Weapons
This Decorated Samurai Sword Found in Rubble Beneath Berlin May Have Been a Diplomatic Gift
The short blade’s hilt was made in Edo Japan, and its journey to a German cellar destroyed during World War II is a mystery
Archaeologists Uncover Ancient Warship's Bronze Battering Ram, Sunk During an Epic Battle Between Rome and Carthage
Found near the Aegadian Islands, just west of Sicily, the bronze rostrum played a role in the last battle of the First Punic War, which ended in 241 B.C.E.
How Did Ice Age Humans Kill Huge Animals Like Mammoths? Probably Not by Throwing Spears, Study Finds
New research theorizes that hunters used pikes planted in the ground—with their sharp tips pointing upward—to impale approaching wildlife using the creature's own weight and momentum
For Decades, Switzerland Dumped Munitions Into Its Pristine Alpine Lakes. Now, It Wants Them Gone
Officials are offering cash rewards for the best strategies to safely remove the submerged weapons
The Top-Secret World War II Mission That Killed Joseph P. Kennedy Jr., the Heir Apparent to the Political Dynasty
In August 1944, the older brother of Robert and John F. Kennedy died while piloting a drone aircraft over England, leaving his younger siblings to fulfill their father's dreams
The Mystery of the Bronze Age Ax Heads Mailed Anonymously to an Irish Museum Has Been Solved
A farmer stumbled upon the 4,000-year-old artifacts while working in his field in central Ireland
Roman Wall Built to Contain Spartacus' Forces Discovered in Italy
Archaeologists think the Roman army constructed it to contain the revolting gladiator in 71 B.C.E.
Musket Balls Fired in Early Revolutionary War Battle Unearthed in Concord
Colonial militiamen fired the lead balls on April 19, 1775—and likely missed their mark
Black Sailors Exonerated 80 Years After Deadly World War II Disaster
The Navy secretary officially cleared the 256 Black service members who were punished in connection with the explosion in Port Chicago, California
A Statue of a 12-Year-Old Hiroshima Victim Has Been Stolen
The monument to Sadako Sasaki, who died of leukemia in 1955, vanished from Peace Park in Seattle
Someone Anonymously Mailed Two Bronze Age Axes to a Museum in Ireland
Officials are asking the donor to come forward with more information about where the artifacts were discovered
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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