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European History

The new adaptation of The Decameron is “like a medieval ‘Love Island,’ and it descends into Lord of the Flies chaos,” says actor Tanya Reynolds.

Based on a True Story

The Real Story Behind Netflix’s ‘The Decameron’

Loosely based on Giovanni Boccaccio’s 14th-century collection of short stories, the series follows a group of Italian nobles and servants who flee to the countryside to escape the Black Death

The ancient wall was discovered in a forest in southern Italy.

Cool Finds

Roman Wall Built to Contain Spartacus’ Forces Discovered in Italy

Archaeologists think the Roman army constructed it to contain the revolting gladiator in 71 B.C.E.

Of these featured individuals, Benjamin Spock, Johnny Weissmuller and Harold Sakata medaled at the Olympics.

The Paris Olympics

Ten Surprising Public Figures Who Dreamed of Olympic Gold

The list includes European royals, Darth Vader’s stunt double and an American World War II general

The sender carefully secured the ax heads inside a cardboard flapjack box.

Cool Finds

Someone Anonymously Mailed Two Bronze Age Axes to a Museum in Ireland

Officials are asking the donor to come forward with more information about where the artifacts were discovered

One of the complete skeletons analyzed in the new study

Did Plague Cause the Mysterious Collapse of Europe’s Early Farmers 5,000 Years Ago?

A new study finds widespread DNA evidence that an ancestor pathogen of the Black Death helped bring about the end of an agricultural society responsible for megalithic tombs and monuments, like Stonehenge

From the real reason behind the Games' collapse to a breakdown of who was eligible to compete, here's what you need to know about the ancient Olympics.

The Paris Olympics

Nine Things You Didn’t Know About the Ancient Olympic Games

With an intensive athletes’ boot camp and the threat of execution for unwelcome spectators, the Greek sporting event was a serious affair

A plastic tarp covering part of the cathedral's spire caught fire on July 11.

Fire Extinguished at Rouen Cathedral, a Frequent Subject of Monet’s Paintings

The 12th-century structure and the artworks inside it sustained no significant damage

The blade, known as Durandal, was embedded in rock more than 30 feet above the ground.

Fabled Sword From Medieval French Folklore Disappears

Known as the “French Excalibur,” the blade is said to have hung from a rock face in the village of Rocamadour for 1,300 years

The well-preserved statue is nearly seven feet tall.

Cool Finds

Archaeologists Stumble Upon Marble Statue of Greek God in Ancient Sewer

The 2,000-year-old statue, which likely depicts Hermes, is a monumental discovery for Bulgaria

The weapons are adorned with gold and silver designs and an engraved image of Napoleon.

Napoleon’s Elaborately Decorated Pistols Sell for $1.8 Million at Auction

The French government has declared the artifacts national treasures, which means they can only leave the country temporarily

Created more than 2,000 years ago, the Antikythera mechanism tracked the movements of celestial bodies.

New Research

Gravitational Wave Scientists Are Unraveling the Mysteries of the World’s Oldest Analog Computer

A new study challenges a core assumption about the Antikythera mechanism, a 2,000-year-old device that inspired the latest “Indiana Jones” film

Last May, the team uncovered a telltale sign of the long-lost palace: the base of a centuries-old wall and a foundation.

Cool Finds

Amateur Historians Unearth a Long-Lost Tudor Palace Visited by Henry VIII and Elizabeth I

Locals had long shared stories of Collyweston Palace. Then, excavations in England’s Midlands revealed traces of the fabled estate

The mythical beasts have fired up cultures around the world.

From China to the Mediterranean and More, Here’s How Different Cultures Envision Dragons

In some parts of the world, the mythical creatures are monsters. In others, they’re more benign beings

Riders gallop during the Hawick Common Riding in Scotland.

Northern Europe and the British Isles

The Festival Where Scotland’s Violent History Comes Back to Life

Every year in the rolling hills of the Scottish Borders, one of Europe’s largest equestrian events commemorates a lawless time that shaped the region’s identity

Two sides of a single ceramic lion's head and a female figurine from Dolni Vestonice

Did Prehistoric Children Make Figurines Out of Clay?

Fingerprints and scratch marks found in artifacts in the Czech Republic suggest youngsters of the Upper Paleolithic used the soil like Play-Doh, according to a pending new study

 A Kazakh tourist etched the letters "ALI" into a wall at Pompeii's House of Ceii.

Tourist Carves His Name Into Ancient House in Pompeii

The man damaged a wall in the House of Ceii, a dwelling celebrated for its beautiful frescoes

The rare bust of Caligula is only five inches tall.

Cool Finds

Curator Uncovers Lost Roman-Era Bust of the Emperor Caligula

The small bronze statue, which was unearthed at Herculaneum, had been missing for two centuries

Earthwork Portrait of Genghis Khan

New Research

Move Over, Genghis Khan. Many Other Men Left Huge Genetic Legacies

A 2015 study showed that ten other men have a lot of descendants. The paper is just one of several genetic studies revealing the secrets of descent

Located in southern Italy, Matera is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world.

Parkour Group Damages Building in the Historic Italian City of Matera

Team Phat posted a video showing one of its members breaking a stone protruding from a wall

Archaeologists continue to excavate Herculaneum, a seaside resort town devastated by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 C.E.

An Ancient Beach Buried by Mount Vesuvius’ Eruption Is Now Open to the Public

In the seaside resort town of Herculaneum, the beach is the final resting place of more than 330 residents who tried to flee

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