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.
Archaeology
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.
A New Theory May Explain One of the Dead Sea Scrolls’ Biggest Mysteries
One of the longest-debated mysteries involving the Dead Sea Scrolls ma finally be solved, according to Tel Aviv University researchers.
Consistent With “Magic and Rituals”: Ancient Cave-Dwelling Australians Burned Grass for Spiritual Purposes Dating Back 25,000 Years
Discoveries inside an ancient Australian cave suggest ancient humans burned grass at the site for magic, healing, and spiritual rituals.
600-Year-Old Sunken Discovery Stuns Underwater Archaeologists Who “Expected a More Recent Date” For Unusual Find
Archaeologists are investigating an unusual underwater discovery revealed deep within Germany’s Lake Constance.
Weapons Buried with Ancient Egyptian Women Were Long Seen as Symbols—New Research Suggests They Had a More Lethal Purpose
Egyptian princesses may have been skilled in combat, according to a new archaeological assessment that interprets their weapons.
Scientists May Have Finally Solved One of Human Evolution’s Biggest Mysteries: When Our Ancestors Grew Larger
Scientists may have solved when human body size took its biggest leap, revealing a more complex path through evolution.
2000-Year-Old Evidence of a Cult Shrine to Odysseus, the Legendary Hero of Homer’s ‘Odyssey,’ Has Been Uncovered at Ithaca
Archaeologists have uncovered evidence of an ancient cult site devoted to the legendary hero of Homer's epic poem, The Odyssey.
A 1,200-Year-Old Discovery Has Revealed the Identity of an Ancient Mayan Astronomer, in a New Archaeological First
A Maya astronomer’s identity has been revealed for the first time, as revealed in an inscription discovered at the Xultun site in Guatemala.
Did this Ancient Human Survive Being Stabbed in the Face 100,000 Years Ago?
In Israel’s Qafzeh cave, archaeologists have discovered ancient human remains revealing illness, violence, death, and survival in the past.
Mysterious Stone Sphere Unearthed at Ancient Site in Azerbaijan Baffles Archaeologists, Raises New Questions About Neolithic Technology
A stone sphere unearthed at an archaeological site in Azerbaijan is reportedly unlike anything previously documented in the South Caucasus.
Major New Study Uncovers “Hemisphere-wide Evidence” Challenging Past Views on How Ancient Americans Survived
A new study challenges the idea that ancient Americans were diverse hunter-gatherers, arguing instead that they were highly specialized big-game hunters.
Scholars Uncover Evidence of ‘Lost’ Medieval Manuscripts Using Simulations—Along With a New Concern for Historians
New evidence of “lost” ancient medieval manuscripts is being uncovered by researchers using computer simulations—but there's a problem.
Archaeologists Opened a Chinese Lord’s 2,600-Year-Old Tomb—and Discovered Dozens of “Deactivated” Metallic Artifacts
Why were dozens of bronze artifacts discovered within an ancient Chinese tomb "deactivated" at the time of their placement?
Surprising Evidence of a ‘Lost’ Ancient City is Emerging from Beneath the Sands of Egypt’s Western Desert
Archaeologists have found the remains of an ancient 'lost' city in Egypt’s western desert, Ministry of Antiquity officials have revealed.
Hidden for More Than 1,000 Years, a Lost Maya City Has Been Uncovered Deep in the Mexican Jungle
An international team of archaeologists reports the discovery of a previously unknown Maya city hidden beneath a millennium of jungle growth.
A ‘Second Breakfast’ for Real-Life Hobbits? New Evidence Calls into Question Past Presumptions About Homo Floresiensis
Homo floresiensis, a tiny ancient hominin, often compared to the hobbits of the Lord of the Rings, engaged in a sort of second breakfast.
“We Don’t Have Any Records So Far”: Archaeologists Discover Ancient ‘Monolith’ in Mexico Unlike Anything Previously Seen
Archaeologists in Mexico report the “unprecedented” discovery of an unusual monolith and pre-Hispanic ruins unlike others in the region.
Ancient Romans Buried Secret Coin Hoards Across Europe and Never Retrieved Them—Now Archaeologists Finally Know Why
Scholars may have solved an enduring archaeological riddle: why ancient Romans concealed massive coin hoards and never returned for them.
The First Ancient Protein Analysis of Homo Naledi Has Revealed a New Burial Mystery
A recent study, published in Cell, marks the first ancient protein analysis of Homo naledi and raises the possibility that the Dinaledi Chamber may contain predominantly, or possibly exclusively, female individuals.
Lost for Centuries, One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World Has Been Rediscovered, and is Now Rising from the Mediterranean Sea
After more than seven centuries, the third-longest-surviving of the seven ancient wonders is rising again, offering archaeologists clues to the appearance and construction of this historic marvel.
2,700-Year-Old Assyrian Artifact Made from Odd Material Should Have Been “Impossible” to Craft with Ancient Tools, Archaeologists Say
Archaeologists have unearthed an artifact they say should have been "impossible" to craft using techniques available to artisans in the Near East nearly 2,700 years ago.
A “Magical” Ancient Curse Artifact Turned Up in an Unexpected Location—and in the Wrong Language
A cursed ancient Roman tablet, intended to invoke divine and demonic wrath upon one’s enemies, was discovered in the Netherlands.
A 2,700-Year-Old Stone Could Shed New Light on a Religious Reform Described in the Bible
A massive stone, deliberately laid on its side and buried within the walls of an ancient Judean home, may provide physical evidence consistent with interpretations of King Hezekiah’s reported religious reforms.
Tiny Artifact Found by Metal Detectorist Complicates the Story of Sutton Hoo, May Rewrite the History of Early English Metallurgy
A chance discovery is challenging archaeologists’ understanding of one of England’s most famous archaeological sites.
The Virtual World of Stonehenge Experience is Now Available Online for Free
The Virtual Word of Stonehenge exhibit in now available online, including an opportunity to travel back in time at the iconic site.
“It Was Completely Shocking to Me”: Archaeologists Discover the Earliest Monumental Egyptian Hieroglyphs Written 1,000 Years Before the Pyramids
Yale Archaeologists have discovered the earliest monumental Egyptian hieroglyphs, predating the Great Pyramid of Giza by over 1,000 years.
5,500 Years Ago, Something Was Killing Humans in Prehistoric Siberia—New Research Has Finally Revealed This Ancient Assassin
Why were so many children and adolescents among the dead at ancient burial sites in eastern Siberia? Scientists may finally have the answer.
Archaeologists Discover Stonehenge ‘Prototype’ Constructed 500 Years Before Britain’s Most Famous Megalithic Site
Archaeologists have discovered a Stonehenge 'prototype' structure aligned with the solstices that is 500 years older than the famous site.
An Ancient Maya City Was Lost for Centuries—This Student Accidentally Rediscovered it Hidden in Google Data
An ancient Maya settlement, lost to the forest for hundreds of years, was unexpectedly discovered at the bottom of an internet rabbit hole.
“This is Far from an Ordinary Burial”: Archaeologists Have Made Rare Discoveries in an ‘Elite’ Siberian Grave
A burial site uncovered by archaeologists in southern Siberia has revealed a series of unusual discoveries.
Ancient Microbes Preserved in Rapidly Thawing Arctic Middens Are Waking Up—Could They Pose a Threat to Us Today?
An analysis of ancient microbes frozen in rapidly thawing ancient middens spanning Greenland estimates the potential for modern-day spread.
Forgotten in a Museum for Two Centuries, This Weird Artifact’s Rediscovery Upends a Long-Held Belief About the Vikings
A curiosity that had been locked away in a museum’s archives for more than 200 years is now revealing clues to a longstanding Viking mystery.
Quest for Fire: New Technique Pushes First Intentional Use of Fire to Over One Million Years Ago
Scientists studying the site of the oldest-known intentional use of fire have found evidence pushing that date past one million years ago.