archaeology

Fisherman discovers 2,000-year-old Roman shipwreck off Sicily

A fisherman and free-diver has stumbled upon an ancient Roman shipwreck estimated to be over 2,000 years old off the coast of Sicily, in what Italy's culture minister called "one of the most important underwater archaeological discoveries of recent years."

2,500-year-old marble statue unearthed at ancient Sardis

Archaeologists excavating the ancient city of Sardis in western Turkey have uncovered a monumental marble statue of a young man dating back approximately 2,500 years, in what officials described as one of the most notable recent discoveries in Anatolian archaeology.

Chilean mummies yield first genetic proof Europeans brought smallpox to Americas

For five centuries, the deadliest epidemic in the history of the Americas lacked molecular proof of its origin. That gap has now been filled. Researchers from Trinity College Dublin and the University of Chile have recovered variola virus DNA from…

Laser survey reveals lost Amazon civilization of millions

A sweeping aerial laser survey has revealed that an ancient civilization in southwestern Amazonia was far larger than scientists previously imagined, with tens of thousands of monumental earthworks and a population that may have reached 3 million people at its…

Thieves steal 2,500-year-old Celtic gold collar from French museum

Thieves stole a priceless 2,500-year-old gold torque from the Musée du Pays Châtillonnais – Trésor de Vix in Châtillon-sur-Seine, France, on Friday, July 24, after entering the museum as regular visitors and smashing its display case during opening hours.

UNESCO set to list Lebanon castles, Lake Baikal as heritage in danger

The United Nations is poised to declare several sites around the world as heritage in danger, including five castles in war-torn southern Lebanon, a Biblical archaeological site in the occupied West Bank, and Russia's Lake Baikal, as the UNESCO World…

Archaeologists decipher name of a Maya astronomer for the first time

Archaeologists working at the ancient Maya ruins of Xultun in northeastern Guatemala have deciphered the name of a Maya astronomer-mathematician for the first time: Sak Tahn Waax, or "White-chested Fox." The discovery, published Monday in the journal Antiquity, links an…

Egypt uncovers sealed 2,000-year-old tombs with gold artifacts near Alexandria

Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced on Saturday the discovery of 18 previously unknown Greco-Roman tombs at the archaeological site of Marina El Alamein, roughly 100 kilometers west of Alexandria on the Mediterranean coast. The find includes a sealed…

‘Hobbit’ humans scavenged Komodo dragon leftovers, study finds

The diminutive ancient humans known as "hobbits" were scavengers who ate raw meat left behind by Komodo dragons — not skilled hunters who cooked their food over fires, according to a study published Friday in Science Advances.

AI unlocks full text of sealed Herculaneum scroll

Researchers working with the Vesuvius Challenge announced on Wednesday that they have virtually unwrapped and read the full surviving text of PHerc. 1667, a carbonized scroll buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79, recovering nearly 1.5 metres…

All known Homo naledi fossils in cave are female, study finds

The first-ever protein analysis of Homo naledi fossils has revealed that all known individuals recovered from South Africa's Rising Star Cave system appear to be female, raising new questions about the behavior and social structure of this enigmatic human relative.

Metal detector find challenges Sutton Hoo helmet’s Scandinavian origins

A copper-alloy die stamp unearthed by metal detectorist Stephen Newbury in a field near Lynsted, Kent, in April 2024 is reshaping scholarly understanding of one of England's most celebrated archaeological treasures: the Sutton Hoo helmet. The find, announced publicly last…

5,000-year-old ‘prototype’ of Stonehenge found 3 miles away

Archaeologists have announced the discovery of a 5,000-year-old timber structure near Bulford, Wiltshire, just five kilometres from Stonehenge, which they believe may have served as an early "prototype" for the iconic stone circle's solstice alignments.

Imperial Roman villa unearthed near Rome after illegal dig

A lavish Roman villa from the imperial era has been uncovered at Castel di Guido, about 19 kilometers west of Rome, after police were tipped off about illegal excavations on government-owned land in February. Italy's Special Superintendency of Rome will…

37 sets of remains in one jar solve Laos burial mystery

Archaeologists working in northern Laos have discovered the remains of at least 37 people inside a single massive stone jar, offering the first direct evidence that the enigmatic vessels scattered across the country's highlands were used as multigenerational communal burial…

Over 3,000 Viking coins unearthed in Norway’s largest hoard

Two metal detectorists sweeping a farm field near the village of Rena in eastern Norway stumbled upon what archaeologists have confirmed is the largest Viking Age coin hoard ever discovered in the country. The find, dubbed the Mørstad Hoard, has…

Archeologists use AI to reconstruct Pompeii eruption victim

Archaeologists in Italy have used artificial intelligence for the first time to reconstruct the appearance of a man killed during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, offering a vivid glimpse into the catastrophe that buried the ancient Roman…

Amazon road digs reveal 6,000 years of Indigenous history

Road-building in the Amazon rainforest has long been synonymous with environmental destruction, but archaeological surveys required before paving begins are now yielding a trove of artifacts that illuminate thousands of years of Indigenous life in the region. The latest discoveries,…

Homer’s Iliad papyrus found inside Egyptian mummy in archaeological first

Archaeologists have discovered a papyrus fragment of Homer's Iliad deliberately placed inside an ancient Egyptian mummy during embalming — the first time a Greek literary text has been found incorporated into the mummification process.

Dutch police recover stolen 2,500-year-old golden Helmet of Cotofenesti

Dutch authorities on Thursday unveiled the golden Helmet of Coțofenești, more than 14 months after the priceless 2,500-year-old artifact was stolen in a brazen heist at the Drents Museum in the northern Netherlands. Two of the three gold Dacian bracelets…

Italian researcher claims second Sphinx lies buried beneath Giza Plateau

Italian engineer Filippo Biondi announced on Thursday that his team has detected what they believe is a second Sphinx buried beneath the Giza Plateau, using satellite radar technology to identify underground structures that mirror those beneath the existing Great Sphinx.…

2,600-year-old shipwreck yields oldest known raw iron cargo

Researchers at the University of Haifa announced Wednesday that an underwater excavation off Israel's northern Mediterranean coast has uncovered what they describe as the earliest known seaborne shipment of raw iron, dating back roughly 2,600 years. The nine chunks of…

Children’s fingerprints on 15,000-year-old clay beads rewrite prehistory

Archaeologists have identified 142 clay beads and pendants crafted by Natufian hunter-gatherers roughly 15,000 years ago, with preserved fingerprints showing that children as well as adults shaped the ornaments — the first time researchers have directly identified the makers of…

Scientists date France’s Font-de-Gaume cave art for the first time

Scientists have for the first time directly dated the cave paintings at Font-de-Gaume in the Dordogne region of southwestern France, revealing that a bison figure was drawn between 13,461 and 13,162 years ago. The results, published March 9 in the…

Ancient Egyptians used ‘white-out’ to fix mistakes, researchers find

Researchers at Cambridge's Fitzwilliam Museum have discovered that ancient Egyptian craftspeople used an early form of white-out to correct errors on papyrus documents, applying bold strokes of white paint to slim down a jackal figure that someone apparently deemed too…

1,000-year-old tomb with gold artifacts unearthed in Panama

Archaeologists in Panama have completed the excavation of a tomb more than a thousand years old at the El Caño archaeological site, uncovering human remains alongside gold and ceramic artifacts that shed new light on pre-Hispanic societies in Central America.

Australian police recover stolen Egyptian artifacts from museum heist

A 52-year-old Venezuelan man appeared in an Australian court on Monday after allegedly stealing ancient Egyptian artifacts from a Queensland museum and wrapping them in his country's flag, claiming he believed it was his "duty" to return them to their…

Egypt unearths 10,000-year-old rock art site in South Sinai

Egyptian archaeologists have discovered a previously unknown prehistoric rock art site in South Sinai that preserves approximately 10,000 years of human artistic expression, the country's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced Thursday. The site, located at the Umm Arak Plateau,…

12,000-year-old elk hide in Oregon may be world’s oldest sewn clothing

Archaeologists have identified what may be the world's oldest known sewn animal hide among a collection of Ice Age artifacts recovered from caves in central Oregon, according to a study published February 4 in the journal Science Advances. The finds…

Rare Roman terracotta head found at Magna Fort in England

Volunteer archaeologists digging at a Roman fort in northern England have unearthed a rare 2,000-year-old terracotta head depicting a regal female figure, adding a new chapter to the site's rich history along Hadrian's Wall.