Hidden in a Croatian Cave, Archaeologists Have Made a Perplexing Discovery They Say “Remains Open to Interpretation”
Archaeologists in Croatia have made an unusual discovery at an ancient ritual site along the country’s southern coast.
Archaeology
600-Year-Old Artifacts Reveal Surprising First Evidence of Sophisticated Ancient Medical Knowledge in China’s Ming Dynasty
New research reveals that ancient Ming Dynasty surgeons were using a remarkably advanced surgical technique as early as the 14th century.
The Great Pyramid Has Endured for Millennia—Scientists Have Finally Decoded the Ancient Engineering Technology That Made It Possible
New research offers compelling evidence that "ancient Egyptian architects possessed profound geotechnical understanding" which has protected the Great Pyramid for thousands of years.
5,000 Years Ago, Two Ancient Megalithic Societies Shared an Unknown Connection—Now Genetic Science Reveals Their Long-Hidden Secrets
Tests reveal that megalithic communities responsible for these massive stone monuments in ancient Europe were actually genetically related.
“A Technology Lost to History”: New Evidence of Sophisticated Neolithic Engineering Predates Its Roman ‘Invention’ by 8000 Years
New evidence suggests Neolithic people in the Judean Mountains achieved an engineering breakthrough 8000 years before the ancient Romans.
3000-Year-Old Evidence of “Anomalous” Iron Production Suggests Bronze Age Metalsmiths Launched a Technological Revolution by Accident
Long before the discovery of iron reshaped civilizations, Bronze Age metalworkers may discovered it by accident, new research suggests.
59,000-Year-Old Evidence of Stone Drilling Technology Reveals the Ancient Dentistry of Neanderthals
Neanderthals practiced a surprisingly advanced form of dentistry, detecting tooth decay and removing it with stone drills.
14,500-Year-Old Evidence of Human Presence in South America? Experts Fire Back at Controversial Study Challenging Age of Chile’s Monte Verde Site
Experts have responded sharply to a controversial study published earlier this year challenging the age of Chile’s famous Monte Verde site.
11,000-Year-Old Major Discovery in Canada Could Challenge “Everything We Thought We Knew” About North American Prehistory
A major archaeological discovery at Sturgeon Lake First Nation in Canada is challenging long-held ideas about life in early North America.
146,000-Year-Old Tool Discovery Reveals Unexpected Adaptations to Harsh Ice Age Life
Ice Age tools dating back 146,000 years, discovered in an ancient Chinese cave, reveal surprising human adaptations to a harsh environment.
This Ancient Roman Artifact’s Weird Properties Point to Evidence of 1600-Year-Old Nanotechnology, Scientists Say
Scientists have revealed a precocious nanotech discovery involving an ancient Roman artifact that predates the modern development of nanotechnology by an astounding 1,600 years.
A Subtle Shift in the Nile May Explain the Rise of an Ancient African Empire
Recent research from the University of Michigan now provides a geological explanation for why this part of the Nile became the foundation for Kushite civilization.
6,000-Year-Old Prehistoric Mining Camp Discovered Amid Burned Rocks and Children’s Bones
Ancient people in the eastern Pyrenees spent more time at high altitudes than archaeologists previously expected, according to new research.
Genetic Research Reframes Archaeological Understanding of How the Germanic People Arose 1500-Years-Ago in the Roman Collapse
European genetic research offers surprising insights into who lived along the Roman frontier as the empire fell and Germanic peoples arose.
Archaeologists Just Discovered a Fragment of Homer’s Iliad Inside an Ancient Egyptian Mummy
In a historic first, archeologists excavating an ancient Egyptian tomb have found a fragment of Homer's poem The Iliad embalmed with the mummy
A Mysterious 4000-Year-Old “Lost” Writing System Has Finally Been Decoded, in a Modern “Rosetta Stone” Breakthrough
An ancient mystery has been solved by a French archaeologist who successfully cracked the code to an undeciphered Iranian writing system.
Great Pyramid Construction Theory Reveals New Link to Mysterious “Void” Within Egypt’s Largest Ancient Megastructure
New research into how the Great Pyramid of Giza was built may offer clues about a mysterious void within Egypt’s largest monument.
12,000-Year-Old Discovery at Karahan Tepe, “the World’s First Village,” Reveals an Ancient Key to Human Survival
New discoveries at Göbekli Tepe’s enigmatic sister site, Karahan Tepe, reveal a major clue to how these ancient Neolithic innovators thrived.
2,000-Year-Old Roman Shipwreck Reveals Ancient Shipbuilding Secrets
The secrets of waterproofing ancient Roman ships to withstand long and harsh sea voyages have finally been revealed.
These Weird Medieval Artifacts Are Helping Archaeologists Unearth the Hidden World of Human Senses in the Middle Ages
New research reveals how curious medieval artifacts are helping uncover the hidden world of sensory experiences in the Middle Ages.
Surprising 100,000-Year-Old Neanderthal DNA Discovery Rewrites the Species’ History in Central Europe
Understanding of Neanderthal prehistory in Europe is changing rapidly, thanks to several sets of remains discovered in Poland’s Stajnia Cave.
A Cave in Israel Is Rewriting What We Thought We Knew About Neanderthals and Early Humans
Archaeologists have found evidence that Neanderthals and Homo sapiens not only lived side by side during the mid-Middle Paleolithic era, but may have also influenced each other's ways of life.
9,000-Year-Old Structures Deep Beneath the Great Lakes Reveal Archaeological Evidence of an Ancient “Lost World”
Curious sunken features beneath the Great Lakes are helping to reveal clues to a lost chapter in the prehistory of the ancient Americas.
8,000-Year-Old Discoveries at Turkey’s Enigmatic Çatalhöyük Site Reveal “More than Just Blood Relations” Driving Ancient Kinship
Investigating questions of kinship, archaeologists discovered that treating non-blood relatives as family goes back to the ancient past.
A 2000-Year-Old ‘Lost Script’ Has Been Deciphered—Now It May Help Solve the Enduring Mystery of Ancient Teotihuacan
The meaning behind Teotihuacan’s enigmatic symbols is finally coming to light, revealing new evidence of an early Uto-Aztecan writing system.
The Ancient City of Mohenjo-Daro, a “Lost” Archaeological Enigma, Could Be Centuries Older Than Previously Thought
The enigmatic ancient city of Mohenjo-Daro is likely far older than previously believed, according to new geoarchaeological evidence.
Missing for 2000 Years, the “Lost” Verses from This Ancient Greek Philosopher’s Writings Have Finally Been Discovered
A papyrologist at the University of Liège has made a remarkable discovery in the archives of the French Institute of Oriental Archaeology in Cairo.
Roman Sanctuary Found Beneath Frankfurt Could Transform What We Know About Religion on Rome’s Frontier
Archaeologists uncover a vast Roman sanctuary in Nida, revealing new clues about ritual life and religion on the empire’s frontier.
Archaeologists Unearth “First Direct Evidence” of Advanced Ancient Metallurgy in Egypt’s Middle Kingdom
Archaeologists say they have uncovered new evidence that the production of arsenical bronze was known to the ancient Middle Kingdom Egyptians.
12,000-Year-Old Native American Dice Rewrite the Ancient History of Probability
Ancient dice dating back 12,000 years suggest early humans understood chance and probability long before mathematics emerged.
Ohio’s Serpent Mound Still Fuels Debate, as Haunting Questions Remain About America’s Most Mysterious Earthwork
Ohio’s famous Serpent Mound has long remained one of America’s most iconic, mysterious, and hotly-debated prehistoric monuments.
2,600-Year-Old Shipwreck Reveals an Unexpected Discovery, Challenging Past Ideas on the Tools of Ancient Warfare
Raw chunks of iron and other artifacts recovered from an ancient shipwreck are challenging archaeologists’ understanding of trade and war in the Middle East 2,600 years ago.
“A Microcosm of Life Itself”: Archaeologists Use ‘Radioactive’ Method to Date Historic Coral Polynesian Structures
Scientists have revealed a new timeline for historic coral structures in French Polynesia thanks to the modern uranium-thorium dating method
Hidden Deep in a Polish Forest for Centuries, a ‘Lost’ Medieval Town Has Resurfaced
A medieval town vanished in the early 19th century, becoming another of history’s forgotten chapters that was ultimately lost to time; until now.
Bronze Age Artifact Made from ‘Space Metal’ Unearthed at a Sacrificial Site is Confirmed as the Oldest of Its Kind
A curious Bronze Age artifact unearthed at a ceremonial site in southwestern China has now been identified as the earliest known and the largest of its kind, according to newly published research.
A Mysterious Ancient Egyptian Text Reveals Evidence of Advanced Medicine 1000 Years Earlier Than Once Thought
An obscure ancient Egyptian text discovered in the 19th century led to discoveries that rewrote the timeline of early medical knowledge.
Ancient “Machine Gun” May Have Been Used in Pompeii Siege, Study Finds
New study suggests Pompeii siege damage may reveal use of an ancient rapid-fire weapon, reshaping views of Roman warfare.
Rujm el-Hiri, Israel’s Mysterious “Stonehenge of the East” Is Not Alone, New Research Reveals
Israel’s strange Wheel of Ghosts turns out not to be so unusual after all, as new research has uncovered many similar sites in the region.
Controversial Study Challenges Age of Famous Monte Verde Site, Reigniting One of Archaeology’s Greatest Debates
A new study questions the age of Chile's Monte Verde archaeological site, reigniting debate over when the first people reached South America.
Nearly Two Thousand Years After Romans Played an Ancient, Mysterious Board Game, AI Figured Out the Rules
Simulated gameplay by AI agents has finally decoded the rules of an ancient mysterious board game that has puzzled scientists for decades
“Profound Social and Cognitive Changes Were Already Underway”: 15,000 Years Ago, Humans Shaped Clay for Ritualistic Purposes
The discovery of ancient clay beads made by children and adults thousands of years before the use of pottery suggests a ritualistic purpose
New Evidence Shows Neanderthals Exploited This Versatile Natural Material for Multiple Functions
Experiments show Neanderthals extracted birch tar and used it for several applications, including its antibiotic wound healing properties
1,700-Year-Old Roman “Advanced Engineering” Unearthed in a Rare Archaeological Discovery
A rare 1,700-year-old discovery by archaeologists in Turkey highlights the use of advanced engineering of the Roman-era.
“Very Unusual” Underwater Structure in Norway Linked to 1,100-Year-Old Records Describing a Medieval “Whale Trap”
Divers investigating a mysterious underwater structure in Norway may have found the earliest known example of a medieval “whale trap.”
This Ancient Invention Reveals the Ice Age Technology That Propelled Human Expansion Against Earth’s Frigid Temperatures
New research reveals how the invention of a crucial Ice Age technology helped humans defend against extreme cold during ancient global migrations.
Ancient DNA Reveals Ice Age Forests in the Lost World of Doggerland
Thousands of years before the North Sea flooded the region, a vast landscape known as Doggerland once connected Britain to mainland Europe.
Ancient DNA Reveals How Bronze Age Europeans Adapted to a Changing World
An interdisciplinary study recently published in Nature Communications provides a clearer picture of life in Central Europe between 1300 and 800 BCE, during the Urnfield culture.
Mysterious Stone Structures in Southern Quebec’s Wilderness Spark Debate Over Canada’s Ancient Past
A Quebec landowner says huge stone formations on his property could point to evidence of a previously unknown chapter in Canadian prehistory.
Archaeologists Discover Ancient ‘King’s Order’ That Confirms a Semi-Legendary Nubian King Was Real
A rare ancient document from Sudan confirms the historical existence of King Qashqash, a Nubian ruler once known only from legend.
Source of Scandinavian Bronze Age Metals Traced to Mysterious Source Thousands of Miles Away
Six previously unknown Bronze Age mines discovered in Spain may be the missing piece in explaining ancient Scandinavian metalwork.