Ships | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/ships/RSS feed for ShipsenThu, 12 Nov 2026 18:22:49 +0000This Mysterious Combination Lock Sank in a 1583 Shipwreck. When Engineers Cracked the Code, It Clicked Open for the First Time in More Than 400 Yearshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-mysterious-combination-lock-sank-in-a-1583-shipwreck-when-engineers-cracked-the-code-it-clicked-open-for-the-first-time-in-more-than-400-years-180989864/A metal detectorist recovered the brass artifact from the wreck of the "Ann Francis," a merchant vessel that sank off southern Wales. Researchers used micro-CT scans to identify the four-letter combinationThu, 12 Nov 2026 18:22:49 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-mysterious-combination-lock-sank-in-a-1583-shipwreck-when-engineers-cracked-the-code-it-clicked-open-for-the-first-time-in-more-than-400-years-180989864/Engineers Delicately Removed the Masts From This Bomb-Laden World War II Shipwreck in the River Thames. But 1,500 Tons of Explosives Are Still in Placehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/engineers-delicately-removed-the-masts-from-this-bomb-laden-world-war-2-shipwreck-in-the-river-thames-but-1500-tons-of-explosives-are-still-in-place-180989798/The operation marks a major milestone in efforts to address the risks posed by the sunken American military cargo ship, which still contains a massive cache of unexploded munitionsMon, 02 Nov 2026 22:19:31 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/engineers-delicately-removed-the-masts-from-this-bomb-laden-world-war-2-shipwreck-in-the-river-thames-but-1500-tons-of-explosives-are-still-in-place-180989798/Two Years After World War II Ended, This Ship Brought the Bodies of 6,251 Fallen Service Members Back Home to Americahttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/two-years-after-world-war-ii-ended-this-ship-brought-the-bodies-of-6251-fallen-service-members-back-home-to-america-180989740/The S.S. "Joseph V. Connolly" arrived in New York City on October 26, 1947. The caskets stored in its holds contained the remains of privates and three-star generals alikeMon, 26 Oct 2026 16:07:32 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/two-years-after-world-war-ii-ended-this-ship-brought-the-bodies-of-6251-fallen-service-members-back-home-to-america-180989740/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/A New Contender for the World's Oldest Shipwreck Has Been Discovered Off the Coast of Turkey. Its Ancient Cargo Is a 'Time Capsule' From 4,700 Years Agohttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-new-contender-for-the-worlds-oldest-shipwreck-has-been-discovered-off-the-coast-of-turkey-its-ancient-cargo-is-a-time-capsule-from-4700-years-ago-180989682/The ship was likely transporting huge jars of olive oil or wine across the Mediterranean when it sank to the seafloor. One archaeologist "could not believe how much" residue remained insideWed, 14 Oct 2026 19:20:10 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-new-contender-for-the-worlds-oldest-shipwreck-has-been-discovered-off-the-coast-of-turkey-its-ancient-cargo-is-a-time-capsule-from-4700-years-ago-180989682/