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Jan 26 2010 - 11:45am
With an abundance of salmon, early hunting and foraging societies were transformed into settled villages with expanding social networks and elaborate festivities. The festivities often included ceremonial objects like this bowl.
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Sep 28 2012 - 12:12pm
A longshoreman stands in front of a large pile of oyster shells on waterfront pier in Atlantic City in 1910. Back then, oysters were incredibly abundant. In the late 1800s, fishermen pulled in 10 million bushels of oysters each year but, by the mid-1900s, the catch had dropped to 1 or 2 million...
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Jul 6 2010 - 3:21pm
Pirates divide up the riches they plundered. Most pirates abided by their own codes of conduct, and life aboard pirate ships was more democratic than that on naval ships of the time.
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Jul 7 2010 - 12:22pm
In 1697, aboard his ship Adventure Galley, Kidd captured his largest prize ever—a richly loaded Moorish ship, The Quedah Merchant. Kidd assumed the ship was a legitimate prize. But when its French papers were not found, Kidd was put on trial in London for piracy and found guilty. His tarred body...
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Jan 26 2010 - 11:46am
In 1874, Reverend Moses Harvey of Newfoundland bought a dead giant squid caught by fishermen. More about the giant squid can be found in our Giant Squid featured story.
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Jul 2 2010 - 11:58am
Pirates capture the imagination of dreamers of all ages. Learn more about a very unusual pirate, William Dampier, in our featured story.
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Jul 7 2010 - 11:03am
The next time you use any of the following words, think of William Dampier. They are just a few of the more than 1,000 words Dampier contributed to the English language: Avocado, Barbeque, Breadfruit, Cashew, Chopsticks, Posse, Tortilla.
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Jul 6 2010 - 4:53pm
Blackbeard’s flag showed a skeleton piercing a heart and toasting the devil. Watch a slideshow about legendary pirates of the Golden Age, and learn more about an unusual pirate: William Dampier, who also was a scientist and naturalist.
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Jul 23 2010 - 4:55pm
This painting of swarthy buccaneers in the midst of a fierce battle was painted by the prolific American marine painter Frederick J. Waugh, and won an award in 1910. The New York Times wrote: “The Thomas B. Clarke prize for the best American figure composition painted in the United States by an...
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Sep 12 2011 - 12:32pm
For over a decade, Smithsonian Arctic Archaeologist, William Fitzhugh, has been investigating an early European whaling site at Hare Harbor in Québec, Canada. The site and the artifacts recovered here have revealed information about the contact and trading relationships between Inuit peoples of...
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Jan 23 2013 - 12:35pm
In the 19th century, "whalebone" was an important fashion tool—however, it wasn't made out of bone, but whale baleen. Dried baleen was flexible yet strong, and used to create structure in clothing, such as tight corsets, used by high-fashion women to present a curvy waistline, collars and hooped...
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May 22 2010 - 11:30am
Two divers, one in an atmospheric dive suit (left) and the other in standard dive gear (right), prepare to explore the Lusitania shipwreck in 1935. Over the decades, diving gear has evolved and changed, and its role in marine research has expanded. Scuba and other forms of diving have allowed...
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Jul 6 2010 - 5:52pm
Captain Kidd had a license from Lord Bellomont, the governor of New England and New York, and King William III of England to hunt down pirates and capture French ships. Read about more pirates in the Pirates of the Golden Age slideshow.
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Feb 17 2011 - 1:20pm
This over 2,000-year-old shipwreck in Mazotas, Cyprus, was discovered in 2007. The ship was loaded with wine from Chios, one of the most expensive and sought-after Greek wines in antiquity. The University of Cyprus, in collaboration with the Department of Antiquities of Cyprus and the THETIS...
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Sep 9 2011 - 3:33pm
The Arctic Studies Center's excavation site map of Hare Harbor maps some of the community's excavated structures that archeologists have unearthed. An Inuit house, blacksmith shop, and cookhouse are among some of the excavated buildings on site.
Learn more about what has been uncovered at Hare...
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Sep 20 2011 - 5:08pm
Boats Connect Us to the Ocean
More than any other objects, boats symbolize human connection to the ocean. As you look through the center of the Ocean Hall, past the model right whale, you can see a magnificent carved canoe.
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Dec 4 2009 - 1:28pm
Humans have long been captivated by what we now call the giant squid (Architeuthis). This image gallery gives a glimpe into our fascination with the animal. For a long time, people saw mysterious movements in the water or found dead giant squid and didn't know what they were—and even confused a...
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Jul 2 2010 - 12:11pm
Dampier explored this area of Western Australia and named it Shark Bay because of the “abundance” of sharks in the waters. It is now a World Heritage site. Learn more about Dampier's voyages around the world, his scientific discoveries, and his pirate antics.
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Jan 14 2011 - 2:51pm
The ocean holds a lot of history. Warships from World War II have been found on the floor of the Atlantic Ocean through the use of sonar technology and are being explored before they give in to the elements and deteriorate. Explore other videos that capture the beauty and mystery of the ocean realm...
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Jul 6 2010 - 4:50pm
Pirate Stede Bonnett flew this flag. Watch a slideshow about legendary pirates of the Golden Age.
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Jan 26 2010 - 11:46am
People once thought giant squid (right) were Sea Monks, or mermen (left)—mythical creatures that were part fish-like and part human male. Learn more giant squid facts and legend in the Giant Squid section.
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Jul 2 2010 - 6:01pm
Happy (early) Independence Day! For many of us in the United States, the 4th of July is a time to celebrate and reflect on our national heritage. In many ways, the U.S. grew up on the water and remains a maritime nation to this day.
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Sep 9 2011 - 4:46pm
An underwater archaeological stratigraphy reveals the different levels of soil in Hare Harbor, Quebec. The stratigraphy – a process archeologists use to help date materials by identifying soil layers – showed the deepest level of soil (labeled G) contained wood chips, possibly the residue of site...
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Jul 7 2010 - 10:57am
Buccaneers were pirates who raided Spanish ships and settlements in the Carribean.
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