South Asia

Researchers found evidence of eight different spices on 12 stone tools at the Óc Eo archaeological complex in southern Vietnam.

Archaeologists Uncover Oldest Evidence of 'Curry' Outside of India

Ancient spice processing in Southeast Asia reveals an early trade of ingredients for dishes that Westerners often call “curry”

The train will now travel along two seasonal routes between Singapore and Penang.

This Luxury Passenger Train Will Return to Southeast Asia

The revamped Eastern and Oriental Express will begin running again in February 2024

A woman drinking water on a hot day in Kolkata, India, in April 2023.

Extreme Heat Wave Hits India

In recent days, nearly 200 people have died across two of the country's most populous states

Researchers take sediment samples in the excacation pit in the Tam Pà Ling cave in Laos, where two newly uncovered human bones—part of a skull and a shin bone—were found.

Archaeologists Uncover Earliest Evidence of Modern Humans in Southeast Asia

The fossils from a cave in Laos, which date to between 68,000 and 86,000 years ago, challenge several ideas about early human migration

Natasha Poonawalla arrives on the red carpet in a sari for the Met Gala in May 2022.

The Evolution—and Reinvention—of the Sari

"The Offbeat Sari" explores the traditional garment's role in fashion, protest, sustainability and more

A cheetah at Erindi Private Game Reserve in Namibia

Cheetahs Arrive in India After 70 Years of Local Extinction

As part of an ambitious reintroduction plan, conservationists flew in eight of the big cats from Namibia

The Trans Bhutan Trail, which was originally part of the Silk Road, is a historic pilgrimage route dating back thousands of years.

The 250-Mile Trans Bhutan Trail Will Reopen After 60 Years

After a major restoration project, the path connecting 400 cultural and historic sites is once again passable

The uncovered skeleton shows where the lower left leg was amputated at the tibia and fibula.

Earliest Known Amputation Was Performed in Borneo 31,000 Years Ago

Prehistoric hunter gatherers carried out the surgery thousands of years before the previous recognized example

Malaysian customs officials seized thousands of pounds of elephant tusks, pangolin scales, rhino horns and other animal parts in July.

Malaysia Authorities Seize Elephant Tusks, Rhino Horns Worth $18 Million

Criminals had hidden the contraband animal parts in a container full of sawn timber

The record-breaking stingray was caught by a local fisherman.

Stingray Found in Cambodia Sets Record for World’s Largest Freshwater Fish

The enormous fish is 13 feet long and weighs 661 pounds

The tooth from Laos thought to belong to a Denisovan girl

Ancient Molar Found in Laos Could Help Fill in a Gap in Human History

Researchers believe the tooth belongs to a Denisovan girl, making it the first fossil evidence of these hominins in Southeast Asia

A female Bornean orangutan carrying her son in Central Kalimantan, Borneo, Indonesia.

Orangutan's Vocabularies Are Shaped by Socializing With Others, Just Like Humans

A new study reveals apes have distinct and flexible 'vocal personalities,' opposed to a fixed repertoire of calls

The second most common species the researchers identified was the silky shark, a vulnerable species that is in decline worldwide. 

Endangered Shark Meat Might Be Hiding in Your Pet's Food

Researchers found about one third of animal feed samples taken in Singapore contained shark DNA

Locals call this crocodile "buaya kalung ban," which means "crocodile with a tire necklace."

Crocodile With a Tire Stuck Around Its Neck Is Finally Freed After Six Years

In Indonesia, a local bird catcher trapped the large reptile and sawed off the trash because he didn’t want to watch the animal suffer

The Srivijaya Empire was known for its wealth and dominance of maritime trade routes.

Indonesian Divers Discover Treasures From Enigmatic 'Island of Gold'

Archaeological evidence of the Srivijaya Empire is limited, but recent finds made along the Musi River may shed light on the mysterious civilization

The cave paintings are located in the Aravalli mountain range in northwestern India.

These Millennia-Old Cave Paintings May Be Among India's Oldest

Locals have known about the artworks for generations, but government archaeologists only began documenting them this summer

Group portrait of three Chinese children, each holding an American flag and a Chinese flag, in a room in Chicago, 1929

Illinois Becomes First State to Mandate Teaching Asian American History

The move arrives amid a surge in anti-Asian hate crimes across the country

Separate Working Things I, vegetable color, dry pigment, watercolor and tea on walk paper, 1993-1995. The painting borrows archetypal images of romantic love.

The Reinvention of the Art of the Miniature

Putting a new spin on traditional themes, an artist revitalizes a once-popular form of painting

Smithsonian ecologist Andy Boyce reported the rediscovery and photographed the elusive Bornean subspecies of the Rajah scops owl, Otus brookii brookii, in the mountainous forests of Mount Kinabalu in Sabah, Malaysia.

Rare Owl With Bright Orange Eyes Seen for the First Time in More Than 125 Years

The elusive Bornean Rajah scops owl is inspiring scientists and researchers after its brief rediscovery

At its height in the 13th century, Angkor boasted a population of around 700,000 to 900,000.

Thirteenth-Century Angkor Was Home to More People Than Modern Boston

New research tracks the famed southeast Asian city's growth over hundreds of years

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