Skip to main content

Subscribe to Smithsonian magazine and get a FREE tote.

Artifacts

The remains were found at the base of Mount Hora, in northern Malawi.

New Research

Archaeologists Say This 9,500-Year-Old Burial Is the Oldest Known Evidence of Intentional Cremation Discovered in Africa

Located in Malawi, the site could also be the world’s earliest example of an in situ cremation pyre for an adult, according to a new study

This wooden tool, which was likely used to dig through mud, was found near elephant bones.

Cool Finds

Archaeologists Unearthed a 430,000-Year-Old Stick. After Careful Analysis, They Say It Could Be the Oldest Wooden Tool Ever Discovered

Found in southern Greece, the stick was one of two wooden artifacts that appear to have been shaped intentionally, according to a new study

Researchers used an electron microscope to take a closer look at the bone fragment.

New Research

This Hammer Created From an Elephant Bone 480,000 Years Ago May Be the Oldest Known Tool of Its Kind Ever Found in Europe

Discovered in southern England in the mid-1990s, the artifact may have been made by Neanderthals or Homo heidelbergensis, according to a new study

Wooden cabinetry shown in The Testament of Ann Lee 

‘The Testament of Ann Lee’ Showcases the Minimalist Ingenuity of Shaker Furniture

Recreating the industrious world of the Shakers wasn’t just movie magic—it required conservators, curators and artisans

The bones of the horse and riders have mostly eroded away in the region's acidic, sandy soils, leaving only "sand silhouettes" behind.

These High-Status Individuals Were Given a ‘Princely’ Burial Alongside a Fully Harnessed Horse in an Early Medieval Cemetery

Archaeologists in England recently discovered the sixth- and seventh-century graves, which also contained numerous weapons and personal items

Just a few of the hundreds of bar-shaped whetstones found on the north shore

Cool Finds

Hundreds of Ancient Roman Blade Sharpeners Emerge From a Riverbank in England, Revealing the Ruins of a 2,000-Year-Old Whetstone Factory

Archaeologists think the newly discovered artifacts remained at the production site because they were deemed unusable. Large numbers of completed whetstones may have supplied other parts of the Roman Empire

An illustration of humans hunting cetaceans 5,000 years ago

New Research

These Baffling Bone Artifacts Discovered by an Amateur Archaeologist May Be the World’s Oldest Whale Harpoons

After revisiting items from a Brazilian museum, researchers think humans may have been hunting whales 5,000 years ago, a millennium earlier than previously thought

The box was discovered in the Roman-era grave of a young woman. Archaeologists suspect it may have contained ointment for pain relief, as the woman's remains show signs of lesions and joint inflammation.

Cool Finds

Archaeologists Unearth Intricately Decorated Box Carved From Deer Bone That May Have Once Held Ancient Ointments

The box was excavated from a Roman-era grave in England. It was found among a trove of artifacts spanning roughly 8,000 years of human activity

Though the wooden buildings have long since rotted away, the postholes and beam slots are still there.

Cool Finds

Archaeologists Stumble Upon Mysterious Medieval Village While Preparing for New Wind Farms in England

The previously unknown settlement appears to have been abandoned at some point in the 1300s, but researchers don’t know why

The bell, shaped like a boar's head, would have topped a long, thin pole.

Cool Finds

Archaeologists Unearth Ancient War Trumpet That Once Struck Fear in the Hearts of Enemies on the Battlefield

Known as a carnyx, the instrument is only the third of its kind to be found in Britain. It was discovered in the territory of the Iceni tribe, which fought the Romans under the leadership of the queen Boudicca

The Hornet's Nest, Jimmy Carter, 2003

You Can Buy President Jimmy Carter’s Paintings, Furniture, Mementos and a Love Letter to His Wife

Christie’s selected the items with help from the president’s daughter, Amy, for a special sale in celebration of the nation’s 250th birthday

The silver penny dates to the late 1130s.

Cool Finds

A Metal Detectorist Discovered the Earliest Known Coin Ever Produced in a Scottish Mint

Experts previously thought the first Scottish coins were minted in England, but this penny came from Edinburgh. National Museums Scotland has now acquired the historic piece of silver

A young learner explores an exhibit at the 2024 National Weather Festival, hosted by the National Weather Center, which is located in Norman but unaffiliated with the National Weather Museum.

This Is the Only Museum Dedicated to Weather Artifacts in America. It May Shut Down Due to Funding Shortages

The Oklahoma institution, which preserves and displays historic weather-related objects, is asking for donations from the public

A third-century B.C.E. Greek gold chain necklace similar to some of the missing objects

The British Museum Plans to Hire a Treasure Hunter. Duties Include Recovering Missing Artifacts Before They’re Lost to History

The museum announced in 2023 that 1,500 items were missing. More than 600 have since been found, and officials are now hoping to expand the recovery effort

Volunteers have discovered more than 400 shoes while cleaning up rock pools.

Cool Finds

Hundreds of Mysterious Victorian-Era Shoes Are Washing Up on a Beach in Wales. Nobody Knows Where They Came From

The leading theory is that the black leather boots, which were discovered by volunteers, were traveling on a cargo ship that sank nearby roughly 150 years ago

The Hjortspring boat is displayed at the National Museum of Denmark.

New Research

The Mysterious Hjortspring Boat That Sank in Denmark 2,400 Years Ago Is Still Revealing Its Secrets

New research suggests indicates that Scandinavia’s oldest known example of a wooden plank boat may have sailed to attack the island of Als from the east, indicating a planned effort

Eusebio Maglinte's steamer trunk, 1920s

Recovered Steamer Trunks Reveal the Overlooked Histories of Filipino American Farm Workers in the Early 20th Century

The artifacts serve as time capsules for an entire generation of “manong” workers and they’re now displayed at the National Museum of American History

An ogham stone in Cornwall, England

These Linguists Are Creating a New Dictionary of Ancient Celtic Languages—With Help From ‘Curse Tablets’ and Roman Records

The project aims to produce a record of the Celtic languages spoken in Britain and Ireland, though the majority of these words have already been lost to history

The trove included 60 complete tulas.

New Research

Archaeologists Unearth Cache of Aboriginal Stone Tools Buried in Australia 170 Years Ago

Known as “tulas,” the 60 artifacts are only the second discovery of this size to be found in Australia. Researchers think they may have been created for trade

Researchers think the Greek graffiti found on the boat dates to the first century C.E.

Cool Finds

Archaeologists Discover 2,000-Year-Old Ancient Egyptian Pleasure Boat That May Have Once Made Luxurious Voyages Along the Nile

Unearthed off the coast of Alexandria, the vessel may have once measured 115 feet long. Experts think it would have held a “luxuriously decorated cabin” and a team of 20 rowers

Page 5 of 58