Ancient Egypt

Five of the World's Most Fascinating Topiary Gardens

Whimsical gardens in surprising shapes decorate homes, churches and cemeteries around the world. We’ve rounded up five of the most extraordinary

The bust of Nefertiti at the Altes Museum in Berlin

Could a Door in King Tut's Tomb Lead to Nefertiti?

There could be more in Tutanhkamun's burial chamber than meets the eye

In Egypt, There Was Once a Tomb Full of Eight Million Dog Mummies

Devotees of the Ancient Egyptian deity Anubis buried dogs at the necropolis of Saqqara

Scientists Just Mummified a Human Leg to Test Ancient Egyptian Techniques

It took 208 days for Swiss scientists to mummify a fresh leg using natron

Illustration of a Greek vase shows Dionysus leading three revelers toward likely hangovers

Recently Translated Papyrus Details 1,900-Year-Old Hangover Cure

Those disappointed by the effectiveness of this 1,900-year old remedy can instead peruse the eye surgery techniques in other ancient texts

This Ancient Egyptian Masterpiece Might Be Fake

“Egypt’s Mona Lisa” is likely a sham

A lithograph depicting an ancient Egyptian physician treating a patient for lockjaw. In the village of Deir el-Medina, this man may have still been paid while missing work.

Some Ancient Egyptians Had State-Sponsored Healthcare

Craftsmen who built royal tombs enjoyed sick days, designated physicians and rationed medicine—all paid by the state

Vatican with the Tiber River and St. Peter's Basilica

Two of the Vatican’s “Ancient” Egyptian Mummies Are 19th Century Fakes

Specimens once thought to be the remains of children or animals are likely a product of the 1800’s “mummy mania”

King Tut’s Beard Fell Off...And Was Glued Back on With Epoxy

Clumsy curators won’t admit who’s behind the irreparable repair

A fragment from a copy of the Gospel of John, circa 200AD, is displayed at Sotheby's auctioneers in London. Researchers now claim to have found a gospel text that is over 100 years older.

Papyrus Found in a Mummy Mask May Be the Oldest Known Copy of a Gospel

Questions surround the reported discovery of an ancient scrap of the Gospel of Mark

Our Answers to the Most Burning Questions of 2014

Here are the ten most popular installments of "Ask Smithsonian" this year

A Coptic depiction of Christ and of Abbot Mena dating to around the same time as the recently translated book of rituals.

An Ancient Egyptian Spellbook Has Been Translated

It's like the researchers have never seen a horror movie

Newest King Tut Theory: He Suffered Severe Disorders From Inbreeding

Problems included a club foot that prevented him from walking unaided

Blood vessels of the neck and head

Blood Vessels Left Imprint on 2,000 Year Old Mummy

An Egyptian mummy's skull contains the imprint of blood vessels surrounding its brain

Khufu Pyramid at Giza.

Google Street View Brings Egypt's Pyramids To A Computer Near You

From ancient citadels to the Great Sphinx, you can now explore Egypt's wonders in the digital world

An inlaid alabaster unguent jar in the form of an ibex, with one natural horn, was found in the tomb of the pharaoh Tutankhamun.

Egypt’s Mammal Extinctions Tracked Through 6,000 Years of Art

Tomb goods and historical texts show how a drying climate and an expanding human population took their toll on the region’s wildlife

Pyramid of Djoser

Restoration Of Egypt’s Oldest Pyramid May Be Harming it

Efforts to save the Pyramid of Djoser could be making things worse

Is This the Most Efficient Way To Build the Pyramids?

A new physics study shows another possible method for how the pyramids of Egypt were constructed

Flax yarn recovered from late Neolithic graves, heavily laden with resin.

The First Ancient Egyptian Mummies Might Have Appeared 1,500 Years Earlier Than Egyptologists Thought

Egyptians were embalming their dead as far back as 4,100 B.C.

Mummies From Around the World Had Hardened Arteries

Mummies from cultures across the globe have one thing in common—plaque in their arteries

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