Smart News History & Archaeology

Louvre employees rehung Eugene Delacroix's 1830 oil painting Liberty Leading the People on Thursday after a six-month restoration.

'Liberty Leading the People' Returns to the Louvre After a Breathtaking Restoration

Eugène Delacroix's 1830 oil painting had been covered in grime and discolored by eight layers of varnish

The exhibition features recreations of the tomb's antechamber, burial chamber and treasury.

See 1,000 Perfect Replicas of Objects Unearthed From King Tut's Tomb

A traveling exhibition on view in Washington, D.C. blends education and entertainment, letting visitors get up close and personal with the ancient Egyptian pharaoh's treasures

Dutch settlers "bought" the island of Manahatta from the Lenape in 1626.

Happy 400th Birthday to New Amsterdam, the Dutch Settlement That Became New York

In 1624, Dutch settlers arrived in Manhattan. Now, officials are marking the milestone with an honest examination of the past

The bomb was discovered near Mewa Arena, home of the Mainz 05 soccer club.

World War II-Era Bomb Successfully Defused Near German Soccer Stadium

The 1,110-pound ordnance is one of many bombs that have surfaced in Europe decades after the war's end

Researchers discovered broken pottery in a medieval ditch beneath a bridge in the city's center.

Cool Finds

Archaeologists Discover Medieval Artifacts Ahead of Bridge Demolition in England

Found during a construction project near the railway station in York, the trove includes pottery and bones

The Greek philosopher Plato was a student of Socrates and a teacher of Aristotle.

This Newly Deciphered Papyrus Scroll Reveals the Location of Plato's Grave

The mysterious site is mentioned in a text buried by Mount Vesuvius' eruption 2,000 years ago

The Chau Chak Wing Museum at the University of Sydney is home to Australia's largest collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts.

Australian Museum Removes Mummified Body Parts From Display

"We have become so accustomed to seeing them on show that we often forget they once belonged to living people," says Melanie Pitkin, a senior curator at the Chau Chak Wing Museum at the University of Sydney

This photograph may depict the iceberg that caused the Titanic to sink

This Historic Photograph May Depict the Iceberg That Sank the Titanic

The image, which sold for $22,000 at auction this week, was taken aboard a recovery vessel days after the famous ocean liner went down

An aerial view of the structure, which resembles a wonky, incomplete bow tie.

Cool Finds

This Neolithic Monument Found in France Has No Equal

A trio of interlocking enclosures, the structure may date to the time of the Bell Beaker culture, but experts are unsure of its exact age and purpose

The glass bottles buried in the graves were unearthed in good condition.

Cool Finds

In This Ancient Cemetery, Romans Left Fine Glass Vessels, Platforms for Feasting and Phallic Pendants

Archaeologists in Narbonne, France, have been studying the necropolis since 2017

Authorities don't know why the sails fell off in the early hours of April 25.

Moulin Rouge Windmill Blades Fall Off in the Middle of the Night

The iconic Paris landmark has never experienced such a mishap in its 135-year history

Japanese Americans were forced to leave behind their homes and belongings, then report to incarceration sites.

The Public Finally Has Access to an Accurate List of Japanese Americans Detained During World War II

Researchers who spent years fixing errors in shoddy government records have partnered with Ancestry to make a wide selection of historical documents related to the period available for free

The tracks were found at site that was once a muddy river plain.

Paleontologists Discover Massive Dinosaur Tracks in China, Hinting at One of the Largest Known Raptors

The footprints, left behind by a 16-foot-long creature some 96 million years ago, represent the biggest raptor tracks ever found

A golden figure from the 7th century found at the Avar cemetery in Rákóczifalva, Hungary

New DNA Analysis Unravels the Marriage Practices of an Ancient Warrior People

Researchers examined over 400 skeletons to uncover secrets from the Avar empire

The weapon is the only Islamic-era sword ever discovered in Valencia.

Cool Finds

Spain's 'Excalibur' Sword, a 1,000-Year-Old Weapon Found Buried Upright, Reflects the Region's Rich Islamic History

Discovered in Valencia in 1994, the iron blade was recently dated to the tenth century, when the Umayyad Caliphate controlled the Iberian Peninsula

The statue was unveiled on what would have been Elizabeth's 98th birthday.

New Statue Honors Elizabeth II—and Her Beloved Corgis

The seven-foot-tall bronze monument is billed as the "first permanent memorial" to the late queen

The newly discovered bronze disc depicts Alexander the Great with wavy hair and ram horns.

Cool Finds

Metal Detectorists Unearth Tiny Bronze Portrait of Alexander the Great in Denmark

Researchers think the 1,800-year-old artifact could be linked to a Roman emperor who was "obsessed" with the Macedonian conqueror

The fire destroyed one of the historic "20-mule team" wagons from the late 19th century. A steam tractor named "Old Dinah" survived.

Historic Borax Wagon Destroyed in Blaze at Death Valley National Park

Beginning in 1883, 18 mules and two horses hauled wagons full of borax across eastern California

Researchers found several amphorae, ancient vases that stored wine, in one of the old villa's rooms.

Cool Finds

Archaeologists May Have Found the Villa Where the Roman Emperor Augustus Died

Excavations north of Mount Vesuvius revealed Roman ruins buried by the eruption in 79 C.E.

The two intact bottles were found in Mount Vernon's cellar.

Cool Finds

Bottles of 250-Year-Old Cherries Discovered Beneath George Washington's Home

Researchers at Mount Vernon say that the stash still "bore the characteristic scent of cherry blossoms"

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