Artifacts

Vice-grips Fossil (detail), 2014, wood, oil paint, polyurethane, pigment, marble dust, cast plastic.

What Will We Leave in the Fossil Record?

Artist Erik Hagen considers the remnants of modern human life that may be found in rock strata millions of years from now

Distinctive gold cuff links provided a recognition signal between Soviet mole Pyotr Popov and his CIA contacts.

A Private Tour of the CIA's Incredible Museum

Inside the agency's headquarters is a museum filled with relics from half a century of cloak-and-dagger exploits

"I instinctively distrusted the food," Hess wrote. An American psychiatrist would later marvel at the "colossal naiveté of this Nazi mind."

Rudolf Hess’ Tale of Poison, Paranoia and Tragedy

Why are packets of food that belong to the Nazi war criminal sitting in a Maryland basement?

Bush Barrow was the original resting place of the intricate gold-studded dagger that researchers now believe was crafted by children.

One of the U.K.'s Most Extraordinary Artifacts Was Likely Made by Children

The intricate work found on a dagger in 1808 was likely done by children

The pyramids of Giza were constructed between 2575 and 2465 BC. The monument in Israel dates to between 3050 and 2650 BC.

Huge Structure in Israel Older Than Pyramids

The crescent-shaped stone pile may once have been a border marker

A Persian calligraphy that developed in 14th-century Iran, nasta'liq, is the focus of a new exhibition at the Sackler Gallery. The script in this work dates to the early 1600s.

Long Before Emojis, the Picassos of Persian Calligraphy Brought Emotion to Writing

The world's first exhibition devoted to <em>nasta’liq</em>, a Persian calligraphy, is now on view at the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery

Peaches Were Domesticated in China 7,500 Years Ago

Preserved peach pits reveal the origins of this sweet fruit

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

Dry Grass Hints That Stonehenge Was Once a Whole Circle

Researchers find new evidence about the shape of Stonehenge

At "Slaves' Hill," Some Workers Ate Better Than Others

New research suggests that the workers at copper mines in the Levant were valued workers, not slaves

Modern-day Canadian Inuit pictured in their traditional boats (umiak), used for hunting and transportation.

The First People to Settle Across North America's Arctic Regions Were Isolated for 4,000 Years

New research shows that the first humans in the Arctic lived there for nearly 4,000 years

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

A zoomorphic stone portal found at the re-discovered site of Lagunita

Two Maya Cities Found in Mexican Jungle

One of the sites was re-discovered after being lost for decades

People in the Stone Age Were Fans of Escargot

A new study pushes back the date of land snails being consumed in the Mediterranean

Tennis player Renée Richards recently donated her tennis racket, along with a trophy, a dress and a number of other items to the Smithsonian.

Pioneering Tennis Player Renée Richards Recalls the Glory Days of Wooden Rackets

After winning the New York State men's title in 1964, Richard Raskind became Renée Richards and a civil rights icon

The bottle recovered from a shipwreck off the coast of Poland

200-Year-Old Alcohol Found in Shipwreck Is Still Drinkable

Researchers found the liquid, originally thought to be mineral water, was actually over-aged booze

The entrance to Actun Tunichil Muknal

You Can Visit A Cave Where the Ancient Maya Sacrificed Humans

In Belize, the Actun Tunichil Muknal cave is an eerie experience for visitors

Humanity’s Legacy Might Be The Holes We Leave Behind

The last remnants of human civilizations might be the holes we carve into the earth

Mummies From Around the World Had Hardened Arteries

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

How Big Were Romans' Feet?

A bioarchaeologist proposes one method to answer that question

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