Humans Have Seen Only 0.001 Percent of the World’s Deep Seas, Leaving Most of the Planet a Vast Mystery
Researchers argue that expanding deep-sea exploration is vital to understanding and managing these marine habitats
Who Created This Peculiar Painting of a Drooling Dragon? Nobody Knows—but a Museum Just Bought It for $20 Million
Painted around 1510, the mysterious altarpiece by an unknown artist features unusual details, including a slobbering dragon and an angel playing the mouth harp
Meet the Mysterious Renaissance Muse Immortalized in the Only Leonardo da Vinci Painting in the Americas
Ginevra de’ Benci was a poet famed for her beauty and intellect. But art historians know little about her beyond the writings and artworks left behind by the men who admired her
Rarely Seen Banksy Mural Preserved on a 7,500-Pound Section of a Warehouse’s Wall Goes on Display in New York
“Battle to Survive a Broken Heart” features a red heart-shaped balloon covered with bandages. After spending a decade in storage, the artwork will head to auction on May 21
Egyptologist Reveals Mysterious Messages Hidden in the Hieroglyphics on a 3,000-Year-Old Obelisk
Jean-Guillaume Olette-Pelletier says he has identified seven sets of crypto-hieroglyphs on the 75-foot-tall structure, which France received as a gift in 1836
When a Historian Saw This Haunting Photograph of a Nameless Native Girl, She Decided She Had to Identify Her
In 1868, Sophie Mousseau was photographed at Fort Laramie alongside six white Army officers. But her identity—and her life story—remained unknown for more than a century
Why Was a 1940s Car Discovered in the Wreck of an American Naval Ship That Sank During World War II?
The mysterious automobile was found in a hangar on the USS “Yorktown,” which has been resting on the bottom of the Pacific Ocean since 1942
Archaeologists in Peru Discover Graves of Men, Women and Children Killed in Battle, Then Buried With Honor
The 24 members of the mysterious Chuquibamba culture were interred with valuable grave goods
How Well Did the Mysterious Antikythera Mechanism Actually Work?
Historians think the 2,000-year-old device was used to predict the positions of celestial bodies. A new digital simulation suggests that its gears may have frequently malfunctioned
Glowing ‘Milky Seas’ Have Baffled Sailors for Centuries—New Research Brings Scientists One Step Closer to Solving the Mystery
Historical accounts of vast ocean waters glowing in the dark go back hundreds of years, and researchers are still trying to determine exactly what triggers the phenomenon
Long-Lost ‘Merci Train’ Given to New Jersey After World War II Has Been Found
To thank America for its support during the war, France sent a boxcar stuffed with gifts to each state. But in the late 1950s, New Jersey’s disappeared without a trace
Mathematicians Solve Decades-Old Geometry Problem About Spinning a Needle That Had Long Puzzled the Field
A new proof solves the “Kakeya conjecture” in three dimensions, opening up a new set of possibilities for mathematics, from computer science to cryptography
Can A.I. Resurrect a Delacroix Mural That Was Destroyed in a Fire More Than 150 Years Ago?
A new project called Digital Delacroix is training cutting-edge technology on the French painter’s style to unravel the lost artwork’s secrets
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
Learn the Secret Histories of These Fascinating CIA Artifacts, From Pigeon Cameras to Cufflink Compasses
With the launch of its new website, the CIA Museum is bringing its sprawling collection of spy artifacts out of the shadows and into the public eye
Could This Prehistoric Burial Site Have Influenced the Construction of Stonehenge?
Researchers say that Flagstones, a large circular enclosure in southern England, dates to around 3200 B.C.E.—which means it predates Stonehenge by several hundred years
Archaeologists Unearth Ancient Clay Puppets With Open Mouths and Detachable Heads That ‘Resemble Modern Toy Dolls’
The figurines were discovered in a largely unexcavated site in El Salvador. Some 2,400 years ago, they were controlled by strings that passed through their necks
Eagle-Eyed Experts Say They’ve Solved the Mystery of a Missing Masterpiece—Half a Century After It Was Stolen
Brueghel’s famous 17th-century painting “Woman Carrying the Embers” vanished from a Polish museum in 1974. Fifty years later, it’s been rediscovered at a museum in the Netherlands
This 18th-Century Sketch by a Renowned English Portraitist Was Hiding in a Dumpster in New York
The tiny drawing by artist George Romney depicts Henrietta, Countess of Warwick. It will be sold at an upcoming auction in London
Can You Identify the Mystery Photographer Who Captured Thousands of Captivating Images of 1960s San Francisco?
Discovered in an abandoned storage locker, the 2,042 processed color slides and 102 rolls of black-and-white film depict key moments in the city’s history
Page 2 of 16