Smart News History & Archaeology

The mummified remains of James Murphy, known as Stoneman Willie, which lay in a funeral home in Reading, Pennsylvania, for 128 years before being buried last weekend.

Pennsylvania Mummy Gets a Proper Burial After 128 Years in a Funeral Home

Nicknamed "Stoneman Willie," the man visited the town of Reading for a convention of firefighters in 1895

Another supposedly unlucky thing: black cats.

Why Are We So Scared of Friday the 13th?

From the Knights Templar to Norse mythology, here’s how fear of the spooky date crept into popular culture

Shakespeare may have performed on floorboards recently discovered at a theater in England in 1592 or 1593.

Cool Finds

Did Shakespeare Perform on These Newly Discovered Floorboards?

A historic theater in England claims to have found the Bard’s only surviving stage

Archaeologists identified the finds as Viking-era brooches. 

Cool Finds

Norwegian Family Unearths 1,200-Year-Old Viking Artifacts in Their Yard

They had been looking for a lost gold earring when they stumbled upon two bronze brooches

Researchers have only discovered a small fraction of the pre-Columbian earthworks in the Amazon rainforest, according to new research.

The Amazon May Be Hiding More Than 10,000 Pre-Columbian Structures

Based on a new aerial survey and modeling study, archaeologists suggest at least 90 percent of sites known as earthworks remain undetected

Narges Mohammadi, pictured here in April 2021, won the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize for advocating for women's rights in Iran.

Nobel Peace Prize Goes to Iranian Rights Activist Narges Mohammadi

Mohammadi, who is currently in prison, is at the forefront of the fight against oppression in Iran

The Cheddar brooch measures 9 centimeters (roughly 4.5 inches) in diameter and dates to between 800 and 900 C.E.

Cool Finds

Rare 1,000-Year-Old Brooch Goes on Display in England

A metal detectorist unearthed the silver and copper artifact on a farm in Somerset in 2020

Smoke rises after a World War II-era aerial bomb was detonated at a construction site in Singapore on September 26, 2023.

Singapore Safely Detonates a World War II-Era Bomb Unearthed at a Construction Site

Historians say Japanese forces may have dropped it during a critical battle in 1942

Hattie McDaniel is shown with her Best Supporting Actress award, which she received for her performance in 1939's Gone With the Wind.

The Academy Will Replace Hattie McDaniel's Missing Oscar

McDaniel became the first Black actor to win an Oscar in 1940, but the award went missing several decades later

The Old War Office building was originally constructed in 1906.

London's Historic Old War Office Building Becomes a Luxury Hotel

The building is connected to Winston Churchill, Ian Fleming and other famous figures

Pikachu takes van Gogh's place in this recreation of Self-Portrait with Grey Felt Hat (1887)

Pokémon Takes Over the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam

The franchise and the 19th-century Dutch master both took inspiration from Japanese art

An artist's rendering of what the tunnels could look like by 2027

Secret World War II-Era Tunnels Could Become a London Tourist Attraction

Built as a shelter during the London Blitz, the subterranean network could open as an immersive experience

John F. Kennedy and Jackie Kennedy ride the presidential limousine through the streets of Dallas, Texas, on November 22, 1963. Texas Governor John B. Connally Jr. is seated in front of them.

History of Now

Ex-Secret Service Agent's Account of JFK's Assassination Could Cast Doubt on 'Lone Gunman' Theory

Paul Landis' new book refutes the idea that a single bullet injured both the president and Texas Governor John B. Connally Jr.

The swords have long blades that were likely used by Roman soldiers or civilians while riding on horseback.

Cool Finds

Two 1,800-Year-Old Roman Cavalry Swords Unearthed in England

The long, slender weapons were likely carried by Roman soldiers on horseback

A new collection of works by and about Phillis Wheatley includes a rare handwritten manuscript of the poet's 1773 poem titled "Ocean."

The Smithsonian Acquires Major Works by and About Phillis Wheatley

The stunning trove of texts sheds new light on Wheatley, the first African American to publish a book of poetry

The beloved tree was one of the most photographed in the United Kingdom.

England's Beloved Sycamore Gap Tree Has Been Chopped Down

Authorities arrested a 16-year-old boy on Thursday in connection with the felling

Stamped with the date—April 14, 1865—the two tickets correspond with a front-row spot in the dress circle.

What Did These Two Ticket Holders See on the Night of Abraham Lincoln's Assassination?

A rare pair of Ford's Theatre tickets—for seats across from the president's box—have sold for $262,500

In Oscar Nilsson's reconstruction, the Upper Largie Woman looks skeptically at viewers.

See the Face of a Bronze Age Woman Who Lived in Scotland 4,000 Years Ago

A forensic artist created a facial reconstruction based on the skeletal remains of a woman who died in her late 20s or early 30s

The Buddha statue stolen from the Barakat Gallery on September 18

Thief Steals $1.5 Million Buddha Statue From Los Angeles Gallery

Gallery officials say they are stumped as to why the 250-pound artwork was targeted

Inside the recreated kitchen of the Confino family, Greek Jewish immigrants who lived at 97 Orchard Street during the early 20th century

See Inside the Newly Reopened Tenement Museum

The Manhattan museum dedicated to telling the stories of everyday immigrants offers vital lessons for today

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