Weapons | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/weapons/RSS feed for WeaponsenFri, 08 May 2026 19:45:58 +0000A Hiker in Norway Found an Elite Warrior’s Golden Sword Ornament. It Was Likely a Sacrifice to the Gods Made During a Time of Turmoilhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-hiker-in-norway-found-an-elite-warriors-golden-sword-ornament-it-was-likely-a-sacrifice-to-the-gods-made-during-a-time-of-turmoil-180988707/Volcanic eruptions, climate change, crop failures, famine and plague all may have swept through Norway in the sixth century C.E., putting pressure on leaders and their communitiesFri, 08 May 2026 19:45:58 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-hiker-in-norway-found-an-elite-warriors-golden-sword-ornament-it-was-likely-a-sacrifice-to-the-gods-made-during-a-time-of-turmoil-180988707/A Small Rodent Hero Left a Giant Legacy. Now, Cambodia Honors This Famous Bomb-Sniffing Rat With a Seven-Foot Statuehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-small-rodent-hero-left-a-giant-legacy-now-cambodia-honors-this-famous-bomb-sniffing-rat-with-a-seven-foot-statue-180988515/Magawa the African giant pouched rat cleared more 1.5 million square feet of land mines during his five-year career, making him one of the most successful bomb-sniffing rodents in the country’s historyThu, 09 Apr 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-small-rodent-hero-left-a-giant-legacy-now-cambodia-honors-this-famous-bomb-sniffing-rat-with-a-seven-foot-statue-180988515/Long Before Machine Guns, Ancient Roman Troops Used This 2,000-Year-Old Rapid-Fire Weapon in Pompeii, New Research Suggestshttps://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/