https://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/european-history/RSS feed for European HistoryenTue, 19 May 2026 20:09:27 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-bayeux-tapestry-takes-a-journey-for-a-fresh-perspective-as-the-british-museum-prepares-to-lay-the-masterpiece-out-flat-180988764/After spending centuries in France, the 1,000-year-old tapestry depicting the Norman Conquest of England is traveling to its home countryTue, 19 May 2026 20:09:27 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-bayeux-tapestry-takes-a-journey-for-a-fresh-perspective-as-the-british-museum-prepares-to-lay-the-masterpiece-out-flat-180988764/https://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/mona-lisa-is-moving-to-a-new-home-the-louvre-just-announced-the-architects-who-will-design-her-private-suite-180988763/Visitors will be able to view Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece without touring the rest of the Louvre, and visitor traffic at the museum will be able to grow by three million people annuallyTue, 19 May 2026 18:27:11 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/mona-lisa-is-moving-to-a-new-home-the-louvre-just-announced-the-architects-who-will-design-her-private-suite-180988763/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/did-homo-sapiens-really-outsmart-neanderthals-different-skull-shapes-didnt-necessarily-mean-unequal-brain-capacity-new-research-shows-180988738/A study from U.S. and Chinese researchers suggests Neanderthals and early modern humans probably had similar cognitive abilitiesWed, 13 May 2026 21:29:42 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/did-homo-sapiens-really-outsmart-neanderthals-different-skull-shapes-didnt-necessarily-mean-unequal-brain-capacity-new-research-shows-180988738/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-english-king-minted-these-coins-to-ward-off-a-viking-invasion-instead-the-seafaring-raiders-turned-the-pennies-into-jewelry-180988716/Aethelred the Unready viewed the attacks on his kingdom as divine retribution. He hoped that a show of public penance, including the creation of coins featuring religious imagery, would help earn God's forgivenessTue, 12 May 2026 11:30:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-english-king-minted-these-coins-to-ward-off-a-viking-invasion-instead-the-seafaring-raiders-turned-the-pennies-into-jewelry-180988716/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/history-remembers-mary-boleyn-as-the-scandalous-other-boleyn-girl-new-research-debunks-the-myths-surrounding-the-tudor-mistress-180988703/Sylvia Barbara Soberton's latest book challenges the perception of Anne Boleyn's sister as "promiscuous, intellectually incurious and unambitious"Mon, 11 May 2026 15:17:59 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/history-remembers-mary-boleyn-as-the-scandalous-other-boleyn-girl-new-research-debunks-the-myths-surrounding-the-tudor-mistress-180988703/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/mysterious-green-rocks-discovered-in-a-remote-cave-in-spain-might-be-signs-of-prehistoric-people-working-with-copper-180988706/The find challenges assumptions that people in the region thousands of years ago did not spend much time at high altitudesFri, 08 May 2026 17:42:41 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/mysterious-green-rocks-discovered-in-a-remote-cave-in-spain-might-be-signs-of-prehistoric-people-working-with-copper-180988706/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-fall-of-the-roman-empire-was-less-a-clash-of-civilizations-and-more-an-opportunity-to-mix-and-mingle-a-new-genetics-study-shows-180988699/Researchers who analyzed genomes from early medieval graves in modern-day Germany hypothesize that people from the former Roman Empire formed families with Germanic people soon after the empire fellFri, 08 May 2026 15:54:58 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-fall-of-the-roman-empire-was-less-a-clash-of-civilizations-and-more-an-opportunity-to-mix-and-mingle-a-new-genetics-study-shows-180988699/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/before-the-kiss-gustav-klimt-got-his-first-big-art-assignment-at-this-austrian-theater-now-visitors-can-see-his-ceiling-paintings-up-close-for-the-first-time-180988698/As a young man, the artist who later became famous for working gold leaf into portraits earned a Golden Cross of Merit from an emperor for his contributions to Vienna’s BurgtheaterThu, 07 May 2026 19:13:07 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/before-the-kiss-gustav-klimt-got-his-first-big-art-assignment-at-this-austrian-theater-now-visitors-can-see-his-ceiling-paintings-up-close-for-the-first-time-180988698/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/see-the-largest-viking-age-hoard-ever-found-in-norway-at-nearly-3000-coins-and-counting-the-cache-is-a-once-in-a-lifetime-find-180988657/Buried in the mid-11th century, the stash includes silver pieces minted under rulers such as Cnut the Great, Aethelred the Unready and Harald HardradaMon, 04 May 2026 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-the-largest-viking-age-hoard-ever-found-in-norway-at-nearly-3000-coins-and-counting-the-cache-is-a-once-in-a-lifetime-find-180988657/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/a-metal-detectorist-stumbled-upon-a-silver-coin-it-turned-out-to-be-part-of-a-stash-buried-during-the-viking-invasion-of-britain-180988645/Archaeologists say that the 63 coins, most of which bear the name of King Burgred of Mercia, might have been hidden in the ninth century to keep them safe at a time of unrestThu, 30 Apr 2026 12:42:16 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-metal-detectorist-stumbled-upon-a-silver-coin-it-turned-out-to-be-part-of-a-stash-buried-during-the-viking-invasion-of-britain-180988645/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/known-for-her-amusing-surreal-sculptures-this-french-artists-sinuous-set-of-mirrors-just-shattered-auction-records-180988632/Claude Lalanne created the reflective ensemble for designer Yves Saint Laurent. Experts say it's second in importance only to the famous mirrors at the Palace of VersaillesTue, 28 Apr 2026 21:16:47 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/known-for-her-amusing-surreal-sculptures-this-french-artists-sinuous-set-of-mirrors-just-shattered-auction-records-180988632/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-13-year-old-boy-found-this-bronze-coin-in-a-field-it-turned-out-to-be-the-first-ancient-greek-artifact-discovered-in-berlin-180988627/Minted in Troy in the third century B.C.E., the object might have been buried as a gift to the dead. Archaeologists don't know exactly how it ended up in modern-day GermanyTue, 28 Apr 2026 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-13-year-old-boy-found-this-bronze-coin-in-a-field-it-turned-out-to-be-the-first-ancient-greek-artifact-discovered-in-berlin-180988627/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/a-collection-of-maps-owned-by-englands-first-queen-spent-centuries-overlooked-in-a-family-library-now-the-rare-volume-is-on-sale-for-16-million-180988604/Created for Mary I, the first woman to rule England in her own right, the book is "perhaps the most significant artifact of Tudor intellectual history still in private hands," the seller saysMon, 27 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/a-collection-of-maps-owned-by-englands-first-queen-spent-centuries-overlooked-in-a-family-library-now-the-rare-volume-is-on-sale-for-16-million-180988604/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/did-neanderthals-have-language-new-research-suggests-they-had-the-genetic-hardware-for-it-like-humans-180988620/Specific genomic regions that seem to play a role in human language development evolved hundreds of thousands of years ago, before humans and Neanderthals diverged from a common ancestor, a new study findsMon, 27 Apr 2026 10:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/did-neanderthals-have-language-new-research-suggests-they-had-the-genetic-hardware-for-it-like-humans-180988620/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/what-killed-the-neanderthals-new-research-suggests-a-lack-of-genetic-diversity-may-be-partially-to-blame-180988612/When the climate cooled, the population of Neanderthals shrank. Most that lived between 60,000 and 40,000 years ago were descended from the same lineage and had very similar DNAFri, 24 Apr 2026 14:04:18 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/what-killed-the-neanderthals-new-research-suggests-a-lack-of-genetic-diversity-may-be-partially-to-blame-180988612/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-a-graveyard-of-shipwrecks-between-europe-and-africa-archaeologists-discovered-vessels-doomed-over-thousands-of-years-180988605/The "harbor" of the Strait of Gibraltar is the final resting place for shipwrecks from ancient Rome, the medieval era and World War II, according to a new archaeological surveyFri, 24 Apr 2026 10:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-a-graveyard-of-shipwrecks-between-europe-and-africa-archaeologists-discovered-vessels-doomed-over-thousands-of-years-180988605/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/renaissance-art-linked-beauty-with-virtue-and-ugliness-with-vice-see-how-painters-from-leonardo-da-vinci-to-botticelli-viewed-physical-attractiveness-180988584/An exhibition in Brussels spotlights 90-plus artworks featuring golden-haired muses, greedy old men and those deemed unattractive simply because they were differentTue, 21 Apr 2026 15:55:23 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/renaissance-art-linked-beauty-with-virtue-and-ugliness-with-vice-see-how-painters-from-leonardo-da-vinci-to-botticelli-viewed-physical-attractiveness-180988584/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-medieval-castle-sits-atop-a-prehistoric-time-capsule-new-excavations-could-reveal-the-history-of-neanderthals-in-britain-180988562/In a cave tucked beneath the Welsh landmark, archaeologists have found evidence of human and animal visits over the past 120,000 years. Now, they're starting a five-year excavation projectMon, 20 Apr 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-medieval-castle-sits-atop-a-prehistoric-time-capsule-new-excavations-could-reveal-the-history-of-neanderthals-in-britain-180988562/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-first-lsd-trip-was-a-literal-bicycle-ride-83-years-ago-fans-of-the-psychedelic-celebrate-the-occasion-every-april-19-180988564/In 1943, a chemist in Switzerland synthesized a drug that alters consciousness. His discovery changed the study of medicine, psychiatry and biology—and became a central component of the counterculture movementFri, 17 Apr 2026 17:56:08 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-first-lsd-trip-was-a-literal-bicycle-ride-83-years-ago-fans-of-the-psychedelic-celebrate-the-occasion-every-april-19-180988564/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/andrew-lloyd-webber-says-hes-writing-a-new-musical-about-the-time-the-mona-lisa-vanished-without-a-trace-in-1911-180988559/Known for spectacles like "The Phantom of the Opera," Broadway's most commercially successful composer now wants to tell the story of the world's most famous paintingFri, 17 Apr 2026 10:15:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/andrew-lloyd-webber-says-hes-writing-a-new-musical-about-the-time-the-mona-lisa-vanished-without-a-trace-in-1911-180988559/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-is-a-cold-war-bunker-buried-underneath-this-medieval-english-castle-in-case-of-nuclear-armageddon-180988561/Archaeologists uncovered a relic of the 20th-century conflict beneath Scarborough Castle, decades after the bunker was sealed and its exact location was forgottenThu, 16 Apr 2026 19:00:23 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-is-a-cold-war-bunker-buried-underneath-this-medieval-english-castle-in-case-of-nuclear-armageddon-180988561/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/medieval-writings-and-tree-rings-helped-researchers-track-a-solar-storm-from-800-years-ago-and-reconstruct-past-solar-cycles-180988546/Diary entries by the Japanese poet Fujiwara no Teika, along with other historical sources from across Asia and Europe, played pivotal roles in a new studyThu, 16 Apr 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/medieval-writings-and-tree-rings-helped-researchers-track-a-solar-storm-from-800-years-ago-and-reconstruct-past-solar-cycles-180988546/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/turtles-may-have-been-tasty-snacks-for-neanderthals-125000-years-ago-but-their-shells-were-probably-the-real-prize-180988550/New research based on fragments discovered at the Neumark-Nord site in Germany suggests Neanderthals may have transformed the shells into toolsWed, 15 Apr 2026 14:46:48 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/turtles-may-have-been-tasty-snacks-for-neanderthals-125000-years-ago-but-their-shells-were-probably-the-real-prize-180988550/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/war-can-feel-surreal-see-how-american-photojournalist-lee-miller-captured-horrors-dark-humor-world-war-ii-180988523/A rediscovered scrapbook showcases never-before-seen images by Lee Miller, a war correspondent for British "Vogue" who followed American troops through EuropeTue, 14 Apr 2026 12:04:59 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/war-can-feel-surreal-see-how-american-photojournalist-lee-miller-captured-horrors-dark-humor-world-war-ii-180988523/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-dizzying-spiral-staircase-with-a-single-guardrail-once-led-to-the-top-of-the-eiffel-tower-now-you-can-buy-14-of-the-original-steps-180988535/The 1,062 steps connecting the tower's second and third levels were installed in 1889. Fragments from the 137-year-old staircase can be found at several French museumsMon, 13 Apr 2026 18:08:16 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-dizzying-spiral-staircase-with-a-single-guardrail-once-led-to-the-top-of-the-eiffel-tower-now-you-can-buy-14-of-the-original-steps-180988535/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/where-does-this-anti-war-masterpiece-belong-in-spain-a-request-to-borrow-picassos-guernica-sparks-a-bitter-debate-180988533/The artwork depicts the bombing of a Basque village in 1937. Now, the relocation debate is raising questions about how to balance the painting’s cultural significance with conservation needsMon, 13 Apr 2026 11:30:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/where-does-this-anti-war-masterpiece-belong-in-spain-a-request-to-borrow-picassos-guernica-sparks-a-bitter-debate-180988533/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/long-before-machine-guns-ancient-roman-troops-were-using-this-rapid-fire-weapon-180988504/Ancient Roman forces may have used the polybolos to quell a rebellion at Pompeii in 89 B.C.E. The unique weapon was likely developed by a Greek engineer centuries earlierThu, 09 Apr 2026 11:13:28 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/long-before-machine-guns-ancient-roman-troops-were-using-this-rapid-fire-weapon-180988504/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/2000-year-old-cargo-from-roman-ship-discovered-at-the-bottom-of-swiss-lake-180988492/Divers recovered weapons, tools, pieces of horse-drawn chariots, ceramic plates, platters and goblets. One archaeologist surmises that the loss would have been "immense" at the timeWed, 08 Apr 2026 14:31:16 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/2000-year-old-cargo-from-roman-ship-discovered-at-the-bottom-of-swiss-lake-180988492/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/experts-are-carefully-restoring-a-15th-century-masterpiece-by-giovanni-bellini-and-you-can-watch-them-work-180988466/The two-year project is expected to cost around $580,000, and visitors to the Gallerie dell’Accademia in Venice will be able to observe the process in personThu, 02 Apr 2026 21:05:57 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/experts-are-carefully-restoring-a-15th-century-masterpiece-by-giovanni-bellini-and-you-can-watch-them-work-180988466/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/spirited-revolutionary-led-fight-independence-corsica-inspired-america-colonial-rabblerouser-180988408/Pasquale Paoli was a “small fish fighting an entire empire.” Four thousand miles away, the founding fathers were watching and taking notesThu, 02 Apr 2026 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/spirited-revolutionary-led-fight-independence-corsica-inspired-america-colonial-rabblerouser-180988408/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/this-skeleton-found-beneath-the-floor-of-a-dutch-church-may-belong-to-dartagnan-the-fourth-musketeer-180988448/Workers discovered the skeleton during recent repair work at the church in Maastricht. D'Artagnan died during the siege of the city in 1673Fri, 27 Mar 2026 21:36:20 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-skeleton-found-beneath-the-floor-of-a-dutch-church-may-belong-to-dartagnan-the-fourth-musketeer-180988448/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-identify-the-worlds-first-known-dog-which-pushes-back-the-animals-genetic-record-by-about-5000-years-180988444/Two new ancient DNA studies suggest that domesticated dogs were widespread in western Eurasia more than 14,000 years agoFri, 27 Mar 2026 17:49:18 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-identify-the-worlds-first-known-dog-which-pushes-back-the-animals-genetic-record-by-about-5000-years-180988444/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-say-this-600-year-old-grape-seed-is-genetically-identical-to-modern-varieties-used-to-make-pinot-noir-180988437/Researchers analyzed grape seeds dating to between 2300 B.C.E. and 1500 C.E., including one particularly intriguing sample found in the toilet of a medieval hospital in FranceThu, 26 Mar 2026 17:43:27 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-say-this-600-year-old-grape-seed-is-genetically-identical-to-modern-varieties-used-to-make-pinot-noir-180988437/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-are-mystified-by-these-2000-year-old-bodies-found-seated-upright-and-facing-west-in-france-180988425/Researchers previously discovered 13 sets of human remains buried in a similar manner at the same grave site in DijonWed, 25 Mar 2026 11:15:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-are-mystified-by-these-2000-year-old-bodies-found-seated-upright-and-facing-west-in-france-180988425/