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Death

A bell previously recovered from the wreck of the Whydah pirate ship

Cool Finds

Six Skeletons Found in Wreck of 18th-Century Pirate Ship Sunk Off Cape Cod

The “Whydah” sank off the coast of Massachusetts in 1717, killing all but two people on board

Informer William O'Neal (played by LaKeith Stanfield, seen wearing a beret in the foreground) provided the FBI with information used to plan Black Panther Party Chairman Fred Hampton's assassination (portrayed by Daniel Kaluuya, standing with hand raised at the podium).

Based on a True Story

The True History Behind ‘Judas and the Black Messiah’

Shaka King’s upcoming film dramatizes Black Panther leader Fred Hampton’s betrayal by an FBI informant

Prisoner barracks at the Stutthof concentration camp, pictured here after liberation in May 1945

95-Year-Old Nazi Camp Secretary Charged as Accessory in 10,000 Murders

The woman, identified as Irmgard F., claims she didn’t know about the mass murders taking place at Stutthof

Domínguez, who was executed by General Francisco Franco's fascist forces in 1936, was a teacher, writer and political thinker.

Is This the Body of a Woman Mayor Murdered During the Spanish Civil War?

Born into poverty, María Domínguez Remón overcame abuse to fight for women’s and workers’ rights

Dante Alighieri, as depicted in Luca Signorelli's Orvieto Cathedral fresco

Dante’s Descendant Wants to Overturn the Poet’s 1302 Corruption Conviction

More than 700 years ago, a magistrate sentenced the “Divine Comedy” author to be burned at the stake if he ever returned to Florence

Parents probably created the tags in hopes of finding their children again.

Newly Unearthed I.D. Tags Tell the Stories of Four Young Holocaust Victims

The Nazis murdered the children, who ranged in age from 5 to 11, upon their arrival at the Sobibor death camp in Poland

Paul Delaroche's 1831 depiction of the princes in the Tower, Edward V and Richard, Duke of York

New Research

Did Richard III Order the Deaths of His Nephews as They Slept in the Tower of London?

New research outlines evidence pointing to the English king’s guilt

The mud shell was added after the woman's original mummification, perhaps to repair damage inflicted by grave robbers.

Cool Finds

Why Was This Egyptian Mummy Encased in Mud?

Researchers have never previously observed the unusual, low-cost embalming method

Researchers found the mummy at a temple in the ancient Egyptian city of Taposiris Magna.

Cool Finds

Archaeologists in Egypt Discover Mummy With Gold Tongue

Ancient embalmers likely placed the tongue-shaped, gold foil amulet in the deceased’s mouth to ensure they could speak in the afterlife

Archaeologists discovered the graveyard beneath 1930s housing at Cambridge University.

Cool Finds

Anglo-Saxon Cemetery Found Beneath Demolished University Housing

The find may shed light on life in Britain after the withdrawal of Roman forces in the fifth century A.D.

Rescuers found the Dyatlov group's abandoned tent on February 26, 1959.

New Research

Have Scientists Finally Unraveled the 60-Year Mystery Surrounding Nine Russian Hikers’ Deaths?

New research identifies an unusual avalanche as the culprit behind the 1959 Dyatlov Pass Incident

A fragment of 1,500-year-old cloth is still attached to a metal brooch found at the site.

Cool Finds

Rare Scraps of Mineralized Anglo-Saxon Textiles Found in England

Archaeologists unearthed the cloth, as well as 3,000 grave goods and assorted ancient structures, ahead of construction

The remains of an individual buried at the Augustinian friary, pictured during excavations in 2016

New Research

Medieval Britons’ Remains Record the ‘Skeletal Trauma’ Inflicted by Inequality

New study reveals the horrific injuries sustained by lower-class members of English society

Trove of amulets unearthed in Pompeii

Pompeii’s Museum Reopens With Dazzling Display of Archaeological Treasures

Artifacts on view at the Antiquarium include ancient frescoes, protective amulets and casts of Mount Vesuvius victims’ bodies

Hank Aaron (center) poses with his teammates in this 1956 photograph by Osvaldo Salas.

Smithsonian Scholars Reflect on Baseball Legend Hank Aaron’s Legacy

The former home run king died in his sleep on Friday at age 86

Prior to the Spanish forces' arrival, Aztec people tried to hide the bones of their victims by throwing them into wells.

After Aztecs Cannibalized Spanish Convoy, Conquistadors Retaliated by Killing Innocents

Archaeologists in Mexico discovered the remains of women and children targeted by Hernán Cortés’ forces in 1520

Researchers have identified a pyramid in the vast Saqqara necropolis as the tomb of King Teti’s wife, Queen Naert.

Cool Finds

Archaeologists Unearth Egyptian Queen’s Tomb, 13-Foot ‘Book of the Dead’ Scroll

The team also discovered dozens of sarcophagi, wooden masks and ancient board games

A bent metal rod discovered in the grave was likely a dog toy.

Cool Finds

2,000-Year-Old Grave of Child and Puppy Found in France

The dog, outfitted in a collar with a bell, was placed next to the 1-year-old’s feet

Borden was acquitted of her father and stepmother's murders, but she remained under suspicion for the rest of her life.

The House Where Lizzie Borden’s Family Was Murdered Is Up for Sale

You can now take a virtual tour of the Massachusetts property, which most recently served as a bed and breakfast

Kilij Arslan I's forces defeated the People's Crusade at the Battle of Civetot.

Cool Finds

Turkish Archaeologists Discover Grave of Sultan Who Defeated Crusaders

Kilij Arslan I was the second leader of the Seljuk Sultanate of Rūm

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