archaeology Archives

Controversial Study Challenges Age of Famous Monte Verde Site, Reigniting One of Archaeology’s Greatest Debates

Micah Hanks·March 21, 2026

A new study questions the age of Chile's Monte Verde archaeological site, reigniting debate over when the first people reached South America.

1,700-Year-Old Roman “Advanced Engineering” Unearthed in a Rare Archaeological Discovery

Micah Hanks·March 18, 2026

A rare 1,700-year-old discovery by archaeologists in Turkey highlights the use of advanced engineering of the Roman-era.

This Ancient Invention Reveals the Ice Age Technology That Propelled Human Expansion Against Earth’s Frigid Temperatures

Micah Hanks·March 14, 2026

New research reveals how the invention of a crucial Ice Age technology helped humans defend against extreme cold during ancient global migrations.

Huge Stone Structures in Quebec, the Discovery of a “Space Laser,” and the U.S. Army’s New “Super-Foam”

Micah Hanks·March 10, 2026

This week, ancient stone structures in Canada, a "space laser," and the U.S. Army's "super-foam" are in the news, along with the latest developments in the U.S. campaign in Iran.

Mysterious Stone Structures in Southern Quebec’s Wilderness Spark Debate Over Canada’s Ancient Past

Chrissy Newton·March 6, 2026

A Quebec landowner says huge stone formations on his property could point to evidence of a previously unknown chapter in Canadian prehistory.

Archaeologists Discover Ancient ‘King’s Order’ That Confirms a Semi-Legendary Nubian King Was Real

Tim McMillan·March 4, 2026

A rare ancient document from Sudan confirms the historical existence of King Qashqash, a Nubian ruler once known only from legend.

NASA Issues an Artemis Update, a Teleportation Breakthrough, and Tardigrades in Martian Soil

Micah Hanks·March 3, 2026

This week, as NASA announces massive changes to its Artemis program, quantum teleportation, tardigrades, and space science are also making the news.

60,000-Year-Old “Highly Unusual” Etchings Could Point to Humanity’s Earliest Use of Geometric Design

Micah Hanks·February 27, 2026

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.

Did Archaeologists Uncover Evidence of a Neanderthal “Skull Cult” in This Ancient Spanish Cave?

Micah Hanks·February 24, 2026

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

Micah Hanks·February 23, 2026

A curious ancient Roman artifact has drawn renewed attention as researchers report finally solving the mystery of its undeciphered markings.

James Webb Space Telescope exoplanet surface features

Hidden Human Senses, a “Sophisticated” Artifact Challenges Early Timelines, and a New Webb Telescope Discovery

Micah Hanks·February 17, 2026

This week, the discovery of "hidden" human senses, an ancient Egyptian artifact discovery that challenges existing timelines, and a Webb Telescope discovery are all in the news.

5,300-Year-Old Egyptian Artifact Confirms Existence of “Mechanically Sophisticated” Drilling Technology Before the Age of the Pharaohs

Micah Hanks·February 16, 2026

Researchers have identified the earliest known "mechanically sophisticated" drill found in association with ancient Egyptian archaeology.

12,000-Year-Old Discovery in an Oregon Cave Reveals First Evidence of a “Complex” Ancient American Technology

Micah Hanks·February 7, 2026

A 12,000-year-old discovery offers a rare look at the emergence of complex technologies employed by America’s early inhabitants.

14,000-Year-Old Alaskan Site Could Rewrite the Story of How Humans Reached the Americas

Tim McMillan·February 4, 2026

Finds at Alaska’s Holzman site show how Ice Age hunters, mammoths, and tools shaped the earliest journey into North America.

Early Humans in Asia Were Making Advanced Tools 160,000 Years Ago—Upending a Long-Held Assumptions

Tim McMillan·January 28, 2026

Ancient tools from China show early humans made complex, hafted technologies 160,000 years ago, reshaping views of innovation.

Archaeologists: Half a Million-Year-Old Elephant Bone Hammer Wasn’t Made by Modern Humans

Christopher Plain·January 22, 2026

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

Micah Hanks·January 21, 2026

Discoveries at a controversial southeastern archaeological site could potentially push back the timelines for human arrival in the Americas.

A “Master Regulator” in the Brain, Unearthing a Major Archaeological Find, and How the Body Brews its Own Alcohol

Micah Hanks·January 20, 2026

This week in stories we're covering at The Debrief, scientists have identified a "master regulator" in the brain, and an ancient Roman factory is unearthed.

A Remarkable 7th-Century Anglo-Saxon Discovery Has Been Unearthed at a Nuclear Site in the UK

Micah Hanks·January 14, 2026

Excavations at a nuclear power site in the United Kingdom have revealed evidence of a "high-status" Anglo-Saxon burial.

Secret ‘Sonic Weapon’ Claims, a New Astronomical Mystery, and a 2000-Year-Old Toxic Surprise

Micah Hanks·January 13, 2026

This week in recent news from The Debrief, we look at claims of a secret U.S. sonic weapon, an astronomical mystery, and a toxic archaeological discovery.

2000-Year-Old Grave Reveals Mysterious Red Toxic Surprise, Confirming Once Unknown Ancient Burial Practice

Micah Hanks·January 10, 2026

The presence of a mysterious red substance has revealed a toxic discovery in a 2,000-year-old grave in southern Ukraine.

Archaeologists Have Discovered a Massive Ancient Structure in Ireland—It Could Be the Largest Prehistoric Site of Its Kind

Micah Hanks·December 31, 2025

Archaeologists have discovered one of the largest settlements ever identified in Ireland's Baltinglass hillfort landscape.

Space, Archaeology, Consciousness, and the Science of Tomorrow: The Top Science Stories of 2025

Micah Hanks·December 30, 2025

2025 has been an exceptional year for discoveries, and we here at The Debrief have kept a watchful eye throughout the last twelve months as several major scientific discoveries and important technological achievements have occurred throughout the year.

Archaeology in 2025: Here Are Several of This Year’s Most Fascinating Ancient Discoveries

Micah Hanks·December 27, 2025

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.

Mysterious Jars Found in King Tut’s Tomb Have Perplexed Scholars for a Century—New Research Finally Reveals What They Held

Tim McMillan·December 19, 2025

King Tut’s alabaster jars have long held mystery. A new Yale study finds chemical evidence suggesting they once contained opium.

Researchers May Have Solved the Mystery Behind the Collapse of One of the World’s First Great Civilizations

Tim McMillan·December 15, 2025

New research suggests the Indus Valley Civilization was reshaped by centuries of river drought, migration, and climate stress.

A Webb Telescope Discovery “That Shouldn’t Exist,” a Mysterious Stairway to Nowhere, and Support for Near-Death Experiences

Micah Hanks·December 9, 2025

This week, JWST discoveries, archaeological mysteries, and neuroscience research into the mystery of near-death experiences are all featured in the news.

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.