Archaeologists Unearth Intricately Decorated Altar That May Have Been Used for Ancient Sacrifices in Guatemala
Discovered in the ruins of Tikal, the altar sheds light on strained relations between the Maya city and Teotihuacán—which was located more than 600 miles away
Researchers Thought It Was Just a Fortress. It Turned Out to Be a Lost Zapotec City
Lidar scans have revealed a 600-year-old fortified city in southern Mexico that boasted ball courts, roads, neighborhoods and temples
See a Deep-Sea Oarfish Caught Alive on Video in a Rare Encounter on a Beach in Mexico
In Japanese folklore, appearances of these elusive marine creatures dubbed ‘doomsday fish’ are believed to foreshadow earthquakes, though scientists found no strong relationship between these events in a recent study
Untold Stories of American History
Born Enslaved, This Black Millionaire Attempted to Colonize Mexico and Aspired to Be the Emperor of Ethiopia
William Henry Ellis masqueraded as a Mexican businessman, but he never shied away from his Black roots
See a Controversial Anti-Fascist Mural From the 1930s Returned to Its Former Glory
Titled “The Struggle Against Terrorism,” the 1,000-square-foot artwork suffered from neglect for 90 years. Now, conservators have unveiled the newly restored mural in Mexico
Seven Cities in the World Where You Can Ride an Aerial Cable Car
Urban planners from Mexico City to Toulouse are adopting the high-flying mode of transit. Will it catch on elsewhere?
These 500-Year-Old Cannons May Help Unravel the Mysteries of the Coronado Expedition
The 16th-century artifacts were found during excavations in Arizona. Researchers say they may be the oldest firearms ever discovered in the continental United States
Ten Top Smithsonian Stories of 2024, From a Mysterious Underground Chamber to Dazzling Auroras
The magazine’s most-read articles of the year included a close-up look at the adorable yet venomous pygmy slow loris, a profile of a little-known 20th-century street photographer and a majestic journey with divers into Mexico’s underwater caves
Smithsonian Photo Contest Galleries
Brighten Your Day With These 15 Photos of Beautiful Balloons From Around the World
Lift your spirits with these airy images from the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest
A Pod of Orcas Learned to Target and Feast on Whale Sharks, the Largest Fish in the Sea
Photos and videos of the apex predators reveal how they engage in coordinated hunts in Mexican waters to take down juvenile whale sharks
A Rare ‘Otherworldly’ Sculpture by Surrealist Artist Leonora Carrington Is Going to Auction
The 1951 artwork, “La Grande Dame (The Cat Woman),” stands over six feet tall and features paintings of “hybrid creatures and lush dreamscapes”
Smithsonian Photo Contest Galleries
Celebrate Day of the Dead With These 15 Scenes of Festivities and Remembrance
These images from the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest show how communities in Mexico and beyond mark Día de los Muertos.
‘Found’ Dataset Reveals Lost Maya City Full of Pyramids and Plazas, Hiding in Plain Sight Beneath a Mexican Forest
By analyzing an old lidar survey, researchers found evidence of more than 6,500 ancient structures in a previously unexplored area of Campeche
Halloween Is Spooky. But So Are These Eight Other Celebrations Around the World
From Setsubun in Japan to Fèt Gede in Haiti, these festivals relish in the macabre
This Exhibition Is Betting That You Don’t Know Frida Kahlo as Well as You May Think
“Frida: Beyond the Myth” aims to paint an intimate portrait of the artist through dozens of works created by Kahlo and photographs taken by her loved ones
Divers in Mexico’s Underwater Caves Get a Glimpse of Rarely Seen Artifacts, Fossils and Human Remains
Cenotes in the Yucatán Peninsula are time capsules preserving remnants of Maya culture and fossils of extinct megafauna
The Race to Save Mezcal From the World
Climate change, corporate money, soaring demand—can Mexico’s local agave growers find a viable path for a beloved beverage?
Ancient Mesoamerican ‘Pyramid of the Moon’ May Align With Summer and Winter Solstices
New research suggests the monument in Teotihuacán, along with the larger Pyramid of the Sun, were designed based on astronomical movements
Nashville Museum Returns Hundreds of Pre-Columbian Artifacts to Mexico
The items also went on display in an exhibition that detailed the repatriation process
Tommie Smith’s Raised Fist at the 1968 Olympics Inspired a Massive Golden Sculpture That Signifies the Art of His Protest
At the Smithsonian American Art Museum, an installation by artist Glenn Kaino made in collaboration with Smith reclaims the Olympian’s iconic gesture
Page 1 of 10