-at-the-smithsonian-180988524/The National Air and Space Museum’s Virginia location now displays the objects which represent critical leaps forward in technology and exploration by NASAFri, 10 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/the-james-webb-space-telescope-and-the-parker-solar-probe-changed-how-we-see-the-universe-now-their-models-have-found-a-home-at-the-smithsonian-180988524/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/whats-inside-americas-lost-luggage-these-travelers-abandoned-a-samurai-sword-a-meteorite-and-a-robot-with-a-mysterious-purpose-180988507/Unclaimed Baggage sells lost belongings at a 50,000-square-foot store in Alabama. An annual report explores how objects packed in 2025 reflect cultural trendsThu, 09 Apr 2026 10:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/whats-inside-americas-lost-luggage-these-travelers-abandoned-a-samurai-sword-a-meteorite-and-a-robot-with-a-mysterious-purpose-180988507/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-danish-warship-exploded-in-battle-225-years-ago-now-archaeologists-are-racing-to-recover-its-artifacts-180988493/The destruction of the "Dannebroge" was documented in art and history books. Now, thanks to a museum's excavations, archaeologists can study the wreck up close for the first timeTue, 07 Apr 2026 11:16:17 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-danish-warship-exploded-in-battle-225-years-ago-now-archaeologists-are-racing-to-recover-its-artifacts-180988493/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-soldier-died-of-yellow-fever-during-a-hurricane-153-years-ago-archaeologists-just-found-his-grave-180988484/George Tupper, a 22-year-old from Massachusetts, was nearly a year into his military service when a yellow fever outbreak struck Fort JeffersonMon, 06 Apr 2026 18:05:38 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-soldier-died-of-yellow-fever-during-a-hurricane-153-years-ago-archaeologists-just-found-his-grave-180988484/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-titanics-wealthiest-victim-was-carrying-a-gold-pocket-watch-when-he-died-now-it-could-sell-for-500000-at-auction-180988475/John Jacob Astor IV was returning from his honeymoon with his wife, who survived the 1912 disaster. His pocket watch and gold pencil case are going up for sale this monthFri, 03 Apr 2026 16:57:53 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-titanics-wealthiest-victim-was-carrying-a-gold-pocket-watch-when-he-died-now-it-could-sell-for-500000-at-auction-180988475/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/are-these-the-earliest-known-dice-in-the-world-native-americans-may-have-used-them-to-play-games-of-chance-more-than-12000-years-ago-180988479/A new study suggests that humans were playing with probability during the Ice Age—and that dice were invented 6,000 years earlier than previously thoughtFri, 03 Apr 2026 14:30:21 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/are-these-the-earliest-known-dice-in-the-world-native-americans-may-have-used-them-to-play-games-of-chance-more-than-12000-years-ago-180988479/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/is-this-1800-year-old-mosaic-the-first-known-image-of-a-woman-fighting-wild-beasts-in-an-ancient-roman-arena-180988456/The artwork was destroyed during World War I. But an archaeologist's sketch may reveal a female figure wielding a whip and facing off against a leopard, a new study suggestsWed, 01 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/is-this-1800-year-old-mosaic-the-first-known-image-of-a-woman-fighting-wild-beasts-in-an-ancient-roman-arena-180988456/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-was-this-2000-year-old-sling-bullet-inscribed-with-the-word-learn-180988449/The artifact is the first sling bullet of its kind unearthed at the ancient city of Hippos, though archaeologists have found dozens of other examples without inscriptions at the siteFri, 27 Mar 2026 19:25:58 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-was-this-2000-year-old-sling-bullet-inscribed-with-the-word-learn-180988449/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-spellbinding-exhibition-explores-how-ancient-cultures-used-magic-to-navigate-lifes-challenges-180988436/The Toledo Museum of Art is showcasing a treasure trove of masks, amulets, spellbooks and gems dating to between 2000 B.C.E. and 300 C.E.Thu, 26 Mar 2026 10:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-spellbinding-exhibition-explores-how-ancient-cultures-used-magic-to-navigate-lifes-challenges-180988436/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-discover-an-intact-cannonball-from-the-battle-of-the-alamo-one-day-before-the-pivotal-conflicts-190th-anniversary-180988402/The projectile is made of bronze, which suggests it was fired by the Mexican Army during the siege leading up to the 1836 battleWed, 25 Mar 2026 18:31:22 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-discover-an-intact-cannonball-from-the-battle-of-the-alamo-one-day-before-the-pivotal-conflicts-190th-anniversary-180988402/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-unerath-more-than-40000-pieces-pottery-that-ancient-egyptians-used-scrap-paper-180988414/The ostraca, some dating back to the time just before Cleopatra, were discovered within the ancient ruins of AthribisTue, 24 Mar 2026 20:01:52 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-unerath-more-than-40000-pieces-pottery-that-ancient-egyptians-used-scrap-paper-180988414/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-identify-traces-of-childrens-fingerprints-still-visible-on-clay-beads-created-15000-years-ago-180988400/Discovered in present-day Israel, the beads suggest that Natufian groups used clay for symbolic purposes many years earlier than scholars previously thought, according to a new studyTue, 24 Mar 2026 10:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-identify-traces-of-childrens-fingerprints-still-visible-on-clay-beads-created-15000-years-ago-180988400/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-historic-snuffboxes-associated-with-18th-century-monarchs-were-stolen-in-a-shocking-heist-now-theyre-back-on-public-display-180988366/In 2024, thieves made away with the intricately decorated boxes, which had been on display in Paris. Two of the boxes, which were later recovered, are now on view at the Victoria & Albert Museum in LondonMon, 23 Mar 2026 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-historic-snuffboxes-associated-with-18th-century-monarchs-were-stolen-in-a-shocking-heist-now-theyre-back-on-public-display-180988366/