Ancient Civilizations

Governor Djehutynakht

The F.B.I. Helped a Museum Learn the Identity of a 4,000-Year-Old Severed Head

Cutting-edge DNA analysis revealed the mummified head belonged to Djehutynakht, a governor in Middle Kingdom Egypt, and not his wife as some believed

Rare Image of Early Female Pharaoh Found in University Collection

After her reign, Hatshepsut was expunged from Egyptian history, but a carving of her likeness has turned up in Swansea University

Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute archaeologist Ashley Sharpe contemplates the Ceibal site in Guatemala—one of the oldest Maya sites known.

Dogs Were Transported Across Great Distances for Ancient Maya Rituals

A new paper uses chemistry to shed light on the management of Maya animals

An aerial view of Meggido, now called Tell el-Mutesellim, where researchers have recently discovered the burial chamber of a royal or elite family.

3,600-Year-Old Tomb Found Next to Canaanite Palace Might Contain Remains of Royal Family

Archaeologists have been searching the site of Megiddo for more than 100 years

Is This the Seal of the Prophet Isaiah?

One archaeologist believes the relic may have belonged to the biblical figure, but there are major problems with her interpretation

In this April 10, 2015 photo, Brayan Lopez, 9, plays a Taino wood drum while students perform a ceremonial dance in San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico.

Ancient DNA Contradicts Historical Narrative of 'Extinct' Caribbean Taíno Population

Researchers create Caribbean's first complete ancient human genome, find Taíno genes in living people

Colorado State University archeologist Chris Fisher has used the laser mapping technique in Mexico and Honduras.

Laser Mapping Shows Ancient City in Mexico Contained 40,000 Buildings

Researchers used LiDAR scanning to reveal the sprawling metropolis of Angamuco

Laser Scans Reveal 60,000 Hidden Maya Structures in Guatemala

Houses, fortifications, pyramids and causeways were among the discoveries

Why the Shift to Farming Ruined This Ancient City's Health

The switch from a hunter gatherer society to a farming one appears to have resulted in a more sedentary lifestyle for the inhabitants of Catalhoyuk

This Recently Discovered 1,700-Year-Old Mouth Harp Can Still Hold a Tune

The mouth harp, found in Siberia’s Altai Republic, produces music when you strike or pluck it with a finger

Scythian Prince's Sprawling Tomb Found in the "Siberian Valley of the Kings"

A summer dig unearthed what may be the oldest and largest tomb left behind by the ancient nomadic culture in southern Siberia

The "pyramid" of Keros

Researchers Uncover Ancient Greek Island's Complex Plumbing System

Excavations show the settlement of Dhaskalio at the pilgrimage site Keros was a sophisticated urban center

Tut and Ankhesenamun

Archaeologists Could Be Close to Finding the Tomb of King Tut's Wife

After Tut's death, Ankhesenamun might have wed the Pharaoh Ay, and there's a possibility she's buried near him in the Valley of the Monkeys

Researchers Are Trying to Figure Out How to Play This Ancient Roman Board Game

Found in a grave in Slovakia in 2006, it is one of Europe's best-preserved ancient gaming boards

The repatriated mummy skull

After More Than 90 Years, Looted Mummy Parts Repatriated to Egypt

The skull and two hands were illegally acquired by a tourist in 1927 and were confiscated from an antiquities dealer

Tomb Door Engraved with Menorah Discovered in Israel

The artifact tells the story of the three major religious groups that have occupied Tiberias over the centuries

Scientists Recreate a Stone Age Cremation

A scientist recreates a Stone Age funeral pyre using nothing but resources from that era. The makeshift pyre achieves same temperatures as a crematorium

In this Dec. 21, 2012 file photo, people gather in front of the Kukulkan temple in Chichen Itza, Mexico. Mexican experts said Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2016 they have discovered what may be the original structure at the pyramid of Kukulkan at the Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza.

Ancient Maya Heritage Comes Alive...With Some Help From Google and the British Museum

Victorian explorer Alfred Maudslay’s images are now available online for all to see

In Fallujah, ISIS blew up this bridge during its 2016 retreat.

What Does the Future of the Euphrates Spell for the Middle East?

In the wake of the war against Isis in Iraq, an ominous journey along the once-mighty river finds a new crisis lurking in the shallows

Some of the Roman defenses at Pegwell Bay

Archaeologists Discover Where Julius Caesar Landed in Britain

A large camp along Pegwell Bay is the likely spot where 20,000 Romans landed in 54 B.C.

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