Archaeology
China’s Terracotta Warrior Army Is Deteriorating
If China doesn't take steps to better preserve the relics, they may eventually turn into dust
February 08, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Timbuktu’s Priceless Manuscripts Are Safe After All
Rebels set fire to the library, but the precious documents were already gone
February 04, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
Scientists Think They’ve Found Richard III’s Body Under a Parking Lot
Researchers announced this morning that the bones found beneath a parking lot in England are likely those of King Richard III
February 04, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
New Research Disproves Prehistoric Killer-Comet Theory (Again)
Maybe the problem here is that other prevailing theories of the Clovis’ decline are just super boring by comparison
January 31, 2013 |
By Lauren Kirchner
People Have Been Eating Curry for 4,500 Years
Thanks to new research methods and a pile of (very old) dirty dishes, archaeologists have discovered the very ancient origins of a globally popular cuisine.
January 30, 2013 |
By Lauren Kirchner
Here’s What Three Mummies Might Have Looked Like While Alive
For the first time in over 2,000 years, these three mummies' faces now stare back at viewers, much as they might have appeared just before their deaths
January 30, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Library Full of Precious Manuscripts Burned in Timbuktu
The main library in Timbuktu is full of cultural relics, manuscripts that have survived since the 1200's hidden in wooden trunks, buried in the sand, and finally housed in the small library. But recent reports from the country say that rebels might have burned that history to the ground
January 28, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
Geneticist Does Not Seek Woman to Give Birth to Cloned Caveman Baby
Geneticist George Church says he's already extracted enough DNA from Neanderthal fossils to create an embryo, but lacking a uterus himself he needs to find the right lady
January 22, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
In Ancient Rome, Children’s Shoes Were a Status Symbol
From a trove of ancient Roman footwear, a rethinking of military life
January 21, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
Hair and Eye Color Can Now Be Determined for Ancient Human Skeletons
A new method based on DNA forensics can tell us about the appearances of those who lived long ago
January 15, 2013 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Flores Hobbits Were Sort of Like Humans, Sort of Like Chimps, Sort of Like Tolkien’s Fantasy Beings
Archaeologists are slowly bringing "the Hobbit Human" to light as new bones turn up
January 11, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
In Ancient Egypt, People Paid to Become Temple Servants
Rather than face forced labor, some ancient Egyptians gave up their futures and their coin to become temple servants
January 09, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
What’s Inside a 2,000-Year-Old, Shipwreck-Preserved Roman Pill?
Ancient Roman pills, preserved in sealed tin containers on the seafloor, may have been used as eye medicine
January 07, 2013 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Bonobos Offer Banana Bribes for Friendship
Chimpanzees will sooner kill than share food, but bonobos will sacrifice some of their own goods for the pleasure of interacting with strangers
January 02, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Remember These Titans of Science Who Died in 2012
From the inventor of the barcode to the discoverer of how cancer spreads, we take a look at the brilliant minds who shaped our culture and modern way of life
December 29, 2012 |
By Mohi Kumar
The Dead Sea Scrolls Just Went Digital
Written between 200 BC and the middle of the first century AD, the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered again 1947
December 19, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
One of the World’s Oldest Bibles Is Now Online
An ancient Greek Bible is now available online
December 17, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
Even Mummy Doctors Forgot Tools in Their Patients Sometimes
Researchers examining the brains of mummies have found a small tool that was used during embalming, left behind after the procedure
December 17, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
New Discovery of 7000-Year-Old Cheese Puts Your Trader Joe’s Aged Gouda to Shame
Previously traced to ancient Egypt, prehistoric pottery indicates that cheese was invented thousands of years earlier
December 12, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Cavemen Were Much Better At Illustrating Animals Than Artists Today
A new study finds that prehistoric humans correctly depicted the gait of four-legged animals much more frequently than modern artists
December 05, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
