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British History

Archaeologists are uncovering a Roman mosaic located in front of a vape shop at a shopping mall in southeast England.

Roman Mosaic Revealed at Shopping Mall in England

First discovered in the 1980s—then covered back up—the mosaic will now be displayed under a layer of glass for all patrons to see

A rendering of the 2.3-acre site that will house the Museum of Shakespeare

An Interactive Shakespeare Museum Will Immerse Visitors in the Ruins of an Elizabethan Theater

The cultural institution is slated to open in London in spring 2024

Of the roughly 750 First Folios printed, at least 235 known copies survive today.

Without the First Folio, Half of Shakespeare’s Plays Would Have Been Lost to History

The 400-year-old text presented the Bard’s plays as serious literature, muddling the boundaries between popular culture and high art

Austen lived at Steventon House in Hampshire, England, until she was 26.

You Can Now Buy the Estate Where Jane Austen Wrote ‘Pride and Prejudice’

The writer spent more than half her life on the property, where she drafted some of her most famous novels

The analysis focused on 67 manillas from five shipwrecks off the coasts of Spain, Ghana, the United States and England. The largest study of manillas to date, the project aimed to use lead isotope analysis to pinpoint where the bracelets were produced. 

New Research

What Shipwrecks Reveal About the Origins of the Benin Bronzes

A new study traces the metal used to craft the brass sculptures to manilla bracelets produced in Germany and used as currency in the slave trade

Discovered in a bog in Glen Affric, the tartan is now on view at V&A Dundee.

Cool Finds

This 16th-Century Cloth Is Scotland’s Oldest-Known Tartan

A bog in the Highlands preserved the fabric, now on view for the first time, for hundreds of years

“It could take you a lifetime, or several lifetimes, to learn the history here,” says one member of the abbey staff. Left, the West Towers, completed in 1745.

Northern Europe and the British Isles

The Grand History of Westminster Abbey

The church’s many chambers and crypts hold the story of Britain’s past, present and future

York resident Luke Budworth has covered the 17th-century paintings with replicas in order to preserve the originals.

Cool Finds

Kitchen Renovation Reveals 400-Year-Old Paintings in English Apartment

The two nine-foot paintings depict scenes from a 17th-century book of poetry

Richard’s life has long sparked debate, with two competing views of the last Yorkist king emerging in the centuries after his reign ended in 1485.

Based on a True Story

‘The Lost King’ Dramatizes the Search for Richard III’s Remains. The Monarch’s Life Was Even More Sensational

A new film offers a sympathetic portrait of the 15th-century ruler, who seized the crown from his nephew before dying on the battlefield

The comb measures roughly two inches and has nearly a dozen teeth.

Ancient Comb Made From Human Skull Unearthed in England

The Iron Age artifact may have been used as an amulet rather than a hairstyling tool

Ella Hawkins’ stunning biscuit art emulates book covers, scalloped-edged Tiffany lamps, pottery shards, mosaic tiles, medieval manuscripts, Elizabethan fabrics and more.

The Timeless Draw of Decorating Cookies

Intricate designs painted by biscuit artist Ella Hawkins are part of a lengthy baking tradition

Members of the Australian National Antarctic Research Expedition raise the Australian flag over Heard Island on December 26, 1947.

See Rare Images of Early 20th-Century Antarctic Expeditions

For the first time, hundreds of photos, lantern slides and glass plate negatives are available to the public

Pancakes—or at least early versions of them—have been a culinary staple for tens of thousands of years.

A Brief History of Pancakes

From ancient Greece to Shrove Tuesday celebrations, the sweet or savory flat cakes have long been a culinary staple

Emma Mackey as Emily Brontë in Emily, a new film from Frances O'Connor

Based on a True Story

The Making of Emily Brontë

A new film imagines the events that inspired the notoriously private author to write “Wuthering Heights”

Pottery from the wreck of the Josephine Willis, which has been granted historical protection by the British government

Shipwreck Carrying Rare 19th-Century Ceramics Gets Government Protection

The British emigrant vessel sank with a cargo of Victorian pottery on board

All but seven of the letters were previously thought to be lost.

Cool Finds

Code Breakers Discover—and Decipher—Long-Lost Letters by Mary, Queen of Scots

The deposed monarch wrote the 57 encrypted messages during her captivity in England

Viking burial mound at Heath Wood being excavated

Vikings Brought Horses and Dogs to England, Study Finds

Cremated bone fragments suggest these animals were companions to the Vikings

The gold pendant likely dates to around 1521.

Cool Finds

Metal Detectorist Discovers Rare Gold Pendant Celebrating Henry VIII’s First Marriage

The heart-shaped accessory features the entwined initials of the Tudor king and Catherine of Aragon

David Bowie in the dress he wore on the cover of The Man Who Sold the World

Have You Seen This David Bowie Dress? A London Museum Is Looking For It

The Museum of London Docklands is hoping to locate lost garments for an exhibition on Jewish fashion designers

An illustration of Charles Byrne, whose bones were displayed at the Hunterian Museum in London for some 200 years

Why a London Museum Is Removing the Skeleton of an ‘Irish Giant’ From View

Charles Byrne asked for his body to be buried at sea. Instead, an anatomist bought his bones and displayed them to the public

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