Stones, Bones, and Wrecks

The 'Titanic' sinking became the most infamous shipwreck in history—but what really happened on that unusually calm night in the North Atlantic?

Woolly mammoths may have existed alongside humans for millennia, according to one study.

When did woolly mammoths go extinct? Their fossilized bones say one thing, but their poop paints a messier picture.

The deck of the Ironton beneath Lake Huron.

After lying at the bottom of Lake Huron for more than a century, the wreck of the ‘Ironton’ has been discovered, confirming its tragic fate.

The wreck of the RMS Titanic at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.

In honor of the 25th anniversary of James Cameron’s ‘Titanic,’ WHOI has released never-before-seen footage of the real-life shipwreck.

More than 40 years after the most famous ship in Great Lakes history vanished during a storm, the cause is still a mystery.

‘Äpplet’ had a more successful naval career than its short-lived sibling, the ‘Vasa.’ Studying its wreck could help explain why.

Following the discovery of the Rosetta Stone, two scholars battled each other to decipher the mysterious Egyptian writing system.

Golden funerary mask of King Tut at the Egyptian Museum.

From Steve Martin's 'Saturday Night Live' song to 'The Mummy' movies, King Tut has had an eventful afterlife.

The new footage shows details of the 'Titanic' wreck that have never been captured on film before.

A statue of Pocahontas stands near the Jamestown settlement site.

Over several decades beginning in 1607, Jamestown nearly collapsed multiple times as colonists succumbed to disease and famine.

Some priceless pieces were found by amateurs.

From the Alfred Jewel to the Sutton Hoo treasure, these priceless artifacts made for some royally exciting finds.

A number of Fabergé eggs owned by the Romanov family (though not this one) disappeared after the Russian Revolution.

From lost pieces of media to irreplaceable works of art to literal pirate booty, these are the amazing and tragic stories behind valuables that seem to be gone forever.

'The Wreck of the 'Gloucester' off Yarmouth, 6 May 1682' by Johan Danckerts circa 1682.

Ships sank all the time in 17th-century Britain. But this one carried the future James II—and the tragedy was partially his fault.

From seriously aged cheese to the world’s first analog computer, shipwrecks have produced some fascinating—and sometimes disgusting—artifacts.

The great buckle was excavated from the Sutton Hoo ship burial.

One of the most important archaeological discoveries in British history, the Sutton Hoo ship burial contained a hoard of Anglo-Saxon artifacts that transformed our understanding of the "Dark Ages."

Blondel's 'La Circassienne au Bain' went down with 'Titanic.' This reproduction of the painting by John Parker has been placed in a frame.

Priceless manuscripts, rare art, and jewelry all sank with the ship.

The oil tycoon tried to use a monkey named Titan to help find the sunken ship.

A piece of the Titanic's hull on display in San Francisco.

More than 5500 artifacts have been brought up since the first salvage trip to the 'Titanic' wreckage in 1987.

The 'Titanic' has been the subject of a number of myths.

Take a look at some of the more enduring misconceptions surrounding history's most famous vessel.

The still-intact wheel of Shackleton's ill-fated vessel.

Ernest Shackleton’s ill-fated ‘Endurance’ sunk 107 years ago near Antarctica, kicking off one of the most thrilling survival stories of all time.

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Joe Cole in Against the Ice.

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau is bringing Ejnar Mikkelsen’s death-defying Arctic expedition to the big screen. Here’s the history behind it.

The Sultana, the day before it exploded.

For centuries, boats have been blowing up with amazing spectacle and horrible tragedy. Here are five ship explosions just as worthy of a three-hour dramatization as the RMS 'Titanic.'

Drone image above the H.M.S. Erebus shipwreck.

Sunken vessels captivate us. They inspire grief, wonder, romance—and horror. Here are stories of famous ships that went under, leaving a changed world in their wakes.

Researchers removing pterosaur skeleton from the beach.

The pterosaur fossil discovered on Scotland's Isle of Skye shows that flying reptiles grew to great sizes more quickly than previously believed.

70 Huge Facts About the ‘Titanic’

How Mammoth Poop Is Changing What We Know About Their Extinction

Newly-Discovered Lake Huron Shipwreck Paints Grim Picture of Vessel’s Final Moments

Watch Newly Released Footage of the ‘Titanic’ Wreck Shot in 1986

12 Memorable Facts About the S.S. ‘Edmund Fitzgerald’

The Wreck of the ‘Äpplet’—Sister Ship of Sweden’s Infamous ‘Vasa’—Has Been Found After More Than Three Centuries

The Rivals Who Cracked the Code of Ancient Egypt’s Hieroglyphs

10 Ways King Tut Influenced Pop Culture

See 'Titanic' in Mesmerizing 8K—the Highest Resolution Ever Captured of the Wreck

11 Amazing Facts About Jamestown, the First Permanent English Colony in North America

10 Rediscovered British Treasures

9 Valuable Lost Treasures

The Shipwreck of HMS ‘Gloucester’—Whose Sinking Nearly Killed James II—Has Been Found After More Than 300 Years

12 Fascinating Things Found in Shipwrecks

12 Incredible Facts About the Sutton Hoo Ship Burial Treasure

9 Fascinating Items That Went Down With 'Titanic'

Grimm Prospects: Jack Grimm, the Eccentric Billionaire Hell-Bent On Finding the 'Titanic,' Bigfoot, and Noah's Ark

12 Artifacts Brought Up From the 'Titanic'

8 Twisted 'Titanic' Myths, Debunked

Sir Ernest Shackleton’s 'Endurance' Shipwreck Has Been Found After More Than a Century

The Harrowing Arctic Survival Story Behind Netflix's Against the Ice

5 Deadly, Explosive Ship Disasters From U.S. History

7 Famous Shipwrecks

Largest Pterosaur of Its Era Discovered on Scotland's Isle of Skye