Discoveries

Have archaeologists discovered Captain Cook's ship Endeavour? Experts in the US and Australia fight it out

The director of Sydney’s Australian National Maritime Museum announced that he is "convinced" it is the long-lost vessel, while the director of Rhode Island Marine Archaeology Project says the findings are not conclusive

Rijksmuseum discovers 'the genesis' of Rembrandt’s Night Watch

Original sketch has been revealed beneath the paint, shedding light on the Dutch master's intention—but worrying deterioration of the famous picture has also been found

Remains of 'last fugitive' killed by Mount Vesuvius eruption unearthed at Herculaneum

Discovery announced as part of new excavations that will open up the ancient beachfront to visitors

Magnificent Roman mosaic discovered in a farmer's field is 'UK's most exciting find of its kind in a century'

The first ever mosaic illustrating scenes from Homer’s Iliad, it would have decorated an imposing dining and entertainment space within a major villa complex

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Big money, new collectors: the low-down on the New York auctions

Plus, Fabergé in London and a rediscovered Dürer

Hosted by Ben Luke, Aimee Dawson and Martin Bailey. with guest speaker Anna Brady. Produced by Julia Michalska and David Clack. With Henrietta Bentall
Sponsored byChristie's

Temple reliefs provide a rare glimpse into how artists made ancient Egyptian art

Less-experienced artists carved body parts, while master sculptors worked on faces among archaeologist's discoveries at the mortuary temple of Hatshepsut

Archaeologists have mapped the ancient capital of the Mongolian Empire

Little has been know about the city of Karakorum where Genghis Khan once established a camp—until now

'An important chap': archaeologists in Egypt discover the tomb of an ancient royal treasurer

The tomb from the time of King Ramesses II is the latest big discovery at Saqqara, south of Cairo

Napoleonic-era mass grave discovered beneath cellars in the Czech Republic

Skeletons of 12 men believed to have fought in the Battle of Austerlitz in 1805 have been discovered in Brno

Secrets of the Black Prince's tomb effigy in Canterbury Cathedral revealed by scientists

Sculpture atop the final resting place of the medieval knight and heir to Edward III has been examined by a team of researchers led by The Courtauld Institute of Art

Another insect discovered in a Van Gogh painting—and this time it has left behind a trail

Show opening in Dallas and travelling to Amsterdam reveals findings from three-year international research project into Vincent's olive grove pictures

a blog by Martin Bailey

Very dishy: small bowl in British Museum revealed to be extremely rare Chinese imperial ceramic

Previously thought to be Korean, the brush washer has been newly identified as being nearly 1,000 years old and manufactured at the imperial Ru kiln

Hubert van Eyck, Jan’s older brother, painted parts of the Ghent Altarpiece

New research indicates Hubert started the work but had to stop, so Jan took over

Did this mysterious Dutch painter inspire Vermeer?

The story of enigmatic artist Jacobus Vrel will be told in an exhibition scheduled for 2023 and in a book published this month

First Cupid, now a wine glass? More revelations emerge from restored Vermeer painting in Dresden

Major restoration on Girl reading a Letter at an Open Window shows a large studded goblet later covered by a green curtain

Discovered: a very early photograph of the trees in Van Gogh’s final picture, painted just hours before he fired the fatal shot

On the anniversary of Vincent’s death, his picture can be seen as “a suicide note in colour”

a blog by Martin Bailey

Exclusive: Rescued from an attic, lost Van Gogh landscape surfaces in Japan—here it is in colour

Vincent's watercolour of a Dutch meadow with cows was exhibited once, in 1903, and is known only from a small black-and-white photograph

a blog by Martin Bailey

Archaeologists discover 4,000-year-old ancient city in Iraqi desert

Ten teams from international universities and museums will visit the Dhi Qar region in October for further excavations

Last Supper painting once adorned Shakespeare's classroom wall, new research suggests

Scholars believe the 15th-century decorative work was whitewashed in the Tudor era to obliterate the Roman Catholic imagery

One of the world's first art objects? Tiny 51,000-year-old deer bone was decoratively carved by Neanderthals, new study reveals

Discovery contradicts commonly held belief that these archaic humans were incapable of creating aesthetic items

A new Van Gogh work discovered hidden in a book

Reproduced here for the first time: a trio of sketches from Vincent’s village—designed as a bookmark

a blog by Martin Bailey

Discovered: American couple buys a picture by Van Gogh’s friend Edmund Brooke for $45 in antiques shop

Vincent was fascinated by his Australian colleague’s links with Japan—and together they painted landscapes in the French village of Auvers-sur-Oise

a blog by Martin Bailey

New discoveries about Van Gogh’s olive grove paintings revealed in upcoming Dallas and Amsterdam exhibitions

In Provence, Vincent loved the gnarled trees with a passion that rivalled his beloved sunflowers

Rare medieval reliquary—stolen near Siena 32 years ago—discovered at collector's home in Sicily

Carabinieri's recovery of the San Galgano collection of “unprecedented importance”

Researchers discover trove of works by major African Modernists in rural Scotland

Paintings and drawings have been reattributed to some of the continent's most famous 20th-century names

Scientists unveil 'whitest paint ever'—and museums can't wait to get their hands on it

The material, which reflects 98% of light, will have significant use in cooling buildings and fighting climate change