Ancient Civilizations

Once fish were captured in watercourts, they were likely harvested with nets or speared.

In Ancient Florida, the Calusa Built an Empire Out of Shells and Fish

New research suggests the civilization used huge enclosures to trap and stockpile live fish to support its complex society

Cartoonist Albert Uderzo poses with Asterix (R) and Obelix (L) prior to a press conference at the Monnaie de Paris on March 25, 2015.

Albert Uderzo, Co-Creator of 'Asterix and Obelix' Comics, Dies at 92

The pint-sized, mustachioed Gaul immortalized in the French cartoon has spawned films, a theme park and many other spin-offs

Researchers excavate an altar in the capital of the Maya kingdom of Sak Tz'i'.

Community-Researcher Collaboration Reveals Ancient Maya Capital in Backyard

A recent excavation located the first physical evidence of the capital of the Maya kingdom of Sak Tz'i', founded in 750 B.C.

A chemical analysis of the stone slab has led a modern team of researchers to argue for a far less biblical origin story.

New Analysis Refutes Nazareth Inscription's Ties to Jesus' Death

The marble slab appears to be Greek in origin and may have been written in response to the death of a tyrant on the island of Kos

A stained glass window designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany is one of many artworks available for your perusal.

68 Cultural, Historical and Scientific Collections You Can Explore Online

Tour world-class museums, read historic cookbooks, browse interactive maps and more

A roughly 20,000-year-old engraved, pocket-sized rock that may depict a sun, eye or flower

Portable, Pocket-Sized Rock Art Discovered in Ice Age Indonesian Cave

The findings further refute the outdated notion that humans' capacity for complex artistic expression evolved exclusively in Europe

The remains of the newly discovered structure.

A Mysterious 25,000-Year-Old Structure Built of the Bones of 60 Mammoths

The purpose of such an elaborate structure remains a big open question

An Etlatongo ballplayer figurine unearthed at the site

Newly Unearthed Mesoamerican Ball Court Offers Insights on Game's Origins

"This could be the oldest and longest-lived team ball game in the world," says one archaeologist

Serafino Jamourlian of the monastery of San Lazzaro degli Armeni and Vittoria Dall'Armellina with a newly rediscovered 5,000-year-old sword

Graduate Student Discovers One of World's Oldest Swords in Mislabeled Monastery Display

At 5,000 years old, the weapon predates the era when humans first started using tin to make bronze

A general view shows the step pyramid of Djoser in Egypt's Saqqara necropolis, south of the capital Cairo, on March 5.

Egypt's Oldest Pyramid Reopens to Public After 14-Year Hiatus

Built nearly 4,700 years ago as a tomb for the pharaoh Djoser, the structure underwent more than a decade of on-and-off restorations

Built at the turn of the seventh century, the white plaster-coated road begins in Cobá and ends 62 miles west, at Yaxuná's ancient downtown in the center of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula.

Did a Seventh-Century Warrior Queen Build the Maya's Longest Road?

Dubbed the "white road" in honor of its limestone paving, the 62-mile path is an engineering marvel on par with Maya pyramids

A digital reconstruction of a 2,000-year-old sarcophagus fragment adorned with the face of a leopard

2,000-Year-Old Leopard Face Painting Reconstructed From Egyptian Sarcophagus

To the ancient Egyptians, the big cat symbolized strength and power, demarcating a tomb of high status

The restored dagger and sheath, following nine months of sandblasting and grinding

Archaeology Intern Unearths Spectacular, 2,000-Year-Old Roman Dagger

After a nine-month restoration, the elaborately decorated blade and its sheath gleam as if brand new

A half-submerged stone inscribed with Luwian hieroglyphs detailing the fall of Phrygia

Ancient Inscription Unveils the King Who May Have Toppled Midas

A newly discovered stone hints that a lost civilization defeated the ancient Turkish kingdom of Phrygia around the eighth century B.C.

A 55-inch wide sarcophagus and what appears to be an altar are seen in an underground chamber at the ancient Roman Forum.

Archaeologists Unearth Possible Shrine to Romulus, Rome's Legendary Founder

An underground temple and sarcophagus discovered in the Roman Forum may pay homage to the mythical figure

Pompeii's House of Lovers, first uncovered in 1933, was severely damaged in a 1980 earthquake.

Pompeii's House of Lovers Reopens to the Public After 40 Years

The building, one of three newly restored painted houses, is named for a Latin inscription that reads, “Lovers lead, like bees, a life as sweet as honey”

Angkor Wat in Cambodia

Angkor Wat May Owe Its Existence to an Engineering Catastrophe

The collapse of a reservoir in a remote and mysterious city could have helped Angkor gain supremacy

A 3-D model of Athens' classical acropolis

These 3-D Models Offer a Digital Glimpse Into 3,000 Years of Athens' History

Photographer-animator Dimitris Tsalkanis built the city from scratch and posted it online for free

A new analysis of 12,000- to 16,000-year-old pottery fragments suggests ancient Siberians navigated the harsh ice age climate with the help of "hot pots."

Siberian Hunters Cooked in 'Hot Pots' at the End of the Last Ice Age

Chemical analysis of the cookware reveals the diets of two ancient Siberian cultures

So-called Gwion figures feature prominently in some Aboriginal artworks. New research shows some of these paintings may have been completed as recently as 12,000 years ago.

Bookended by Wasp Nests, These Aboriginal Artworks May Finally Have Definitive Dates

New estimates place paintings in Australia's Kimberley rock shelters at about 12,000 years old

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