Archaeology
From Lady Liberty to Hollywood to the Middle East, These Are the Most Exciting Museums Opening in 2019
Visit new institutions devoted to mascots, spies, archaeological sites, American icons and much more this year
Easter Island Statues May Have Marked Sources of Fresh Water
A spatial analysis of the island's moai and ahu seem to line up with ancient wells and coastal freshwater seeps
Burials Suggest Icelandic Vikings Had a Thing for Stallions
Adding some insight into their little-known funerary practices, DNA analyses confirm that sacrificial stallions were buried in Viking graves
Blue Pigments in Medieval Woman’s Teeth Suggest She Was a Highly Skilled Artist
A new study posits the woman was licking brushes covered with pigments of lapis lazuli, a rare and expensive stone used to decorate illuminated manuscripts
In Land of Lincoln, Long-Buried Traces of a Race Riot Come to the Surface
Archaeologists recently uncovered the remains of five houses that lay witness to the tragedy that set Springfield, Illinois, on fire in 1908
This Hand-Carved Panther Statuette Embodies a Lost Civilization’s Harmony With Nature
Calusa Indians harnessed the bounty of Florida’s estuaries with respect and grace
Archaeologists Identify Oldest Known Human Burial in Lower Central America
The unusually muscular young woman was buried in what is now Nicaragua nearly 6,000 years ago
Archaeologists Find First-Known Temple of ‘Flayed Lord’ in Mexico
While the rituals associated with the site may not be entirely clear, identifying the ruins of a temple to the deity Xipe Tóte is an important discovery
London Archaeologists Unearth Subterranean Georgian-Era Ice Store
The entrance to the cavernous chamber, which was used to hold ice before the advent of modern refrigeration, was covered up following the Blitz
The New Archaeology of Iraq and Afghanistan
The once-fortified outposts that protected U.S. troops are relics of our ambitions abroad
What We Learned About Our Human Origins in 2018
From an upper jaw to red ocher paintings, two Smithsonian scholars note the significant discoveries in human evolution this trip around the sun
Our Top 11 Stories of 2018
From a 50-year-old political scandal to swarms of genetically engineered mosquitos, here are Smithsonian.com's most-read stories
Preserved Horse, Saddled, Harnessed and Ready to Flee, Found in Villa Outside Pompeii
Archaeologists found ornamental pieces of a harness and saddle, suggesting the horse was ready to ride when the volcano blew its top
This Bronze Age Regicide May Be World’s Oldest-Known Political Murder
The prince of Helmsdorf’s skeleton revealed three brutal injuries, including one that suggests he knew his killer and attempted to fend off the attack
Archaeologist Reconstructs Ruins of Tiwanaku Temple in Bolivia Using 3-D Printing Technology
It was like an ‘elaborate lego set,’ says UC Berkeley's Alexei Vranich
We Finally Know What Sank the U.S.S. San Diego During World War I
After six visits to the ship and sophisticated modeling, historians have concluded that a German mine sunk the cruiser off the coast of New York in 1918
Cats Have Actually Grown Larger Over Time—Unlike Most Domesticated Species
Between the Viking Age and modern times, felines increased in size by 16 percent
Thousand-Year-Old Rock Art Likely Served as a Gathering Point for Llama Caravans Crossing the Andes
Trade caravans, whether supported by mules, camels or llamas, have helped archaeologists piece together the past in many corners of the world
Recently Deciphered 4,500-Year-Old Pillar Shows First Known Record of a Border Dispute
The marble stele, held in the British Museum's collections for 150 years, also includes the first known use of the term “no man’s land”
Found Near the Thames: A Centuries-Old Skeleton, Still Wearing Thigh-High Boots
The owner of the unusual footwear likely made his living on the water
Page 71 of 87