More than 400 were flown by the Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain, but today there is just one. The Royal Air Force Museum has lifted the last known intact Dornier Do 17—known as the “Flying Pencil” for its svelte profile—from the English Channel. The German bomber crashed following a dogfight in August 1940. Conservation of the plane will include spraying it continuously with a solution of citric acid for 18 to 24 months.
Searching for Lost Cities May/June 2024
Unidentified Island, English Channel
Digs & Discoveries March/April 2017
Features November/December 2024
How gladiators in ancient Anatolia lived to entertain the masses
Features November/December 2024
Thousands of fantastical bronzes are beginning to reveal the secrets of a legendary Chinese dynasty
Features September/October 2013
Archaeologists digging a Bronze Age site on the Russian steppes are using evidence from language and mythology to understand a remarkable discovery
Features September/October 2013
A king’s burial reveals a pivotal moment in Maya history
Letter from Norway September/October 2013
The race to find, and save, ancient artifacts emerging from glaciers and ice patches in a warming world
Artifacts September/October 2013
A tablet bearing a birthday party invite includes the earliest Latin script penned by a woman
Digs & Discoveries September/October 2013
