25,000 Years Ago, the Earliest Human Drug Use May Have Occurred on This Small Island
What may be the earliest known evidence of human drug use suggests that it occurred 25,000 years ago, according to new research.
Archaeology
Mysterious Origins of Britain’s 4,000-Year-Old ‘Devils’ Arrows’ Stone Monument Have Finally Been Solved
A new materials analysis of the 4,000-year-old Devil's Arrows stone pillar monument has finally revealed the site's mysterious origin.
4,500-Year-Old Egyptian Tomb Discovery Reveals Something Archaeologists Say They Have Never Seen
An important Egyptian tomb from the Fifth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom was recently discovered in Saqqara by an archaeological mission.
4,000-Year-Old Tomb of Ancient Egyptian ‘Keeper of the Secrets’ Discovered at Saqqara
Archaeologists at Saqqara uncover the 4,000-year-old tomb of Sekhentiu-Ptah, an official who guarded ancient royal secrets.
New Genetic Evidence of an Ancient Killer Has Surfaced After Being Concealed in Medieval Texts for Centuries
The story of a Medieval European plague is coming into focus through historic manuscripts, but not in the way you might think.
15,000-Year-Old Cave Discovery in Ireland Could Push Back Earliest Evidence of Humans on the Island by 5,000 Years
New archaeological discoveries in Ireland could push back the earliest human presence on the island by as much as 5,000 years.
1,500-Year-Old Structure Yields Previously Hidden Rooms, Ancient Paintings, and a Roman Era Channel to Nowhere
Archaeologists have unearthed three previously hidden 1500-year-old rooms, ancient wall paintings, and a Roman-era water channel near Izmir.
11,000-Year-Old Stone Sculpture Unearthed at Göbekli Tepe’s Mysterious Sister Site Was Carved Millennia Before the First Human Societies
Archaeologists working at Karahantepe, a “significant parallel site” to the enigmatic Göbeklitepe, have unearthed a rare composite sculpture.
900-Year-Old DNA Reveals Cacao Reached Ancient Georgia, Rewriting Chocolate’s History in North America
Ancient cacao DNA found in 900-year-old Georgia pottery reveals chocolate reached farther across North America than once known.
Scientists Discover Ancient Pottery Contains a Magnetic “Clock” That Can Reveal Its Past
Scientists discovered a magnetic “clock” in ancient pottery that could help museums distinguish real artifacts from modern fakes.
Ancient Inca Complex with Surprisingly Advanced Ventilation System Uncovered High in the Andes
High in the Andes, archaeologists working at an ancient pre-Hispanic settlement have uncovered evidence of sophisticated ancient technology.
Scientists Investigating a 17th-Century ‘Vampire’ Grave Discover Something Unprecedented
Scientists investigating a 17th-century "vampire" burial uncover evidence the mysterious grave may have been reopened after burial.
A Lost English “Ghost Village,” Long Hidden Beneath One of England’s Largest Reservoirs, Has Mysteriously Resurfaced
The remains of a “lost” English village hidden beneath the waters of an English reservoir for more than half a century have resurfaced.
Lost for 6,000 Years, a Neolithic “Jigsaw Puzzle” Was Reassembled—Revealing a Massive Monument Hidden Across Ancient Sites in France
An archaeological mystery surrounds pieces of a lost neolithic monument hidden across ancient sites in France.
“No One Has Seen Anything Like It Before”: Mystery Surrounds Ancient Stone Structure Unearthed in Scotland
Archaeologists report the baffling discovery of an unusual stone structure containing human remains near Dornoch in northern Scotland.
2,500-Year-Old Mystery Surrounds a Larger-Than-Life Discovery Unearthed by Archaeologists in Turkey
Archaeologists have uncovered a massive discovery—and an all new mystery—at the site of an ancient lost city in western Turkey.
Archaeologists Unearth 6,500-Year-Old ‘Sun and Moon’ Ritual Center That Predates Stonehenge by 1,000 Years
Archaeologists have unearthed the remains of an ancient ritual center connected to the Sun and Moon that predates Stonehenge by a millennium.
Lost Ancient Egyptian City Found? Archaeologists Unveil Mysterious Inscription Linking Excavations to a Fabled Lost City from Egyptian Texts
New discoveries, including an ancient inscription, have linked an archaeological site to the lost ancient Egyptian city of Mnes.
MIT Team Reverse-Engineers a Curious 2000-Year-Old Roman Technology to Create Modern Material That Heals Its Own Cracks
MIT researchers are reverse-engineering an ancient Roman technology to create an environmentally friendly modern building material that can heal itself.
Lost for 1800 Years, a Mysterious Altar Linked to an Ancient Roman Cult Resurfaces as Drought Drains Europe’s Rivers
An unexpected discovery by archaeologists has revealed an ancient cult object in the suddenly shallow waters of one of Europe’s longest rivers.
A New Discovery at Göbekli Tepe Could Reshape Our Understanding of One of the Ancient World’s Most Perplexing Sites
The enigmatic Neolithic site of Göbekli Tepe in Turkey, home to some of the world’s earliest advanced megalithic construction and sophisticated symbolic art, continues to surprise archaeologists.
New Radar Scans Reveal Mysterious “Subsurface Anomalies” Beneath Controversial “Noah’s Ark” Site
New scans may offer clues to what lies beneath Turkey’s famous Durupınar site, which has long been associated with “Noah’s Ark" claims.
Archaeologists Unsealed an Ancient Egyptian Tomb and Discovered Something Completely Unexpected Inside
Spanish archaeologists excavating an ancient Egyptian Tomb near Luxor discovered 16 mummies and one unexpected yet intimate addition.
4,000 Years Ago, These Ancient Seafarers May Have Brought Symbolic Art to Distant Lands Earlier Than Their First Neolithic Pottery
The ancient Austronesian maritime civilization may have carried painted art on its journeys before developing its first Neolithic pottery.
A Mile-Long Ancient Roman Engineering Marvel Has Suddenly Surfaced from Beneath This Famous Waterway
A mile-long ancient structure built by the Romans has surfaced from the shallow summer waters of Europe’s second-longest river.
Something Sparked a Technological Revolution in China 146,000 Years Ago—Archaeologists Have Now Linked It to a Mysterious Extinct Human Species
During the harsh conditions in ice age China 146,000 years ago, a remarkable survival strategy was being developed by early humans.
Archaeologists Have Unearthed a Rare and Mysterious Runestone at an Ancient Site in the Faroe Islands
An ancient runestone has been discovered on the floor of a structure being excavated by archaeologists at Sondum on Sandoy.
A Mysterious 45,000-Year-Old Seafloor Discovery Reveals New Evidence Denisovans Were Extremely Large
Ancient human fossils dredged from the seafloor near Taiwan are providing new insights into the appearance—and the large size—of the mysterious Denisovans.
Newly Deciphered 1500-Year-Old Inscriptions Reveal Ancient Imperial Death Decree
Newly deciphered 1500-year-old inscriptions reveal details of ancient tax fraud and an imperial death decree for the offenders.
Archaeologists Surprised to Unearth Face-Down 2500-Year-Old Statue Almost Completely Intact
Türkiye's Ministry of Culture and Tourism has announced the discovery of a 2,500-year-old statue placed face down to fix an ancient road.
Centuries Before the Aztec and Inca Empires Existed, Locals Built Something Incredible in the Colombian Jungle
A new analysis of pre-Hispanic Colombian sites founded before the Inca and Aztec empires has revealed a surprising technological achievement.
Hidden Charcoal Inside a Famous French Cave Just Rewrote the Timeline of Its Ice Age Paintings
A recent study has identified charcoal in the cave paintings at France’s Font-de-Gaume, overturning the long-held assumption that these paintings lacked the carbon needed for radiocarbon dating.
A Nearly 4,000-Year-Old “Giant’s Tomb” Was Accidentally Discovered in Sardinia
Italian authorities working in western Sardinia have accidentally unearthed a new 'Giant's Tomb' that includes rarely seen features.
Archaeologist Finally Decodes 2,200-Year-Old Mysterious Stonemason Inscriptions That Have Stumped Researchers for Centuries
An archaeologist has successfully decoded mysterious stone inscriptions on a 2,200-year-old gate that have stumped researchers for centuries.
These Curious Ancient Greek Artifacts Have Extraterrestrial Origins—Why They Vanished 3000 Years Ago Remains a Mystery
New evidence suggests high-status individuals in ancient Greek society wore jewelry with origins that were literally out-of-this-world.
Mysterious Engravings on Rare 9,000-Year-Old Projectiles May Reveal a Forgotten Symbolic Tradition in Ancient Anatolia
A collection of unusual 9,000-year-old engraved projectiles reveal the existence of a mysterious ancient symbolic tradition.
An Ancient Egyptian Moon God Mystery Deepens with New Analysis Revealing Thoth’s Sacred Baboon Glowed Like Moonlight
A spectrometer shows the sacred baboon's silver fur is the color of moonlight. Is this the first physical evidence for why Thoth, god of the moon, wore his strangest and only imported animal face?
Archaeologists Uncover 11,500-Year-Old Evidence That Could Rewrite the Origins of Ceramic Technology in Southwest Asia
A discovery by archaeologists at the Pre-Pottery Neolithic site of Çemka Höyük in southeastern Turkey is extending the accepted timelines on the origins of ancient ceramic technology.
3,500-Year-Old Hittite “Storm God” Crafted from Arsenical Copper Reveals Evidence of Advanced Metalworking Rarely Seen in Tiny Bronze Age Artifacts
A tiny depiction of an ancient "storm god" is offering a rare glimpse at the remarkable technical skills of the Hittite world.
Largest Mammoth DNA Study Suggests Ice Age Hunters Preferred Female Mammoths
Ancient DNA from 500+ mammoth bones reveals Ice Age hunters targeted female woolly mammoths, reshaping ideas on prehistoric hunting.
New Evidence of a ‘Lost Civilization’ That Created More Than 20,000 Ancient Earthworks Has Been Found in the Amazon, LiDAR Study Reveals
LiDAR reveals more than 20,000 hidden Amazon earthworks, exposing a vast ancient civilization that may have housed millions.
A Routine Search for Lost Objects Unearths an Extremely Rare 2500-Year-Old Coin
A local official helping people locate lost everyday objects stumbled upon a 2500-year-old coin that's the first of its kind found in Israel.
Deep in a Spanish Cave, Archaeologists Discovered a Puzzling Set of Ancient Inscriptions—Could They Be Evidence of a Mysterious Subterranean Cult?
A remarkable collection of ancient inscriptions within a cave in eastern Spain is providing archaeologists with deep new insights into the ancient religious practices it once housed.
5,000-Year-Old Blue Pigment Reveals Evidence of Ancient Egyptian Nanotechnology—Now It’s Finding New Life in Biomedical Imaging
5000-year-old nanotechnology from the ancient world known as "Egyptian blue" is offering innovative modern uses in biomedical imaging.
5,000-Year-Old Egyptian Tomb Discovery Reveals “Sophisticated” Knowledge That Challenges Past Thinking on the Origins of the Pyramids
5,000 years ago Egyptian builders were using architectural techniques that foreshadowed those seen in the pyramids, new evidence suggests.
“The Sizes of the Footprints Indicate Human-Like Body Sizes”: Origin of 1.4-Million-Year-Old Fossilized Footprints Stuns Scientists
Scientists shocked to learn that 1.4-million-year-old fossilized footprints found on an ancient lakeshore were from human-sized individuals.
Rare Discovery of a Hellenistic Sanctuary Offers a New Glimpse Into Ancient Elite Rituals
At the site of Gradište, close to the village of Mlado Nagoričane, archaeologists from North Macedonia have uncovered what they believe was a ritual dining complex associated with a Hellenistic sanctuary, providing new evidence of elite religious practices and extensive trade connections more than 2,300 years ago.
Researchers Say Two ‘Ancient Ramps’ Beside Egypt’s Red Pyramid May Actually Be Something Far More Significant
Study suggests mysterious structures beside Egypt's Red Pyramid may actually be ancient dams, reshaping history.
How Did Fish Suddenly Appear in the Empty Waters of Ancient Norwegian Lakes? A 7000-Year-Old Archaeological Discovery Provides the Answer
7,000-year-old fish traps reveal the clues to the longstanding mystery of when fish were initially placed in high mountain Norwegian lakes.
Archaeologists Unearth “Exceptionally Well-Preserved” 2,600-Year-Old Wooden Beams Burned in the First Temple Fire
Excavations in the City of David have unearthed 2,600-year-old, exceptionally well-preserved wooden beams from the 586 BCE First Temple fire.