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.
Archaeology
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.
This Unusual Artifact Resembling a TV Remote Could Reveal the Oldest Evidence of Numerical Calculation in Mesoamerica
Archaeologists have discovered an unusual artifact they say could represent the earliest known use of written numbers ever discovered in Mesoamerica.
“Her Brain Had Been Intentionally Removed”: An Unsettling Iron Age Burial Practice Has Been Uncovered in Scotland
Archaeologists say bones unearthed from an Iron Age burial in Scotland revealed how human remains were interred in ancient Europe.
Archaeologists Uncover 4,000-Year-Old Evidence of a Deadly Event in Ancient Mesopotamia
Archaeologists believe a site in present-day northern Iraq may preserve the remains of an ancient city whose fall was recorded in Mesopotamian texts.
A Remarkable 400,000-Year-Old “Time Capsule” Unsealed in Israel Could Reshape Our Understanding of Early Human Evolution
Archaeologists in Israel have uncovered a remarkable site "protected from the ravages of time," revealing an early human presence that may extend to 400,000 years ago.
2,600-Year-Old Underground Discovery Reveals a Mysterious Ancient Structure Hidden Below Egypt’s Nile Delta
A curious recent discovery has revealed a promising new underground archaeological find at the ancient site of Buto in Egypt’s Nile Delta.
An Explorer Vanished Searching for a ‘Lost Civilization’ in the Amazon—Now Archaeologists Think They May Have Found It
Advancements in archaeology made with LiDAR and other technologies are revealing evidence of a "lost civilization" in the heart of the Amazon.
Mysterious Artificial Islands in Scotland Have Long Perplexed Archaeologists—A New Discovery Reveals Clues to Their Ancient Origins
Scattered throughout Scotland’s ancient lochs, curious structures known as crannogs have long intrigued archaeologists and historians.
Ancient Europeans Ate Some Pretty Gross Things, but The Ickiest One Was Probably by Accident
Analysis of dental tartar reveals that Ancient Europeans ate insects less often than humans near the tropics, and probably not on purpose.
This Ancient Artifact Remained Unidentified for Decades—Now It’s Rewriting the History of One of Japan’s Early Iron Technologies
An iron artifact recovered by archaeologists may be the oldest of its kind ever found in Japan, according to new research.
5,500-Year-Old Discoveries in a Remote Mountain Cave Reveal Evidence of Prehistoric Industry Linked to the Dawn of Metallurgy
Strange green stones, possible hidden burials, and other discoveries have been made in a remote cave high in the Pyrenees mountains.
4,500-Year-Old Discovery on a Remote Island Could Change Everything We Know About Ancient Nautical Technology in the High Arctic
A discovery by archaeologists on a remote island in the High Arctic could upend past thinking on ancient seafaring technology.
Stonehenge Mystery Deepens as New Study Reveals Altar Stone’s 466-Mile Journey Across Ancient Britain
New study reveals how Stonehenge's Altar Stone may have traveled hundreds of miles across prehistoric Britain before arriving at the monument.
Discovery Hidden Inside 520-Million-Year-Old Rocks Solves a Longstanding ‘Evolutionary Enigma’
A discovery hidden inside 520-million-year-old rocks has solved an evolutionary enigma and could even rewrite the entire tree of life.
A Massive 6000-Year-Old ‘Mega-Structure’ Unearthed by Archaeologists Reveals Links to a Mysterious Early European Culture
A massive discovery in northeastern Romania has revealed links to a curious ancient culture from ancient Eastern Europe’s Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods.
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.
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.