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Discoveries

Dads Also Pass on Mitochondrial DNA, Contrary to Long-Standing Belief

A new study, which found paternal mitochondrial DNA in 17 individuals, upends the commonly accepted theory that mtDNA comes exclusively from the mother

The Most Beautiful Time of Life (Die Schönste Zeit des Lebens), as adapted from the manuscript found at the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum archive

Listen Live: The First Public Performance of Music by Auschwitz I Men’s Orchestra Since the War

A University of Michigan scholar unearthed the musical manuscript penned by three Polish prisoners in the archives of the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum

Well-Preserved Female Mummy Found in Elite Egyptian Necropolis

In a first, Egyptian authorities opened the woman’s sarcophagus in front of the international press

Findings from burials from Hellenistic and Roman times

Excavation Hints at Opulent Lifestyle Enjoyed by Inhabitants of Ancient Greek City

This is the first time that residential remains have been discovered at Tenea, once thought to have been founded by Trojan prisoners

A glimpse at the newly unearthed frescoes

Beautifully Painted Shrine Emerges From the Ashes of Pompeii

The remnants of a garden, a pool and an altar with traces of burnt offerings were also found

The inscription, as found on a column drum unearthed during the dig

2,000-Year-Old Stone Inscription Is Earliest to Spell Out ‘Jerusalem’

In ancient times, a shorthand spelling was typically used

The bow of the ship, believed to be of the snake carving on the Lake Serpent.

Underwater Archaeologists May Have Discovered the Oldest Shipwreck in Lake Erie

After an ill-fated journey hauling boulders sank it, the Lake Serpent is at last ready to tell its story

Eight-Year-Old Girl Finds Iron Age Sword in Swedish Lake

She’s no King Arthur, but locals are calling Saga Vanecek the “Queen of Sweden.” To that we say, long live Saga!

Group of Belugas May Have Adopted Young Narwhal

The narwhal was seen frolicking with its beluga buddies some 600 miles south of its normal range

Rhyta, a type of ancient vessel, were found to contain traces of cheese.

Traces of 7,200-Year-Old Cheese Found in Croatia

A new study posits that cheese production may have helped ancient farmers expand into Europe

Archaeologists excavate the outside areas of the Theater.

Remains of One of the First Theaters to Perform Shakespeare’s Plays Will Open to the Public After 400 Years

Excavations at the site have also unearthed a large complex that was built around the theater

DNA of Extinct Cave Bear Lives on in Modern Brown Bears

A new genetic study has found that the two species interbred

Extinct Baby Horse—Its Skin and Hair Intact—Found in the Siberian Permafrost

The foal lived between 30,000-40,000 years ago

Engravings on a 'hunger stone' have been revealed in the Elbe River in the Czech Republic due to drought.

‘Hunger Stones’ With Ominous Messages Emerge in Drought-Parched Czech River

The stones recorded low water levels dating back to the 1600s and warn of impending hardships

Elusive “Unicorn” Plant Spotted in Maine for the First Time in 131 Years

The state’s Department of Agriculture has documented around 300 flowering unicorn root stems

Found: A Forgotten Stretch of the Berlin Wall

It formed an outer defensive barrier that stopped East Germans from getting close to the main wall

Scorched Earth from Ireland Fire Illuminates WWII-Era Sign

The site is one of more than 80 ‘Éire markings’ that proclaimed Ireland’s neutrality during the war

July 1983 illustration of David Bowie for TIME magazine

David Bowie’s First Studio Recording Discovered in a Bread Basket

The demo failed to impress recording executives in the early 1960s

This is said to be the ship's wheel of the sunken Dmitrii Donskoi, which is rumored to have been carrying a treasure trove of gold when ti sank.

Doubts Swirl Over Claims of Gold-Filled Russian Shipwreck

It is far from certain that the Dmitrii Donskoi would have—or could have— carried such a huge hoard of gold

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