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Archaeology

Archaeologists created replica stone points, then experimented with them by firing them at a goat carcass using different methods.

Cool Finds

Archery May Have Arrived in Europe Thousands of Years Earlier Than Thought

New archaeological research suggests Homo sapiens used bows and arrows 54,000 years ago in present-day France

Untold tsunamis hit coastal communities before anyone logged them in written records. Paleotsunami researchers are on a quest to uncover these forgotten disasters.

These Tsunami Detectives Search for Ancient Disasters

The gigantic waves have been decimating coastlines since time immemorial. We ignore these prehistoric warnings at our own peril.

Chichén Itzá is home to famous Maya structures such as El Castillo.

Cool Finds

Archaeologists Find Elite Residences at Mexico’s Chichén Itzá

The housing complex is the first discovery of its kind in the ruined Maya city

Two brothers’ remains were found buried together under the floorboards of their home. One had a hole in his skull consistent with surgery.

This Man Underwent Brain Surgery 3,500 Years Ago

Researchers discovered a punctured skull below the floor of a home in what is now Israel

The items were found at Thompson Farm, were Harriet Tubman was born into slvery.

Artifacts Unearthed Near Harriet Tubman’s Birthplace

Archaeologists identified a West African spirit cache, a collection of items used to protect a home’s occupants

The comb found by archaeologists in 2016

What a Comb Can Tell Us About the History of the Written Word

A curious new find yields clues to the origins of the alphabet

A reconstruction of a painted fresco depicting the Battle of Kadesh between the Egyptian Empire and the Hittite Empire.

Severe Drought May Have Contributed to the Decline of the Hittites

The empire abruptly vanished around 1200 B.C.E., and ancient tree rings suggest climate played a role

The seven-inch artillery shell found at Gettysburg National Military Park

160-Year-Old Civil War Artillery Shell Found at Gettysburg

After clearing the area, park officials sent experts to safely detonate the object

Pottery from the wreck of the Josephine Willis, which has been granted historical protection by the British government

Shipwreck Carrying Rare 19th-Century Ceramics Gets Government Protection

The British emigrant vessel sank with a cargo of Victorian pottery on board

Construction workers at the site of the new Metro C subway line in Rome

Cool Finds

Ancient Golden Glass Unearthed During Roman Subway Construction

The artifact depicts Roma, the goddess who personifies the city of Rome

Archaeologists found saffron, as well as peppercorns, almonds, raspberries and other foods.

Cool Finds

Medieval Pantry Stocked With Spices Found in 500-Year-Old Shipwreck

The vessel, called “Gribshunden,” sank off the coast of Sweden in 1495

Construction workers in Rome were surprised when they discovered an ancient marble statue.

Cool Finds

Ancient Statue of Emperor Dressed as Hercules Discovered During Roman Sewer Repairs

The life-size statue was likely buried along the Appian Way in the early 20th century

A new study shows that Neanderthals in southern Portugal cooked and ate crabs.

Neanderthals Dined on Crab 90,000 Years Ago

Pieces of shells in a Portuguese cave suggest the early humans cooked and ate crustaceans, according to a new study

The dako sword found at Tomio Maruyama

Cool Finds

Seven-Foot Sword Unearthed From 1,600-Year-Old Burial Mound in Japan

Archaeologists think the artifact was used to protect against evil after death

An intact Roman dodecahedron at the Gallo-Roman Museum

Cool Finds

Metal Detectorist Finds Mysterious Roman Object Possibly Used for Magic

Patrick Schuermans discovered a fragment of a 1,600-year-old dodecahedron in Belgium

The findings suggest Neanderthals made deep cut marks on the foot bones of straight-tusked elephants to access the rich deposits of fat in the animals' foot pads.

Neanderthals Hunted and Butchered Massive Elephants 125,000 Years Ago

Meat from the gigantic animals could have fed hundreds of hominids, according to a new analysis of bones found in central Germany

An artistic illustration of Egyptian embalmers in the underground embalming workshop at Saqqara

The Surprising Substances Ancient Egyptians Used to Mummify the Dead

An analysis of 2,500-year-old embalming ingredients suggests some of them came from far-off places

Two of the gemstones discovered at a Roman bathhouse in Carlisle, England

Cool Finds

Archaeologists Find 2,000-Year-Old Gemstones in Drain Beneath a Roman Bathhouse

The stones, known as intaglios, likely fell from the rings of wealthy bathers

Pueblo Bonito, a massive stone great house in Chaco Canyon in New Mexico

How Should Scientists Navigate the Ethics of Ancient Human DNA Research?

Paleogenomic research has expanded rapidly over the past two decades, igniting heated debate about studying remains

One of the recently discovered tombs at the Saqqara archaeological site

Cool Finds

Archaeologists Unearth Oldest Known Gold-Covered Mummy in Egypt

The year-long excavation has also revealed statues, tools, pottery and dozens of other artifacts

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