History
Robots and replicas: Is the British Museum going to lose its Marbles?
Robot sculptors creating near-perfect replicas of the Parthenon Marbles may provide the key to the long-running dispute over the ownership of one of the ancient world’s most contested treasures.
- by Simon de Bruxelles
Latest
Psychedelic traces found on mug from ancient Egypt
Egyptians may have used hallucinogenic substances as part of a fertility rite, researchers say.
- by Alexander Nazaryan
Explainer
Language
‘Peak popularity’: Why names go in and out of vogue
One of the earliest names ever recorded was Enpap-x. But Alexander and Freya are ancient too. Some names catch on, others fade from glory. Why? And what are the rules on trading in your name for a new one?
- by Angus Holland and Angus Delaney
Footprints show two human species crossed paths 1.5 million years ago
One had an ape-like big toe, the other a high arch. One was a juvenile, another had a stiff foot.
- by Will Dunham
Rare Matthew Flinders account of the first circumnavigation of Australia up for auction
An original 200-year-old copy of A Voyage to Terra Australis – complete with handwritten annotations and corrections – is expected to attract bids of more than six figures.
- by Rob Harris
Rebranding the green, green grass of Wales
In a burst of national pride, Wales is slowly purging the names the English bestowed upon many of its natural beauties. But not everyone is happy.
- by Rob Harris
Tony Wright’s Column
Photography
The battle over two of the most compelling images of war
A new book tells the remarkable story behind two photographers who fought censors to record the truth of war.
- by Tony Wright
‘Machine guns and men in trenches’: On the eve of battle, Albert Jacka made an awful discovery
In early 1917, as the Allies prepared to take Bullecourt on the Western Front, Jacka was sent into No-Man’s Land.
- by Peter FitzSimons
More than 6000 Mayan structures discovered buried in Mexican jungle
The city, which has been named Valeriana by archaeologists, bears the hallmarks of an important regional capital.
- by Sarah Knapton
What Australia’s first census reveals about the country today
The handwritten account of the people – and sheep – living around Sydney in 1800 is a fascinating snapshot of early colonial history.
- by Julie Power
This organisation has shaped WA lives for 120 years. Heard any of these names?
Once West Australians could legally drink anywhere from the front line of war to before hopping in the car to drive home. One WA group stopped all that – but it didn’t stop there.
- by Merinda March
Original URL: https://www.smh.com.au/topic/history-jll