Eras
Eras are periods of time defined by geologic or historic events
This 19th-Century Politician Never Thought He’d Be Outed for Vandalizing an Egyptian Temple
Unlike a Chinese youth recently shamed into apologizing for the markings he left on an Egyptian Temple, Luther Bradish got away guilt-free with his sneaky bid at immortality
June 11, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
The First French Winemakers Learned Everything They Knew From Etruscans
New research pins the arrival of wine making in France to around 525 B.C.
June 04, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
Legendary Human-Eating Bird Was Real, Probably Could Have Eaten People
In Maori legend, Te Hokioi was a giant bird that preyed on children, and science says that's probably the truth
June 03, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
The Ancient Egyptians Had Iron Because They Harvested Fallen Meteors
Modern chemical analysis confirms that ancient Egyptians used iron from meteorites
May 30, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
Tiger vs. Lion—Who Would Win?
Lions are the king of the plains. Tigers rule the jungle. But face to face, which would win?
May 29, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
How Two Retirees’ Amateur Archaeology Helped Throw Our View of Human History Into Turmoil
Through decades of excavation near their cottage Anton and Maria Chobot unearthed artifacts of the Clovis people
May 28, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
This Woman Is a Hair-Style Archaeologist
Like a superhero of the coiffe, Janet Stephens spends her days as a regular hair dresser and her nights recreating the hairstyles of ancient Rome
May 28, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
Mayan Pyramid Destroyed to Get Rocks for Road Project
The construction company building the road appears to have extracted crushed rocks from the pyramid to use as road fill
May 14, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
Scientists Map Britain’s Most Famous Underwater City
Researchers have created a 3D visualization of Dunwich using acoustic imaging
May 13, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
The Great(est) Gatsby Playlist
Baz Luhrmann may have his take, but Smithsonian Folkways offers its own streaming soundtrack for the novel-turned-movie
May 10, 2013 |
By Leah Binkovitz
We’re About to Pass a Disheartening New Climate Change Milestone
We're teetering on the edge of hitting carbon dioxide levels of 400 ppm, but will that be enough to change minds and policies?
May 07, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
U.S. Gives Mongolia Its Tyrannosauras Skeleton Back
The U.S. government is returning a Tyrannosaurus skeleton to Mongolia and the Metropolitan Museum of Art is giving two statues back to Cambodia
May 07, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Starving Settlers in Jamestown Colony Resorted to Cannibalism
New archaeological evidence and forensic analysis reveals that a 14-year-old girl was cannibalized in desperation
May 01, 2013 |
By Joseph Stromberg
How Can the U.S. Government Know If Syrian Combatants Were Affected by Sarin Gas?
Reports from the White House that sarin gas were used in Syria, but how could you test for it?
April 26, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
Ancient Australia’s First Settlers Probably Came There On Purpose
Rather some chance encounter with the continent down under, researchers think that the original migrants set out to deliberately colonize Australia
April 25, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Ancient Maya Were Cultural Sponges
Rather than the Maya influencing the Olmec or vice versus, similarities between their cultures represent a general shift in ancient Mesoamerica
April 25, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
How Do You Say ‘Star Wars’ In Navajo?
The Navajo Nation teamed up with Lucasfilm to translate the classic space opera
April 25, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
Europe’s Hypocritical History of Cannibalism
From prehistory to the present with many episodes in between, the region has a surprisingly meaty history of humans eating humans
April 25, 2013 |
By Sarah Everts
Almost All That Remains of This Woman, Perhaps the First Queen of Windsor, Is Her Jewelry
Though her clothes long since decomposed and her bones are almost completely decayed, her lavish jewelry remains behind, giving hints to her identity
April 24, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Math Prodigy Shakuntala Devi, ‘The Human Computer,’ Dies at 83
In 1977, Devi faced off against a computer in a speed calculation race. She won twice.
April 23, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
