Smart News History & Archaeology

This necklace was likely stolen from a Turkish archaeological site in 1976.

Boston Museum Returns Looted 2,700-Year-Old Necklace to Turkey

The gold and carnelian artifact is nearly identical to other jewelry found at an archaeological site in western Turkey

The coins were minted between 94 B.C.E. and 74 B.C.E.

Cool Finds

Archaeologists Unearth Rare Trove of Silver Coins on Mediterranean Island

The 27 Roman denarii found on the island of Pantelleria date back more than 2,000 years

Masada is now one of Israel's most-visited tourist attractions.

New Research

The Roman Siege of Masada May Have Lasted Weeks, Not Years

New research suggests that the Romans defeated the Jewish rebels at Masada much more quickly than scholars previously assumed

Pieces of the Arch of Constantine came loose during a thunderstorm on September 3.

Rome's Ancient Arch of Constantine Has Been Struck by Lightning

A fierce thunderstorm dislodged marble fragments of the 1,700-year-old monument

The remains of a house that was once submerged in the Mornos artificial lake in Greece, along with several other structures, have re-appeared after drought caused the water level to drop.

Drought Reveals a Sunken Village in Greece as a Reservoir Dries Up

After the country's hottest June and July on record, a shrinking artificial lake has uncovered ruins of a school and other buildings that were submerged in the 1970s

Divers observed the HMS Hawke's intact guns at the bottom of the North Sea.

Divers Discover Sunken Warship Torpedoed by Germany in World War I

A German U-boat sank the HMS "Hawke" off the coast of Scotland in the early days of the war

These colorful rings could become a permanent fixture of the Eiffel Tower.

The Paris Olympics

Paris Mayor Wants to Keep the Olympic Rings on the Eiffel Tower

Critics worry that the symbol will tarnish the iconic structure's historic character

A coin featuring Edward VIII designed by Humphrey Paget 

Money Is Art in an Exhibition at Oxford's Ashmolean Museum

"Money Talks" features currency from around the world spanning thousands of years—from ancient coins and historic banknotes to contemporary NFTs

The opening to the cistern was discovered beneath Jefferson Drive, which runs alongside the Smithsonian Castle and other museums.

Cool Finds

Workers Uncover an Underground Chamber Sealed for More Than a Century Near the National Mall

The dry cistern was discovered by construction crews working on the Smithsonian Castle’s renovation

This silver lidded vessel was discovered in Scotland as part of the Galloway Hoard, but originates from Asia.

A Viking-Era Vessel Found in Scotland a Decade Ago Turns Out to Be From Asia

Experts used X-ray technology to link the artifact—part of the famous Galloway Hoard—to an Iranian silver mine

A recent expedition to the Titanic's wreckage found that part of the ship's iconic bow railing has collapsed.

New Photographs Reveal Decay of the Titanic and Collapse of Its Iconic Railing

An expedition this summer documented signs of deterioration on the wreck, but it also rediscovered the Diana of Versailles statue, the centerpiece of the ship’s first-class lounge

Reserachers believe Viking children once played with this animal figurine.

Cool Finds

Archaeologists in Iceland Can't Agree Which Animal This Mysterious Viking-Era Toy Depicts

The tenth-century stone figurine, alternatively identified as a pig, a bear or a dog, sheds light on the lives of long-ago Norse children

The sword's guard is decorated with chrysanthemum and waterline motifs.

Cool Finds

This Decorated Samurai Sword Found in Rubble Beneath Berlin May Have Been a Diplomatic Gift

The short blade’s hilt was made in Edo Japan, and its journey to a German cellar destroyed during World War II is a mystery

Khaleb Brooks' The Wake was chosen from a shortlist of six proposed designs.

London Unveils Design for the City's First Memorial to Victims of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade

The towering bronze sculpture by Khaleb Brooks will be installed at West India Quay in 2026

Museum officials say that jars of this size and age are rarely found intact.

This 4-Year-Old Shattered a Bronze Age Jar. Now, He'll Get to See How Experts Restored It

The 3,500-year-old artifact had been on view at an Israeli museum, which wants to use the mishap as a teaching opportunity

Portrait of George the Bearded, Duke of Saxony (circa 1534) is attributed to Lucas Cranach the Elder and his workshop.

Museum Settles With Heirs of Jewish Couple Who Sold a 16th-Century Painting as They Fled the Nazis

A Pennsylvania museum will auction the portrait—and split the proceeds with the descendants of Henry and Hertha Bromberg

The 700-year-old text is in “exceptionally fine condition,” according to Sotheby’s.

Hebrew Bible From Medieval Spain Could Sell for $7 Million

After years of painstaking work, Rabbi Shem Tov Ibn Gaon finished the illustrated manuscript in 1312

An inside spread in the newspaper featured photos of some of the victims, including the Titanic's captain Edward J. Smith.

After the Titanic Sank, Families and Friends of People on the Ship Anxiously Waited to See Who Survived and Who Perished

A newspaper detailing the accounts of loved ones, published on April 20, 1912, was recently discovered in a wardrobe and sold at auction

The interior of the Menga dolmen features large stone columns that help support the structure.

Colossal Stone Monument Built 1,000 Years Before Stonehenge Shows Neolithic Engineers Understood Science

A recent study of the Menga dolmen in Spain reveals complex construction techniques used roughly 6,000 years ago

The remains of the observatory at the ancient Egyptian city of Kafr El-Sheikh

This Massive Egyptian Observatory Is Unlocking Celestial Secrets of an Ancient Culture

The 2,500-year-old building with roots in both science and religion helped track the movement of the sun and stars

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