Spanish Shipwreck Reveals Evidence of Earliest Known Pet Cats to Arrive in the United States
The two felines—one adult, one juvenile—appear to have been cared for by the sailors before the vessel sank in a hurricane in 1559, according to a new study
See the Rare Medieval Boat Discovered Over 18 Feet Below Sea Level in Barcelona
It could take years for archaeologists to properly excavate and preserve the delicate wooden vessel, which likely became shipwrecked
How Many People Are in This Painting? The Prado Museum Is Using A.I. to Find Out
With the help of a tech start-up, the Madrid museum is enlisting technology to quantify large crowds in its artworks and boost visitor engagement
Conservators Are Puzzling Together Ancient Roman Murals Found in Hundreds of Pieces
Excavated from a nearly 2,000-year-old villa in Valencia, Spain, the broken-up murals once formed fresco decor
As His 143-Year-Old Church Nears Completion, Architect Antoni Gaudí Is Placed on the Path to Sainthood
Gaudí, nicknamed “God’s architect,” was declared “venerable” by Pope Francis this week, putting him one step closer to canonization
Archaeologists Unearth Rare Reminder of Britain’s Brief Reign Over the ‘Nation’s Oldest City’
The find offers archaeological evidence of the 20-year interlude when the British ruled St. Augustine, Florida, which was founded by the Spanish in 1565
Why Were These Women Buried With More Than 270,000 Beads?
At a 5,000-year-old tomb in Spain, researchers found what is likely the largest known collection of beads ever discovered at a burial site
Ten Isolated, Gravity-Defying Monasteries You Can Visit Around the World
Monks have been seeking spiritual enlightenment at these sites on steep cliffs, inside caves and atop an extinct volcano for centuries
Researchers Have Found an Inca Tunnel Beneath the Peruvian City of Cusco
The dug-out passages may follow the exact path of the Inca capital’s aboveground roads
Divers Recover Ancient Shipwreck That Sank 2,600 Years Ago Off the Coast of Spain
Piece by piece, experts carefully transported the Phoenician vessel to dry land, where it will be studied and preserved
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
A Trove of Gold Coins Stolen From 300-Year-Old Florida Shipwrecks Has Been Recovered by Investigators
Contracted divers found 101 gold coins from the wreckage of a Spanish fleet in 2015, but they only reported 51 to authorities. Now, 37 of the stolen coins have been found
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
How Captain George Vancouver Mapped and Shaped the Modern Pacific Northwest
The British explorer named dozens of geographical features and sites in the region, ignoring the traditions of the Indigenous peoples who’d lived there for millennia
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
You Can Climb Aboard a Massive Reproduction of a 17th-Century Spanish Galleon That’s Sailing Around the World
The Galeón Andalucía, which is now making its way to London, was designed to resemble the armed merchant vessels manufactured by Spain and Portugal between the 16th and 18th centuries
Europeans Were Using Cocaine in the 17th Century—Hundreds of Years Earlier Than Historians Thought
Scientists identified traces of the drug in the brain tissue of two individuals buried in the crypt of a hospital in Milan
This Remote Region in Spain Could Pay You Up to $16,000 to Move There
Officials in Extremadura are hoping to attract digital nomads and tech workers in a bid to boost the region’s shrinking population
Nine Mythical Places Archaeologists Think May Have Actually Existed
Historical evidence is helping to pinpoint the exact locations of fabled sites, from King Arthur’s castle to Solomon’s Temple
Eight Movie Museums Cinephiles Need to Visit
From Chaplin’s World in Switzerland to Popeye Village in Malta, these spots celebrate much-loved films and filmmakers
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