Archaeology

A crowd gathers in the "Bird Migration" exhibit at the Steinhardt Museum during the inauguration event.

The Middle East Is a Treasure Trove of Natural Wonders. Now It Has a Museum to Show Them Off

Everything from early human skulls to priceless taxidermy relics will be on display in the ark-shaped museum

One of the tablets found at the fort

Cache of Roman Messages Found Near Hadrian's Wall

The 25 well-preserved wooden tablets include a soldier's request for time off

Professor Lyndal Ryan poses with the online map of colonial Frontier massacres in Eastern Australia.

Online Map Charts Massacres of Indigenous Australians

European settlers waged more than 150 attacks against Aboriginal groups along the country’s east coast, resulting in the deaths of some 6,000 people

Brewing beer and other fermented beverages was a crucial activity for humans throughout history.

Ancient Humans Liked Getting Tipsy, Too

In a new book on the archaeology and chemistry of alcoholic beverages, Patrick McGovern unravels the history of boozing

One of the cuneiform tablets handed over by Hobby Lobby

Hobby Lobby Hands Over 5,500 Illegally Imported Artifacts

In 2010, the arts-and-crafts retailer purchased thousands of cultural artifacts smuggled from Iraq

The Hohlenstein-Stadel femur

Humans May Have Bred With Neanderthals Much Earlier Than Previously Thought

DNA from a Neanderthal femur is offering new clues to ancient interactions

A painting of the library in the house of Domitian on the Palatine. Rome's long history is explored in a new illustrated book on archaeology and history.

How Archaeologists Crammed 1500 Years of Roman History Into One Map

The Atlas of Ancient Rome looks at the city over the course of its evolution in remarkable detail

The hearth Hemings may have warmed herself by in Monticello's south wing.

Sally Hemings Gets Her Own Room at Monticello

A renovation at Thomas Jefferson's estate will give the slave he likely fathered at least six children with a display in what may have been her quarters

Tree rings are easiest to see in trees that grew in temperate places, because the temperature changes at different times of the year.

Why an Astronomer Turned to Trees to Try to Solve a Celestial Mystery

Andrew Ellicott Douglass's theory of sunspots and climate was wrong, but he still pioneered the science of tree-ring dating

The Huey Tzompantli

Aztec "Skull Tower" Contains Remains of Women and Children

The tzompantli were once believed to only contain the skulls of conquered male warriors

The statues and carvings from Gobekli Tepe were found with fragments of carved skull from thousands of years ago.

Unprecedented Carved Skulls Discovered at a Stone Age Temple in Turkey

Three carved skull fragments from Gobekli Tepe offer tantalizing hints about the lives of Neolithic people

Study co-author Kevin Smith applies melted bitumen to a bottle, following a technique used by indigenous groups of the California Channel Islands.

Drinking From Ancient Water Bottles Didn't Hurt Indigenous People—Making Them Did

Researchers replicated a bottle-making process used by indigenous groups of the California Channel Islands to test toxic chemicals

The 1,800-year-old skeleton of a dog, which apparently perished in a blaze in Rome, was discovered during excavations for the metro system.

A Dog From 3rd Century Rome Was Discovered During Subway Excavations

The canine’s skeleton and other artifacts were preserved in a fire, offering a window on Ancient Roman life

Cats rule the world. But how did they get here?

How Cats Conquered the World

Scientists use 9,000 years of feline genetics to chart their global rise to power

Ancient DNA revolutionized archaeology. Now, researchers think they can use it to create a GPS system for the remains of the long-dead.

Ancient DNA Could Unravel the Mystery of Prehistoric European Migration

New research pinpoints the geographic origins of ancient Eurasians, showing how the continent’s population changed

A jawbone from one of the fossils of the earliest Homo sapiens ever found.

Humans Evolved 100,000 Years Earlier Than We Thought—But Mysteries Remain

Moroccan fossil discovery alters the accepted narrative of when humans evolved and how they spread through Africa

View looking south of the Jebel Irhoud site in Morocco, where the fossils were found

The Science Behind the Discovery of the Oldest Homo Sapien

We need both genetics and anthropology to solve the mysteries of human origins, says a researcher on the team

The sarcophagus of Tadja, one of the mummies from Abusir el Meleq that had its DNA analyzed in a new study.

Ancient Mummies Finally Give Up Their Genetic Secrets

Armed with new DNA techniques, scientists have extracted genetic sequences from preserved Egyptians

Multiple views of the young teen's right humerus arm bone that runs from the shoulder to the elbow show where the tumor left its mark.

Oldest Cancer Case in Central America Discovered

A young teen, who died 700 years ago, likely suffered pain in the right arm as the tumor grew and expanded through the bone

A Tiny Church Sits On Britain's Oldest Site of Continuous Worship

When a 4,000-year-old wooden post was found near the church, it suggested that area was used for ritual purposes since the late Neolithic period

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