Artifacts

Using this small compass, survivors of the SS Alcoa Guide were rescued after being attacked by a German submarine.

Finding One’s Way Through War-Torn Waters

A small compass that guided a lifeboat full of World War II seamen to safety goes on display at the Museum of American History

The 13th century Tripitaka Koreana features 81,258 wooden blocks thought to be the world's most complete collection of Buddhist texts.

Preserving the World’s Most Important Artifacts

The Memory of World Register lists over 800 historic manuscripts, maps, films and more to help raise funds for preservation

One of the riches found at Khara Khorum, this gold alloy bracelet dates from the 14th century. It is decorated with a phoenix flanked by demons.

Genghis Khan’s Treasures

Beneath the ruins of Genghis Khan’s capital city in Central Asia, archaeologists discovered artifacts from cultures near and far

Pompeii, House of the Golden Bracelet, Garden Scene, 1st century BC - 1st century AD.

Roman Splendor in Pompeii

Art and artifacts reveal the elaborate maritime pleasure palaces established by Romans around the Bay of Naples

The New York Public Library maintains the world's largest collection of tobacciana, materials related in some way to tobacco's history, use, and mystique.

Libraries' Surprising Special Collections

Tucked away in libraries across the country are unexpected archives and world-class treasures

Ceremonial palanquin that was a form of transport favored by warlords in 19th-century Japan.

Easy Rider

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Sneak Peek at the film Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian

For decades, Native American groups requested the return of artifacts and human remains. Though there were occasional repatriations, the protests either fell on deaf ears or tribes lacked the financial and legal support necessary to complete the process.

The Road to Repatriation

The National Museum of the American Indian works with Native Tribes to bring sacred artifacts home again

In 2006, it was discovered that the hippocampus had been stolen from its case and replaced with a fake. This counterfeit is now on display at the Usak museum.

Chasing the Lydian Hoard

Author Sharon Waxman digs into the tangle over looted artifacts between the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Turkish government

Michelle Delaney holding the original 1888 Kodak and Larry Bird holding a display of campaign buttons.

American History Museum: Pieces of Our Past

Smithsonian curators probe the meanings of telltale objects

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Puzzlers

Stonehenge's purpose and a noble fish's demise

The monastery from inside the ramparts at twilight.

In Iraq, a Monastery Rediscovered

Near Mosul, war has helped and hindered efforts to excavate the 1,400-year-old Dair Mar Elia monastery

Crown from the Tillya Tepe, Tomb VI, 1st century BC - 1st century AD. Crown is gold and imitation turquoise

Lost & Found

Ancient gold artifacts from Afghanistan, hidden for more than a decade, dazzle in a new exhibition

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Richard Covington on "Lost & Found"

Fakes are an all too real part of the museum world. “There are always artists capable of making and selling things that seem old,” says anthropologist Jane MacLaren Walsh.

Why the Smithsonian Has a Fake Crystal Skull

The Natural History Museum's quartz cranium highlights the epic silliness of the new Indiana Jones movie

A horse touted as being from the Tang dynasty, but with only one genuine part in the unglazed underside.

Forensic Science for Antiques

Revealing art secrets—and exposing forgeries

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Dispatch from Stonehenge, Day 14

April 13: The Druids Bless Our Departure

The dig’s emerging physical evidence—including fragments of bluestone and sarsen scattered throughout the site—reflect a complex history.

Dispatch from Stonehenge, Day 10

April 9: Archaeology in a Fishbowl

Archaeologists at Stonehenge continue to make discoveries within the inner circle of the monument.

Dispatch from Stonehenge, Day 9

April 8: The Clock is Ticking

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Dispatch from Stonehenge, Day 1

March 31st: The Excavation Begins

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