https://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/history/RSS feed for HistoryenFri, 04 Sep 2026 19:21:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/kermit-the-frog-was-just-trying-to-put-on-a-variety-show-fifty-years-later-the-muppets-are-some-of-the-biggest-stars-in-television-history-180989451/The first episode of Jim Henson's "The Muppet Show" premiered in the United Kingdom on September 5, 1976. Enthusiasm for the eclectic ensemble has endured ever sinceFri, 04 Sep 2026 19:21:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/kermit-the-frog-was-just-trying-to-put-on-a-variety-show-fifty-years-later-the-muppets-are-some-of-the-biggest-stars-in-television-history-180989451/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/historical-pollution-not-current-industrial-emissions-damaged-worlds-largest-oldest-collection-ancient-rock-art-180989416/Researchers say that past exposure to sulfur dioxide is likely to blame for the increased porosity of the Murujuga rock art created by the Ngarda-Ngarli people tens of thousands of years agoFri, 28 Aug 2026 18:04:36 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/historical-pollution-not-current-industrial-emissions-damaged-worlds-largest-oldest-collection-ancient-rock-art-180989416/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/1800-people-pull-a-400-ton-japanese-castle-keep-back-toward-its-original-location-after-a-decade-of-restoration-work-180989401/The chance to help move the castle keep drew thousands of applications from Japan and abroad. Groups of lottery winners took turns tugging on thick ropes attached to the massive structureThu, 27 Aug 2026 19:43:03 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/1800-people-pull-a-400-ton-japanese-castle-keep-back-toward-its-original-location-after-a-decade-of-restoration-work-180989401/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/historic-alabama-hotel-linked-civil-rights-movement-is-falling-apart-can-conservationists-fighting-to-save-it-turn-the-tide-180989407/Selma's Edistone Hotel has witnessed pivotal chapters in American history, from Reconstruction to "Bloody Sunday." Now, after years of neglect and a recent wall collapse, the Conservation Fund is working to secure its futureThu, 27 Aug 2026 18:35:02 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/historic-alabama-hotel-linked-civil-rights-movement-is-falling-apart-can-conservationists-fighting-to-save-it-turn-the-tide-180989407/https://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/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-new-statue-honors-moby-dick-author-herman-melville-in-the-massachusetts-city-where-his-whaling-adventures-began-180989388/The 7.5-foot-tall bronze artwork stands in the heart of historic New Bedford, the 19th-century whaling port that inspired the author's famous 1851 novelTue, 25 Aug 2026 17:57:22 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-new-statue-honors-moby-dick-author-herman-melville-in-the-massachusetts-city-where-his-whaling-adventures-began-180989388/https://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/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/centuries-ago-europeans-plagued-constant-flooding-16-major-events-killed-thousands-over-course-three-years-180989378/When researchers went looking for information about the legendary Magdalena Flood, they were surprised to discover that it was just one of many extreme weather events that ravaged the region in the early 1340sMon, 24 Aug 2026 16:43:17 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/centuries-ago-europeans-plagued-constant-flooding-16-major-events-killed-thousands-over-course-three-years-180989378/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/shipwreck-hunters-discover-the-ruins-of-a-british-destroyer-that-split-in-half-during-a-tragic-peacetime-accident-118-years-ago-180989379/Minutes after it collided with a 10,000-ton cruiser, the HMS "Tiger" sank to the bottom of the English Channel. Divers and historians have spent the past four years searching for the Royal Navy vesselFri, 21 Aug 2026 18:04:39 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/shipwreck-hunters-discover-the-ruins-of-a-british-destroyer-that-split-in-half-during-a-tragic-peacetime-accident-118-years-ago-180989379/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-should-the-bayeux-tapestry-end-new-a-competition-invites-childresn-to-reimagine-its-missing-final-panel-180989366/Some historians think the 230-foot-long artwork is missing its final panel, which may have once depicted William the Conqueror's coronation. As the tapestry goes on view in London, students will be drafting endings of their ownThu, 20 Aug 2026 15:50:43 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-should-the-bayeux-tapestry-end-new-a-competition-invites-childresn-to-reimagine-its-missing-final-panel-180989366/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/irelands-kerry-cow-bones-are-actually-wild-boar-and-bear-shaking-up-the-story-of-farmings-arrival-on-the-island-180989371/The bones were discovered on the Dingle Peninsula more than 30 years ago, but scientists recently decided to take another look at them, this time using modern techniquesThu, 20 Aug 2026 14:40:44 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/irelands-kerry-cow-bones-are-actually-wild-boar-and-bear-shaking-up-the-story-of-farmings-arrival-on-the-island-180989371/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/inside-fight-to-save-300-year-old-tree-that-survived-revolutionary-war-battle-180989357/Arborists are working to preserve the 45-foot-tall live oak in South Carolina's Eutaw Springs Battlefield Park. The historic tree suffered damage during a lightning strike 50 years agoTue, 18 Aug 2026 15:50:28 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/inside-fight-to-save-300-year-old-tree-that-survived-revolutionary-war-battle-180989357/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/historic-submarine-restoration-reveals-a-hidden-connection-to-a-lost-sister-ship-that-sank-during-world-war-ii-180989340/Experts working on the USS "Silversides" found a flood valve that appears to have been destined for its sister ship, the USS "Trigger." The vessel sank in the East China Sea on March 28, 1945Fri, 14 Aug 2026 15:01:24 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/historic-submarine-restoration-reveals-a-hidden-connection-to-a-lost-sister-ship-that-sank-during-world-war-ii-180989340/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-library-book-was-150-years-overdue-fortunately-for-the-man-who-just-returned-it-librarians-wont-be-enforcing-a-20000-late-fee-180989339/"The Antiquities of Athens" had likely been missing from an Australian library since the 1870s. Staffers say its recovery is "an unlikely story of survival (of the book) and redemption (of the borrower)"Fri, 14 Aug 2026 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-library-book-was-150-years-overdue-fortunately-for-the-man-who-just-returned-it-librarians-wont-be-enforcing-a-20000-late-fee-180989339/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/thousands-of-years-ago-denisovans-might-have-been-huge-especially-compared-to-their-archaic-human-neighbors-180989327/New research offers rare insight into our extinct cousins who lived in Asia and who may have towered over petite "Homo erectus"Wed, 12 Aug 2026 22:14:27 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/thousands-of-years-ago-denisovans-might-have-been-huge-especially-compared-to-their-archaic-human-neighbors-180989327/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/shipwreck-divers-discovered-a-162-year-old-bottle-of-guinness-brewed-during-the-reign-of-queen-victoria-and-they-want-to-take-a-swig-180989320/The beer was preserved in a sealed glass bottle and may be safe to sample. The team is also hoping to sequence the DNA of the yeast to recreate what the stout would have tasted like in the 19th centuryWed, 12 Aug 2026 17:28:38 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/shipwreck-divers-discovered-a-162-year-old-bottle-of-guinness-brewed-during-the-reign-of-queen-victoria-and-they-want-to-take-a-swig-180989320/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-in-England-preparing-for-road-construction-unearthed-a-roman-era-fingernail-cleaner-with-a-handle-shaped-like-a-penis-180989318/The Romans considered the phallus a symbol of good luck and used it to decorate objects, mark walls and inspire sculpturesTue, 11 Aug 2026 22:45:06 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-in-England-preparing-for-road-construction-unearthed-a-roman-era-fingernail-cleaner-with-a-handle-shaped-like-a-penis-180989318/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/off-the-coast-of-sicily-divers-discovered-a-roman-era-shipwreck-with-hundreds-of-amphorae-ancient-jars-frequently-used-to-hold-wine-180989307/The site could offer fresh insights into Mediterranean trade routes more than 2,000 years agoMon, 10 Aug 2026 21:53:11 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/off-the-coast-of-sicily-divers-discovered-a-roman-era-shipwreck-with-hundreds-of-amphorae-ancient-jars-frequently-used-to-hold-wine-180989307/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/this-box-of-300-love-letters-showed-up-out-of-the-blue-who-was-the-whimsical-world-war-ii-soldier-who-wrote-them-180989300/Nobody knows who dropped Speedy Weber's correspondence at a USO office in 2022. Researchers have finally tracked down two living relatives who remember himMon, 10 Aug 2026 15:02:12 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/this-box-of-300-love-letters-showed-up-out-of-the-blue-who-was-the-whimsical-world-war-ii-soldier-who-wrote-them-180989300/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-serpentine-sculpture-inspired-by-benjamin-franklins-join-or-die-call-for-unity-is-taking-shape-segment-by-segment-in-philadelphia-180989263/Created by John Collins, the 46-foot-long granite artwork inspired by an 18th-century political cartoon is slated to be unveiled on Independence Mall sometime this fallWed, 05 Aug 2026 14:16:18 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-serpentine-sculpture-inspired-by-benjamin-franklins-join-or-die-call-for-unity-is-taking-shape-segment-by-segment-in-philadelphia-180989263/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-early-biplanes-documented-the-arctic-captured-newsreel-footage-and-witnessed-lindberghs-historic-flight-now-a-rare-example-will-hang-in-a-museum-180989253/The Cradle of Aviation Museum recently acquired a Curtiss Oriole, three-seat biplane manufactured at a nearby Garden City factoryTue, 04 Aug 2026 15:17:49 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-early-biplanes-documented-the-arctic-captured-newsreel-footage-and-witnessed-lindberghs-historic-flight-now-a-rare-example-will-hang-in-a-museum-180989253/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-man-used-this-civil-war-artifact-as-a-paperweight-on-his-desk-the-bomb-squad-told-him-it-was-actually-a-live-explosive-180989245/The device turned out to be an artillery shell designed for a Parrott rifle in the mid-1800s. Experts safely detonated it at a firing range near San AntonioMon, 03 Aug 2026 19:40:33 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-man-used-this-civil-war-artifact-as-a-paperweight-on-his-desk-the-bomb-squad-told-him-it-was-actually-a-live-explosive-180989245/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-discover-two-thumbnail-sized-bird-sculptures-carved-from-mammoth-ivory-40000-years-ago-180989239/Measuring less than an inch long, the figurines were buried beneath Germany's Hohle Fels Cave, where some of the world's oldest known figurative artworks have been foundFri, 31 Jul 2026 18:01:04 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-discover-two-thumbnail-sized-bird-sculptures-carved-from-mammoth-ivory-40000-years-ago-180989239/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ice-age-humans-mostly-killed-female-woolly-mammoths-suggests-ancient-dna-180989241/After analyzing more than 500 mammoth bones, researchers found that ancient humans disproportionately hunted female mammoths for reasons still unknownFri, 31 Jul 2026 17:41:16 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ice-age-humans-mostly-killed-female-woolly-mammoths-suggests-ancient-dna-180989241/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/mysterious-shapes-hidden-beneath-the-amazon-canopy-reveal-a-sprawling-ancient-civilization-much-bigger-than-researchers-expected-180989236/Scientists recently discovered hundreds of monumental, geometric earthworks known as "geoglyphs" in northern Brazil from the Aquiry civilizationFri, 31 Jul 2026 13:47:31 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/mysterious-shapes-hidden-beneath-the-amazon-canopy-reveal-a-sprawling-ancient-civilization-much-bigger-than-researchers-expected-180989236/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-man-unearthed-a-mysterious-metal-object-sticking-straight-up-from-the-ground-it-turned-out-to-be-a-2700-year-old-sword-180989232/Marcin Wiśniewski found the weapon while metal detecting in a forest near the Polish city of Gdańsk. Experts told him that it likely dates to between 900 and 700 B.C.E.Thu, 30 Jul 2026 17:01:02 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-man-unearthed-a-mysterious-metal-object-sticking-straight-up-from-the-ground-it-turned-out-to-be-a-2700-year-old-sword-180989232/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/australias-most-notorious-shipwreck-tells-a-story-of-murder-slavery-mutiny-and-now-surprisingly-sophisticated-trade-in-the-17th-century-180989227/When the Dutch East India Company’s flagship "Batavia" sank in 1629, it went down with large, carved sandstone blocks in its hold. The stones are now shedding light on trade at the dawn of global capitalismThu, 30 Jul 2026 10:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/australias-most-notorious-shipwreck-tells-a-story-of-murder-slavery-mutiny-and-now-surprisingly-sophisticated-trade-in-the-17th-century-180989227/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-metal-detectorist-discovered-tiny-tiles-in-a-farmers-field-a-spectacular-ancient-roman-mosaic-was-buried-beneath-the-surface-180989222/The polychrome mosaic once decorated a small room in a lavish villa complex. Researchers, students and volunteers have been working together to excavate the rare site in southwestern EnglandWed, 29 Jul 2026 17:27:45 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-metal-detectorist-discovered-tiny-tiles-in-a-farmers-field-a-spectacular-ancient-roman-mosaic-was-buried-beneath-the-surface-180989222/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/a-little-known-photographer-captured-the-first-clear-image-of-a-total-solar-eclipse-175-years-ago-today-these-celestial-events-still-reveal-the-mysteries-of-the-sun-180989208/Ever since that first daguerreotype on a light-sensitive metal plate, eclipse observations have continued to unveil the star's corona and bring people together to experience the solar system's majestyTue, 28 Jul 2026 20:40:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/a-little-known-photographer-captured-the-first-clear-image-of-a-total-solar-eclipse-175-years-ago-today-these-celestial-events-still-reveal-the-mysteries-of-the-sun-180989208/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/we-all-know-the-story-of-the-pompeii-victims-who-died-when-mount-vesuvius-erupted-2000-years-ago-archaeologists-are-still-learning-about-those-who-made-it-out-alive-180989207/A semi-fictionalized documentary series hosted by actor Tom Hiddleston follows three people in the ancient towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum who experienced the disaster in 79 C.E.Tue, 28 Jul 2026 16:41:15 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/we-all-know-the-story-of-the-pompeii-victims-who-died-when-mount-vesuvius-erupted-2000-years-ago-archaeologists-are-still-learning-about-those-who-made-it-out-alive-180989207/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-a-rare-ceiling-fresco-from-pompeii-that-archaeologists-are-carefully-reassembling-piece-by-piece-like-an-ancient-puzzle-180989209/Located in the banquet hall of a home with an adjoining bakery, the fresco shows the mythological romance of Dionysus, the god of revelry and wine, and Ariadne, the Cretan princessTue, 28 Jul 2026 14:19:34 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-a-rare-ceiling-fresco-from-pompeii-that-archaeologists-are-carefully-reassembling-piece-by-piece-like-an-ancient-puzzle-180989209/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/students-in-florida-discovered-a-400-year-old-intact-pot-that-reveals-conflict-among-indigenous-spanish-and-english-powers-180989188/Archaeology students at the University of Florida discovered the rare vessel at the site of the former Mission San Francisco de Potano, established in 1606 when Florida was under Spanish ruleFri, 24 Jul 2026 14:09:21 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/students-in-florida-discovered-a-400-year-old-intact-pot-that-reveals-conflict-among-indigenous-spanish-and-english-powers-180989188/https://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/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/this-1950s-airplane-disaster-prompted-the-flight-safety-demonstrations-passengers-know-today-seachers-just-found-the-wreckage-in-the-atlantic-ocean-180989170/A team of explorers used an autonomous underwater vehicle to locate the remains of the Pan American ‘Clipper Endeavor’ about five miles off the coast of Puerto RicoWed, 22 Jul 2026 15:02:37 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-1950s-airplane-disaster-prompted-the-flight-safety-demonstrations-passengers-know-today-seachers-just-found-the-wreckage-in-the-atlantic-ocean-180989170/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-volunteer-stumbled-upon-a-strange-document-in-the-uk-national-archives-it-turned-out-to-be-a-rare-copy-of-the-declaration-of-independence-printed-in-july-1776-180989169/Michael Scurr, a retired insurance broker, found the text while cataloging boxes of 18th-century correspondence housed at the London archives. It's the only known copy of its kind outside the United StatesTue, 21 Jul 2026 19:23:31 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-volunteer-stumbled-upon-a-strange-document-in-the-uk-national-archives-it-turned-out-to-be-a-rare-copy-of-the-declaration-of-independence-printed-in-july-1776-180989169/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/a-massive-flow-of-rock-and-mud-tumbled-down-mount-rainier-centuries-ago-scientists-pinpointed-its-date-to-better-understand-the-volcanos-complex-threats-180989162/In a recent study, researchers dated a historic lahar called the Electron Mudflow to the summer of 1507, establishing a way to determine when past geologic events around the Puget Sound occurredTue, 21 Jul 2026 16:48:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/a-massive-flow-of-rock-and-mud-tumbled-down-mount-rainier-centuries-ago-scientists-pinpointed-its-date-to-better-understand-the-volcanos-complex-threats-180989162/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-tower-of-london-plans-to-turn-its-moat-into-a-green-classroom-and-show-off-its-architecture-archive-in-a-major-renovation-180989161/The landmark, nearly a millennium old, has housed kings, hosted royal executions and safeguarded Britain's crown jewels. New education centers aim to invite more people to learn about that historyMon, 20 Jul 2026 21:36:53 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-tower-of-london-plans-to-turn-its-moat-into-a-green-classroom-and-show-off-its-architecture-archive-in-a-major-renovation-180989161/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/man-sentenced-for-stealing-rare-and-unique-chinese-texts-valued-at-more-than-200000-by-using-aliases-fake-ids-and-dummy-manuscripts-180989134/The works were stolen from the University of California, Los Angeles, over the course of several yearsThu, 16 Jul 2026 15:18:28 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/man-sentenced-for-stealing-rare-and-unique-chinese-texts-valued-at-more-than-200000-by-using-aliases-fake-ids-and-dummy-manuscripts-180989134/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/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/the-largest-operating-steam-locomotive-in-the-world-weighs-1-2-million-pounds-now-the-historic-train-may-be-coming-to-your-town-180989112/Built in the 1940s, Big Boy No. 4014 retired in 1961 after traveling for more than one million miles. It's now making its way across the country in honor of America's 250th birthdayMon, 13 Jul 2026 17:26:51 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-largest-operating-steam-locomotive-in-the-world-weighs-1-2-million-pounds-now-the-historic-train-may-be-coming-to-your-town-180989112/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/dna-reveals-the-identity-of-a-teenager-who-died-in-the-revolutionary-war-cracking-a-nearly-250-year-old-cold-case-180989095/John Pumphrey was still a boy when he enlisted in the Continental Army in 1777. After archaeologists discovered his remains, a genetic genealogy analysis identified 20,000 DNA matches for living relativesFri, 10 Jul 2026 16:07:49 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/dna-reveals-the-identity-of-a-teenager-who-died-in-the-revolutionary-war-cracking-a-nearly-250-year-old-cold-case-180989095/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/