Natural Sciences | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/natural-sciences/RSS feed for Natural SciencesenWed, 26 Aug 2026 18:45:17 +0000A Brittle Coating on a 2,200-Year-Old Roman Shipwreck Reveals How Ancient Sailors Kept Their Ships Afloathttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/brittle-coating-on-2200-year-old-roman-shipwreck-revealing-how-ancient-soliders-kept-ships-afloat-180989394/Traces of pine tar and beeswax preserved on the vessel reveal the painstaking techniques shipbuilders millennia ago used to protect their ships from the briny deepWed, 26 Aug 2026 18:45:17 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/brittle-coating-on-2200-year-old-roman-shipwreck-revealing-how-ancient-soliders-kept-ships-afloat-180989394/