Sonja Anderson

Sonja Anderson

Sonja Anderson is a writer and reporter based in New York City.

The clay cylinders were found in a tomb containing six skeletons.

Archaeologists Say These Mysterious Markings Could Be the World's Oldest Known Alphabetic Writing

Found etched into clay cylinders in Syria, the strange symbols date to around 2400 B.C.E.—500 years before other known alphabetic scripts

The engraved plaquettes sport grid-like patterns that researchers think represent fishing nets.

These Ice Age Artworks Etched Into Rock 15,800 Years Ago May Be the Earliest Known Depictions of Fishing

Found in western Germany, the stone plaques feature etchings of fish trapped in grid-like nets, according to a new study

Next May, Airbnb will host two nights of immersive, three-hour gladiator experiences.

Airbnb Plans to Host an Immersive 'Gladiator' Experience in the Colosseum, and Politicians in Rome Are Furious

The short-term rental giant will help pay for the Colosseum Archaeological Park’s educational programs in exchange for use of the monument

The book recently underwent a three-month conservation process.

A Rare Atlas of Astronomy From the Dutch Golden Age Goes on Display in England

The copy of "Harmonia Macrocosmica" dates back to the 17th century and includes ancient theories of the universe

The Dutch painter began Irises in 1889 on his first full day at a psychiatric hospital.

Vincent van Gogh's Brilliant Blue 'Irises' Were Originally Purple, New Research Reveals

An exhibition at the Getty Center shows that the painting's pigment faded over many years, creating the hue that art lovers are familiar with today

The mistletoe plant has white berries, not red like the fake ones have.

How Mistletoe Became a Christmas Kissing Tradition

The thorny origins of the yuletide canoodling ritual

The bust depicts John Gordon, an 18th-century local landowner thought to be the founder of the town of Invergordon.

This Forgotten Sculpture Was Used as a Doorstop in a Scotland Shed. It Turned Out to Be a Masterpiece Worth Millions

The marble bust was made by the celebrated sculptor Edmé Bouchardon nearly 300 years ago. After a small town purchased it in the 1930s, it was lost for decades

The postcard is stamped April 11, 1912, just a few days before the Titanic sank.

Before the Titanic Sank, a Cheerful Passenger Wrote in a Postcard That He Was 'Leaving for the Land of Stars and Stripes'

A handwritten note by Richard William Smith, a British businessman who perished in the disaster, is heading to the auction block, where it could sell for up to $12,600

King Arthur's Hall in Cornwall was named for the legendary leader of the Round Table.

Historians Thought This Was a Medieval Site Linked to King Arthur. It Turned Out to Be a Mysterious Monument Built 4,000 Years Earlier

Researchers have excavated King Arthur's Hall, a rectangular enclosure in southwest England, and determined that it dates to at least 3000 B.C.E.

The Garden of Death, Hugo Simberg, 1896

See How Modern Artists Obsessed With Death and Darkness Looked to Medieval Gothic Artworks for Inspiration

A new exhibition in Helsinki spotlights the Gothic themes and influences that connected works by renowned late 19th- and early 20th-century artists

Father-and-son duo Sławomir and Szymon Milewski discovered the coins while searching for an ancient road.

Father and Son Discover Rare Trove of 16th- and 17th-Century Silver Coins While Metal Detecting in a Polish Forest

Sławomir and Szymon Milewski were searching for an ancient road when they stumbled upon the cache of coins, which is worth more than $120,000

Four plaster casts from the House of the Golden Bracelet were made in 1974.

DNA Evidence Is Rewriting the Stories of Victims Who Perished in Pompeii Nearly 2,000 Years Ago

A new study has shattered historians' long-held assumptions about some of the people who died in Mount Vesuvius' eruption in 79 C.E.

Researchers performed DNA testing on the bones highlighted in this image.

Archaeologists Are Bewildered by a Skeleton Made From the Bones of at Least Eight People Who Died Thousands of Years Apart

Found in a cremation cemetery in Belgium, the skeleton includes bones dating to the Neolithic period and a Roman-era skull, according to a new study

Allied soldiers rescued the portrait and other works from Germany's Neuschwanstein Castle in 1945.

A Nazi-Looted Painting Recovered by the Monuments Men During World War II Is Going on Sale

When the war ended, Allied soldiers tracked down Nicolas de Largillierre's "Portrait de femme à mi-corps" with the help of a savvy French curator who had been working for the resistance

Surrounded (1996) is one of the early Burton artworks featured in the exhibition.

What Makes the Dark, Whimsical World of Tim Burton So Compelling?

An exhibition in London is showcasing more than 600 artworks and artifacts—including costumes, props and sketches—from the famous filmmaker’s career

The gold votive plaque features a Greek inscription dedicated to Jupiter Dolichenus.

Archaeologists Discover Engraved Gold Offering to Jupiter Dolichenu, a War God Revered by Roman Soldiers

The votive plaque was found amid the ruins of an ancient Roman fortress. Researchers think a temple dedicated to the mysterious deity may have stood nearby

Over the past two years, roughly 20 wall engravings and 100 burn marks have been found at the historic residence.

Tour Guide at Medieval Manor House Discovers Mysterious Etchings Meant to Repel Evil, Trap Demons and Curse Enemies

A "staggering array" of markings have been hiding in plain sight carved into the walls of Gainsborough Old Hall, a 500-year-old home in Lincolnshire, England

The cat's ancient paw print measures 1.2 inches across.

This Ancient Paw Print on a Pottery Fragment in Jerusalem Is the Oldest Known Evidence of a Cat Kneading

The deep penetrations suggest that the feline was pressing its claws into the clay, a behavior sometimes known as "making biscuits"

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

'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 man's remains were found in 1938 in a well by Sverresborg Castle, near the modern-day city of Trondheim.

Scientists Think a Skeleton Found in a Well Is the Same Man Described in an 800-Year-Old Norse Text

The remains were discovered during excavations in 1938. Now, researchers have learned new information about his identity by analyzing DNA from his tooth

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