Weapons
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
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
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
'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
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
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
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
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