Smart News History & Archaeology

Archaeologists discovered stone tools at the site, though they dated to a few thousand years after the mastodon’s death. 

13,600-Year-Old Mastodon Skull Uncovered in Iowa

The hulking creature may have overlapped with Indigenous people

The London Fire Brigade responded to a blaze that began on Somerset House's roof.

Firefighters Extinguish Blaze at London's Somerset House

The palatial complex's historic artworks sustained no damage from the fire that broke out on August 17

The colorful mosaic depicts brightly colored dolphins and fish.

Cool Finds

Archaeologists Stumble Upon a 2,000-Year-Old Dolphin Mosaic in England

The Roman-era artwork was likely preserved thanks to a remodeling project in the third or fourth century C.E.

Andreane Rellou is an actor and filmmaker who saw the photos at the museum and took it upon herself to identify the two women.

Cool Finds

Amateur Sleuth Identifies the Mystery Women in a Museum's Fabergé Frames

The portraits were on display at a museum in England, where staffers had been wondering about the two subjects for years

The ancient complex was unearthed in Corinth, Greece.

New Research

Ancient Prisoners Carved Graffiti Into the Floors of a Roman-Era Prison

An archaeologist has identified vengeful inscriptions etched into a 1,600-year-old prison in Greece

The Altar Stone lies at the center of the prehistoric monument in Wiltshire, England.

New Research

Stonehenge's Massive Central Stone May Have Been Shipped From Hundreds of Miles Away

Researchers think they've solved the mystery of the monument's Altar Stone, which could have traveled all the way from Scotland

One of the ancient victims recently unearthed at Pompeii

Archaeologists Unearth Two More Vesuvius Victims at Pompeii

Recent excavations provide a glimpse into the choices a man and woman made in their final moments

Jackie Robinson was the first Black athlete to play in modern Major League Baseball.

A Youth League's Stolen Jackie Robinson Statue Has Been Replaced

The original statue of the pioneering baseball player vanished from a ballpark in Wichita, Kansas, earlier this year

The Tower of London has loomed over the city since the 11th century.

Will the Tower of London Lose Its UNESCO World Heritage Status?

The United Nations agency is worried about high-rise developments near the famed 11th-century fortress

The mosaic was discovered during the construction of a water pipeline.

Cool Finds

Workers Stumble Upon Ancient Greek Mosaic of Dancing Satyrs

Found on the Greek island of Euboea, the pebbled design is part of a 2,400-year-old floor

Göbekli Tepe is an archaeological site in southern Turkey.

New Research

Could These Carvings in Turkey Be the World's Oldest Lunisolar Calendar?

One researcher thinks the V-shaped markings engraved into a pillar thousands of years ago may represent the days of the year

The 58-foot-long, 10-foot-high sculpture is expected to be the largest free-standing bronze relief in the Western Hemisphere.

The Final Piece of the National World War I Memorial Is Almost Finished

"A Soldier's Journey," the 58-foot-long bronze sculpture created by Sabin Howard, will be unveiled in Washington, D.C. on September 13

Tourists walk along the Via dell'Abbondanza, one of Pompeii's major streets.

Tourist Carves His Family's Initials Onto a Wall in Pompeii

In recent years, officials have seen a series of similar incidents at Italy's most popular historic sites

Start dates at schools across American range from mid-July to early September.

When Do Kids Go Back to School? It Depends on Where They Live

In some districts, students returned to their classrooms weeks before Labor Day

An aerial photograph of Lahaina's banyan tree taken on August 3, 2024. A wildfire devastated the town in August 2023.

One Year After a Devastating Fire, Lahaina's 151-Year-Old Banyan Tree Is Healing

Arborists didn't know if the historic tree would survive, but they've been working to give it the best possible odds

One of the four newly translated cuneiform tablets

Newly Deciphered, 4,000-Year-Old Cuneiform Tablets Used Lunar Eclipses to Predict Major Events

Ancient Babylonians linked astronomical phenomena to pestilence, the death of kings and the destruction of empires

American sprinter Noah Lyles rang the Paris 2024 bell after winning the men's 100-meter final.

The Paris Olympics

These Olympic Gold Medalists Get to Ring a Bell Bound for Notre-Dame

The bell was built for the Games, but it will soon get a second life in one of Paris' most beloved landmarks

Philipe Petit walks between the twin towers on August 7, 1974.

Philippe Petit Marks the 50th Anniversary of His World Trade Center Walk With a New High Wire Act

The 74-year-old French artist reflected on his stunt and balanced on a tightrope at two performances in Manhattan

As evidenced by Gordon Parks' A Woman and Her Dog in the Harlem Section (1943), New York pets had evolved from hunting assistants to companions by the 20th century.

See Images of New Yorkers and Their Pets Across Three Centuries

An upcoming exhibition will trace the history of the city's domesticated dogs, cats, horses and other animals

A picture of Calhoun in a mouse utopia in 1970

Cool Finds

This Old Experiment With Mice Led to Bleak Predictions for Humanity’s Future

From the 1950s to the 1970s, researcher John Calhoun gave rodents unlimited food and studied their behavior in overcrowded conditions

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