Weapons

The blade, known as Durandal, was embedded in rock more than 30 feet above the ground.

Fabled Sword From Medieval French Folklore Disappears

Known as the "French Excalibur," the blade is said to have hung from a rock face in the village of Rocamadour for 1,300 years

The weapons are adorned with gold and silver designs and an engraved image of Napoleon.

Napoleon's Elaborately Decorated Pistols Sell for $1.8 Million at Auction

The French government has declared the artifacts national treasures, which means they can only leave the country temporarily

The stones were shot from catapults during one of the longest sieges in British history.

Catapult Shots Fired During 13th-Century Siege Unearthed at British Castle

Found on the grounds of Kenilworth Castle, the eight stones were used during a clash between rebels and royal forces in 1266

The 14.5-inch artifact was likely made between 900 and 1050 C.E.

Norwegian Farmer Stumbles Upon 1,000-Year-Old Viking Sword

The well-preserved artifact may belong to a special class of high-quality, engraved weapons

The soldiers fought in replicas of a suit of armor found near the ancient site of Mycenae in Greece.

Soldiers Put an Ancient Greek Suit of Armor to the Test, and It Passed

Researchers outfitted Greek marines in replicas of a Mycenaean suit and simulated combat to see if the armor was usable in its day

The helmet could date to as far back as the sixth century B.C.E.

Why Did the Ancient Illyrians Place Helmets in Their Burial Mounds?

A 2,500-year-old helmet found in Croatia may have been a funerary offering. It offers insights into the rituals of a lesser-known culture that once occupied the Balkan Peninsula

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

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

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

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

Researchers Johan Rönnby and Rolf Warming examine the stern of the ship that sunk over 500 years ago off the coast of Sweden.

Weapon Chest With Tools for Making Ammunition Found in 500-Year-Old Shipwreck in Sweden

The mercenaries on board the "Griffin" lived during a time of great change in naval warfare

The first-century C.E. helmet alongside a newly created replica

See a Restored Ancient Roman Helmet—and Two Shiny New Replicas

The 2,000-year-old Hallaton Helmet is now on permanent display at the Harborough Museum in England

A poster for Oppenheimer in Tokyo

'Oppenheimer' Opens in Japan Eight Months After Worldwide Release

The acclaimed biopic of the Manhattan Project's leader has been met with mixed reviews by Japanese audiences

The document was signed by 24 contributors to the Manhattan Project, including J. Robert Oppenheimer.

Manhattan Project Report Signed by J. Robert Oppenheimer Sells at Auction

The document was "likely the very first publicly available report on the creation of the bomb," according to RR Auction

Experts have confirmed that the sword belonged to a Viking, dating it to between 850 and 975.

A 1,000-Year-Old Viking Sword Emerges From an English River

Discovered by a magnet fisher, the weapon dates to between 850 and 975, during the Vikings' violent conquest of Britain

The dagger was discovered in a forest near Korzenica in November 2023.

Found in a Polish Forest, This Dagger Belonged to an Elite Warrior 4,000 Years Ago

A metal detectorist came across the copper artifact while searching for objects from World War I and World War II

Scientists conduct sampling at Crawford Lake in Ontario, Canada, in April 2023. Last summer, a working group chose the lake as a representative location for the influence of human activity on the planet due to the history recorded in its sediment.

Scientists Reject Proposal to Define the Anthropocene, a Geological Age Marked by Human Activity

Experts had suggested a new epoch started in the mid-20th century, but the recent vote demonstrates how tough it is to pinpoint when humans' impact on the planet began

Runit Dome in the Marshall Islands contains radioactive waste from U.S. activity during the Cold War. A new report says climate change may cause its contaminants to enter the environment.

Climate Change May Unearth Cold War-Era Nuclear Waste Stored by the U.S. in Other Countries

A new report finds that melting ice and rising sea levels could disturb radioactive contamination left over from American nuclear tests after World War II

The metal slab is called a tasset, a piece of armor worn over the upper thigh.

Why Did Colonists Trash This Piece of Armor After Settling in Maryland 300 Years Ago?

The metal plate was unearthed in the cellar of a storehouse dating to the mid-1600s

Residents were asked to evacuate for several hours while the military transported the bomb to a waiting ship.

10,000 People Were Evacuated So Experts Could Safely Detonate an Unexploded World War II-Era Bomb

Residents found the German explosive in a backyard garden in Plymouth, England

The missile was declared "inert" by members of the Bellevue Police Department’s bomb squad.

Inert Cold War-Era Missile Discovered in a Washington Man's Garage

A resident of Bellevue, Washington, attempted to donate the historic artifact to a museum, which alerted authorities

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