Archaeology

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Illustration of ancient humans in White Sands.
The 1st Americans were not who we thought they were For decades, we thought the first humans to arrive in the Americas came across the Bering Land Bridge 13,000 years ago. New evidence is changing that picture.
Archaeological evidence shows that early humans may have traveled across the Arctic in boats similar to the umiaks used by today's Yupik and Inuit peoples.
Did humans cross the Bering Strait after the land bridge disappeared? Evidence suggests that people likely boated across the narrow passage between Russia and Alaska when the crossing was submerged.
A facial reconstruction of Ramses II
Facial reconstructions help the past come alive. But are they accurate? DNA analysis is changing the science of facial reconstructions and making them more lifelike than ever before.

Latest about Archaeology

The "tintinnabulum" wind chime was found In debris from a large home in the ruins of the civilian city at the vast Viminacium archaeological site in the east of Serbia.

'Magical' Roman wind chime with phallus, believed to ward off evil eye, unearthed in Serbia

By Tom Metcalfe published

Phallic objects like this were common in the Roman world to ward off evil.

Romans
An newspaper ad for Kellogg's Ant Paste.

From arsenic to urine, archaeologists find odd artifacts on museum shelves

By Kristina Killgrove published

A pair of archaeologists has spent the last 15 years cataloging toxic and gross artifacts moldering in museum collections.

Archaeology
A handful of ancient bronze coins.

Scuba diver discovers 30,000 astonishingly well-preserved Roman coins off Italian coast

By Jennifer Nalewicki published

The well-preserved bronze coins found off the coast of Sardinia could be linked to a shipwreck.

Romans
The anthropomorphic sculpture of the Maya warrior.

Maya warrior statue with serpent helmet discovered at Chichén Itzá

By Owen Jarus published

During survey work ahead of a new railway, archaeologists found the statue of a Maya warrior wearing a serpent on his head.

Archaeology
A close-up of the 3D printed reconstruction of a female Denisovan clay bust on a white stand in a museum.

Denisovan DNA may increase risk of depression, schizophrenia, study suggests

By Emily Cooke published

A new study suggests that DNA inherited from Denisovans may put some modern humans at a greater risk of developing neuropsychiatric disorders, but more research is needed.

Archaeology
A skull with a hole in it (at right) and magnified images of the hole and scrape marks (at left)

Copper Age woman survived two skull surgeries up to 4,500 years ago

By Jennifer Nalewicki published

Multiple holes in a skull found at a burial site in Spain were the result of prehistoric surgeries.

Archaeology
The four skulls that archaeologists found buried in a pit.

Headless skeletons in China represent the largest known headhunting massacre from Neolithic Asia

By Soumya Sagar published

Headless skeletons from a 4,100-year-old massacre in China are from victims of the largest known 'headhunt' from Neolithic Asia.

Archaeology
Photo of an ancient Egyptian sarcophagus with the engraving of the Egyptian god Banebjedet.

Ancient Egyptian tomb was filled with magical spells to ward off snake bites

By Owen Jarus published

An ancient Egyptian tomb just south of Cairo was filled with magical spells intended to protect the dead from snake bites.

Ancient Egyptians
A close up picture of a human head louse.

Head lice invaded the Americas alongside the 1st humans

By Sascha Pare published

A genetic analysis of head lice that have evolved in tandem with humans has revealed two distinct groups of lice that merged in the Americas as a result of Asian and European migrations.

Archaeology
An digital reconstruction of ancient Rome.

Soar over ancient Rome's temples, brothels and baths in epic new 3D reconstruction

By Jennifer Nalewicki published

A newly-launched 3D model of ancient Rome lets viewers experience the city as it was in its heyday in the fourth century.

Romans
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