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Ancient Civilizations

A cylinder seal (left) engraved with symbols that was used to press markings into wet clay (right)

New Research

The World’s Earliest Writing System May Have Been Influenced by Older Symbols Found on Stone ‘Cylinder Seals’

Thousands of years ago, our ancestors used symbols to track the sale of textile and agricultural products. New research suggests that these markings informed the development of writing

The gold votive plaque features a Greek inscription dedicated to Jupiter Dolichenus.

Cool Finds

Archaeologists Discover Engraved Gold Offering to Jupiter Dolichenu, a War God Revered by Roman Soldiers

The votive plaque was found amid the ruins of an ancient Roman fortress. Researchers think a temple dedicated to the mysterious deity may have stood nearby

Teaching in Oxford, England, began no later than 1096. Tenochtitlán, the capital of the Aztec Empire, was founded in 1325.

The University of Oxford Is Older Than the Aztec Empire and Other Facts That Will Change Your Perspective on History

The historical timeline you keep in your head might not be as accurate as you think

Users of the Sortes Astrampsychi chose a specific question from a list of 92. Then, they randomly picked a number between one and ten, which, when added to the number of the chosen question, directed them to one of 1,030 possible answers.

To Divine the Future, the Ancients Relied on These Chance-Based Fortune-Telling Tools

Texts like the “Sortes Astrampsychi” promised insights on clients’ love lives, career prospects, financial woes and families

The core of the Valeriana site contained a ballcourt and an architectural arrangement that indicated a construction date before 150 C.E.

Cool Finds

‘Found’ Dataset Reveals Lost Maya City Full of Pyramids and Plazas, Hiding in Plain Sight Beneath a Mexican Forest

By analyzing an old lidar survey, researchers found evidence of more than 6,500 ancient structures in a previously unexplored area of Campeche

Sculpted monsters, open tombs and dramatic depictions of supernatural combatants make visiting the Sacro Bosco more akin to braving a Renaissance version of a haunted house.

Discover the Mysteries of Italy’s Park of Monsters, a 16th-Century Garden Filled With Strange, Colossal Stone Creatures

The Sacro Bosco’s meaning is the subject of debate, with scholars alternatively describing the sprawling complex as a memorial, an allegorical site or a tribute to ancient civilizations

This digital reconstruction of the Armenian church's now-degraded walls shows its original shape.

Cool Finds

This Newly Discovered, Octagonal Building in Armenia Is One of the World’s Oldest Christian Churches

The structure—also the earliest of its kind in the Asian country—dates to around 350 C.E.

The seven-foot-tall Apollo Belvedere is thought to be a Roman copy of a Greek statue.

See the Vatican’s Magnificent Marble Statue of the Greek God Apollo Restored to Its Former Glory

Experts added a carbon fiber pole to help anchor the “Apollo Belvedere,” which had developed cracks along the legs and knees. Now, the looming Roman sculpture is finally back on display

Matthew Vincent, Josh Gates and Pearce Paul Creasman digging in front of the Treasury building in Petra, Jordan

Cool Finds

Archaeologists in Petra Discover Secret Tomb Hiding Beneath a Mysterious Structure Featured in ‘Indiana Jones’

The recent excavation beneath the Treasury has revealed 12 complete human skeletons and a trove of grave goods dating back 2,000 years

The woman's remains were contained in two painted coffins, one stacked inside the other.

Cool Finds

Archaeologists Discover Intricately Decorated Coffins Belonging to the Only Daughter of an Ancient Egyptian Governor

The 4,000-year-old burial chamber featured hieroglyphs referring to the woman, known as Idi, as the “lady of the house”

Oued Beht, highlighted in color

The Discovery of a 5,000-Year-Old Society in Morocco Reveals an Ancient Farming Culture

At the site known as Oued Beht, archaeologists uncovered evidence of a large farming settlement where people used advanced techniques

A painting of a crowned woman with scepter (upper left), a procession of men behind her carrying objects (upper right) and a textile workshop (below) on the wall of an ancient throne room in Peru

Cool Finds

See a Newly Uncovered Throne Room in Peru That May Have Belonged to an Ancient Queen

Built by the Moche people in the seventh century, the stunningly painted space shows signs of heavy use, including an eroded throne and traces of human hair

Lines from tire tracks can be seen running through historic geoglyphs in the Atacama Desert.

Off-Road Drivers Are Destroying Ancient Artworks Stretching Across Chile’s Deserts

As hundreds of motorists take to the desert, their tracks damage the massive geoglyphs made by Indigenous groups in northern Chile

Some human bones, including this skull, found at the Tollense Valley battlefield were pierced with arrowheads.

New Research

These 3,000-Year-Old Arrowheads Are Pivotal Clues in the Mystery of ‘Europe’s Oldest Known Battlefield’

While no written records exist, new research has illuminated key details of the battle fought in northern Germany during the 13th century B.C.E.

The researchers' A.I. model can spot geoglyphs' outlines 20 times faster than humans.

Cool Finds

See Newly Discovered Nazca Drawings That Depict Llamas, Human Sacrifices and More

An A.I.-assisted study identified 303 previously unknown geoglyphs in the Peruvian desert. The art features surprising figures, like orcas holding knives

The barracks were designed as a series of mudbrick rooms.

Cool Finds

These Ancient Egyptian Barracks Paint a Vivid Picture of Military Life During the Reign of Ramses II

Archaeologists unearthed a series of mudbrick rooms filled with religious tributes, soldiers’ personal effects, engraved weaponry and animal bones

Construction of the famous stone statues of Rapa Nui, called moai, was previously thought to have contributed to the island's population collapse.

Easter Island’s Ancient Population Never Faced Ecological Collapse, Suggests Another Study

New DNA analysis adds to growing research indicating the famous Pacific island did not collapse from overuse of resources before the arrival of Europeans

The helmet was excavated at at the Łysa Góra site in Poland's Mazovia region.

This Ancient Celtic Helmet Is the Oldest Ever Found in Poland

Unearthed at the Łysa Góra archaeological site, the artifact, some 2,300 years old, is a prime example of Celtic metalworking

The coins were minted between 94 B.C.E. and 74 B.C.E.

Cool Finds

Archaeologists Unearth Rare Trove of Silver Coins on Mediterranean Island

The 27 Roman denarii found on the island of Pantelleria date back more than 2,000 years

Masada is now one of Israel's most-visited tourist attractions.

New Research

The Roman Siege of Masada May Have Lasted Weeks, Not Years

New research suggests that the Romans defeated the Jewish rebels at Masada much more quickly than scholars previously assumed

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