Skip to main content

Subscribe to Smithsonian magazine and get a FREE tote.

Archaeology

Archaeologist Anastasiia Stupko-Lubczynska at work in the Chapel of Hatshepsut.

Master Artisans Fixed Mistakes Made by Apprentices at Ancient Egyptian Temple

New research reveals how reliefs on the walls of the Temple of Hatshepsut in Thebes were crafted—and corrected

Early humans were likely exposed to mercury through cinnabar, a sulfide mineral that produces a bright red powder when pulverized.

New Research

Earliest Evidence of Mercury Poisoning in Humans Found in 5,000-Year-Old Bones

Researchers discovered the toxic element in remains buried across the Iberian Peninsula between the Neolithic period and antiquity

The coins span the reigns of Nero (54 to 68 C.E.) to Septimius Severus (193 to 211 C.E.).

Cool Finds

Hoard of 5,500 Roman-Era Silver Coins Unearthed in Germany

The coins were buried in what is now the city of Augsburg around the third century C.E.

The ornate object features likenesses of Saints Leonard and Margaret, patron saints of childbirth.

Cool Finds

Tiny Gold Book Found in English Field May Have Ties to Richard III

Experts say the 15th-century artifact bears striking similarities to the Middleham Jewel, a gold pendant found near the king’s childhood home in 1985

The team found traces of an earlier temple beneath the famed sun temple of Nyuserra (pictured).

Cool Finds

Archaeologists Discover ‘Lost,’ 4,500-Year-Old Egyptian Sun Temple

Fifth-Dynasty pharaohs built six such structures. Until now, only two had been found

The heads belong to statues previously discovered in the ancient city.

Cool Finds

Roman-Era Shops, Statues of Greek Deities Found in Ancient City in Turkey

Researchers in Aizanoi unearthed traces of a bone workshop and an oil lamp store, as well as the heads of sculptures depicting Aphrodite and Dionysus

Carved by industrious miners thousands of years ago, countless shafts wend through the desert of the Timna Valley.

An Archaeological Dig Reignites the Debate Over the Old Testament’s Historical Accuracy

Beneath a desert in Israel, a scholar and his team are unearthing astonishing new evidence of an advanced society in the time of the biblical Solomon

The Roman elite viewed public toilets as an instrument that flushed the filth of the plebes out of their noble sight.

How the Ancient Romans Went to the Bathroom

A new book by journalist Lina Zeldovich traces the management of human waste—and underscores poop’s potential as a valuable resource

Minted in Canterbury between 1493 and 1499, the silver half groat dates to the middle of Henry VII's reign, when a rebellion led by pretender Perkin Warbeck threatened to unseat the nascent Tudor dynasty. 

Cool Finds

How Did a 15th-Century Coin Minted Under Henry VII End Up in Newfoundland?

Dated to between 1493 and 1499, the silver half-groat is the oldest English coin ever found in Canada

Most of the people buried at the site were woman and children.

Mass Grave of Women, Children Found in Pre-Hispanic City in Peru

Buried in the Chimú Empire capital of Chan Chan, some of the deceased were interred with needles and sewing tools

Birds with teeth, little men in triangular hats and other fanciful figures appear in the Tudor wall paintings.

Cool Finds

Well-Preserved Tudor Wall Paintings Discovered Beneath Plaster at Medieval Manor

Carbon dating of the artworks’ timber frame suggests they date to between the 1540s and 1580s

The room's sparse furnishings led archaeologists to suspect it served as housing for enslaved people.

Quarters for Enslaved People Discovered at Pompeiian Villa

The plainly furnished room contained three wooden beds, a chamber pot and a chest

The boat most likely survived intact because it was constantly wet and shielded from sunlight at a depth of about 27 feet.

Cool Finds

Intact, 1,200-Year-Old Canoe Recovered From Wisconsin Lake

The remarkably well-preserved wooden vessel was probably made by the Effigy Moundbuilders, ancestors of the modern Ho-Chunk Nation

An unnamed treasure hunter discovered the majority of the coins and gold objects between 2014 and 2020.

Cool Finds

See the Largest Trove of Early Medieval Gold Coins Ever Found in England

Discovered in a West Norfolk field, the cache of 131 coins and 4 gold objects dates to around 600 C.E.

The latrine was about 16 inches high, with a smaller 3- to 4-inch-deep trough for clean water located nearby.

Cool Finds

Latrine Used by Ancient Actors Discovered Among Ruins of Theater in Turkey

Dated to the second century C.E., the communal “artist toilet” could accommodate about a dozen people at a time

Karakorum served as the capital of the Mongol Empire during the 13th century. In the 16th century, the Buddhist Erdene Zuu monastery (pictured) was erected on the ruins of the city.

New Research

Archaeologists Map Ruins of Karakorum, Capital of the Mongol Empire, for the First Time

Genghis Khan founded the city, located in what is now central Mongolia, around 1220 C.E.

The ring could date back to as early as the third century C.E.

Cool Finds

Ancient Amethyst Ring Found in Israel May Have Been Worn to Ward Off Hangovers

Found near a Byzantine-era winery, the jewelry likely belonged to a wealthy, high-status individual

Archaeologists excavated the foundations of a carcer, or holding cell, where gladiators, doomed prisoners and wild animals waited before being brought into the Richborough Roman amphitheater in Kent.

Cool Finds

Holding Cell for Gladiators, Doomed Prisoners Found at Roman Amphitheater in England

Researchers initially thought the structure was a passageway to the ancient arena

The Srivijaya Empire was known for its wealth and dominance of maritime trade routes.

Cool Finds

Indonesian Divers Discover Treasures From Enigmatic ‘Island of Gold’

Archaeological evidence of the Srivijaya Empire is limited, but recent finds made along the Musi River may shed light on the mysterious civilization

Archaeologist Rachel Wood holds a Roman bust found at the site of a Norman church.

Cool Finds

Trio of ‘Astounding’ Roman Statues Found Beneath Medieval Church in England

The well-preserved sculptures—believed to have stood in an ancient mausoleum—depict a woman, man and child

Page 65 of 121