Archaeology

The latest digs, ideas, and discoveries about our past, from ancient cities to our prehistoric ancestors.

Latest in Archaeology

a gold medal from the 1924 olympics in paris. the text on one side reads VIII OLYMPIAD PARIS 1924 and has a rugby ball, discuss, and a harp etched in. the other shows a winner reaching down to help up a fallen competitor over the five interlocking olympic rings

Extremely rare 1924 Olympic gold medal up for auction

By Laura Baisas

a shipwreck being recovered between two modern buildings (right) a model wearing a brown dress (left)

17th century shipwreck woven into dress (seriously)

By Laura Baisas

Drill boring hole in ancient mollusk shell in laboratory

Neanderthals dined on shellfish much earlier than humans

Plaster cast of Pompeii victim curled up on the ground

This Pompeii victim was likely a doctor trying to help survivors

small dingo bones in soil with a yellow tape measure showing size

1,000-year-old dingo bones show that it was injured, cared for, and ritually buried

By Laura Baisas

The exterior of the reconstructed Catholic chapel at Historic St.Mary's City in St. Mary's City, Maryland

1.3 million people share DNA with Maryland’s earliest colonists

Large flaming dart on stand outside

Intrepid man tests giant flaming darts used on 16th century warship

The front of the coin represents Christ’s crucifixion (right). The reverse side has the Greek letters alpha and omega, symbolizing God as the beginning and the end (left).

Rare medieval coins used as anti-Viking charms found in a field

By Laura Baisas

five different views of a neanderthal tooth with a cavity that was filled

Neanderthal ‘dentists’ treated cavities 59,000 years ago

By Margherita Bassi

ceramics laying on the bottom of the mediterranean sea

Robot probes 16th century Italian shipwreck 1.5 miles below the Mediterranean

By Mack DeGeurin

Gold sword scabbard from 6th century Norway

Hiker stumbles on 6th century gold sword scabbard under fallen tree

shiny crystals found inside of a bone

An extinct human species made surprisingly creative butchery tools

By Laura Baisas

Jaw bone exhibiting gold wire dental ligature around bottom teeth

A medieval Scot rocked a 20-carat gold dental bridge

a valley and cave

Prehistoric child’s finger bone, bear tooth pendant, and more discovered in Spanish cave

By Laura Baisas

Pile of medieval stone cannonballs

Medieval cannonballs and WWI bomb discovered under construction site

a silver medieval coin in the palm of a person's hand

Metal detectorists discover rare, Anglo-Saxon coins likely hidden from Vikings

By Margherita Bassi

Ramses II statue

Archaeologists discover 7-foot-tall statue of legendary Egyptian pharaoh

a diver exploring a shipwreck while a boat bobs on the surface

2,200-year-old Roman shipwreck unlocks mysteries of how ships were built and repaired

By Margherita Bassi

Charred Roman bread next to ruler for scale

2,000-year-old Roman bread discovered under construction site

Papyrus fragments featuring portion of 'The Iliad'

Egyptian mummy discovered stuffed with excerpt from ‘The Iliad’