Historic

Imagine a 'perfect storm' on the auction block, where historical importance, rarity, massive demand, the provenance of several of history’s most important people and fortuitous timing all coincide to multiply the sale price to unprecedented levels.

Pompeii is famous for its uniquely pristine preservation of the daily lives of its residents 2,000 years ago. While most residents were quickly buried under volcanic ash, two newly discovered skeletons reveal unlucky people who suffered a different fate.

The ancient Egyptians may have had help building the pyramids after all – not from aliens but a long-lost river. Evidence of a previously uncharted branch of the Nile has been found snaking along the pyramids, suggesting blocks were floated to sites.

The discovery of rare painted rock art featuring cattle in one of the driest parts of the Sahara Desert indicates that the region was once covered in grass, swamps and waterholes, making it a resource-rich home to a diverse community of animal species.

Two of the first-ever desktop computers have been found in storage boxes at Kingston University in London. A milestone in human achievement, the Q1 microprocessor computer was released more than half a century ago, and only one other is known to exist.

More than 400 footprints across a diverse range of species have been identified in incredible detail for the first time, with researchers enlisting a trio of expert indigenous trackers to help solve the mystery of these 5,000-year-old records.

Scientists have identified an ancient marsupial for the first time, whose special adaptations allowed it to walk huge distances across the Australian continent 3.5 million years ago. And it's a feature you can still see in diverse marsupials today.

Encompassing thousands of years of human history the stunning 2021 Historic Photographer of the Year awards span everything from an ancient Greek temple to the only structure still standing from the 1945 atomic bombing of Hiroshima.

Archaeologists have discovered one of the oldest examples of alcohol consumption. Ancient pots dating back 9,000 years have been found to contain traces of an early form of beer, which seems to have been used as part of a ritual honoring the dead.

An evocative shot of the century-old Brighton Palace Pier has won this year’s Historic Photographer of the Year Awards. In its fourth year, this contest offers a compelling journey through some of the most picturesque historic sites around the world.

In its third year, the Historic Photographer of the Year contest has become one of the most captivating photo competitions on the calendar, presenting everything from ancient stone circles in the UK to beautiful Islamic architecture in Pakistan.

The Apple-1, launched in July 1976, was the computer that helped propel a two-man business operating from a suburban garage into the world's most valuable company a short 35 years later. This month one of the few remaining Apple-1 operating manuals hits the auction block in Boston.