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Ancient Civilizations

The Venus of Kolobrzeg was unveiled earlier this month at the city museum.

Cool Finds

This Rare, 6,000-Year-Old Limestone Fertility Figurine Could Be Poland’s Archaeological ‘Find of the Century’

Dating back to the Neolithic era, the so-called Venus of Kolobrzeg is the first artifact of its kind unearthed in the European country

Aerial view of the villa, with thermal baths at the bottom right, the garden and fountain in the center, and the agricultural fields expanding to the left

Cool Finds

Archaeologists Stumble Onto Sprawling Ancient Roman Villa During Construction of a Road in France

Located near Auxerre, the grand estate once possessed an exorbitant level of wealth, with thermal baths and heated floors

A marble sarcophagus depicting a drinking contest between Hercules and Dionysus

Cool Finds

Ancient Sarcophagus Unearthed in Israel Portrays an Epic Drinking Contest Between the God Dionysus and the Mythical Hero Hercules

Archaeologists say the marble coffin is the first of its kind found in the region. The story it depicts is more often seen in mosaics

An ancient wooden falcon decorated with Egyptian blue alongside one of the newly developed pigments

New Research

Archaeologists Are Recreating the Long-Lost Recipe for Egyptian Blue, the World’s Oldest Known Synthetic Pigment

Created 5,000 years ago, the mysterious color has been found on artworks and artifacts throughout the ancient world. But the pigment’s recipe was eventually lost to history

A giant Yemeni flag waves at the historic 12th-century citadel of al-Qahira in Taiz, in 2021, ahead of celebrations of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha. 

Yemen’s Al-Qahira Castle Survived Centuries of War and Neglect. Can It Survive Its Own Restoration?

With funding for preserving the historic site in jeopardy, local officials are wondering what will come next for the 800-year-old structure

Radiocarbon dating requires destroying small samples of the fragile scrolls.

New Research

The Dead Sea Scrolls Changed Our Understanding of the Bible. Could Some of Them Be Even Older Than We Thought?

A new study combines A.I., radiocarbon dating and handwriting analysis to estimate new dates for some of the ancient scrolls, thought to be some of the earliest surviving fragments of the Old Testament

Conservation work at Gran Pajatén

Cool Finds

Archaeologists Discover More Than 100 Structures Linked to a Mysterious Pre-Columbian Civilization in the Remote Peruvian Andes

Based in high-altitude urban centers, the Chachapoya resisted conquest by the Inca Empire for centuries

A 17th-century still life featuring a plate of oysters

From Peasant Fodder to Fine Dining, Feast on the Tasty History of How Snails and Oysters Became Luxury Foods

Humans have eaten mollusks for millennia, but they weren’t always viewed as elite treats

Paintings in the tomb of Amum-em-Ipet depict a funeral procession and banquet.

Cool Finds

Egyptian Archaeologists Unearth Ancient Tombs Belonging to Three Senior Statesmen Who Helped Keep the New Kingdom Running

The burials were found at Dra Abu el-Naga, a necropolis for nobles and officials on the West Bank of the Nile River

Newly transferred fragments of the Zidanku Silk Manuscripts on view in Beijing on May 18

The Smithsonian Transfers Rare 2,300-Year-Old Silk Manuscripts to China

The Zidanku Silk Manuscripts were smuggled into the United States in the 1940s. Scholars say they provide remarkable insights into ancient Chinese philosophy and religion

The Ake archaeological site on the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico.

What Can We Learn From Apocalyptic Times of the Past?

More than a millennium ago, a Maya community collapsed in the face of a devastating drought. One writer joined an intrepid archaeologist to upend what they thought they understood about why it all happened

Researchers found the stone slab broken and buried in an ancient throne room.

Cool Finds

Archaeologists Unearth an Ancient Relief Depicting an Assyrian King and Rare Deities

The artifact was found in Mosul, Iraq, buried in the ancient city of Nineveh

The reconstructions show that the Parthenon’s internal appearance was constructed to provoke maximum awe—and even fear.

New Research

Step Into a Painstakingly Recreated 3D Model of the Parthenon, Now Restored to Its Ancient Glory

A researcher simulated the Athenian temple’s lighting conditions at different times of the day, discovering that its interior was actually “quite dark and dim”

An artistic rendering of the stone chamber where the tubes were discovered

Cool Finds

Archaeologists Say They’ve Discovered a Hidden Chamber Where Elites Used Hallucinogens 2,500 Years Ago

Unearthed in Peru, the small underground room may have been used for rituals involving psychoactive drugs. New research suggests these “exclusive” events were reserved for the elite

The pipe was found during an archaeological survey ahead of new construction.

Cool Finds

Ancient Roman Wooden Water Pipe Made From Hollow Tree Trunks Unearthed Beneath a Street in Belgium

Archaeologists say the muddy soil in the area preserved the artifact, which likely dates to between the second and third centuries C.E.

Tell Abu Saifi features housing units where soldiers and their families may have lived.

Cool Finds

Archaeologists Uncover Evidence of Ancient Tree-Lined Road in Egyptian Military Fortress

Located in the northern Sinai Desert, the site is shedding new light on defensive structures built to protect Egypt’s eastern borders

The obelisk once stood outside a temple in Luxor, Egypt.

Cool Finds

Egyptologist Reveals Mysterious Messages Hidden in the Hieroglyphics on a 3,000-Year-Old Obelisk

Jean-Guillaume Olette-Pelletier says he has identified seven sets of crypto-hieroglyphs on the 75-foot-tall structure, which France received as a gift in 1836

A man rides a camel in view of the remarkable Egyptian pyramids.

Smithsonian Photo Contest Galleries

These Extraordinary Archaeological Sites Are a Portal to Ancient Egypt

The Valley of the Kings and other bucket-list Egyptian destinations offer a glimpse into millennia-old majesty and artistry

The ancient people of Carthage, located in modern Tunisia, did not have ancestry in common with the Levantine Phoenicians that established their culture, according to a new study.

Carthaginians, Ancient Rome’s Infamous Enemies, Are Not Exactly Who Scholars Thought They Were, Ancestry Study Suggests

DNA reveals that the people of Carthage, a powerful independent colony founded by the Phoenicians, had little genetic similarity to their counterparts in the Levant

Researchers analyzed indentations in the skeleton's pelvis.

New Research

Bite Marks on Ancient Skeleton Reveal First Physical Evidence of Roman Gladiators Fighting Lions

Researchers compared the markings found on an ancient skeleton in England to bones that had been chewed on by cheetahs, lions, tigers and leopards in present-day zoos

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