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Religious History

A diver discovered the 900-year-old sword in a natural cove off the coast of northern Israel.

Cool Finds

Diver Discovers 900-Year-Old Crusader Sword Off Israel’s Coast

The four-foot-long weapon is encrusted in marine organisms but otherwise in “perfect condition”

The white pipeclay Venus statuette before (right) and after (left) cleaning

Roman-Era Statue of Venus, Goddess of Love, Discovered in England

The seven-inch-tall figurine likely stood in a household shrine in what is now Gloucestershire some 1,800 years ago

The golden bowl may have been used in religious ceremonies honoring the sun.

Cool Finds

3,000-Year-Old Golden Bowl Adorned With Sun Motif Found in Austria

Researcher Michał Sip described the prehistoric vessel as the “discovery of a lifetime”

Researchers in Turkey have uncovered an all-but-forgotten ancient Greek temple and a 50,000-seat stadium (shown).

Entrance Gate to Greek Temple of Zeus Unearthed in Turkey

Archaeologists excavating the ancient city of Magnesia hope to fully restore the 2,300-year-old sacred structure

In this 2017 photo, employees set up scaffolding to remove stained-glass windows depicting Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson at Washington National Cathedral.

National Cathedral to Replace Confederate-Themed Stained Glass With Art Dedicated to Racial Justice

Artist Kerry James Marshall will create two new windows for the historic Washington, D.C. church

“Air temperatures rapidly rose above 3,600 degrees Fahrenheit,” writes study co-author Christopher Moore. “Clothing and wood immediately burst into flames. Swords, spears, mudbricks and pottery began to melt. Almost immediately, the entire city was on fire.”

Journal ‘Nature’ Retracts Study About Ancient City’s Destruction Linked to Biblical Story of Sodom

Around 1650 B.C.E., the Bronze Age city of Tall el-Hammam was wiped out by an unknown natural disaster

Researchers say it's "highly likely" that the men died in battle in either 1253 or 1260.

Mass Graves of 13th-Century Crusaders Reveal Brutality of Medieval Warfare

Found in Lebanon, the 25 soldiers’ remains bear unhealed wounds from stabbing, slicing and blunt force trauma

Archaeologists have been excavating the palace, which served as the seat of power for the Silla dynasty, since 2014.

Remains of Likely Human Sacrifice Victim Found in Foundation of Korean Palace

The young woman died in her 20s during the fourth century C.E.

The Great Synagogue of Vilna was built in the 1630s.

Cool Finds

Remains of Lithuanian Synagogue Destroyed by Nazis and Soviets Unearthed

Excavations uncovered the Great Synagogue of Vilna’s Torah ark, impressive staircases, a raised prayer platform and more

Johnson is the only convicted Salem "witch" who has not yet received an official pardon.

History of Now

This Eighth-Grade Class Wants to Clear the Name of an Accused Salem ‘Witch’

Elizabeth Johnson Jr. was sentenced to death in 1693 but escaped execution after receiving a reprieve from Massachusetts’ governor

The wine press dates to the Byzantine period.

Cool Finds

Byzantine-Era Wine Press, Gold Coin Found Near Tel Aviv

The 1,400-year-old currency shows Golgotha, identified as the site of Jesus’s crucifixion, on one of its sides

Anne Frank pictured at school in Amsterdam in 1940

New Education Center Dedicated to Anne Frank Debuts in South Carolina

The space is the Amsterdam-based Anne Frank House’s only official outpost in North America

The Iron Age sculpture is one of only a dozen of its kind found in Ireland to date.

Cool Finds

Eight-Foot-Tall, 1,600-Year-Old Statue of Pagan Deity Found in Ireland

The well-preserved wooden sculpture may have been part of a ritual site where animal sacrifices were carried out

The study's authors argue that the individual may have been highly regarded due to their nonbinary status or “because they already had a distinctive or secured position in the community for other reasons; for example, by belonging to a relatively wealthy and well-connected family.”

New Research

Mysterious Iron Age Burial May Hold Remains of Elite Nonbinary Person

The Finnish grave’s occupant likely had Klinefelter syndrome, meaning they were born with an extra copy of the X chromosome

Students from Cardiff University collaborated with archaeologists to excavate the mound on Soulton Hall's grounds.

Cool Finds

Mysterious Mound at English Manor May Conceal Remains of Medieval Castle

Archaeologists at Soulton Hall have unearthed sandstone walls and trinkets likely left behind by religious pilgrims

Procession marking the opening of the Belfast-based Ulster parliament in June 1921

One Hundred Years Ago, Northern Ireland’s ‘Unholy War’ Resulted in a Deadly Summer

In July 1921, an outburst of sectarian violence in Belfast claimed 16 lives on the eve of a truce between Great Britain and Ireland

Artist's impression of Thomas Cromwell's London estate

See the Palatial London Mansion of Thomas Cromwell, Adviser to Henry VIII

New research reveals what the Tudor statesman’s 58-room estate may have looked like

The team conducted a non-destructive analysis of a panel depicting the prophet Nathan.

Art Meets Science

Canterbury Cathedral’s 12th-Century Stained Glass May Be England’s Oldest

New research suggests four of the English church’s intricate windows were in place when Henry II’s men murdered Thomas Becket in 1170

The four symbols seen in front of the king—a crescent moon, the sun, a snake and a flower—may hold religious significance.

Cool Finds

Archaeologists Discover 2,550-Year-Old Carving of the Last King of Babylon

Found in northern Saudi Arabia, the inscription depicts sixth-century B.C.E. ruler Nabonidus holding a scepter

A new exhibition at the Museum for Islamic Art in Jerusalem explores the fascinating history of coffee.

Tracing Coffee’s Travels From the East to the West

New exhibition explores how the caffeinated beverage sparked religious controversy and technical innovation

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