Archaeology on ZME Science

World's first mass extinction might have been caused by animals

Looks like it's not always asteroids.

Oldest case of human cancer is 1.7 million years old

Not a modern-day disease after all.

Vikings might have actually used sunstones to navigate

The legends might have been true after all.

One of the oldest known New Testament copies could have been written in pee-based ink

This ink is number 1. Literally.

Research suggests turtle shells evolved for digging, not protection

The discovery highlights how trait functions can change with evolution.

Amber reveals ancient insect that was literally scared out of its skin

After leaving its exoskeleton behind, the insect narrowly avoided amber entombment.

Chinese archaeologists find a stunning shrine that could contain Buddha's skull

A skull fragment found in an old Buddhist temple is believed to have belonged to Buddha.

Ancient bullets with holes inside were used as a weapon of terror by the Romans

As they whizzed past ramparts, the holed-bullets whistled, "or more accurately gave off a mechanical buzzing sound eerily reminiscent of an agitated wasp," archeologists said.

Laser technology reveals huge medieval cities hidden in Cambodian jungle

Who needs Indiana Jones?

Scientists find 2,000-Year-Old Still-Edible Hunk of Bog Butter

‘Theoretically the stuff is still edible - but we wouldn’t say it’s advisable’

Archaeologists zoom in on sunken, ancient African metropolis

Rhapta was one of the most prosperous cities on the African coast, and one of the last trading posts of the Roman Empire.

Ancient Greeks used this 2,100-years-old analog computer for both astronomy and astrology

The oldest computer in the world was found a century ago, but scientists are still learning.

Musical horns reveal 2,000 year old cultural ties between Europe and India

An archeologist studying Irish iron-age musical horns has found a very surprising correspondent of the ancient musical arts in Europe: these artistic practices, long considered to be dead, are still alive and well in south India.

Underwater 'lost city' turns out to be a geological formation

It's way older than divers thought.

King Tutankhamun's iron dagger is more than meets the eye: it comes from space

Scientists have confirmed that the pharaoh's dagger is indeed not from this Earth - the blade is the "iron of the sky."

British archaeologists find Roman handwritten document

Several tablets from the Roman Age have been uncovered and analyzed following excavation in London, including the oldest hand-written document ever found in Britain and the first ever reference to London.

Greek news sites are reporting that Aristotle's tomb was found

Greek archaeologists may have located the tomb of Aristotle, one of the most important philosophers and scientists of the Antiquity.

Stunning cave findings show Neanderthals made fire way before humans

Deep inside the Bruniquel Cave in France, a set of man-made structures 336 meters from the entrance lie as evidence to the former populations which inhabited the cave. These are among the oldest structures created by humans, and they have quite a story to tell about some of our ancestors. Until now, the earliest dated structures go back to […]

Oldest beer making tools found in China are 5,000-years-old

Ancient Chinese villagers already mastered beer making more than 5,000 years ago, according to archaeologists who found beer-making equipment in the Shaanxi province.

Chinese scientist finds earliest known fossil of complex life, paper met with heavy criticism

A new discovery may place the first appearance of complex life on Earth a full billion years earlier than previously thought. The scientific community is divided on the value of the find, some hailing it as rock-solid evidence while others dismiss it as inconclusive.

Here's why there's almost certainly no hidden chamber in Tutankhamun's tomb

The entire world of archaeology was electrified by recent announcements of a hidden chamber in Tutankhamun’s tomb. The story had it all – maybe even too much – false walls, hidden riches, even a mummy, Nefertiti’s mummy. But while the whole situation is still in the air, more and more doubt is being cast on the […]

Ancient recipes: Pullum Numidicum (Numidian Chicken)

Perhaps one of the most underappreciated aspects of archaeology is cooking. We know surprisingly little about how people used to cook in ancient times, although a few delicious recipes managed to slip through the cracks and remain recorded. Such is the case with Pullum Numidicum (Numidian Chicken), a simple, delicious and authentic Roman recipe. The dish […]

A 15 year old may have discovered a hidden Maya city by studying Maya constellations... or not

A teenager from Quebec might have discovered a hidden Maya city simply by looking at the stars.

2,000-year-old horseracing rules found in Turkey

Gentlemanly rules for an ancient sport.

Israeli archaeologists uncover roman-period glass factory underpinning trade throughout the empire

Israel Antiques Authority (IAA) archaeologists have uncovered the ruins of a 1,600 year-old complex of glass kilns in the Jezreel Valley. Their size indicates that Israel was one of the most important glass manufacturing center in the ancient world, says Dr. Yael Gorin-Rosen, IAA's Glass Department head curator.

Fossil Friday: Helicoprion

Helicoprion is an extinct genus of shark-like, cartilaginous fish that lived from the early Permian (~290 m.y. ago) all through to the massive Permian-Triassic extinction episode (roughly 250 m.y. ago.)

Archaeologists unearth what looks like the 2nd Viking Settlement in North America

If confirmed, the findings could rewrite history.

Scientists may be able to read scrolls burned by lava in AD 79

In the year 79, the Vesuvius volcano erupted, wiping out the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum and killing at least 1,500 people. But while Pompeii usually takes the spotlight, it's Herculaneum that may provide us with key information.

Shakespeare's head appears to be missing from his grave, new study finds

What was once discarded as a myth or an urban legend may actually be true – geophysical studies seem to indicate that Shakespeare’s head may be missing from the grave, possibly stolen by graverobbers in the 19th century. The bard is buried in the beautiful Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. Shakespeare was buried in his home-town church, […]

Viking treasure pot, opened more than 1,000 years after it was hidden in modern Galloway

The first images of Viking treasure, stashed in a pot more than 1,000 years ago and buried in a field in Galloway, have been made public by the conservators working to preserve them. The items, including six silver disk brooches, a gold ingot and Byzantine silk, are not currently on display.

Israeli hiker finds extremely rare coin, second of its kind

Whenever I see a glint in the grass, it’s either a penny or nothing at all. But when Israeli hiker Laurie Rimon found a coin, it was such a rare find that archaeologists only found a single one similar to it. Israeli scientists believe the coin is part of a series made by the Roman Emperor […]

400,000-year-old fossils from Spain provide earliest genetic evidence of Neandertals

Researchers working in Spain have made a surprising finding: Neanderthals emerged much earlier than previously believed, perhaps as far as half a million years ago.

Complete wheel from the Bronze Age found in the UK

Archaeologists have uncovered one of the biggest and best-preserved wheels from the Bronze Age, dating from nearly 3,000 years ago. The wheel holds a special place in human culture – even though we rarely give wheels a second thought, they basically revolutionized our world, allowing us to redefine transportation. After all, there’s a reason why something […]

Human teeth got smaller or missing due to tool use

Alistair Evans of Monash University in Australia took a refreshing look at hominid teeth evolution. He found human evolution was much simpler than previously thought, but also that wisdom teeth considerably shrank around the time complex tools began to be used.

The original haute couture: archaeologists unearth fabrics from King Solomon's time

Recent archaeological findings in the Timna region in Israel's southern Arava Valley showcase the surprising variety and quality of the clothes worn some 3,000 years ago.

UK Archaeologists find 5 long-lost Roman roads

British archaeologists have uncovered five Roman roads built over 2,000 years ago using a technology called LIDAR - a mix between LASER and RADAR.

3,000 year-old fingerprints found on Egyptian coffin

When archaeology meets forensics - a team of British researchers has found three thousand year old fingerprints on the lid of an Egyptian coffin.

Cultural-heritage-protection task force created by Italy and the UN

Following ISIS's attack and destruction of the oldest Christian monastery in Iraq, Italy and the United Nations have joined forces to protect cultural heritage sites in conflict zones.

Easter Island populations were not destroyed by warfare, reseach finds

The Easter Island is one of the biggest mysteries in human history. How people got there and where they came from, how they built the huge moai statues and why, and what brought their demise are still unsolved questions. But at leas for the latter, we may be getting a bit closer to the truth. The previously […]

Mysterious, ancient cemetery found in Germany

It all started when archaeologists working in Germany made a surprising discovery, uncovering the bodies of children and of one adult man who was buried, strangely, standing upright. The cemetery was dated to 8,500 years, being one of the oldest – if not the oldest – ever found on the continent. The cemetery dates from the […]

Stunning church discovered in underground city in Turkey

A surprising finding could change the history of orthodoxy.

Archaeologists uncover 4,500-year-old 59-foot boat at a site in Egypt

Archaeologists from the Charles University in Prague have made a stunning discovery in Egypt: they found a stunningly well preserved long boat, buried for four and a half millennia. The discovery was made at Abusir, “the House or Temple of Osiris” and an extensive necropolis with many well documented findings. But Egypt still has a story to […]

3,000 jars of ancient Roman fish sauce discovered in shipwreck

Archaeologists working off the coast of Italy have found a Roman shipwreck containing three thousand fish sauce vessels.

Babylonians used advanced geometry 1,400 years before Oxford

A German astrophysicist decoded ancient Babylonian tablets stuffed with computations. His analysis reveals that these were used by the ancient scholars to predict where and when Jupiter would show up in the night's sky based on abstract computations so advanced they're indispensable to modern science. It's thought analytical geometry was invented at Oxford in the 14th century, but it seems the Babylonians had it covered more than 1,400 years earlier.

10,000 Year Old Hunter-Gatherer Massacre Uncovered

War may have emerged even before humans settled down.

A lost city has been discovered in Honduras - maybe even a new civilization

Archaeologists have reported the stunning discovery of a new (old) city discovered in Honduras.

Cosmic particles might finally explain how Egypt's Pyramids were built

Using cutting edge technology, scientists are now surveying the Great Pyramids of Giza to unravel new clues and maybe find hidden chambers.

"Cave of Forgotten Dreams" may be earliest painting of volcano eruption

Volcanic eruptions have fascinated and frightened people for millennia, and many have tried to describe them in different ways. Whether it was through paintings, text or documentaries, we’ve all seen volcanoes described in one way or another. But for people 30,000 years ago, that was a much more difficult challenge. Now, researchers believe they have […]

Ancient people survived the Arctic 45,000 years ago

Archaeologists working in the arctic have found evidence that ancient humans made it to the arctic some 45,000 years ago.

Archaeologists unearth stunning evidence of prosthetic use in dark age Europe

Austrian archaeologists said on Thursday that they've uncovered Europe's oldest prosthetic implant -- a wooden foot dated from the sixth century AD.

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