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European History

The swords have long blades that were likely used by Roman soldiers or civilians while riding on horseback.

Cool Finds

Two 1,800-Year-Old Roman Cavalry Swords Unearthed in England

The long, slender weapons were likely carried by Roman soldiers on horseback

In Oscar Nilsson's reconstruction, the Upper Largie Woman looks skeptically at viewers.

See the Face of a Bronze Age Woman Who Lived in Scotland 4,000 Years Ago

A forensic artist created a facial reconstruction based on the skeletal remains of a woman who died in her late 20s or early 30s

Patrons at the Eldorado, a popular LGBTQ cabaret in Berlin during the Weimar years

New Research Reveals How the Nazis Targeted Transgender People

Last year, a German court acknowledged the possibility that trans people were persecuted by the Nazis

A German general ordered his troops to “destroy Viannos and promptly execute all males beyond the age of 16, as well as everyone who was arrested in the countryside, irrespective of age or gender.”

When the Nazis Massacred Greek Civilians to Send a Warning to Those Who Resisted

Eighty years ago, German soldiers killed an estimated 500 Cretans in Viannos and Ierapetra in retaliation for an attack by local partisans

The Briolette of India necklace sold for 6.3 million Swiss francs (a little over $7 million) in May.

Christie’s Cancels Auction Tied to Nazi-Era Wealth

In the 1930s, Helmut Horten purchased businesses that Jewish owners sold “under duress”

Venice is struggling to manage an overwhelming number of visitors.

Venice Will Start Charging an Entry Fee Next Year

By charging daytrippers to visit on peak travel days, the city hopes to combat overtourism

The silver denarius weighs 0.08 ounces (2.4 grams) and is one of the only coins of its kind found in Bremen.

Cool Finds

Boy Playing in Sandbox Finds 1,800-Year-Old Roman Coin

The rare silver denarius was minted during the rule of Marcus Aurelius (161-180 C.E.)

The building complex measures more than 5,000 square feet.

Cool Finds

Ruins of 2,000-Year-Old Roman Walls Unearthed in Swiss Alps

Archaeologists found the stone structures—along with a rich collection of artifacts—in a gravel quarry

A psalter owned by Henry VIII offers something that fans of the Tudors have craved for centuries: a window into the mind of the tyrannical English ruler.

Henry VIII’s Book of Psalms Reflects His Quest for Legitimacy—and His Fear of Death

Handwritten annotations in the Tudor king’s psalter show how he looked to scripture to justify his break from Rome and the annulment of his first marriage

Archaeologists unearthed the bedroom in a Roman villa near Pompeii.

Enslaved Individuals Slept in This Bedroom, Untouched Since Mount Vesuvius’ Eruption 2,000 Years Ago

The small room with two beds—but only one mattress—sheds new light on slavery in a Roman villa near Pompeii

One of the more than 200 bouquiniste stalls along the Seine in Paris

The Paris Olympics

Parisian Booksellers Have Lined the Seine for Centuries. Now, They’re Fighting to Stay

Ahead of the 2024 Olympics, city officials are trying to relocate the bouquinistes for security reasons

Researchers found the remains of stilts and tens of thousands of wooden spikes.

Cool Finds

This 8,000-Year-Old Village on Stilts May Be the Oldest of Its Kind in Europe

Archaeologists unearthed the settlement—which had tens of thousands of defensive spikes—beneath a lake in Albania

Tank convoy through the Ardennes, Belgium, during the Battle of the Bulge in January 1945

New Research

Drone Scans Reveal New Details About the Battle of the Bulge

Researchers used lidar to uncover nearly 1,000 previously unknown features of the famous battlefield

In 1984, Ivo Zdarsky fled from communist Czechoslovakia to Vienna in a homemade flying machine.

The Man Who Pierced the Iron Curtain in a Flying Go-Kart—and Left Civilization Forever

Escaping communism in a DIY aircraft wasn’t enough for Ivo Zdarsky. So he invented his own way of life in a Utah desert ghost town

Skull of Homo erectus from the Republic of Georgia

An Extreme Ice Age May Have Wiped Out Europe’s Earliest Humans 1.1 Million Years Ago

New research suggests the continent was devoid of hominins for about 200,000 years after a previously unknown cold snap

The arrowhead was originally discovered in the 19th century, then stashed away as part of a museum collection. Recently, researchers decided to take another look.

New Research

This Arrowhead Was Made From a Meteorite 3,000 Years Ago

Found in Switzerland, the 1.5-inch-long artifact was fashioned from meteoric iron during the Bronze Age

Rüdesheim am Rhein in Germany

Eight Delicious Wine Regions You May Have Never Heard Of

With less tourist traffic, these UNESCO World Heritage Sites include vineyards that rival France’s Champagne or Burgundy

George Herbert’s pictures aren’t just decorative. They reinforce the meanings of his poems.

These 17th-Century Poems Painted Pictures on the Page—and Defied the Church of England’s Rejection of Religious Images

George Herbert’s shaped poetry subtly pushed back against the iconoclasm of the English Reformation

An aerial view of the excavation site, where archaeologists found what they think are the ruins of Emperor Nero's theater

Cool Finds

Have Archaeologists Finally Found Emperor Nero’s Lost Theater?

Ahead of a planned luxury hotel, excavations have revealed what may be the ruins of the venue

The grave held a sword, usually buried with men, as well as a mirror, usually buried with women.

New Research

Iron Age Warrior Buried With a Sword and Mirror Was a Woman, Study Says

The unusual burial on a small island off of England sheds new light on women’s role in Iron Age warfare

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