British History | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/british-history/RSS feed for British HistoryenWed, 21 Oct 2026 20:34:09 +0000Archaeologists May Have Solved the Mystery of a Roman Sarcophagus Excavated at Westminster Abbey in 1869https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-may-have-solved-the-mystery-of-a-roman-sarcophagus-excavated-at-westminster-abbey-in-1869-180989732/New research suggests that the ancient coffin was repurposed in the 10th or 11th century to hold the remains of an abbot who had overseen the London monasteryWed, 21 Oct 2026 20:34:09 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-may-have-solved-the-mystery-of-a-roman-sarcophagus-excavated-at-westminster-abbey-in-1869-180989732/To Understand Social Divides in Medieval England, Archaeologists Examined Tooth Enamel From Lead Mining Communitieshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/to-understand-social-divides-in-medieval-england-archaeologists-examined-tooth-enamel-from-lead-mining-communities-180989722/Some residents of the Peaks District in the 13th century may have experienced worse lead pollution than city-dwellers during the Industrial Revolution. Female skeletons showed higher lead levels and earlier ages of deathWed, 21 Oct 2026 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/to-understand-social-divides-in-medieval-england-archaeologists-examined-tooth-enamel-from-lead-mining-communities-180989722/A Vast New Database Shows How Britain Built a Global Empire by Trading Goods Like Coal, Wine and Wood Closer to Homehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-vast-new-database-shows-how-britain-built-a-global-empire-by-trading-goods-like-coal-wine-and-wood-closer-to-home-180989717/Using AI to comb through hundreds of thousands of handwritten pages of port records, historians have constructed an interactive map of Britain’s maritime trading routes. Even as it expanded in Asia and the Americas, Britain's commerce with Europe remained overwhelmingTue, 20 Oct 2026 18:34:12 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-vast-new-database-shows-how-britain-built-a-global-empire-by-trading-goods-like-coal-wine-and-wood-closer-to-home-180989717/When a 19th-Century Scottish Landowner Blocked a Public Footpath, Locals Rebelled. Now, Archaeologists Have Unearthed Parts of His Controversial Wallhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/when-a-19th-century-scottish-landowner-blocked-a-public-footpath-locals-rebelled-now-archaeologists-have-unearthed-parts-of-his-controversial-wall-180989712/The rebellion against "Harvie’s Dyke," a pair of stone walls erected in the 1820s, was a triumph for the workers and middle classes of Glasgow, who used riots, boycotts and lawsuits to win back access to the River ClydeMon, 19 Oct 2026 19:17:45 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/when-a-19th-century-scottish-landowner-blocked-a-public-footpath-locals-rebelled-now-archaeologists-have-unearthed-parts-of-his-controversial-wall-180989712/Legend Has It That This Roman Emperor Established a Camp in Wales. A Newly Discovered Fort May Offer Proof That It Really Existedhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/legend-has-it-that-this-roman-emperor-established-camp-wales-newly-discovered-fort-may-offer-proof-that-it-really-existed-180989702/An archaeologist has uncovered an ancient fortification linked to Magnus Maximus, a fourth-century ruler who is immortalized in the medieval "Mabinogion" stories as Macsen WledigFri, 16 Oct 2026 18:51:49 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/legend-has-it-that-this-roman-emperor-established-camp-wales-newly-discovered-fort-may-offer-proof-that-it-really-existed-180989702/Arthur Conan Doyle Based Sherlock Holmes on a Real-Life Scottish Surgeon Who Used Deduction to Diagnose Patients and Investigate Crimeshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/arthur-conan-doyle-based-sherlock-holmes-on-a-real-life-scottish-surgeon-who-used-deduction-to-diagnose-patients-and-investigate-crimes-180989623/A new book chronicles the exploits of Joseph Bell, an Edinburgh lecturer whose lessons sparked the creation of the world's most famous detectiveFri, 16 Oct 2026 13:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/arthur-conan-doyle-based-sherlock-holmes-on-a-real-life-scottish-surgeon-who-used-deduction-to-diagnose-patients-and-investigate-crimes-180989623/A Monumental 18th-Century Portrait of a Young Polynesian Man—a 'Supreme Work of Art'—Visits the U.S. for the First Timehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-monumental-18th-century-portrait-of-a-young-polynesian-man-a-supreme-work-of-art-visits-the-us-for-the-first-time-180989699/The massive "Portrait of Mai" depicts the first Pacific Islander to visit Britain, a young man who became a quasi-celebrity in the 1770s after joining the expedition of explorer James CookFri, 16 Oct 2026 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-monumental-18th-century-portrait-of-a-young-polynesian-man-a-supreme-work-of-art-visits-the-us-for-the-first-time-180989699/This Soldier Kept a Diary in the Trenches of World War I. A Child Found It at the Dump Decades Later, Pierced by a Bullet and Stained With Bloodhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-soldier-kept-a-diary-in-the-trenches-of-world-war-i-a-child-found-it-at-the-dump-decades-later-pierced-by-a-bullet-and-stained-with-blood-180989696/Corporal Claude Nuttall recorded his wartime experiences in the diary. Now, after decades of research, a museum curator is telling the soldier's story in a new bookThu, 15 Oct 2026 19:41:46 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-soldier-kept-a-diary-in-the-trenches-of-world-war-i-a-child-found-it-at-the-dump-decades-later-pierced-by-a-bullet-and-stained-with-blood-180989696/London's Oldest Restaurant, Frequented by Monarchs and Pop Stars Alike, Is a Site of 'Living History.' Now It's Protected by the National Trust for Generations to Comehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/londons-oldest-restaurant-frequented-by-monarchs-and-pop-stars-alike-is-a-site-of-living-history-now-its-protected-by-the-national-trust-for-generations-to-come-180989688/Rules, a historic restaurant where the likes of Charles Dickens and Madonna have dined, is changing hands for only the fourth time in over 200 years. Visitors can see artifact-covered walls and indulge in rich British cuisineThu, 15 Oct 2026 16:24:32 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/londons-oldest-restaurant-frequented-by-monarchs-and-pop-stars-alike-is-a-site-of-living-history-now-its-protected-by-the-national-trust-for-generations-to-come-180989688/Mourners Placed an Ancient Sippy Cup in a Roman Toddler's Grave. It May Have Been Meant to Sustain the Child on the Journey to the Afterlifehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/mourners-laced-an-ancient-sippy-cup-in-a-roman-toddlers-grave-it-may-have-been-meant-to-sustain-the-child-on-the-journey-to-the-afterlife-180989673/Fragments of the spouted cup, known as a "tettina," were unearthed in England over a decade ago. It has recently been restored and put on display for the first timeTue, 13 Oct 2026 19:44:43 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/mourners-laced-an-ancient-sippy-cup-in-a-roman-toddlers-grave-it-may-have-been-meant-to-sustain-the-child-on-the-journey-to-the-afterlife-180989673/Volunteers Are Helping Unearth One of England's Oldest Leprosy Hospitals, Giving a Glimpse Into How Victims of the Disease Were Treated in Medieval Timeshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/volunteers-are-helping-unearth-one-of-englands-oldest-leprosy-hospitals-giving-a-glimpse-into-how-victims-of-the-disease-were-treated-in-medieval-times-180989665/Researchers believe that the Hospital of the Holy Innocents, founded in the 11th or 12th century, may have had "little houses with a little yard" for up to 20 people with leprosy. "You’d need to have resources to get in here," one archaeologist says.Tue, 13 Oct 2026 14:13:57 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/volunteers-are-helping-unearth-one-of-englands-oldest-leprosy-hospitals-giving-a-glimpse-into-how-victims-of-the-disease-were-treated-in-medieval-times-180989665/A Community-Led Archaeology Dig on a Tiny Scottish Isle Has Unearthed a Medieval Monastery of 'International Importance'https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-community-led-archaeology-dig-on-a-tiny-scottish-isle-has-unearthed-a-medieval-monastery-of-international-importance-180989654/The settlement, founded by an early Christian saint in the 500s, is "far more than a small island church." It may have played a larger role in the Christianization of Britain than historians once realizedFri, 09 Oct 2026 14:35:25 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-community-led-archaeology-dig-on-a-tiny-scottish-isle-has-unearthed-a-medieval-monastery-of-international-importance-180989654/Hundreds of British College Students Clashed With Wooden Swords in a 1966 Re-enactment of the Battle of Hastings. Watch the Rediscovered 'Time Capsule' of Lost Footagehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/hundreds-of-british-college-students-clashed-with-wooden-swords-in-a-1966-re-enactment-of-the-battle-of-hastings-watch-the-rediscovered-time-capsule-of-lost-footage-180989635/A local videographer shot 300 reels of color film during the re-enactment, which shows "soldiers on foot getting remarkably close to horses" and "a rather relaxed attitude towards health and safety." The event sparked an annual tradition that continues to this dayThu, 08 Oct 2026 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/hundreds-of-british-college-students-clashed-with-wooden-swords-in-a-1966-re-enactment-of-the-battle-of-hastings-watch-the-rediscovered-time-capsule-of-lost-footage-180989635/What Are Medieval English Coins Doing in Rome? They Could Be Rare Evidence of a 'Little England' Enclave That Received Special Papal Privilegeshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/what-are-medieval-english-coins-doing-in-rome-they-could-be-rare-evidence-of-a-little-england-enclave-that-received-special-papal-privileges-180989625/Researchers argue that the tenth-century coins provide new evidence of a bustling English community located next to the Vatican that was permitted to use its own currencyTue, 06 Oct 2026 20:33:52 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/what-are-medieval-english-coins-doing-in-rome-they-could-be-rare-evidence-of-a-little-england-enclave-that-received-special-papal-privileges-180989625/These Soldiers Were Buried in an Unmarked Grave During the Revolutionary War. Now, Historians Finally Know Their Nameshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-soldiers-were-buried-in-an-unmarked-grave-during-the-revolutionary-war-now-historians-finally-know-their-names-180989621/At a recent memorial ceremony, officials honored 28 Continental soldiers and at least 38 British soldiers who were buried in Wilmington, Delaware, nearly 250 years agoTue, 06 Oct 2026 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-soldiers-were-buried-in-an-unmarked-grave-during-the-revolutionary-war-now-historians-finally-know-their-names-180989621/When Jane Austen Took a Turn About the Ballroom in Bath, Ancient Roman Artifacts Were Hiding Beneath Her Feet. Now, Archaeologists Have Finally Found Themhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/when-jane-austen-took-a-turn-about-the-ballroom-in-bath-ancient-roman-artifacts-were-hiding-beneath-her-feet-now-archaeologists-have-finally-found-them-180989592/Recent excavations at the Bath Assembly Rooms in England revealed Roman-era coins, roof tiles, pottery, glassware, a network of ditches and a fragment of a military helmetWed, 30 Sep 2026 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/when-jane-austen-took-a-turn-about-the-ballroom-in-bath-ancient-roman-artifacts-were-hiding-beneath-her-feet-now-archaeologists-have-finally-found-them-180989592/Who Wrote Elizabeth I's Most Scathing Letters? New Research Suggests the Tudor Queen's Male Secretaries Revised Her Correspondence to Emphasize Her Temperhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/who-wrote-elizabeth-is-most-scathing-letters-new-research-suggests-the-tudor-queens-male-secretaries-revised-her-correspondence-to-emphasize-her-temper-180989565/An analysis of more than 500 missives found that Elizabeth's advisers crafted and even intensified the expression of emotion in her messages to such figures as Mary, Queen of Scots, and James VI of ScotlandMon, 28 Sep 2026 11:45:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/who-wrote-elizabeth-is-most-scathing-letters-new-research-suggests-the-tudor-queens-male-secretaries-revised-her-correspondence-to-emphasize-her-temper-180989565/During the American Revolution, the City of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Served as the United States' Capital for Just One Dayhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/during-the-american-revolution-the-city-lancaster-pennsylvania-served-as-the-united-states-capital-for-just-one-day-180989544/The nascent nation's leaders fled to the inland city as the British advanced on Philadelphia in September 1777. They held one meeting at the local courthouse before moving on to YorkThu, 24 Sep 2026 11:45:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/during-the-american-revolution-the-city-lancaster-pennsylvania-served-as-the-united-states-capital-for-just-one-day-180989544/Henry VIII Relied on This Courtier to Enforce His Orders During the English Reformation. Behind the Scenes, the Tudor Politician Defied His King by Secretly Saving a Catholic Texthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/henry-viii-relied-on-this-courtier-to-enforce-his-orders-during-the-english-reformation-behind-the-scenes-the-tudor-politician-defied-his-king-by-secretly-saving-a-catholic-text-180989541/A newly discovered fragment suggests that John Gage preserved a 15th-century religious manuscript, keeping it "safe when he was meant to destroy books precisely like this one"Mon, 21 Sep 2026 19:08:47 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/henry-viii-relied-on-this-courtier-to-enforce-his-orders-during-the-english-reformation-behind-the-scenes-the-tudor-politician-defied-his-king-by-secretly-saving-a-catholic-text-180989541/A Cutting-Edge English Initiative Replaces Lawnmowers With Scythes to Restore Wildflowers and Save the Beeshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-cutting-edge-english-project-replaces-lawnmowers-with-scythes-to-protect-wildflowers-and-save-the-bees-180989537/English Heritage has recruited volunteers to mow meadows the old-fashioned way at some of its historic sitesMon, 21 Sep 2026 17:46:32 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-cutting-edge-english-project-replaces-lawnmowers-with-scythes-to-protect-wildflowers-and-save-the-bees-180989537/Researchers Have Analyzed the Roman Empire’s 190,000-Mile Network of Roads. Turns Out, Not All of Them Led to Romehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/researchers-have-created-a-digital-map-of-the-roman-empires-190000-mile-network-of-roads-turns-out-not-all-of-them-led-to-rome-180989509/For a new study, archaeologists attempted to answer age-old questions about Rome’s roads, including how connected the capital was and whether current motorways trace Roman routesThu, 17 Sep 2026 14:10:20 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/researchers-have-created-a-digital-map-of-the-roman-empires-190000-mile-network-of-roads-turns-out-not-all-of-them-led-to-rome-180989509/Renovations at Buckingham Palace Have Revealed Fascinating Artifacts Previously Lost to Time Lodged in Its Walls and Floorshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/renovations-at-buckingham-palace-have-revealed-fascinating-artifacts-previously-lost-to-time-lodged-in-its-walls-and-floors-180989494/The findings include a card game tournament ticket, an important newspaper clipping and the schedule for a diplomatic evening event under Elizabeth IITue, 15 Sep 2026 14:21:13 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/renovations-at-buckingham-palace-have-revealed-fascinating-artifacts-previously-lost-to-time-lodged-in-its-walls-and-floors-180989494/Six Ways That People of the Past Used Magic to Protect Their Homes, From Witch Bottles to Mystical Symbolshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/six-ways-that-people-of-the-past-used-magic-to-protect-their-homes-from-witch-bottles-to-mystical-symbols-180989493/Throughout history, humans around the world have employed protective talismans such as special stones, herbs and plants, and decorative demon tilesTue, 15 Sep 2026 11:45:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/six-ways-that-people-of-the-past-used-magic-to-protect-their-homes-from-witch-bottles-to-mystical-symbols-180989493/The Real Story Behind 'The Uprising' and the 1381 Peasants' Revolt, When Thousands Marched on London to Demand a Fairer Societyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-real-story-behind-the-uprising-and-the-1381-peasants-revolt-when-thousands-marched-on-london-to-demand-a-fairer-society-180989464/Paul Greengrass' new film stars Andrew Garfield as a fictionalized, unnamed farmer who leads a rebellion against unfair taxes and the system of serfdomWed, 09 Sep 2026 17:10:33 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-real-story-behind-the-uprising-and-the-1381-peasants-revolt-when-thousands-marched-on-london-to-demand-a-fairer-society-180989464/Routine Yard Work Reveals a Trove of Viking Silver—the Largest Treasure of Its Kind Ever Discovered in Denmarkhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/routine-yard-work-reveals-a-trove-of-viking-silver-the-largest-treasure-of-its-kind-ever-discovered-in-denmark-180989456/The collection includes coins, jewelry, silver bars and a tiny artifact shaped like Thor's hammer. Experts say the roughly 700 items were buried during the tenth centuryTue, 08 Sep 2026 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/routine-yard-work-reveals-a-trove-of-viking-silver-the-largest-treasure-of-its-kind-ever-discovered-in-denmark-180989456/Stones From One of Henry VIII's Fortresses Spent More Than a Century Hidden in Plain Sight. New Research Suggests the Victorians Repurposed Them as Building Materialshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/stones-from-one-of-henry-viiis-fortresses-spent-more-than-a-century-hidden-in-plain-sight-new-research-suggests-the-victorians-repurposed-them-as-building-materials-180989427/Recently discovered archival records indicate that workers constructing an extension of the Constable's Gate at Dover Castle in the late 19th century reused fragments of the Tudor-era Sandown CastleTue, 01 Sep 2026 12:52:03 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/stones-from-one-of-henry-viiis-fortresses-spent-more-than-a-century-hidden-in-plain-sight-new-research-suggests-the-victorians-repurposed-them-as-building-materials-180989427/Some of the Earliest Automobile Enthusiasts Signed Up to Help the Allies in WWI. They Also Ushered in the Mechanization of Warhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/some-earliest-automobile-enthusiasts-signed-up-help-allies-world-war-i-also-ushered-in-mechanization-war-180989285/When the gentlemen drivers of Britain’s Royal Automobile Club Volunteer Force shipped their roadsters and racers to face the Germans, they became chauffeurs, couriers and inadvertent combatantsTue, 01 Sep 2026 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/some-earliest-automobile-enthusiasts-signed-up-help-allies-world-war-i-also-ushered-in-mechanization-war-180989285/See the Digitally Reconstructed Face of an Ancient Man Who Witnessed England’s Greatest Upheavalhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-the-digitally-reconstructed-face-of-an-ancient-man-who-witnessed-englands-greatest-upheaval-180989425/The so-called “Conquest Man” was buried in England in 1079, just over a decade into the reign of William the Conqueror. Researchers recently analyzed the skeleton’s DNA and teeth to learn more about himMon, 31 Aug 2026 20:35:48 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-the-digitally-reconstructed-face-of-an-ancient-man-who-witnessed-englands-greatest-upheaval-180989425/Freddie Mercury's Boundary-Pushing Costumes Take Center Stage at the Victoria and Albert Museum to Mark the 80th Anniversary of His Birthhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/freddie-mercurys-boundary-pushing-costumes-take-center-stage-at-victoria-and-albert-museum-to-mark-80th-anniversary-his-birth-180989403/Eight ensembles from the Queen frontman's career will be displayed across six stops in the London museum's permanent galleries, offering a glimpse into the clothes behind his legendary stage personaThu, 27 Aug 2026 14:34:47 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/freddie-mercurys-boundary-pushing-costumes-take-center-stage-at-victoria-and-albert-museum-to-mark-80th-anniversary-his-birth-180989403/These Medieval Manuscript Fragments Were Reused as Parchment, Inadvertently Preserving Them for Centurieshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-medieval-manuscript-fragments-were-reused-as-parchment-inadvertently-preserving-them-for-centuries-180989398/Recently discovered on Guernsey, one of the Channel Islands, the pages include Bible passages, poems, plays and other texts. They were repurposed as book bindings during the 16th and 17th centuriesWed, 26 Aug 2026 18:20:50 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-medieval-manuscript-fragments-were-reused-as-parchment-inadvertently-preserving-them-for-centuries-180989398/A Human Skeleton Was Found Inside a Mysterious Stone Structure in Scotland. Archaeologists Still Don't Know Why It Was Buried Therehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/human-skeleton-found-inside-mysterious-stone-structure-in-scotland-archaeologists-still-dont-know-why-it-was-buried-there-180989391/Built with fitted stone and a clay-like material that may have helped retain liquid, the unusual structure has left researchers searching for an explanationTue, 25 Aug 2026 17:51:55 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/human-skeleton-found-inside-mysterious-stone-structure-in-scotland-archaeologists-still-dont-know-why-it-was-buried-there-180989391/This 18th-Century British Queen Turned King Arthur Into a P.R. Strategy, Drawing on Myth to Promote Her Dynasty's Claim to the Thronehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/this-18th-century-british-queen-turned-king-arthur-into-a-pr-strategy-drawing-on-myth-to-promote-her-dynastys-claim-to-the-throne-180989367/In 1735, Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach commissioned a cottage called Merlin's Cave, which linked the German House of Hanover to both Britain’s ancient heritage and its future successMon, 24 Aug 2026 11:45:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/this-18th-century-british-queen-turned-king-arthur-into-a-pr-strategy-drawing-on-myth-to-promote-her-dynastys-claim-to-the-throne-180989367/