Archaeology

Both sides of a shark tooth from Rio do Meio, an artifact which may have been used as a cutting tool. Archaeologists think it was bound to a wooden shaft by cord, strung through the drilled holes.

Why Did Ancient Indigenous Groups in Brazil Hunt Sharks?

New studies show that shark meat may have constituted half of their diet and that the beasts' teeth were used as arrow tips and razor blades

The researchers determined that a right-handed craftsperson created the markings in a single session.

120,000-Year-Old Cattle Bone Carvings May Be World's Oldest Surviving Symbols

Archaeologists found the bone fragment—engraved with six lines—at a Paleolithic meeting site in Israel

Parents probably created the tags in hopes of finding their children again.

Newly Unearthed I.D. Tags Tell the Stories of Four Young Holocaust Victims

The Nazis murdered the children, who ranged in age from 5 to 11, upon their arrival at the Sobibor death camp in Poland

Netflix's The Dig dramatizes the excavation of an elaborate Anglo-Saxon ship burial.

The True History Behind Netflix's 'The Dig' and Sutton Hoo

One of the greatest archaeological finds in British history, the Anglo-Saxon burial changed historians' view of the Dark Ages

The mud shell was added after the woman's original mummification, perhaps to repair damage inflicted by grave robbers.

Why Was This Egyptian Mummy Encased in Mud?

Researchers have never previously observed the unusual, low-cost embalming method

Archaeologists exploring the submerged landscapes of Australia, often called sea country, recently found ancient sites underwater.

The Search for Aboriginal History Off the Coast of Australia

Archaeologists exploring the waters near Western Australia's Murujuga are finding ancient sites a short dive below the sea's surface

Researchers found the mummy at a temple in the ancient Egyptian city of Taposiris Magna.

Archaeologists in Egypt Discover Mummy With Gold Tongue

Ancient embalmers likely placed the tongue-shaped, gold foil amulet in the deceased's mouth to ensure they could speak in the afterlife

Archaeologists discovered the graveyard beneath 1930s housing at Cambridge University.

Anglo-Saxon Cemetery Found Beneath Demolished University Housing

The find may shed light on life in Britain after the withdrawal of Roman forces in the fifth century A.D.

These five skulls, which range from an approximately 2.5-million-year-old Australopithecus africanus on the left to an approximately 4,800-year-old Homo sapiens on the right, show changes in the size of the braincase, slope of the face and shape of the brow ridges over just less than half of human evolutionary history.

An Evolutionary Timeline of Homo Sapiens

Scientists share the findings that helped them pinpoint key moments in the rise of our species

These Cambodian cultural heritage artifacts, once held in the collection of controversial collector Douglas Latchford, will soon be returned to their home country. From left to right: Ardhanarishvara, a half-male, half-female deity from the Angkor period, 10th century; a bronze boat prow from the late 12th century; and a bronze male deity from the 11th-century Angkor period

Collection of Antiquities Dealer Accused of Looting Will Return to Cambodia

The $50 million trove represents one of the most significant repositories of Cambodian cultural heritage outside of the country

Eagles are enduring symbols in Aztec lore.

Archaeologists Unearth 600-Year-Old Golden Eagle Sculpture at Aztec Temple

The artwork is the largest bas-relief engraving found at the Templo Mayor to date

The gold figurine stands just 2.5 inches tall.

Amateur Treasure Hunter Unearths Missing Centerpiece of Henry VIII's Crown

The gold figurine, valued at roughly £2 million, depicts 15th-century English king Henry VI

The color purple has long been associated with royalty. This wool fabric found in Israel dates to around 1,000 B.C.

'Royal Purple' Fabric Dated to Time of Biblical King David Found in Israel

Derived from the bodies of snails, the dye used on the wool fibers was extremely valuable in the ancient world

A fragment of 1,500-year-old cloth is still attached to a metal brooch found at the site.

Rare Scraps of Mineralized Anglo-Saxon Textiles Found in England

Archaeologists unearthed the cloth, as well as 3,000 grave goods and assorted ancient structures, ahead of construction

“The scale of preservation at this site is really exceptional and is adding considerably to our knowledge of English gardens around 1600,” says historian Paul Stamper.

Stunningly Well-Preserved Elizabethan Garden Discovered in England

The Tudor manor's grounds were organized in a geometric pattern of gravel paths, planting beds and pavilions

This image diagrams the difference between human and chimpanzee models of thumb muscles, which the researchers used to study the evolution of thumb dexterity.

How Dexterous Thumbs May Have Helped Shape Evolution Two Million Years Ago

Fossils and biochemical models show tool-wielding hominins used their hands like we do today

Similar in weight and appearance, these Bronze Age ribs, or curved rods, may have been used as an early form of money.

Bronze Age Europeans Used Rings, Ribs and Ax Blades as Money

New research identifies similarly sized artifacts found across the continent as one of the world's oldest currencies

Researchers restored the mask before reburying it to protect against looters and erosion.

Human-Sized Maya Mask Found in Mexico

The stucco sculpture—dated to between 300 B.C. and 250 A.D.—probably depicts a deity or elite member of society

The remains of an individual buried at the Augustinian friary, pictured during excavations in 2016

Medieval Britons' Remains Record the 'Skeletal Trauma' Inflicted by Inequality

New study reveals the horrific injuries sustained by lower-class members of English society

Trove of amulets unearthed in Pompeii

Pompeii's Museum Reopens With Dazzling Display of Archaeological Treasures

Artifacts on view at the Antiquarium include ancient frescoes, protective amulets and casts of Mount Vesuvius victims' bodies

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