4,200-Year-Old Climate Crisis Forced the Abandonment of China’s Largest Neolithic City
An ancient climate event 4,200 years ago produced disruptions leading to the decline of major societies, offering warnings for the future.
Archaeology
Mysterious Greek Inscription Found in a Syrian Mosque Reopens Debate Over Roman “Temple of the Sun”
A mysterious inscription within the Great Mosque of Homs in Syria is raising new questions over the location of the Roman Temple of the Sun.
60,000-Year-Old “Highly Unusual” Etchings Could Point to Humanity’s Earliest Use of Geometric Design
Evidence of early human use of geometric concepts in prehistoric art has surfaced in Africa, pointing to complex patterns in ancient etchings on ostrich eggshells.
The Fabled “Lost City of Almanzor” Has Eluded Scholars for a Thousand Years—Now This Archaeologist Says He’s Found It
A new archaeological discovery could settle the longstanding debate about the location of the near-mythical "lost city of Almanzor."
40,000 Year Old Markings Reveal What Could Be a Mysterious Ancient Precursor to Writing
Researchers have discovered signs of a Paleolithic writing precursor in ancient tools and sculptures dating back 40,000 years.
Did Archaeologists Uncover Evidence of a Neanderthal “Skull Cult” in This Ancient Spanish Cave?
Archaeologists in Spain have discovered an odd collection of animal bones that may point to evidence of an ancient Neanderthal "skull cult."
A Mysterious Roman Artifact Covered in Odd Markings Puzzled Researchers for More Than a Century—Now AI Has Cracked Its Ancient Code
A curious ancient Roman artifact has drawn renewed attention as researchers report finally solving the mystery of its undeciphered markings.
Easter Island’s Enigmatic Collapse Was More Complex Than Past Theories Suggest, as Researchers Point to Compelling New Evidence
Researchers found that a severe drought began around 1550, leading to a significant drop in rainfall on Easter Island.
Recurring Drought Forced Ancient Bison Hunters to Abandon an 1,100-Year-Old Montana Hunting Ground
While bison still lived in the grasslands and the vegetation patterns remained unchanged, hunters stopped visiting the Bergstrom site, which had been used on and off for generations.
5,300-Year-Old Egyptian Artifact Confirms Existence of “Mechanically Sophisticated” Drilling Technology Before the Age of the Pharaohs
Researchers have identified the earliest known "mechanically sophisticated" drill found in association with ancient Egyptian archaeology.
This Remote Greek Peninsula May Preserve a Living Link to the Ancient World
A remote peninsula in southern Greece may hold a living genetic link to the ancient Mediterranean world.
Danish Cemetery Study Challenges Assumptions About Leprosy Stigma in the Middle Ages
Medieval Christian burials in Denmark were likely more influenced by money than supposed outward markers of sin, according to new research.
12,000-Year-Old Discovery in an Oregon Cave Reveals First Evidence of a “Complex” Ancient American Technology
A 12,000-year-old discovery offers a rare look at the emergence of complex technologies employed by America’s early inhabitants.
Modern CT Scans Are Helping Scientists Unwrap the Lives of Ancient Egyptians
Recent advances in medical imaging are providing new insights into the daily lives of ancient Egyptians.
4,700-Year-Old Discovery Reveals Clues to Cult of Ishtar’s Spread Throughout the Ancient World
Hidden beneath an ancient temple in Assur, Iraq, archaeologists have discovered key evidence of the Cult of Ishtar's origins.
14,000-Year-Old Alaskan Site Could Rewrite the Story of How Humans Reached the Americas
Finds at Alaska’s Holzman site show how Ice Age hunters, mammoths, and tools shaped the earliest journey into North America.
Zapotec Death Owl Sculpture Reveals Ancient Mesoamerican Beliefs in Immaculately Preserved Tomb
An exceptionally well-preserved Zapotec Tomb dating to around 600 CE, recently uncovered in Mexico, vastly expands archaeologists' knowledge.
Closer to Home: New DNA Analysis Reframes the Story of the “Beachy Head Woman”
For over a decade, the Roman-era skeleton known as the Beachy Head Woman has fueled discussions about the identity of the remains as well as migration in ancient Britain.
Early Humans in Asia Were Making Advanced Tools 160,000 Years Ago—Upending a Long-Held Assumptions
Ancient tools from China show early humans made complex, hafted technologies 160,000 years ago, reshaping views of innovation.
This Wild Potato May Rewrite What We Know About Life Before Farming
New research shows that a wild potato was carried across the region more than 10,000 years ago, helping it spread far beyond its natural range.
Previously Unknown Roman Villa Discovered Beneath a Welsh Park is Helping Unearth Britain’s Hidden History
A previously unknown and well-preserved ancient Roman villa complex has been discovered in Margam, Wales, using high-resolution magnetometry and ground radar.
Discovery of World’s Oldest Rock Art Reveals the Path Ancient Humans Took into Ice Age Australia
The world’s oldest known rock art, dating back at least 67,800 years, has been discovered in an Indonesian cave.
Stonehenge Discovery Reveals New Evidence of Mysterious Long Distance Transport System in Ancient Britain
A major debate over the construction of the mysterious Neolithic Stonehenge site in the UK may finally have been resolved.
Archaeologists: Half a Million-Year-Old Elephant Bone Hammer Wasn’t Made by Modern Humans
Archaeologists studying a nearly 500,000-year-old elephant bone hammer have determined the ancient tool was made by Neanderthals or another early human ancestor.
50,000-Year-Old Artifacts Unearthed at Controversial Archaeological Site Could Rewrite the Early Prehistory of the Americas
Discoveries at a controversial southeastern archaeological site could potentially push back the timelines for human arrival in the Americas.
Archaeologists Have Discovered an Ancient “Factory” That Could “Reshape What We Thought We Knew” About Roman Britain
A major ancient Roman industrial site on the River Wear may be the most important discovery of the last hundred years, archaeologists say.
A Remarkable 7th-Century Anglo-Saxon Discovery Has Been Unearthed at a Nuclear Site in the UK
Excavations at a nuclear power site in the United Kingdom have revealed evidence of a "high-status" Anglo-Saxon burial.
Ancient Teeth Reveal a Surprise That Challenges Our Ideas on Early Migrations Into England
A recent bioarchaeological study shows that human migration in England continued from the end of Roman rule through the Norman Conquest.
Massive Iron Age Hoard Unearthed in England, Revealing Rare Implements of Celtic Warfare and Ancient Ritual Artifacts
A massive hoard of Iron Age objects, including an ancient Celtic war trumpet, was discovered during a routine dig in West Norfolk, UK.
2000-Year-Old Grave Reveals Mysterious Red Toxic Surprise, Confirming Once Unknown Ancient Burial Practice
The presence of a mysterious red substance has revealed a toxic discovery in a 2,000-year-old grave in southern Ukraine.
60,000-Year-Old Projectiles Are the World’s First ‘Poison Arrows,’ Extending Earliest Use in Africa by Thousands of Years
Analysis of 60,000-year-old artifacts has uncovered the oldest known poison arrowheads, hinting at advanced ancient knowledge and reasoning.
Cremation Before Civilization? Evidence Suggests Ancient Hunter Gatherers Cremated a Woman Nearly 10,000 Years Ago
Evidence suggests ancient hunter-gatherers performed the first ever African cremation of a female sometime around 9,500 years ago.
1400-Year-Old Artifacts Unearthed in the Judean Desert Reveal an Ancient Industry of Christian Pilgrimage
Israeli archaeologists working at the Hyrcania site have uncovered ancient commercialized merchandise sold to early Christian tourists.
Archaeologists Have Discovered a Massive Ancient Structure in Ireland—It Could Be the Largest Prehistoric Site of Its Kind
Archaeologists have discovered one of the largest settlements ever identified in Ireland's Baltinglass hillfort landscape.
Archaeology in 2025: Here Are Several of This Year’s Most Fascinating Ancient Discoveries
Here’s a look at some of our favorite archaeological discoveries from 2025, and some of the greatest new insights we’ve obtained about the ancient world throughout the year.
Scientists Create AI-Powered Video Game to Bring Stone Age Europe to Life
Scientists are combining anthropology with cutting-edge AI to create an educational video game about life in Stone Age Europe.
An Ancient Sewer System is Revealing How Disease Spread Among Roman Soldiers
Roman soldiers living along Britain’s northern frontier used communal bath and toilet facilities that depended on a sewer system to remove waste from their fort.
A ‘Lost’ Tale of the Trojan War Was Hidden in Plain Sight—This Ancient Mosaic Held the Clues to Its Discovery
Archaeologists have revealed that a Roman-era Trojan War mosaic discovered in Britain in 2020 has long been misinterpreted.
“We Did Not Expect Anything Like This”: How a Black-Market Archaeological Discovery Helped Unearth a Lost Ancient Fortress
A collection of silver coins sold on the black market has led European archaeologists to the discovery of a monumental prehistoric fortress. The 3000-year-old site, hidden away in the Papuk Mountains of eastern Croatia, presents previously unknown evidence of complex...
Archaeologists Unearth Ancient Egyptian ‘Sun Temple’ Cult Site, Confirming Century-Old Speculations
An enormous ancient Egyptian sun temple from the Fifth Dynasty has been excavated by an Italian archaeological team.
Mysterious Jars Found in King Tut’s Tomb Have Perplexed Scholars for a Century—New Research Finally Reveals What They Held
King Tut’s alabaster jars have long held mystery. A new Yale study finds chemical evidence suggesting they once contained opium.
A Thousand-Year Drought May Have Driven “Hobbits” to Extinction, New Research Reveals
A recent climate study from the University of Wollongong suggests that Homo floresiensis, the small early human species from Liang Bua cave, endured centuries of increasingly severe drought on Flores
Mysterious ‘Little Foot’ Could Be an Unidentified Humanlike Species, Researchers Conclude
Scientists challenge past conclusions about "Little Foot," an enigmatic ancient human fossil, now arguing that it is an unidentified species.
4000-Year-Old Discovery Offers Breakthrough in the Mystery of What Fueled a Bronze Age Plague
Scientists have unraveled how an early form of Bronze Age plague that differed from the Black Death spread across Europe.
Researchers May Have Solved the Mystery Behind the Collapse of One of the World’s First Great Civilizations
New research suggests the Indus Valley Civilization was reshaped by centuries of river drought, migration, and climate stress.
7000-Year-Old Sunken Discovery Points to European Megalithic Construction Centuries Earlier Than Previously Thought
Off the western coast of France, archaeologists have discovered a sunken granite Mesolithic wall nine meters below sea level.
This Enigmatic Ancient Script Hidden Within the Dead Sea Scrolls Was Thought to be Indecipherable—Until Now
A researcher has solved one of the longstanding riddles of the Dead Sea Scrolls by deciphering a hidden script within the famous texts.
Radiocarbon Study Redraws the Timeline of Ancient Egypt’s First Pharaohs
New data from radiocarbon dating is offering deeper insights into ancient Egypt and its relationship with the volcanic eruption at Thera.
“This Material Can Heal Itself Over Thousands of Years”: MIT Scientists Have Deciphered the Ancient Mystery of Roman Concrete
MIT scientists have used modern technology to unravel the mysterious self-healing properties of ancient Roman concrete.
2,000-Year-Old ‘Hjortspring Boat’ Mystery May Point to Foreign Invaders, New Archaeological Clues Suggest
Scientists trying to unravel the mysterious origins of the 'Hjortspring Boat' found off the coast of Denmark have found tantalizing new clues