Trailblazing Filmmaker Ava DuVernay Receives the Smithsonian’s Great Americans Medal
DuVernay is the first director, writer and producer to earn the honor, which recognizes “lifetime contributions embodying American ideas and ideals”
Archaeologists Uncover Evidence of Ancient Tree-Lined Road in Egyptian Military Fortress
Located in the northern Sinai Desert, the site is shedding new light on defensive structures built to protect Egypt’s eastern borders
The New Pope Is Calling Himself Leo—Just Like 13 Other Pontiffs Who Came Before Him. Who Are They?
When Robert Prevost was elected pope this week, he chose one of the most popular papal names. The lives of the Pope Leos who preceded him may offer insight into his approach to the papacy
DNA Links Modern Picuris Pueblo Tribe to Ancestors Who Lived in Chaco Canyon Hundreds of Years Ago
Tribal leaders partnered with scientists to confirm their connection to the archaeological site in New Mexico
The Ornate Sword That Napoleon Commissioned During His Rise to Power Is Heading to Auction
Prior to his final defeat at the Battle of Waterloo, the French ruler gave the saber to one of his most trusted generals, whose family kept it for generations
London Zoo Discovers Hundreds of Old Film Reels Featuring ‘Zoo Oddities’ and Animal Celebrities
Zoo officials are looking for experts to help preserve and digitize the decaying film canisters, which date to between the 1960s and 1990s
India Is Trying to Stop the Sale of Hundreds of Ancient Gems Associated With the Buddha
The 300 sacred jewels are part of a larger trove found in India in 1898. They’re scheduled to be sold by Sotheby’s Hong Kong, where bidding will start at roughly $1.3 million
Ancient Chinese Poems Reveal the Decline of a Critically Endangered Porpoise Over 1,400 Years
Researchers looked at poetry dating as far back as the Tang dynasty to find that the Yangtze finless porpoise’s range has decreased by 65 percent
Spanish Shipwreck Reveals Evidence of Earliest Known Pet Cats to Arrive in the United States
The two felines—one adult, one juvenile—appear to have been cared for by the sailors before the vessel sank in a hurricane in 1559, according to a new study
Archaeologists Unearth 2,300-Year-Old Sword Decorated With Two Small Swastikas in a Celtic Necropolis
Found in France, the site featured more than 100 graves filled with ancient metal artifacts—including bracelets, brooches and two well-preserved swords
Hikers Stumble Upon Gold Coins and Treasures That Could Be Worth $340,000
After discovering the 15-pound cache while hiking in the Czech Republic, the two men handed it over to a local museum
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
Archaeologists Thought They’d Found a Piece of Old Farm Equipment. It Turned Out to Be a Rare Iron Age Chariot Tire
The more than 2,000-year-old tire was found among a trove of artifacts during excavations ahead of construction for a new golf course near Inverness, Scotland
Man Who ‘Always Fancied’ Owning a Shipwreck Buys One on Facebook Marketplace for $400
Hobbyist diver Dom Robinson jumped at the chance to purchase the S.S. “Almond Branch,” a cargo ship that’s been resting 190 feet beneath the surface of the English Channel since World War I
Carthaginians, Ancient Rome’s Infamous Enemies, Are Not Exactly Who Scholars Thought They Were, Ancestry Study Suggests
DNA reveals that the people of Carthage, a powerful independent colony founded by the Phoenicians, had little genetic similarity to their counterparts in the Levant
1,800-Year-Old Horse Buried With Grave Goods Suggests Deep Bond Between a Roman Soldier and His Steed
Archaeologists were preparing for the construction of a new housing development when they found more than 100 equine skeletons dating to the second century C.E.
See the Newly Renovated Castle Howard, Made Famous by ‘Bridgerton’ and ‘Brideshead Revisited’
After the house suffered extensive fire damage in 1940, generations of the Howard family have faithfully restored parts of the mansion to its 18th-century glory
The Only Black, All-Female Unit to Serve Overseas in World War II Receives the Congressional Gold Medal
The Six Triple Eight cleared a years-long backlog of mail in just three months. Eighty years later, the unit is finally getting the recognition it deserves
He Boarded the Titanic, Then Wrote a Letter: ‘It Is a Fine Ship, But I Shall Await My Journey’s End Before I Pass Judgment’
First-class passenger Archibald Gracie wrote the missive shortly after settling into his cabin on the doomed vessel. It just sold at auction for nearly $400,000
See the Colorful Flags That the Patriots Unfurled as They Fought in the American Revolution
At the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia, a new exhibition has gathered together 17 historic flags that served as symbols of liberty
Page 5 of 110