Funerals

Nestor's Cup, named for its ties to a legendary king referenced in Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, bears one of the earliest known Greek inscriptions.

Researchers Are Unraveling the Mystery of the Ancient Greek Tomb of 'Nestor's Cup'

New analysis suggests the 2,800-year-old burial held the remains of at least three adults, not a child as previously believed

The 4,000-year-old wooden coffin will go on display following extensive conservation work.

Hollowed-Out, 4,000-Year-Old Tree Trunk Coffin Discovered in Golf Course Pond

The rare Bronze Age sarcophagus contained human remains, an ax and plant bedding

Archaeologists found the unusual burials while conducting excavations in the Romanian city of Cluj Napoca, pictured here.

Why Were These Neolithic People Buried With Urns on Their Heads and Feet?

Found in Transylvania, the 6,000-year-old vessels may have once held provisions for the afterlife

Adults in ancient Rome were typically cremated, making the well-preserved skeleton an an unusual find.

Roman Priest's Exceptionally Well-Preserved Remains Found in Pompeii

Marcus Venerius Secundio died in his 60s decades before Mount Vesuvius' eruption in 79 C.E.

Saka artisans crafted ornaments using gold and inlaid precious stones.

These Horse-Riding Ancient Nomads Made Astonishing Golden Art

An exhibition at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge displays ornate Saka treasures discovered in Kazakhstan

Researchers found the remains of a high-ranking woman (left) and her two twin fetuses (right) in a Bronze Age urn in central Hungary.

Remains of High-Born Woman and Twin Fetuses Found in 4,000-Year-Old Urn

A new chemical analysis suggests the wealthy mother left her homeland to marry an elite member of the mysterious Vatya culture

View of the dig site in Pembrokeshire, Wales

Sand Dunes in Wales Preserved This Medieval Cemetery for Centuries

Erosion threatens to destroy the historic burial ground at Whitesands Beach in Pembrokeshire

People who reopened graves might take items like swords and brooches but leave more valuable objects untouched.

Why Did Early Medieval Europeans Reopen Graves?

Contrary to some assumptions, the removal of objects from burial sites was not typically motivated by greed

Scholars used a newly developed technique to test skeletons' teeth for the presence of Yersinia pestis, the pathogen responsible for the plague.

Why Weren't These Black Death Victims Buried in Mass Graves?

New research suggests some Europeans who died of the bubonic plague were individually interred with care

An individual buried in an amphora on the Croatian island of Hvar

Ancient Necropolis Discovered in 17th-Century Croatian Palace's Garden

The fourth- or fifth-century cemetery contained the remains of several individuals buried in jars

A local man stumbled onto a cache of Bronze Age artifacts, from necklaces to needles, while walking through a Swedish forest.

Swedish Man Discovers Trove of Bronze Age Treasures Hidden in Plain Sight

A high-status woman once adorned herself with these items, which a local found buried beneath the forest floor

Archaeologists say the skeletons are in an "average state" of preservation.

Why Were These Ancient Adults Buried in Jars on the Island of Corsica?

Researchers are unsure of the unusual funerary practice's purpose but point out that such burials were typically reserved for children

This silver diadem was one of around 30 valuable artifacts buried with a Bronze Age woman.

Silver Diadem Found in Spain May Point to Bronze Age Woman's Political Power

Researchers say the crown—and the trove of ornate objects buried alongside it—could have belonged to a female ruler of La Argar

Ancient embalmers dipped a piece of red linen in a plant-based concoction before applying the cloth to the deceased's face.

Oldest Known Mummification Manual Reveals How Egyptians Embalmed the Face

Prior to the find, researchers had only identified two ancient texts detailing the enigmatic preservation process

Some of the marks seen on the woman's skull predated her death, while others were likely left by natural forces following her burial.

Archaeologists Solve Mystery of 5,600-Year-Old Skull Found in Italian Cave

Natural forces moved a Stone Age woman's bones through the cavern over time

Researchers found the jar while conducting excavations in the ancient city of Jaffa.

Archaeologists in Israel Unearth 3,800-Year-Old Skeleton of Baby Buried in a Jar

Researchers are unsure of the unusual funerary practice's purpose, but one theory posits that the vessel serves as a symbolic womb

In 2018, researchers used ground-penetrating radar to locate the remains of the Gjellestad Viking ship.

Researchers Excavating Norwegian Viking Ship Burial Find Remnants of Elite Society

Archaeologists discovered traces of a feast hall, farmhouse, temple and 13 additional burial mounds

The charred shoulder blade of a young adult who was cremated in northern Israel some 9,000 years ago. The bone contains the embedded point of a flint projectile.

Humans in the Near East Cremated Their Dead 9,000 Years Ago

Archaeologists found the charred bones of a young adult in the ancient Israeli village of Beisamoun

A 1967 funeral program for Mrs. Julia Burton

New Digital Archive Explores 133 Years of African American Funeral Programs

The online resource offers a veritable treasure trove of information for historians and genealogists

One of the infants was around 18 months old at time of death, while the second was between 6 and 9 months old.

Archaeologists Unearth Remains of Infants Wearing 'Helmets' Made From the Skulls of Other Children

Members of Ecuador's Guangala culture may have outfitted the infants in skulls as a protective measure

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