Cool Finds

The Church of San Pablo now stands above the underground passageways in the ancient city of Mitla.

Archaeologists Discover Entrance to the Zapotec Underworld Beneath a Church in Mexico

New scans of the site have confirmed the existence of an "underground labyrinth"

A lightsheet used to reveal hidden text in a manuscript of William Camden's Annals. New research suggests the author reworked his biography of Elizabeth I to win the favor of her successor, James VI of Scotland and I of England.

Hidden for 400 Years, Censored Pages Reveal New Insights Into Elizabeth I's Reign

Scholars used advanced imaging to read crossed-out, pasted-over passages in the first official account of the Tudor queen's time on the English throne

This polishing stone is more than 5,000 years old and was once used to sharpen ax heads.

Rare Neolithic 'Polishing Boulder' Discovered in England

Used to sharpen axes, the 5,000-year-old polissoir is only the second of its kind ever found in the country

Scientists found that carvings on the bones of giant sloths were made within a few years of the animals' deaths.

Humans May Have Arrived in the Americas Earlier Than Previously Thought

Researchers say that humans coexisted with giant sloths in Brazil some 25,0000 years ago

Archaeologists are still speculating as to why the remote location was chosen as a burial site.

Mysterious 2,500-Year-Old Skeletons Found in Israel's Negev Desert

The tomb was located at the crossroads of two trading routes—and far away from any ancient settlements

An artistic rendering of what the "Ivory Lady" might have looked like

The 'Ivory Man'—a Powerful Leader Buried in a Lavish Tomb 5,000 Years Ago—Was Actually a Woman

Researchers in Spain had previously assumed that the grave belonged to a high-status young man

Images of human figures are visible in the Bronze Age paintings.

Eagle-Eyed Hiker Spots Bronze Age Rock Paintings in Norway

Tormod Fjeld and two friends have spent years searching for traces of rock art in their free time

The alignment of the pits discovered suggests a ritual purpose.

Archaeologists Discover 25 Mesolithic Pits in England

The 8,000-year-old pits shed light on a period in Britain that historians know very little about

The canoe was discovered in an underwater cave in 2021.

Maya Canoe Found in Underwater Cave May Have Been Used for Rituals

Archaeologists discovered the seven-foot-long vessel near Chichén Itzá two years ago

A recently unearthed fresco at a house in Pompeii shows a flatbread that could have been a precursor to pizza.

Does This Pompeii Painting Depict a 2,000-Year-Old Pizza?

The fresco features a flatbread with a variety of toppings—but no tomato and mozzarella

Researchers think that this pendant could be the oldest known depiction of a penis—and early evidence of humans' ability to think symbolically.

Is This the Earliest Known Phallic Art?

Researchers think the 42,000-year-old artifact was carved from graphite to resemble a penis

A rendering of what the site in Tiel may have once looked like

Archaeologists Discover 4,000-Year-Old 'Dutch Stonehenge'

The ritual site was once used to determine the longest and shortest days of the year

An inscribed stone found at the Ocomtún site

This Ancient Maya City Was Hidden in the Jungle for More Than 1,000 Years

Archaeologists surveying the ruins of Ocomtún found pyramids, stone columns and a ballgame court

Inscriptions on the statues in both Etruscan and Latin are still legible after thousands of years.

Found in Ancient Spa, Stunningly Preserved Bronze Statues Go on View in Rome

The trove of 2,300-year-old bronzes was discovered last year in a thermal spring in Tuscany

The three-inch-long pottery shard contains only parts of a passage from Virgil's Georgics.

Virgil Quotation Found Etched on 1,800-Year-Old Roman Jar

Researchers say the ancient inscription is the first of its kind ever discovered

The hilt of a the recently discovered Bronze Age sword, which was extraordinarily well-preserved

Archaeologists Find 3,000-Year-Old Sword So Well Preserved It 'Almost Still Shines'

The Bronze Age artifact was discovered in a grave during excavations in southern Germany

Natufian artworks, such as this figurine, became common around 15,000 years ago. Few artworks predating that period have been found in the Levant.

When Did Humans Start Settling Down?

In Israel, new discoveries at one of the world's oldest villages are upending the debate about when we stopped wandering

An astonishingly well preserved mosaic was unearthed at the same site in early 2022.

Rare Roman Mausoleum Unearthed in London

Archaeologists say it's the most intact structure of its kind ever found in Britain

Researcher Laurent Davin plays a replica of one of the 12,000-year-old bird bone flutes recently discovered in northern Israel.

These 12,000-Year-Old Flutes Mimic the Sound of Prehistoric Birds

The remnants of seven small bird bone instruments were discovered in northern Israel

Thomas Cromwell, Anne Boleyn and Catherine of Aragon all owned a copy of the same Book of Hours.

Prayer Book Owned by Thomas Cromwell, Adviser to Henry VIII, Was Hidden in Plain Sight for Centuries

The Book of Hours appears in a famous painting of the Tudor statesman

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