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Artifacts

Of the nearly 2,000 items missing from Welsh museums, more than half are from St. Fagans in Cardiff, Wales.

Nearly 2,000 Items Are Missing From Welsh Museums

Museum officials say that many of the objects will likely be recovered as documentation work progresses

The sword had a bent blade, a straight hilt and an oval pommel. Researchers also found its scabbard.

Cool Finds

1,000-Year-Old Sword and Cemetery Unearthed in Finland

Researchers identified eight burials, but they say the graveyard may hold dozens—or even hundreds—waiting to be discovered

A Herculaneum scroll being scanned at Institut de France by Brent Seales and his team

Cool Finds

This 21-Year-Old Used A.I. to Decipher Text From a Scroll That Hasn’t Been Read in 2,000 Years

The papyrus scroll is one of hundreds that were carbonized in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 C.E.

The Cheddar brooch measures 9 centimeters (roughly 4.5 inches) in diameter and dates to between 800 and 900 C.E.

Cool Finds

Rare 1,000-Year-Old Brooch Goes on Display in England

A metal detectorist unearthed the silver and copper artifact on a farm in Somerset in 2020

Smoke rises after a World War II-era aerial bomb was detonated at a construction site in Singapore on September 26, 2023.

Singapore Safely Detonates a World War II-Era Bomb Unearthed at a Construction Site

Historians say Japanese forces may have dropped it during a critical battle in 1942

The oldest hunter-gatherer basketry in southern Europe, dating to 9,500 years ago.

Archaeologists Uncover 9,500-Year-Old Woven Baskets and Europe’s Oldest Sandals

Items found in a Spanish cave are older than previously thought, a new study suggests, calling into question “simplistic assumptions” about early humans

Stamped with the date—April 14, 1865—the two tickets correspond with a front-row spot in the dress circle.

What Did These Two Ticket Holders See on the Night of Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination?

A rare pair of Ford’s Theatre tickets—for seats across from the president’s box—have sold for $262,500

The intact gold torc discovered last month in northwest Spain

Cool Finds

Water Worker Stumbles Upon 2,500-Year-Old Gold Necklaces in Spain

The artifacts could shed new light on the Iron Age history of the region

Inside the restored women's cold room

Stunning 16th-Century Turkish Bath Reopens in Istanbul

The revitalized space will feature a museum and contemporary art in addition to traditional bathing

One side of the amphora, which dates to 530 B.C.E., depicts the mythological figure Heracles fighting the Nemean lion.

Australian Museum Will Return Prized 2,500-Year-Old Vase to Italy

The institution will also repatriate two additional looted items discovered during investigations

The National Museum of the United States Air Force is on the grounds of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio.

How an Ohio Cow Pasture Gave Rise to a Monument to Aviation History

The National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio, celebrates 100 years

An aerial view of the dig site at Tel Shimron

Cool Finds

Mysterious 3,800-Year-Old Canaanite Arch and Stairway Unearthed in Israel

Researchers don’t know the purpose of the brick arch, which leads to a set of stairs descending deeper underground

The female whale was found stranded in January on a beach near Palm Coast, Florida.

How an Orca Skeleton Made Its Way From Florida to the Smithsonian

Washed up in a rare stranding event, the newly collected specimen will offer rich exploration for researchers

The four swords in their showcase during an announcement event on September 6

Cool Finds

Archaeologists Unearth Four 1,900-Year-Old Roman Swords in Israeli Cave

Jewish rebels may have hidden the weapons away from the Roman army in the second century C.E.

These shell dolls were among the artifacts that the Manchester Museum returned to the Anindilyakwa people of Australia.

Manchester Museum Returns 174 Artifacts to Indigenous Australians

After years of planning, the museum handed over dolls, baskets, maps and other objects acquired in the 1950s

Researchers study wreckage from Moody's P-39 aircraft, which lies in pieces on the floor of Lake Huron.

Divers Pull Wreckage of Tuskegee Airman’s Plane From the Depths of Lake Huron

During World War II, a young pilot named Frank Moody died while training in Michigan

West Point officials opened the time capsule in a much-hyped livestreamed ceremony.

Cool Finds

A Time Capsule Opened Live on Stage Was Empty. Later, Treasures Emerged From the Silt

Found at West Point, the 200-year-old box concealed six silver coins and a medal

The Titanic struck an iceberg on the evening of April 14, 1912, and sank several hours later in the early morning hours of April 15.

The U.S. Government Is Trying to Stop an Upcoming Titanic Expedition

A company is planning a mission to recover artifacts, including the famed Marconi wireless telegraph, in 2024

The silver denarius weighs 0.08 ounces (2.4 grams) and is one of the only coins of its kind found in Bremen.

Cool Finds

Boy Playing in Sandbox Finds 1,800-Year-Old Roman Coin

The rare silver denarius was minted during the rule of Marcus Aurelius (161-180 C.E.)

The building complex measures more than 5,000 square feet.

Cool Finds

Ruins of 2,000-Year-Old Roman Walls Unearthed in Swiss Alps

Archaeologists found the stone structures—along with a rich collection of artifacts—in a gravel quarry

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