Ancient Civilizations

Some of the threads discovered at Must Farms are the width of a human hair.

This Ball of Thread Is 3,000 Years Old

If it is simply held in the wrong way, the priceless artifact could crumble to pieces

Hygiene sticks excavated at Xuanquanzhi station along the Silk Road

Ancient "Poop Sticks" Offer Clues to the Spread of Disease Along the Silk Road

The parasites found within the 2,000-year-old-feces smeared on bamboo suggest more than commodities made the trip

Eleven Persian qanats are being preserved by Unesco.

Unesco Names New World Heritage Sites

Rock art, irrigation and education add to the organization's growing list of sites worthy of protection

Cultural treasure—or stolen goods?

Britain’s Most Famous Plundered Art Could Finally Go Home

There’s a new attempt to return the Parthenon marbles to Greece

Amphora that were cargo of a ship that sank in the Greek archipelago of Fourni

New Discoveries Double the Size of Ancient Greek Shipwreck Graveyard

Researcher in the Fourni archipelago found 23 ships dating between 525 B.C. and 1850

Rachel Kalisher, a member of the physical anthropology team, measures a 10th-9th century BC skeleton

New Dig Shows the Philistines Weren’t Such Philistines

A graveyard containing over 200 sets of remains is giving researchers their first deep look into the little-known biblical tribe

Wolfgang Neubauer (at Carnuntum’s center) estimates the population at 50,000.

The Discovery of a Roman Gladiator School Brings the Famed Fighters Back to Life

Located in Austria, the archaeological site is providing rich new details about the lives and deaths of the arena combatants

Preah Khan of Kompong Svay as seen by Lidar

Laser Scans Reveal Massive Khmer Cities Hidden in the Cambodian Jungle

Using Lidar technology, researchers are discovering the extent of the medieval Khmer empire

Visitors sit in front of Petra's famous temple at night. Nearby, Google Earth and drones helped researchers find a previously undiscovered platform probably used for ceremonial purposes.

Archaeologists Find Gigantic Ancient Monument in Jordan

In the ancient city of Petra, Google Earth and drones helped uncover remnants of a platform the size of an Olympic swimming pool

Five Landmarks Threatened by Climate Change

Will a warming planet destroy humankinds' most precious cultural treasures?

Geoarchaeologist Proposes There Was a "World War Zero"

Could an alliance among the "Luwians" have helped caused the collapse of eastern Mediterranean civilizations 3,200 years ago?

The Temple of the Plumed Serpent is adorned with carved snake heads and slithering bodies.

A Secret Tunnel Found in Mexico May Finally Solve the Mysteries of Teotihuacán

The chance discovery beneath a nearly 2,000-year-old pyramid leads to the heart of a lost civilization

Amateur Divers Find Huge Cache of Bronze Artifacts in Israel National Park

Recreational divers discover a Roman shipwreck full of rare bronze statues, coins and other artifacts in Caesarea National Park

Astronomers Recreate Ancient Skies to Date a Nearly 2,600-Year-Old Greek Poem

Researchers narrow down the dates for when the lonely poet Sappho wrote "Midnight Poem"

This 98-foot-long figure appears to represent an animal sticking out its tongue.

“New” 2,000-Year-Old Geoglyph Spotted in Peru

There’s always more to learn about the mysterious Nazca lines

The ruins of the ancient city of Palmyra after it was recaptured by the Syrian army in March.

Unesco: Don’t Worry, Palmyra Is Still Authentic

The ancient city may have been destroyed, but it is still a treasured cultural site

An Israeli Brewery Recreated a 2,000-Year-Old Beer

Beer brewed as in Biblical times

An artist's rendering of the 3-D Triumphal Arch in London

Palmyra Arch Destroyed by ISIS Rises Again in Central London

Using 3-D photos and computer guided stonecutters, researchers recreated the Triumphal Arch destroyed by the terrorist group last year

Some of the shackled skeletons found at Phalaeron outside Athens

Shackled Skeletons Unearthed in Greece Could Be Remains of Slaughtered Rebels

Three dozen skeletons in shackles may be the followers of Cylon, an Olympic champion who tried to take over Athens in 632 B.C.

This gold appliqué, more than six millennia old, appears to be a bull but has buffalo-like horns.

Mystery of the Varna Gold: What Caused These Ancient Societies to Disappear?

Treasure found in prehistoric graves in Bulgaria is the first evidence of social hierarchy, but no one knows what caused the civilization's decline

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