Skip to main content

Subscribe to Smithsonian magazine and get a FREE tote.

History

Johannes Vermeer's Girl With a Pearl Earring at the Mauritshuis museum

Did Vermeer’s ‘Girl’ Really Have a Pearl Earring?

A real pearl of that size would have been “astronomically expensive,” art historian says

A reconstruction of a painted fresco depicting the Battle of Kadesh between the Egyptian Empire and the Hittite Empire.

Severe Drought May Have Contributed to the Decline of the Hittites

The empire abruptly vanished around 1200 B.C.E., and ancient tree rings suggest climate played a role

The seven-inch artillery shell found at Gettysburg National Military Park

160-Year-Old Civil War Artillery Shell Found at Gettysburg

After clearing the area, park officials sent experts to safely detonate the object

Construction workers at the site of the new Metro C subway line in Rome

Cool Finds

Ancient Golden Glass Unearthed During Roman Subway Construction

The artifact depicts Roma, the goddess who personifies the city of Rome

Archaeologists found saffron, as well as peppercorns, almonds, raspberries and other foods.

Cool Finds

Medieval Pantry Stocked With Spices Found in 500-Year-Old Shipwreck

The vessel, called “Gribshunden,” sank off the coast of Sweden in 1495

Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch in the 1962 film adaptation of To Kill a Mockingbird

Gregory Peck’s ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ Script Goes to Auction

Also for sale are gifts from Harper Lee, who remained close with the Peck family for years

The damaged castle following the earthquakes on February 6

Earthquakes Damage 2,000-Year-Old Castle in Turkey

The 7.8-magnitude quake also harmed other historic structures throughout Turkey and Syria

The dako sword found at Tomio Maruyama

Cool Finds

Seven-Foot Sword Unearthed From 1,600-Year-Old Burial Mound in Japan

Archaeologists think the artifact was used to protect against evil after death

An artistic illustration of Egyptian embalmers in the underground embalming workshop at Saqqara

The Surprising Substances Ancient Egyptians Used to Mummify the Dead

An analysis of 2,500-year-old embalming ingredients suggests some of them came from far-off places

The eugenics movement formed the basis for policies in Nazi Germany and discrimination against Black people based on sickle cell disease in the United States.

Genetics Society Issues Apology for Ties to Eugenics and Racism

In a new report, the American Society of Human Genetics details its failures to address false and unjust uses of the field

Officials in Peru closed Machu Picchu following security concerns and damage to nearby railways.

Peru Closes Machu Picchu Amid Anti-Government Protests

More than 50 people have died as demonstrations escalate and police crack down on dissent

As of January 24, the Doomsday Clock sits at 90 seconds to midnight.

The Doomsday Clock Is Now Closer Than Ever to Midnight

The reset comes amid the war in Ukraine, nuclear threats and climate change

David Byrne, Ganda Suthivarakom and Joan Almedilla performing songs from Here Lies Love at Carnegie Hall in 2007

David Byrne’s Disco Musical About Imelda Marcos Comes to Broadway

‘Here Lies Love’ is an immersive stage production about the Philippines’ former first lady

The 12- by 12-inch runestone dates back to between 1 and 250 C.E.

Cool Finds

‘Sensational’ Runestone Discovered in Norway May Be the World’s Oldest

The find promises to shed new light on lingering questions about runic writing’s early history

The finely crafted, decorative ceramics

Archaeologists Unearth 3,000-Year-Old Wishing Well in Germany

The Bronze Age well was full of decorative ceramics, jewelry and other items likely used for ritual purposes

The flower measures roughly an inch across and is at least three times larger than all other known amber-encased blossoms.

See the Largest Known Flower Preserved in Amber

Aided by modern technology, researchers discovered the prehistoric blossom was a case of mistaken identity

Alexander Graham Bell circa 1910

The Smithsonian Will Restore Hundreds of the World’s Oldest Sound Recordings

They were made by Alexander Graham Bell and his fellow researchers between 1881 and 1892

Robert Garcia, a newly elected congressman from California, selected several items with personal significance to use at his swearing-in ceremony.

This Congressman Was Sworn Into Office With Rare Superman Comic

California’s Robert Garcia says the superhero embodies values like truth and justice

The courtyard of the House of the Vettii in Pompeii

See the Lavish Pompeii Home Owned by Two Men Freed From Slavery

After two decades, the newly restored House of the Vettii is officially open to visitors

Archaeologists studied the tree ring growth patterns of 100 timbers.

Cool Finds

Rare 16th-Century Ship Unearthed in England

Quarry workers discovered the vessel 1,000 feet from the nearest coastline

Page 63 of 128