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Cool Finds

Found at the Roman fort of Vindolanda, this piece of leather was cut into the shape of a mouse.

Cool Finds

Ancient Leather ‘Mouse’ Highlights the Romans’ Sense of Humor

The nearly 2,000-year-old scrap of leather, found at Vindolanda in northern England, may have been a toy or a practical joke

Officials uncovered seven slabs of travertine that date to between 27 and 25 B.C.

Sinkhole Outside of the Pantheon Reveals Ancient Roman Paving Stones

Due to COVID-19, the Piazza della Rotunda was virtually empty when the cavity opened up on April 27

Tap O' Noth overlooks the Scottish town of Rhynie.

Cool Finds

Ancient Hillfort May Be Largest Known Pictish Settlement in Scotland

The findings upend “the narrative of this whole time period,” says archaeologist Gordon Noble

Volunteers spotted dozens of previously unknown structures between Cornwall and Devon in southwest England.

Cool Finds

Amateur Archaeologists Studying Aerial Maps of the U.K. Spot Dozens of Hidden Historical Structures

The finds include prehistoric and Roman settlements, roads, burial mounds, farms, and quarries

Norwegian officials plan to excavate this rare Viking ship burial site.

For the First Time in a Century, Norway Will Excavate Viking Ship Burial

Archaeologists racing to save the rare vessel from fungal attacks hope to begin work in June

A large sandstone turtle unearthed at last week at the Angkor Wat temple complex

Cool Finds

Archaeologists Discover Ancient Stone Turtle in Drained Angkor Reservoir

The reservoir houses the remnants of a centuries-old temple now undergoing excavation

Archaeologists are unsure of the long-forgotten passageway's purpose.

Cool Finds

Forgotten Tunnel Found Beneath Danish Train Station

Wood used to build the secret passageway came from a tree felled in 1874, according to a new analysis

Given the quality of grave goods found, the researchers suspect that the girl hailed from a privileged background.

Cool Finds

Archaeologists Discover Teenage Mummy Buried With Trove of Ornate Jewelry

The ancient Egyptian girl was only 15 or 16 years old when she died

Two skeletons unearthed in Lechlade, England, date back to around 2200 B.C.

Cool Finds

Bronze Age Chieftain’s Remains Found Beneath U.K. Skate Park

The Beaker man was buried alongside four cowhide “rugs,” an eight-inch copper dagger and a wrist guard made of rare green stone

Archaeologists say this inscription of an ibex may be up to 5,000 years old.

Cool Finds

See Ancient Cave Art Found in Egypt’s Sinai Desert

The carvings, which depict animals including camels, leopards, cows and mules, may date back to 3000 B.C.

Honey bees, packed together in their hive, are vulnerable to infection from viruses.

New Research

Honey Bee Virus Tricks Hive Guards Into Admitting Sick Intruders

The virus tweaks bee behavior to infect new hives and may also spread other hive-killing pathogens and pests

The wreckage of a mid-19th century ship washed ashore north of Ludington, Michigan, on April 24.

Cool Finds

High Waters in the Great Lakes Reveal Two Centuries-Old Shipwrecks

In the month of April alone, the remnants of two historic vessels washed up on Lake Michigan’s shores

An artist's reconstruction of Spinosaurus, showing a paddle-like tail that would have helped it swim.

Groundbreaking Fossil Suggests Spinosaurus Is First Known Swimming Dinosaur

Its paddle-like tail, unearthed in Morocco, suggests the Cretaceous carnivore ventured into the water to hunt

An example of the blue bioluminescence produced by microscopic organisms called dinoflagellates, which can chemically synthesize their own light

Dolphins, Surfers and Waves Sparkle in Bright Blue Bioluminescent Glow Off California Coast

A rare bloom of microscopic organisms capable of making their own blue light has transformed several of the state’s beaches

The Leith glass factory's cone-shaped furnaces appear in the background of painter William Reed's Leith Races.

Cool Finds

Archaeologists Unearth Remnants of Lost Scottish Wine-Bottle Glass Factory

The 18th-century Edinburgh factory once produced a million bottles a week

This fresco by Jacopo Ripanda depicts Hannibal crossing the Alps in 218 B.C. New research claims to have located the site of the general's first major victory in Spain.

Cool Finds

The Ancient Battlefield That Launched the Legend of Hannibal

Two years before the Carthaginian general crossed the Alps, he won a decisive victory at the Battle of the Tagus

Despite Their Differences, Dogs and Horses Find Common Ground in Play

Canine-equid pairs can mimic each other’s facial expressions during play, which has never been seen between animals of different species

An artist's rendering of two early hominins hunting waterfowl on the Schöningen lakeshore with throwing sticks

Cool Finds

300,000-Year-Old Stick Suggests Human Ancestors Were Skilled Hunters

The ancient throwing stick may have been used by Neanderthals or an even earlier hominin

The new Museum Hotel Antakya in Turkey "floats" above ancient ruins.

Virtual Travel

New Hotel in Turkey ‘Floats’ Above Ancient Ruins

Closed due to COVID-19, the Museum Hotel Antakya looks forward to welcoming guests with its blend of luxury and history once restrictions are lifted

The unique scent of rain may actually be a chemical signal used by bacteria to attract this tiny arthropod, called a springtail.

New Research

How Rain Evolved Its Distinct Scent—and Why Animals and Humans Love It

New research reveals the ancient symbiotic relationship behind geosmin, the chemical compound responsible for the scent of fresh rain

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