177 Items Tagged

Bones

A ‘Weird’ Ancient Marine Reptile Surfaces Thanks to the ‘Bone Biddies’

The unique plesiosaur defies the fossil rulebook—just ask the “paleogrannies” who prepared it for study.

Gemma Tarlach September 28, 2022

7 Scientific Sites in Los Angeles

Laboratories, observatories, and museums to inspire curious minds.

Sponsored By Los Angeles Tourism

Detail of Whalebone Fence on the Wadden Sea island of Rømø

Rømø, Denmark

Whale Jawbone Fence

Danish whalers once brought back whale bones to use as building materials in places where wood was scarce.

North Berwick Law whalebone arch

North Berwick, Scotland

North Berwick Law

An amazing model of a whale's jaw bone pays homage to the region's seafaring traditions.

The famous Terrace of Lions is one of many ancient Greek sites featuring realistic depictions of the animals; eroded by weather, the remaining statues are now safely housed in a nearby museum.

Following the Mysterious Trail of Europe's Last Wild Lions

Researchers use art and ancient bones to make the case for modern lions once freely roaming Southeastern Europe.

Katarina Zimmer January 31, 2022

According to the Musée de l'Homme in Paris and many historians and forensic experts, this is the skull of French philosopher René Descartes. Swedish researchers disagree.

Was René Descartes a Victim of Skull Blasting?

Centuries after the philosopher’s death, lingering controversy over his remains highlights a macabre practice of profiting from the dead.

Gemma Tarlach October 25, 2021

The Hyrtl Skull Collection isn't just medical history. Scientists continue to study the bones today.

anatomy museums

The Eventful Afterlife of a Crowd of 19th-Century Skulls

Philadelphia’s famed anatomy showplace, the Mütter Museum, gets a facelift.

April White October 18, 2021

The little marzipan bones are traditionally filled with egg-yolk marrow.

The Bone-Shaped Sweets That Honor the Dead in Spain

Make the marzipan "limbs" that commemorate loved ones on All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day.

Vera Armus October 15, 2021

Saint-Pol-de-Léon, France

Les Étagères de la Nuit (Shelves of the Night)

Each of these hand-painted wooden boxes, which date to between the 16th and 19th centuries, contains a genuine human skull.

Podcast: Seashell Shrines and Bones With the Places Team

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.

The Podcast Team October 7, 2021

Denver, Colorado

The Learned Lemur

A small store filled with animal skulls and other curiosities.

Araluen, Australia

Gympie Bone Museum

Australia's first and only museum dedicated exclusively to bones.

Shark attacks are very rare, making the discovery of an ancient one a particularly unusual occurrence.

How Scientific Detective Work Pinned Down the Oldest Known Shark Attack

But mysteries about the 3,000-year-old bones from Japan remain.

Hannah Seo July 9, 2021

The "Sacconi Rossi" Crypt

The Sacconi Rossi Crypt

A burial vault located under Tiber Island in the middle of the Italian capital.

Nea Moni

This 11th-century Greek monastery has renowned mosaics and relics of a brutal past.

Nigel Larkin and Phil Rye work on the right whale skeleton.

natural history museums

What It Takes to Dismantle and Move a 40-Foot Whale Skeleton

Including welding skills, knowledge of anatomy, and infinite patience.

Luna Shyr November 5, 2020

In Naples, Praying With Skulls Is an Ancient Tradition

Displays at the Weaver Dental Museum include a jumble of dentures.

6 Fascinating Medical Marvels in Pennsylvania

50 States of Wonder