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Archaeology

Cudjo Lewis, the last survivor transported to Alabama on the Clotilda

Cool Finds

Search Continues for Last American Slave Ship After Recent Wreck Ruled Out

The Clotilda illegally transported 110 enslaved people from present-day Benin to Alabama more than 50 years after the U.S. outlawed the slave trade

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

At La Pasiega in Spain, the scalariform, or ladder shape, composed of red horizontal and vertical lines (center left) dates to older than 64,000 years.

New Research

Were Neanderthals the Earliest Cave Artists? New Research in Spain Points to the Possibility

Archaeologists pushed back the date of cave paintings at three sites to 65,000 years ago—20,000 years before the arrival of humans in Europe

Roman mosaics date back to the Bronze Age, and a new one has just been discovered at the Roman Baths in Bath, England.

Oldest Mosaic at Roman Baths Found During Excavations

Mosaics have a long history, but this is considered the oldest at the site

When it comes to ancient remains, isotope analysis could help scientists separate dogs from wolves.

New Research

Dogs and Humans Didn’t Become Best Friends Overnight

First, we feared and ate them, a new isotope analysis reveals

The Archaeology of Wealth Inequality

Researchers trace the income gap back more than 11,000 years

A team of researchers in northern Australia have documented kites and falcons, “firehawks,” intentionally carrying burning sticks to spread fire: It is just one example of western science catching up to Indigenous Traditional Knowledge.

When Scientists “Discover” What Indigenous People Have Known For Centuries

When it supports their claims, Western scientists value what Traditional Knowledge has to offer. If not, they dismiss it

Greek Orthodox priests taking part in a procession inside the Katholikon, or Catholicon Chapel, in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem.

A Crusader-Era High Altar Resurfaces in Jerusalem’s Holy Sepulcher

This reminder of centuries-old history was sitting in plain sight all along

Cool Finds

Life-Size Camel Carvings Found in the Saudi Desert

Archaeologists estimate the reliefs are 2,000 years old but are unsure what culture made them

A panel from the newly found tomb

Cool Finds

Tomb of 5th Dynasty Priestess Found in Egypt

The 4,400-year-old burial chamber includes well-preserved wall paintings, including an image of a monkey dancing in front of an orchestra

Laser Scans Reveal 60,000 Hidden Maya Structures in Guatemala

Houses, fortifications, pyramids and causeways were among the discoveries

Stone Tool Discovery in India Raises Questions About Spread of Ancient Technology

The tools may suggest that humans dispersed from Africa earlier than previously believed. But not all experts agree

In Nilsson’s reconstruction, the teenager looks skeptical—and steely.

Experts Reconstruct the Face of a Mesolithic-Era Teenager

She was buried in a cave in central Greece around 9,000 years ago

The ochre "crayon"

Cool Finds

One of the World’s Oldest “Crayons” Colors in Details of the Mesolithic World

An interdisciplinary team of archaeologists and physicists came together to discover the purpose of the ancient bit of sharpened red ochre

Iron Age Tunic, radiocarbon-dated to c. AD 300. that was found in a glaciated mountain pass.

New Research

Norway’s Melting Glaciers Release Over 2,000 Artifacts

Spanning 6,000 years, the well-preserved items hint at the history of mountain dwellers

Close-up view of the of jawbone, showing details of the crown topography and dental features.

New Research

Earliest Human Remains Outside Africa Were Just Discovered in Israel

If accepted as Homo sapien, the jaw-dropping jawbone would push back the human exodus out of Africa by nearly 100,000 years

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

Cool Finds

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

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