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Cultural Preservation

Experts are concerned about the dome's structural integrity.

Coastal Cities of Europe

Experts Think the Hagia Sophia Is in Danger. They’ve Got a Plan to Protect It From Earthquakes

Turkey is located near two fault lines, leaving the 1,500-year-old structure vulnerable to damage. Architects and engineers will be investigating how to best preserve it

Newly transferred fragments of the Zidanku Silk Manuscripts on view in Beijing on May 18

The Smithsonian Transfers Rare 2,300-Year-Old Silk Manuscripts to China

The Zidanku Silk Manuscripts were smuggled into the United States in the 1940s. Scholars say they provide remarkable insights into ancient Chinese philosophy and religion

Volunteers and archaeologists rebuilt the tomb site, lifting massive stones with modern excavation tools.

This German Town Carefully Reconstructed a 5,500-Year-Old Megalithic Monument

After years of excavation and study, archaeologists have restored the Küsterberg burial site to its original layout to celebrate the annual European Day of Megalithic Culture

The Newark Earthworks in Ohio consist of three sections of preserved earthworks: the Great Circle Earthworks, the Octagon Earthworks and the Wright Earthworks.

An Ohio Earthwork Where Thousands Once Gathered for Celestial Observations and Religious Ceremonies Is Open to the Public

An earthen enclosure called the Octagon is drawing much-deserved attention to the state’s history-filled mounds built some 2,000 years ago by the Hopewell culture

Roughly 230 film reels have been found in storage.

Cool Finds

London Zoo Discovers Hundreds of Old Film Reels Featuring ‘Zoo Oddities’ and Animal Celebrities

Zoo officials are looking for experts to help preserve and digitize the decaying film canisters, which date to between the 1960s and 1990s

Sotheby’s will auction off the set in London on May 23.

This Complete Set of Shakespeare’s Four Folios Could Sell for $6 Million

In the 17th century, the Bard’s plays were preserved for posterity in the First, Second, Third and Fourth Folios. Now, all four volumes are being sold as a set

The exhibition includes pieces of ancient pottery.

Hundreds of Looted Ancient Artifacts Confiscated From the Black Market Are Now on Display in Naples

The National Archaeological Museum of Naples is showcasing 600 recovered objects, which date to between the Archaic period and the Middle Ages

The Windows 95 reboot chime was one of 25 audio works added to the National Recording Registry this year.

Windows 95 Jingle, 1960 World Series Broadcast and Other ‘Audio Treasures’ Added to the National Recording Registry

From a list of 2,600 nominations submitted by the public, the Library of Congress has selected 25 songs, albums and sounds that are at least ten years old to preserve for posterity

A wax writing tablet with a stylus

Cool Finds

Discover the 14,000 Ancient Roman Artifacts Just Donated to the London Museum

Among the items are sandals, pottery and Britain’s largest collection of Roman writing tablets, bearing IOU notes and gossip in stunningly well-preserved wax

RiverRock was completed in 2025, 66 years after Frank Lloyd Wright's death.

You Can Spend a Night in the Last House Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright Before His Death in 1959

The plans for the RiverRock house in northeastern Ohio were left on Wright’s drawing board when he died. But whether the project counts as a true “Wright” is up for debate

Advocates are pushing for expedited foreclosure proceedings to speed up the search for a new owner.

Historic Frank Lloyd Wright Home Added to List of Endangered Architecture in Chicago

The J.J. Walser Jr. House, one of five Wright-designed homes in the city, has fallen into disrepair, prompting calls for preservation

A man attacked the stone with a metal object.

Man Vandalizes Famed 12-Angled Stone, an Inca Engineering Marvel in Peru

The stone, which sustained damage in six spots, had been carved to fit perfectly in a palace wall hundreds of years ago

A section of the basilica's wall

Cool Finds

Archaeologists Unearth the Ruins of a 2,000-Year-Old Roman Basilica Beneath an Office Building in London

The remarkably well-preserved basilica was part of a public meeting place where citizens and politicians could socialize, shop and hear speeches in the growing city

A ceremony at the the Great Mosque of al-Nuri marked the culmination of UNESCO-led restoration efforts in Mosul.

See Mosul’s Historic Leaning Minaret Tower, Rebuilt After Destruction by ISIS

Eight years after the Iraqi city was left in ruins, Mosul’s rich multicultural heritage is slowly but surely beginning to flower again

The Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt is a major tourist attraction.

Experts Are Alarmed by a Video of Workers Hammering Away at Egypt’s Great Pyramid of Giza

Some citizens and archaeologists are concerned about what they see as widespread “mismanagement” of Egypt’s rich cultural heritage

The Brook, Frits Thaulow, 1875/1906

Dozens of Artworks Rescued From War-Torn Ukraine Go on Display in Berlin

A new collaborative exhibition showcases 60 breathtaking pieces that were evacuated from the Odesa Museum of Western and Eastern Art

The golden helmet of Coțofenești at the Drents Museum

Art Thieves Blew Up a Dutch Museum’s Door to Steal an Ancient Golden Helmet From Romania

The blast took place in the middle of the night, allowing the burglars to abscond with four valuable objects connected to Romania’s cultural heritage

Roadhouses, like the Talkeetna Roadhouse (shown here), are a testament to Alaska’s pioneer ancestors and an essential part of the state’s Northern heritage.

Discover Alaska

How Alaska’s Historic Roadhouses Are Standing the Test of Time

The multipurpose lodgings along trails and rivers capture the state’s pioneering culture and spirit

Will Rogers' Western Ranch House was on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Historic Landmarks Razed By Los Angeles’ Deadly Fires

Among the destroyed structures are the ranch established by comedian Will Rogers and a motel owned by notorious publisher William Randolph Hearst

For several months, archaeologists carried fragments of the shipwreck to the surface.

Divers Recover Ancient Shipwreck That Sank 2,600 Years Ago Off the Coast of Spain

Piece by piece, experts carefully transported the Phoenician vessel to dry land, where it will be studied and preserved

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