https://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/european-history/RSS feed for European HistoryenFri, 25 Jul 2025 13:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/google-just-released-an-ai-tool-that-helps-historians-fill-in-missing-words-in-ancient-roman-inscriptions-180987046/Known as Aeneas, the tool was trained on an extensive dataset of Latin epigraphy. Experts hope it will help decipher segments of text that have been lost to historyFri, 25 Jul 2025 13:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-discover-mysterious-medieval-knight-buried-beneath-an-ice-cream-parlor-in-poland-180987021/The well-preserved skeleton was buried under a rare limestone tombstone, which suggests the individual may have been an important member of Gdańsk society during the Middle AgesThu, 24 Jul 2025 19:34:49 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/with-ancient-dna-scientists-have-mapped-37000-years-of-disease-across-europe-and-asia-180986964/Zoonoses—diseases that spread from animals to humans—began to gain prevalence some 6,500 years ago with the rise of animal husbandry, a new study suggestsWed, 23 Jul 2025 20:25:52 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-archer-shot-this-bronze-age-human-in-the-back-4000-years-later-the-arrow-is-still-embedded-in-the-victims-rib-bone-180987036/The attack took place during a period of conflict between groups living in the Pyrenees mountains in modern-day SpainWed, 23 Jul 2025 19:10:35 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/athens-is-reviving-a-2000-year-old-roman-empire-era-aqueduct-to-deliver-water-amid-prolonged-droughts-180987013/With the capital's reservoirs approaching historic lows, officials are turning to ancient engineering to conserve potable waterTue, 22 Jul 2025 20:40:25 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/germanys-stunning-fairytale-castles-added-to-unescos-world-heritage-list-180987007/Built under the rule of Ludwig II, the grand palace complexes in Bavaria were among 26 new sites granted world heritage statusMon, 21 Jul 2025 14:40:04 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ancient-erotic-mosaic-stolen-from-pompeii-during-world-war-ii-finally-returns-home-180986992/A Nazi captain gave artwork, which depicts an intimate Roman romance, to a civilian. When he died, his heirs decided to return the piece to ItalyThu, 17 Jul 2025 14:07:11 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-rare-renaissance-fresco-that-could-be-one-of-fra-angelicos-earliest-works-has-been-restored-to-its-former-glory-180986977/Located in a secluded convent outside of Florence, the 600-year-old artwork was concealed behind layers of paint for most of its historyTue, 15 Jul 2025 15:54:53 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/stolen-historic-documents-surface-in-attic-ten-years-after-an-employee-used-them-as-collateral-to-borrow-money-180986965/The thief likely took the trove when he worked for the Dutch National Archives in 2015. Recently, someone found them in storage and contacted art detective Arthur BrandFri, 11 Jul 2025 14:06:28 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-architect-who-designed-the-iconic-entrances-to-the-paris-metro-is-finally-getting-the-attention-he-deserves-180986948/When Hector Guimard's subway designs were unveiled in the early 1900s, the public rejected his Art Nouveau style. Soon, a new museum devoted to his work will open in the cityWed, 09 Jul 2025 17:46:30 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-discover-roman-army-camp-in-the-netherlands-15-miles-beyond-the-empires-northern-border-180986910/Researchers think the camp was built during the second century C.E. Stretching across 22 acres, it was identified using a computer model developed by an archaeology studentMon, 07 Jul 2025 15:49:04 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-medieval-monks-scribbled-notes-in-the-margins-of-their-books-more-than-1000-years-ago-180986877/A new exhibition in Dublin showcases historic manuscripts written in Irish monasteries. The show also features medieval artifacts, such as a rare book shrine found in a river in the 1980sTue, 01 Jul 2025 18:51:48 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/divorce-papers-and-sauce-stained-sleeves-reveal-the-personal-side-of-napoleons-rise-and-fall-180986896/More than 100 objects connected to the French emperor just sold at auction. The collection sheds light on the man and the myth in stunningly intimate detailMon, 30 Jun 2025 18:44:49 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-sinkhole-opened-up-on-a-street-in-england-revealing-the-remains-of-a-massive-medieval-hospital-180986890/Centuries ago, the site was home to St. Leonard's Hospital, a sprawling monastic facility that provided care to sick individuals and supplied meals for prisoners at nearby York CastleFri, 27 Jun 2025 15:47:43 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-worlds-oldest-boomerang-is-even-older-than-scientists-thought-a-new-analysis-suggests-180986885/Researchers revisited a crescent-shaped, mammoth tusk artifact discovered in Poland and estimated it’s around 40,000 years oldThu, 26 Jun 2025 20:50:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-vibrant-colorful-mosaic-discovered-at-ancient-roman-settlement-in-france-180986887/Perched on a hill overlooking the town of Alès, the site, which was salvaged before construction on modern houses began, also boasts advanced architectureThu, 26 Jun 2025 18:28:40 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-the-face-of-a-10500-year-old-woman-reconstructed-by-archaeologists-and-artists-180986852/Using well-preserved ancient DNA, researchers have created a life-like facial reconstruction of a woman who lived in Belgium's Meuse Valley during the Mesolithic periodWed, 25 Jun 2025 18:53:36 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-london-museum-lets-you-order-items-from-its-vast-collections-and-maybe-even-touch-them-180986848/At the new V&A East Storehouse, visitors can get up close and personal with 250,000 historic and culturally significant items spanning 5,000 years of human creativityTue, 24 Jun 2025 19:13:22 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-2000-year-old-perfume-garden-in-the-ancient-city-of-pompeii-has-been-restored-to-its-former-glory-180986830/The small garden now features thousands of roses, violets, cherry trees and vines. Experts think a perfumer may have once used the plants to experiment with new scentsTue, 24 Jun 2025 15:37:22 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-medieval-sword-pulled-from-a-dutch-riverbed-is-marked-with-intricate-copper-symbols-180986858/The artifact was remarkably preserved for a millennium in anaerobic clay on a private estate near the city of MontfoortMon, 23 Jun 2025 18:51:01 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-rare-6000-year-old-limestone-fertility-figurine-could-be-polands-archaeological-find-of-the-century-180986859/Dating back to the Neolithic era, the so-called Venus of Kolobrzeg is the first artifact of its kind unearthed in the European countryMon, 23 Jun 2025 18:13:57 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-gold-coins-may-solve-the-mystery-of-the-worlds-richest-shipwreck-confirming-its-identity-as-a-legendary-18th-century-galleon-180986856/Minted in Peru in 1707, the money bolsters the evidence that the wreck is the Spanish ship "San José," which sank off the Colombian coast in 1708 with treasure worth billions on boardMon, 23 Jun 2025 11:15:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/rare-16th-century-shipwreck-discovered-at-record-depth-in-french-waters-180986826/The 98-foot-long vessel was transporting ceramic jugs, ceramic plates and metal bars when it sank off southeastern France nearly 500 years agoWed, 18 Jun 2025 20:56:35 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-viking-woman-was-buried-with-a-small-dog-at-her-feet-1000-years-ago-180986792/Archaeologists unearthed the burial site during excavations in Norway. They say the discovery provides unique insights into the bonds humans form with their animalsTue, 17 Jun 2025 14:40:28 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-stumble-onto-sprawling-ancient-roman-villa-during-construction-road-in-france-180986800/Located near Auxerre, the grand estate once possessed an exorbitant level of wealth, with thermal baths and heated floorsFri, 13 Jun 2025 19:44:23 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/this-exiled-romanov-princess-fled-the-bloodshed-of-the-russian-revolution-and-reinvented-herself-as-a-fashion-icon-180986776/A new exhibition spotlights Natalia Pavlovna Paley, the granddaughter of a czar. She built a new life for herself in France and the U.S., appearing in films and on the pages of glossy magazinesFri, 13 Jun 2025 10:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/smuggled-out-of-france-during-bloody-revolution-marie-antoinettes-shimmering-pink-diamond-is-heading-to-auction-180986764/The 10.38-carat gemstone, which carries an estimate of $3 million to $5 million, was owned by generations of European royaltyMon, 09 Jun 2025 20:02:36 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/tens-thousands-were-treated-for-deadly-disease-while-confined-psychiatric-hospitals-these-two-venetian-islands-180986734/In the 19th and 20th centuries, San Servolo and San Clemente housed patients suffering from pellagrous insanity, a condition caused by a vitamin deficiencyFri, 06 Jun 2025 10:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/tourists-are-stuffing-coins-into-the-cracks-of-the-giants-causeway-damaging-the-iconic-site-in-northern-ireland-180986745/Authorities are urging visitors to stop wedging pocket change between the basalt columns, which are cracking and crumbling as the coins expandWed, 04 Jun 2025 19:58:11 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/what-was-life-like-for-the-women-who-lived-in-ancient-pompeii-2000-years-ago-180986714/A new exhibition is spotlighting the women who have long been sidelined in histories of the Roman Empire—from mothers and weavers to entrepreneurs and influential tavern ownersTue, 03 Jun 2025 19:50:18 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/did-a-neanderthal-who-lived-43000-years-ago-paint-a-red-nose-on-a-rock-that-looked-like-a-face-180986704/Researchers theorize that an adult male dipped his finger in red ocher and intentionally used the pigment to complete the face he saw on a small granite stoneMon, 02 Jun 2025 16:48:13 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/experts-think-the-hagia-sophia-is-in-danger-theyve-got-a-plan-to-protect-it-from-earthquakes-180986665/Turkey is located near two fault lines, leaving the 1,500-year-old structure vulnerable to damage. Architects and engineers will be investigating how to best preserve itThu, 29 May 2025 20:12:02 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/from-peasant-fodder-to-fine-dining-feast-the-tasty-history-of-how-snails-and-oysters-became-luxury-foods-180986695/Humans have eaten mollusks for millennia, but they weren't always viewed as elite treatsThu, 29 May 2025 10:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-exhibition-features-contemporary-portraits-honoring-forgotten-black-abolitionists-180986658/Cambridge University's Fitzwilliam Museum is spotlighting the men and women who fought to end slavery but received little attention from artists during their lifetimesWed, 28 May 2025 20:51:44 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-did-vikings-view-pregnant-women-new-research-reveals-that-they-were-sometimes-depicted-with-weapons-180986674/Researchers studied Old Norse literature and archaeological evidence to shed new light on women's experiences of pregnancy during the Viking AgeWed, 28 May 2025 17:38:46 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-discover-the-oldest-known-tools-made-from-whale-bones-crafted-in-western-europe-20000-years-ago-180986696/Stone Age humans scavenged the skeletons of several whale species along the Bay of Biscay in what is now southwestern France and northern Spain, according to a new studyWed, 28 May 2025 17:04:05 +0000