Scientists have long puzzled over the acoustic properties of grand churches and performances of late Renaissance music with its elaborate, up-tempo harmonies. Now a physicist and a music technologist believe they have cracked the secret.

“It’s a unique find. At that depth, we have never found a ship," said Anna Maria Moretti, archaeological superintendent for Rome and Ostia, about the discovery of a wooden vessel 4 meters beneath the ground near the modern city of Ostia.

Researchers have long traced the roots of Shakespeare's Hamlet, Prince of Denmark to Amlethus in the History of the Danes, written around 1200, but a new study traces the name back even further, to 8th or 9th century Ireland.

A new study of Michelangelo's David concludes that the hero holds a "secret weapon in his right hand." A paper on the subject was presented at "Florens 2010: The International Week of Cultural and Environmental Heritage," a three-day tribute to the masterpiece.

Experts believe they have discovered the site of the church where Pocahontas married tobacco farmer John Rolfe in Jamestown, Virginia in 1614.

Did the enigmatic smile of da Vinci's Mona Lisa hide sad memories of an impoverished childhood? A video clip from Discovery News looks at the childhood home of the famous model.

Glass was a common commodity in Roman Britain until the 3rd and 4th centuries C.E. when a shortage of raw glass forced recycling. A new study of Roman clear glass appears in the Journal of Archaeological Science.

Over the centuries, thousands of people have pondered the mystery of Mona Lisa's smile. Now French researchers believe they can explain the enigmatic expression: it was da Vinci's technique.

For centuries, it was theorized that Francesco I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, and his second wife, Bianca Cappello were murdered, but new evidence shows that their deaths were from natural causes.

A new speculation about the death of Alexander the Great suggests that the notoriously toxic waters of the River Styx (the modern river Mavroneri) may have taken his life.

Archaeologists working on an excavation in downtown Mexico City think they are on the brink of discovering the first Aztec royal tomb ever found. Meanwhile, objects from the dig are on display at "Moctezuma II: Times and Destiny of a Ruler" at the Templo Mayor Museum.

Researchers have found that Alexander the Great probably wore armor made of laminated linen fabric, rather than metal, and that the multiple glued layers functioned similarly to modern flak jackets.

After two centuries, scientists believe that they have found the final resting place of Nicolaus Copernicus, the father of modern astronomy. They also believe he had blue eyes.

A "witch bottle," constructed according to known recipes from 16th and 17th century England, has been found buried upside-down in Greenwich, England. The bottle contains urine, nail clippings, hair and pins, and is believed to be an anti-witchcraft device.

The remains of several Benedictine nuns from the Sainte-Croix Abbey near Poitiers, France have shown evidence that the sisters died of the plague, probably while caring for other victims of the disease. Their deaths have been dated to the early 17th century.

Three mosaics of tiny tiles, featuring naked people possibly performing pagan rituals, have been unearthed underneath the Cathedral of Reggio Emilia in Italy.

The Discovery Channel's "How Things Work" recently ran an episode on beer. As an added resource, the network's website includes additional information on the beverage including "Beer Myths" and "How Beer Can be Good for Your Heart."

Church leaders and scientists will have a new opportunity to study the famous Shroud of Turin which is rarely seen by the public. The Shroud was recently photographed in high definition, creating a 12.8 billion-pixel image.

Archaeologists have discovered in the grave of an unidentified Roman woman a gold wire used to hold together a set of artificial teeth. The dental prosthesis is believed to be the earliest such device ever discovered.

John Henderson of the University of London wants readers to know that the hospital in the Renaissance was not the hellhole depicted in many histories but "a warm environment and specialized care, which they would not have found in the community."

Analysis of a fingerprint left by Leonardo Da Vinci suggests the prototypical Renaissance man may have been the son of a Middle East-born slave woman.

Two chemists have discovered the reason why the lapis-lazuli-based blue pigment prized by medieval painters fades so drastically over time. Ultramarine, more precious than gold, was often used for portrayals of the robes of the Virgin Mary, and Michelangelo used it in the Sistine Chapel.

New research by French scientists seems to suggest that the techniques used by Greeks and Romans to dye their hair had results in common with today's nanotechnology and were comparable to modern products.

Bearded statues aside, one scholar now believes that the epic poems the Iliad and the Odyssey were probably written by a woman.

An alembic found at a remote North Yorkshire monastery may be evidence that Cistercian monks were involved in the arcane quest to make gold from base metal.

The battered door of London's Westminster Abbey has been named the oldest in Britain by English Heritage.

An 11th century gospel lectionary, missing from Canterbury Cathedral since the mid-16th century, has been recovered.

A newly-discovered bas-relief may be the first known self-portrait of Renaissance artist Michelangelo.

Researchers working on the Medici crypt in Florence, Italy are puzzled. The tiny body discovered in the tomb of Filippino, the four-year-old son of Grand Duke Francesco I, was that of an infant.

"What does it take to be a knight?" asks the Discovery Channel in its program The Medieval Tournament: The Making of a Knight.