Paintings in the tomb of Amum-em-Ipet depict a funeral procession and banquet.

Cool Finds

Egyptian Archaeologists Unearth Ancient Tombs Belonging to Three Senior Statesmen Who Helped Keep the New Kingdom Running

The burials were found at Dra Abu el-Naga, a necropolis for nobles and officials on the West Bank of the Nile River

The Ake archaeological site on the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico.

What Can We Learn From Apocalyptic Times of the Past?

More than a millennium ago, a Maya community collapsed in the face of a devastating drought. One writer joined an intrepid archaeologist to upend what they thought they understood about why it all happened

A man rides a camel in view of the remarkable Egyptian pyramids.

Smithsonian Photo Contest Galleries

These Extraordinary Archaeological Sites Are a Portal to Ancient Egypt

The Valley of the Kings and other bucket-list Egyptian destinations offer a glimpse into millennia-old majesty and artistry

The Israel Antiquities Authority and volunteers are excavating the site north of the Zohar Valley.

Cool Finds

This Ancient Pyramid Found in the Judean Desert May Have Been a Ptolemaic Tax Collector’s Station

The official structure, stuffed with significant coins and Greek papyri, was likely later transformed into someone’s grave

The Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt is a major tourist attraction.

Experts Are Alarmed by a Video of Workers Hammering Away at Egypt’s Great Pyramid of Giza

Some citizens and archaeologists are concerned about what they see as widespread “mismanagement” of Egypt’s rich cultural heritage

The tomb's walls are painted and carved with images of objects the doctor might have used.

Cool Finds

Archaeologists Discover Intricately Decorated Tomb Belonging to a Doctor Who Treated Egyptian Pharaohs 4,100 Years Ago

The chamber holds a stone coffin engraved with the physician’s name and titles, which include “director of medicinal plants” and “chief dentist”

Shilo Shiv Suleman's Padma/Lotus is the first piece from an Indian artist to appear at the pyramids of Giza.

To See a Spellbinding Contemporary Art Exhibition, Head to the Ancient Egyptian Pyramids

The 4,500-year-old pyramids of Giza are the backdrop for “Forever Is Now,” which features sculptures, installations and immersive artworks that explore the relationship between the past and present

The core of the Valeriana site contained a ballcourt and an architectural arrangement that indicated a construction date before 150 C.E.

Cool Finds

‘Found’ Dataset Reveals Lost Maya City Full of Pyramids and Plazas, Hiding in Plain Sight Beneath a Mexican Forest

By analyzing an old lidar survey, researchers found evidence of more than 6,500 ancient structures in a previously unexplored area of Campeche

The Pyramid of Khafre is the second-largest pyramid in Egypt.

This Pup Is Going Viral for Climbing to the Top of an Egyptian Pyramid

Paramotorists spotted the dog while soaring above one of Giza’s pyramids last week

Tutankhamun's tomb was one of the few royal Egyptian burials left largely untouched by ancient looters.

Discover the Hidden History of Tomb Robbing in Ancient Egypt

Criminals plundered the riches of Egyptian pyramids and underground burials, often within a few years or, in some cases, within a few hours of occupants’ interment

The Step Pyramid stands more than 200 feet tall and is made from stones weighing more than 650 pounds. Some other researchers are not yet convinced by the idea that it was built using a hydraulics system.

Ancient Egyptians May Have Used Hydraulic Lift to Build Pyramid

Researchers propose that a system of water could have lifted heavy stones to the height necessary to construct the Step Pyramid

Eman Ghoneim and her team studied the remains of an ancient branch of the Nile near the pyramids of Giza.

New Research

Did a Dried-Up Branch of the Nile Help the Egyptians Build the Pyramids?

Researchers say 31 of the monuments were constructed on the banks of the ancient waterway

Researchers used ground-penetrating radar and electrical resistivity tomography to scan the graveyard near the Great Pyramid of Khufu.

Cool Finds

Scientists Are Investigating a Puzzling Underground ‘Anomaly’ Near the Giza Pyramids

Using remote-sensing technologies, researchers have discovered two connected structures in a previously unexplored area

Facsimile of an agricultural scene found in the tomb chapel of Nakht, a scribe and astronomer who probably lived during the reign of Thutmose IV

Stressed About Taxes? Blame the Ancient Egyptians

The civilization developed the world’s first known tax system around 3000 B.C.E.

In late January, workers began moving the Pyramid of Menkaure's granite blocks, many of which were abandoned around the structure's base.

Egypt Halts Controversial Plans to Renovate Ancient Pyramid

A committee of experts concluded that altering the Pyramid of Menkaure would compromise its historical value

Could we use volcanic energy as a power source?

Could Volcanoes Power Our Planet? And More Questions From Our Readers

You’ve got questions. We’ve got experts

Granite blocks lie at the base of the Pyramid of Menkaure in Giza, Egypt, which is 4,500 years old.

Should Egypt Renovate This Ancient Pyramid?

Officials have announced plans to rebuild the granite blocks they say once covered the Pyramid of Menkaure

A mask uncovered during recent excavations at Saqqara

Cool Finds

Archaeologists Unearth Ancient Egyptian Tomb and Stunning Trove of Artifacts

Excavations at Saqqara revealed burials, colorful masks and statues of the goddess Isis

The sun rises over the Gunung Padang in Java, Indonesia.

Archaeologists Criticize Alleged Discovery of the ‘Oldest Pyramid in the World’

A controversial study arguing an Indonesian structure is 25,000 years old is under investigation by the journal that published it

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The Never-Ending Race to Build the World’s Tallest Structure

From ancient Egypt to present-day Dubai, a close look at some of the buildings that held the height record

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