Archaeologists Stumble Onto Sprawling Ancient Roman Villa During Construction of a Road in France
Located near Auxerre, the grand estate once possessed an exorbitant level of wealth, with thermal baths and heated floors
Massive Fields Where Native American Farmers Grew Corn, Beans and Squash 1,000 Years Ago Discovered in Michigan
The ancestors of the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin built earthen mounds to grow crops. The site could be the largest preserved archaeological field system in the eastern United States
To Safeguard Threatened Plants, Scientists Must Master the Tricky Art of Seed Banking
Researchers are working to unravel the hidden biology of often-persnickety seeds as they age, sleep and awaken
Smithsonian Photo Contest Galleries
See 15 Serene Scenes of the English Countryside
Quaint centuries-old villages dot the rural landscapes of the United Kingdom
Why Have European Wolves Recovered So Much in the Past Decade?
The predators have increased by almost 60 percent on the continent
How the Misrepresentation of Tomatoes as Stinking ‘Poison Apples’ That Provoked Vomiting Made People Afraid of Them for More Than 200 Years
The long and fraught history of the plant shows that it got an unfair reputation from the beginning
How a Forgotten Bean Could Save Coffee From Extinction
One leading botanist is scouring remote corners of the earth to find new species that could keep our mugs full
New Study Reveals How Humans Cultivated Avocados Over Thousands of Years
Research in Honduras shows that humans began selecting for larger fruits with thicker rinds as early as 7,500 years ago—long before maize arrived in the region
The Swarm of People Intent on Saving Our Bees
An army of experts and citizen scientists devoted to documenting and protecting the country’s native bees is telling us a lot about the hidden lives of these insects
Microplastics Are Making Photosynthesis Harder for Plants—and That Could Slash Crop Yields, Study Suggests
On average, these little particles could reduce photosynthesis in plants and algae by up to 12 percent, according to the paper
About One Billion People Are Deficient in Selenium. Genetic Engineering Could Change That
Hoping to stave off a global health crisis, scientists are breeding a new generation of crops that suck the mineral, which helps the thyroid and immune system, from soil
Parts of California Are Sinking, and It Could Worsen the Effects of Sea-Level Rise, NASA Study Finds
The ground in many parts of the state—including Los Angeles, San Francisco and the Central Valley—is subsiding due to groundwater withdrawal, landslides and compacting of sediment
Archaeologists Say They’ve Unearthed Britain’s Largest Known Viking-Age Building Beneath a Family Farm
A team of experts and enthusiasts discovered the structure at High Tarns Farm in northwest England. Researchers think it dates to between the late 10th and early 11th centuries
Can Electro-Agriculture Revolutionize the Way We Grow Food?
A new technology is pushing the boundaries of farming by using electricity to grow crops without photosynthesis
From Shears to Sweaters, an Experimental New Exhibition Examines the Long, Wooly Relationship Between Humans and Sheep
The Amsterdam show features an eclectic mix of wool garments, life-size sheep replicas and philosophical musings about the interconnectedness of the two species
The Search to Find the Remains of Homo Erectus in a Vanishing Landscape
A paleontologist journeys through Indonesia’s Riau Archipelago in search of our earliest ancestors, and uncovers how environmental devastation has erased much of the region’s history
Neolithic Farmers May Have Buried These Mysterious Stones to Bring Back the Sun After a Volcanic Eruption
Using ice core samples, researchers linked a natural disaster with a trove of nearly 5,000-year-old artifacts discovered at an archaeological site in Denmark
How to Use Renaissance Paintings to Improve the Farming of Tomorrow
An arboreal archaeologist roots around the Italian countryside and in centuries-old frescoes for a cornucopia of fruits long forgotten—but still viable to grow and consume
Freshwater Animals Are More Fragile Than Thought, With Nearly a Quarter Threatened With Extinction, Study Finds
Species in Lake Victoria, Lake Titicaca, Sri Lanka’s Wet Zone and the Western Ghats of India are particularly vulnerable to the effects of agriculture, human infrastructure and climate change, per the paper
Energetic and Loyal: Meet the Danish-Swedish Farmdog, the Newest Breed Recognized by the American Kennel Club
These small but mighty pups have roots on family farms in Denmark and Sweden, where they helped catch rodents, herd livestock, hunt and watch over the property
Page 1 of 25