Archaeology

Arranged in symbolically significant ways with no clear hierarchy, the villages’ circular layouts may reflect their Indigenous inhabitants’ conceptions of the cosmos.

These Amazonian Villages Were Laid Out Like Clock Faces

Scientists used LiDAR to investigate the ruins of 14th- to 18th-century Indigenous communities in Brazil

The bones likely belong to people sacrificed during the reign of Ahuízotl, eighth king of the Aztecs.

The Aztecs Constructed This Tower Out of Hundreds of Human Skulls

Researchers in Mexico City recently discovered a new section of a macabre late 15th-century structure

A family in southern England found the trove of 64 coins while gardening.

Gardeners Unearth Coins Inscribed With Initials of Henry VIII's First Three Wives

The find is one of more than 47,000 recorded by the U.K.'s Portable Antiquities Scheme in 2020

The mosaic reflects a decline in craftsmanship but is still intricately made.

Stunning Mosaic Found in England Shows Some Lived in Luxury During 'Dark Ages'

The fifth-century artwork suggests that the British Isles experienced a gradual, not sudden, decline following the Romans' departure

An ice core extracted at El Malpais National Monument in New Mexico connects water collection to periods of droughts.

Ancestral Puebloans Survived Droughts by Collecting Water From Icy Lava Tubes

In ancient New Mexico, cold air in cavernous spaces carved out by lava flows preserved blocks of ice

A team of divers found this rusted—but still recognizable—Enigma cipher machine at the bottom of the Baltic Sea. The Nazis used the device to encode secret military messages during WWII.

Divers Discover Nazi Enigma Machine Thrown Into the Baltic Sea During WWII

German forces used the device—likely cast into the water to avoid falling into Allied hands—to encode military messages

The Vale of York Hoard, a major trove of Viking artifacts discovered in 2007 in North Yorkshire. The hoard—likely buried around 920 A.D.—included 617 silver coins, a Frankish silver cup and Viking jewelry.

To Protect Its Rare Artifacts, the U.K. Proposes Revised Definition of 'Treasure'

New standards will ensure significant archaeological finds remain publicly accessible for study and enjoyment, the government says

Trench fever came to prominence during World War I, but new research suggests that the disease afflicted people long before the 20th century.

Before WWI, Trench Fever Plagued the Ancient Romans and Napoleonic Soldiers

Long associated with the Great War, the disease actually dates back at least 2,000 years, a new study suggests

The altar's inscription suggests pilgrims traveled great distances to reach the religious site.

Altar to Ancient Greek God Pan Found Embedded in Wall of Byzantine Church

Christians in what is now northern Israel may have repurposed the basalt structure as a deliberate affront to pagan worshippers

Early Puebloans wove turkey feathers into yucca fiber to make the blanket.

In the Ancient American Southwest, Turkeys Were Friends, Not Food

An 800-year-old blanket made out of turkey feathers testifies to the bird's significance in Pueblo culture

A map of Doggerland, which once connected Britain to mainland Europe

Study Rewrites History of Ancient Land Bridge Between Britain and Europe

New research suggests that climate change, not a tsunami, doomed the now-submerged territory of Doggerland

Ancient artists created the works between 12,600 and 11,800 years ago.

Tens of Thousands of 12,000-Year-Old Rock Paintings Found in Colombia

The images—heralded by researchers as "the Sistine Chapel of the ancients"—depict animals, humans and geometric patterns

A new book Incredible Archaeology: Inspiring Places From Our Human Past, out this month from Smithsonian Books, explores some of the world's most spectacular ancient wonders.

Twelve Ancient and Enduring Places Around the World

From Smithsonian Books, towering temples, dramatic works of art and early settlements that have stood the test of time

The Langfonne ice patch has shrunk dramatically over the past 20 years.

Melting Ice in Norway Reveals Ancient Arrows

Finds from reindeer hunts span 5,000 years, from the Stone Age to the medieval era

Once a thriving international trade hub, the archeological site of Hegra (also known as Mada'in Saleh) has been left practically undisturbed for almost 2,000 years.

Hegra, an Ancient City in Saudi Arabia Untouched for Millennia, Makes Its Public Debut

The archaeological site, now open to tourists, offers clues about the mysterious empire that built it and its more famous sister city of Petra in Jordan

Archaeologists made plaster casts of the pair, who are thought to be a high-status older man and a younger enslaved individual.

Well-Preserved Remains of Two Vesuvius Victims Found in Pompeii

The pair's clenched feet and hands testify to the agonizing nature of their death by thermal shock

The musket balls arrived in Scotland two weeks after the Jacobites' defeat at Culloden Moor.

Trove of Musket Balls Sent to Aid Bonnie Prince Charlie's Jacobite Rebellion Found

The ammunition, shipped from France to Scotland in hopes of helping to restore the Stuart dynasty to the throne, arrived too late

At least 38 people, including 12 stillborn infants, were buried in the Port Tampa cemetery, which disappeared from records following the base's opening in 1941.

Possible 20th-Century Black Cemetery Found Beneath Florida Military Base

Opened in 1941, the MacDill Air Force Base was built over a graveyard where at least 38 people were buried

Routine sewage work in Athens unearthed a bust of Hermes, the Greek god of trade, wealth, luck, fertility, animal husbandry, sleep, language, thieves and travel.

Ancient Bust of Greek God Hermes Found During Work on Athens' Sewage System

The well-preserved sculpture, which dates to around 300 B.C., was once used as a street marker

Behind Stonehenge's iconic stone structures, a busy road creates constant noise and is prone to traffic jams.

Why a Newly Approved Plan to Build a Tunnel Beneath Stonehenge Is So Controversial

Proponents say the tunnel will reduce noise and traffic, but some archaeologists fear that it will damage artifacts at the historic site

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