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Tarot deck designed by Austin Osman Spare in 1906

Discover the Renaissance Origins and Mystical Evolution of Tarot Cards

An exhibition at London’s Warburg Institute traces tarot decks’ evolution from the 1450s through the present

In 2022, Just Stop Oil protesters threw tomato soup onto the glass protecting Vincent van Gogh's Sunflowers.

Climate Activists Say They Will Stop Throwing Soup and Halt Disruptive Protest Tactics

Members of Just Stop Oil made headlines for their controversial demonstrations involving valuable artworks and artifacts. Now, they say they’ve achieved their initial goal

Błażej Mikuła (left) and Amélie Deblauwe (right), of the Cambridge University Library, 3D scan the manuscript

New Research

High-Tech Imaging Allows Researchers to Read Handwritten Medieval Arthurian Tales Hidden in the Binding of a Property Record

The stories are part of a French sequel to Arthurian legend, and its binding was repurposed in the 16th century

Peter Pentz, a curator at the National Museum of Denmark, sees many similarites between the stamp and the Sutton Hoo helmet.

Britain’s Famous Sutton Hoo Helmet May Have Come From Denmark, Not Sweden, New Discovery Suggests

A small metal stamp discovered on a Danish island bears many similarities to the iconic seventh-century helmet

Researchers found evidence of a ceremonial platform next to the Farley Moor standing stone, which measures roughly 6.5 feet tall.

Cool Finds

3,700-Year-Old Bronze Age Stone Circle Discovered in an English Forest

An amateur archaeologist recently encouraged researchers to take another look at the Farley Moor standing stone, which was once part of a bigger ceremonial site

Researchers spent three months excavating the site.

Cool Finds

Treasure Trove of 800 ‘Exceptional’ Iron Age Artifacts Discovered in England

The collection, which dates to the first century C.E., includes items ranging from elaborately decorated horse harnesses to ornate cauldrons

The well-preserved ring was found by a retired firefighter.

Cool Finds

See the Stunning Sapphire Ring Belonging to a Medieval Bishop That Just Sold at Auction

Found by a metal detectorist in England, the item features a sapphire surrounded by two emeralds and two stones that are either garnets or rubies

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

Appearing in a landscape that looks as though it were painted in watercolor, a male red deer roars in the rain. This photograph was the runner-up in the animal behavior category.

See 15 Captivating Images From the British Wildlife Photography Awards, From a Majestic Shark to Hungry Pigeons

The winning photographs highlight the diversity of animal and plant life in Britain as well as the often hidden behaviors of wild creatures

Stonehenge casts shadows from the past in this aerial photo taken in 2006.

How Far Did Neolithic Britons Carry Stonehenge’s Most Famous Boulder?

In a find that provides insights into the remarkable abilities of these ancient humans, new research studying the chemical footprint of the rock identified the source to be more than 400 miles away

Mark Rylance (left) and Damian Lewis (right) as Thomas Cromwell and Henry VIII in "Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light"

Based on a True Story

The Real Story Behind ‘Wolf Hall’ and the Fall of Thomas Cromwell, Henry VIII’s Most Controversial Adviser

Based on Hilary Mantel’s novel “The Mirror & the Light,” the last installment in the acclaimed television series chronicles the last four years of the statesman’s life

An artistic interpretation of what Flagstones might have looked like shortly after it was constructed

New Research

Could This Prehistoric Burial Site Have Influenced the Construction of Stonehenge?

Researchers say that Flagstones, a large circular enclosure in southern England, dates to around 3200 B.C.E.—which means it predates Stonehenge by several hundred years

Curator Katherine Carter with the restored Marlborough portrait in Chartwell's main staircase

Restoration Reveals the Secrets of One of Winston Churchill’s Most Beloved Paintings

Long thought to be a family heirloom, the artwork was actually gifted to the British prime minister in 1942 during the darkest days of World War II

Harold Godwinson's death, as depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry

Cool Finds

Newly Rediscovered, a Missing Fragment of the Bayeux Tapestry Is Returning to France

Likely removed by Nazi researchers, the scrap of fabric is a small but crucial part of the tattered tapestry’s nearly 1,000-year history

The portrait recently went on display at England's Wrest Park.

Does This Mysterious Portrait Depict Lady Jane Grey, the Doomed Queen Who Ruled England for Nine Days in 1553?

After conducting a new analysis, some researchers think it may be the only portrait of Grey created during her lifetime—a conclusion that has generated controversy

The poem was discovered by researcher Leah Veronese.

Cool Finds

‘Politically Repurposed’ Copy of Famous Shakespearean Love Sonnet Discovered Inside a 17th-Century Poetry Collection

The rare handwritten copy of “Sonnet 116” features several additional lines, which may have been an attempt to insert British royalist ideas into the romantic ode, according to researchers

In this 1936 photo by Eddie Worth, an anti-fascist demonstrator is arrested during the Battle of Cable Street in London.

Nearly 200 Captivating Photographs Spotlight a Century of Protest in Britain

Titled “Resistance,” a new exhibition curated by filmmaker Steve McQueen examines 100 years of struggles against the status quo, from women’s suffrage to the war in Iraq

An artist's illustration of the London Tunnels, a planned tourist attraction in a World War II-era labyrinth beneath central London

Plans Are Taking Shape for an Extravagant New Tourist Attraction Inside London’s World War II-Era Tunnels

The 86,000-square-foot labyrinth was built in the 1940s during the London Blitz. Now, workers are transforming it into a museum, memorial, art gallery and bar

The circle was found during construction in a small town in northern Denmark.

Cool Finds

Archaeologists in Denmark Discover 4,000-Year-Old Circle of Wooden Posts Resembling Stonehenge

The monument once featured more than 80 posts, which formed a circle measuring nearly 100 feet across. Its prehistoric builders may have used it as a ritual site

An aerial image of the excavation site in Cumbria

Cool Finds

Archaeologists Say They’ve Unearthed Britain’s Largest Known Viking-Age Building Beneath a Family Farm

A team of experts and enthusiasts discovered the structure at High Tarns Farm in northwest England. Researchers think it dates to between the late 10th and early 11th centuries

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