archaeology Archives

ISS extremophiles consciousness UAP killer viruses

Universal Consciousness Before the Big Bang, the Launch of “UAlbany Project X”, and Extremophile Survival in Space

Micah Hanks·December 2, 2025

In news this week from The Debrief, scientists are looking at the idea of pre-Big Bang "universal consciousness," extreme organism survival in space, and the launch of a cutting-edge new UAP research initiative.

“Bronze Age People Didn’t Do That”: English Team Unearths “Unprecedented” Evidence of 4500-Year-Old Ancient Monument

Micah Hanks·December 1, 2025

British archaeologists have made a discovery they believe points to an unusual ancient monument that once stood in Northwest England 4,500 years ago.

New Study Suggests Some Neanderthals Were Victims of Targeted Cannibalism During Late Pleistocene Conflicts

Tim McMillan·November 25, 2025

New study uncovers why non-local female Neanderthals at Goyet were targeted, revealing conflict, capture, and cannibalism.

Archaeologists Uncover a Massive Bronze Age ‘Proto-City’ in Kazakhstan That Rewrites Steppe History

Tim McMillan·November 21, 2025

Archaeologists reveal Semiyarka, was a vast Bronze Age settlement, reshaping our understanding of early Steppe cities and metallurgy.

Neanderthals’ Disappearance May Not Have Been from Extinction, Controversial New Study Argues

Micah Hanks·November 14, 2025

Neanderthals may not have truly gone extinct, according to a new mathematical model that suggests they underwent genetic dilution over time.

An Odd Discovery in the Alps, a Promising New Cancer-Killer, and Our Hidden “Seventh Sense”

Micah Hanks·November 11, 2025

This week, The Debrief reports on new cancer-killing therapies, a new seventh sense, and why archaeologists have turned to the public after making an odd discovery.

5,000-Year-Old Discovery at Canaanite Cult Site Dubbed “One of Very Few Known from Such an Ancient Period”

Ryan Whalen·November 6, 2025

Artifacts uncovered near the Tel Megiddo archaeological site in Israel reveal an ancient Canaanite cult and its worship practices.

4000-Year-Old Labyrinth Discovery, Dubbed “One of the Most Important Archaeological Finds” of the Century, Brings New Life to the “Myth of the Labyrinth”

Micah Hanks·November 4, 2025

A remarkable discovery in Crete has reinvigorated debate over the origins behind the ancient Greek myth of the labyrinth.

Ancient Mayan Astronomers Perfected a 700-Year System for Eclipse Prediction, New Study Reveals

Tim McMillan·October 28, 2025

New research reveals how Mayan astronomers built a precise eclipse prediction system using complex lunar mathematics.

DARPA’s Strange Physics, ‘Seeds of Life’ in Space, and Massive Ancient Megastructures

Micah Hanks·October 21, 2025

This week in news from The Debrief, DARPA is pursuing strange physics, and NASA's James Webb Space Telescope makes a major discovery.

Massive Lost Prehistoric Stone Megastructures Discovered in Europe’s Adriatic Hinterland

Tim McMillan·October 21, 2025

Archaeologists uncover prehistoric Megastructures in Slovenia’s Karst Plateau, revealing previously unknown ancient European ingenuity.

5,500-Year-Old Cult Shrine Unearthed in Jordan Reveals Evidence of Crisis, Social Collapse in the Bronze Age

Micah Hanks·October 20, 2025

Discoveries at an ancient cult shrine in Jordan have revealed new evidence of how ancient people responded to crisis during the Bronze Age.

Mysterious Figurines from Sardinia’s Bronze Age Reveal an Unexpected Discovery About the Ancient World

Ryan Whalen·September 25, 2025

Mysterious Bronze Age figures produced by Sardinia’s Nuraghe culture have finally had their material origins revealed.

Archaeologists Have Unearthed an Ancient Site in Turkey That May Predate the Famous Temple Site of Göbekli Tepe

Micah Hanks·September 23, 2025

Mendik Tepe, a Neolithic site recently unearthed by archaeologists in Turkey, could potentially predate the famous temple site of Göbekli Tepe.

Ancient Medicine or Something Else? Archaeologists Discover 34,000 Year Old Indigo Dye on Paleolithic Tools

MJ Banias·September 5, 2025

Archaeologists have uncovered a 34,000-year-old mystery that's rewriting our understanding of early human behavior, and our use of indigo.

Evidence of 9000-Year-Old “House of the Dead” Unearthed at Neolithic City of Çatalhöyük, Archaeologists Say

Ryan Whalen·September 3, 2025

Archaeologists excavating a Neolithic site in central Turkey believe that they have uncovered a “House of the Dead” containing human remains.

New Dating of Enigmatic ‘Petralona Skull’ Reveals Neanderthals Weren’t Alone in Prehistoric Europe

Tim McMillan·August 21, 2025

New dating reveals the Petralona Skull is at least 286,000 years old, reshaping our understanding of human evolution in Europe.

Burial Pits in France Reveal Grisly Evidence of Brutality During Warfare and Captivity in Neolithic Europe

Ryan Whalen·August 20, 2025

Archaeologists in France have uncovered Neolithic burial pits, offering rare evidence of early organized violence in Europe.

Bizarre Krayt Dragon-Like “Penis Worm” Discovered in Grand Canyon Reveals Ancient Evolutionary Arms Race

Tim McMillan·August 15, 2025

A newly discovered Cambrian, "Kraytdraco," reveals a bizarre predatory 'penis worm' in an ancient arms race beneath Grand Canyon seas.

Stonehenge Mystery: Enigmatic ‘Newall Boulder’ Wasn’t Moved by Glaciers After All—Its True Origins Are Even More Striking

Micah Hanks·July 23, 2025

A discovery from England’s famous Stonehenge has now been traced to a surprising source, which upends past thinking on its origins.

12,000 Years of Mongolian Rock Art Reveal Iconic Creature’s Puzzling Transformation into a Mythic Beast—Now We Understand Why

Tim McMillan·July 14, 2025

Ancient Mongolian rock art reveals how cultural symbolism evolved with climate and society over millennia.

“There is Something Very Different Going on Here”: Archaeologists Keep Finding Gigantic Shoes at This 2000-Year-Old Roman Site

Micah Hanks·July 13, 2025

Recent excavations at an ancient Roman site in England have unearthed gigantic shoes that may be among the largest ever found.

Researchers Reveal the Surprising Reason Ancient Humans May Have Engaged in Early Fire Use

Ryan Whalen·June 9, 2025

New findings suggest ancient humans in the Near East used fire to smoke meat, rather than cook it, preserving and protecting it from animals.

Secrets of a Lost Empire’s Mysterious 200-Mile “Gobi Wall” Finally Revealed

Tim McMillan·May 28, 2025

New research reveals the Gobi Wall was more than a medieval defense—uncovering its role as a strategic tool of control for the Xi Xia Empire.

Scientists Are Decoding a Mysterious Form of Writing From the Ancient Inca Empire—Here’s What It Reveals

Micah Hanks·May 26, 2025

Researchers studying an ancient form of string-writing used in pre-Columbian South America have unraveled new clues to a longstanding mystery.

Archaeologists Unearth 2000-Year-Old Evidence of Psychedelic Use by This Enigmatic Ancient Culture

Ryan Whalen·May 5, 2025

Hallucinogens proved to be one of the most powerful tools of Peru's ancient Chavín Phenomenon society for maintaining hierarchy.

Is This the Tomb of Jesus? A 2000-Year-Old Site Beneath Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre Reveals Its Ancient Secrets

Micah Hanks·April 19, 2025

Archaeologists say new findings from one of Christianity’s holiest sites align with descriptions in the Gospels long associated with the tomb of Jesus.

Altar of the Storm God: Archaeologists Unearth New Evidence of an Ancient Mayan Tale of Conquest

Ryan Whalen·April 8, 2025

An ancient Mayan altar in Tikal, a 2,400-year-old city in Guatemala, evidences a quasi-imperial control system before the Spanish arrival.

Who Was Entombed in the Pyramids? Surprising New Burial Discoveries Challenge Past Narratives

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·March 24, 2025

Researchers have located laborers beneath a pyramid in Tombos, Sudan, revealing burial was more inclusive in ancient Egypt than expected..

8,000 Years Ago, Neolithic Europeans Crossed the Mediterranean to Settle in Africa According to New DNA Evidence

Ryan Whalen·March 18, 2025

European Neolithic hunter-gatherer groups traveled the sea to make their home in Africa, according to a new archaeological discovery.

1.5-Million-Year-Old “Factory” for Bone Tool Production Reveals Unexpected Cognitive Leap in Early Humans

Ryan Whalen·March 5, 2025

A prehistoric "factory" discovered in Tanzania pushes human ancestor bone tool-making back by over a million years from earlier estimates.

Mind-Shattering Discovery Reveals How a Human Brain Turned to Glass in the Ancient Eruption of Mount Vesuvius

Ryan Whalen·February 27, 2025

An individual who perished in the Mount Vesuvius eruption of 79 CE had his brain turned to glass under a unique set of conditions.

The Devil’s Money?

This week on The Debrief Weekly Report...

MJ Banias·February 18, 2025

On this week's episode of The Debrief Weekly Report, Kenna and Stephanie cash out with a mysterious cult currency lost to the ages. They then discuss some interesting space news coming out of Australia, and finish off the show by listening to the healing tempo of music as medicine.

“The Devils Money”: Archaeologists Uncover a Horde of Gold and Jewelry at Mysterious Early Medieval Cult Site

Tim McMillan·February 14, 2025

Archaeologists have uncovered an early medieval cult site in the Netherlands, that features hordes of gold and jewelry.

Bone Powder Unearthed in Ancient Vessels Reveals New Clues About a Mysterious Early Chinese Culture

Ryan Whalen·February 1, 2025

New research has revealed bone powder was a crucial substance as ancient China's Peiligang culture emerged from a hunter-gatherer lifestyle.

Mystery of Ancient “Wheel of Ghosts” Endures as New Research Casts Doubt on Megalith’s Celestial Alignments

Ryan Whalen·January 8, 2025

The mystery of the "Wheel of Ghosts" reopens as new data demonstrating the site's shifting geodynamics undermine its suspected use as an astronomical tool.

Archaeologists Discover “Smoking Gun” Evidence of Earliest Human Companionship with Canines in the Americas

Ryan Whalen·December 11, 2024

Alaskan archaeological sites reveal the origins of human-canid friendship in the Americas began 2,000 years earlier than once thought.

Oldest Alphabet Discovered in Ancient Syrian Tomb Redefines History of Writing

Chrissy Newton·November 21, 2024

A research team at Johns Hopkins University has discovered evidence of the world's oldest alphabetic writing, carved onto finger-length clay cylinders, outdating other scripts by 500 years.

Ancient Interactions with an Enigmatic “Lost” Species Profoundly Shaped Early Human History, New Data Reveals

Micah Hanks·November 12, 2024

New data is revealing deeper insights into how early humans interbred with Denisovans in several distinct events that significantly shaped our early history.

Archeologists Spar with Ancient Spears to Uncover Lost Combat Knowledge

Ryan Whalen·October 11, 2024

A team of archaeologists recently explored prehistoric combat to shed light on how ancient warriors of the European Bronze Age fought.

Easter Island Mystery Debunked: New Study Disputes “Ecocide” Theory and Island’s Supposed Dark Past

Tim McMillan·September 17, 2024

New genetic research helps debunk a popular theory about Easter Island and the mysterious decline of its indigenous population.

New Research Reveals Fear’s Hidden Role in Shaping Early Civilizations

Ryan Whalen·August 30, 2024

Fear may have more significantly influenced the development of early civilizations than previously known, new research shows.

An Unexpected Discovery Could Rewrite the History of Cocaine Use in Europe

Tim McMillan·August 27, 2024

A surprise discovery reveals cocaine may have been widely available and used in Europe, centuries earlier than previously thought.

Mystery of Göbekli Tepe Deepens as Scientists Search for Clues to Ancient Site’s Strange Symbols

Micah Hanks·August 23, 2024

A controversial new paper says Göbekli Tepe may be the world's oldest calendar, reigniting debate over the 11,500-year-old megalithic site.

Scientists Have Located ‘Hidden Elements’ Recovered from Early Astronomer Tycho Brahe’s Alchemy Laboratory

Ryan Whalen·July 27, 2024

Recent discoveries are shedding light on the ingredients used by early astronomer and alchemist Tycho Brahe in his experiments.

Evidence of Ancient Human Interactions with Intelligent “Lost” Species Offers Clues to Their Mysterious Disappearance

Micah Hanks·July 15, 2024

New research is revealing insights into the genetics of modern humans, while offering clues to the mysterious disappearance of the Neanderthals.

2,500-Year-Old Graffiti Points to Existence of a Lost Ancient Greek Temple

MJ Banias·June 20, 2024

Researchers have uncovered unique graffiti that may indicate there once stood a massive Greek temple since been lost to history.

Paradigm Shift: Odd Artifacts and Archaeological Mysteries

Micah Hanks·May 29, 2024

This week we examine archaeological discoveries that are causing many experts to revisit old perplexing questions about cosmic-scale events that occurred long ago, as well as questions over who may have been among the earliest to arrive in North America.

7000-Year-Old Evidence of a Mysterious Cosmic Event is Helping Reveal the Secrets of an Ancient European Settlement

Micah Hanks·May 22, 2024

Data from an ancient cosmic event has helped researchers accurately date a prehistoric settlement in northern Greece.

Archaeologists Unearth New Clues That Could Help Solve Centuries-Old “Lost Colony” Mystery

Micah Hanks·May 14, 2024

New evidence uncovered by archaeologists is bringing researchers closer than ever to revealing the fate of the famous Lost Colony of Roanoke.