Archaeology(Page 9)

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

Latest in Archaeology

Psittacosaurus reconstruction

This fossilized butthole gives us a rare window into dinosaur sex

By Ellie Shechet

Lucy Engleman illustration

The famous Nazca lines aren’t mysterious—but they are ingenious

By Sara Kiley Watson

A black and white photo of gondolas in Venice

Saving historical landmarks from climate change could mean altering them

By Erin Seekamp/The Conversation

Marryam Moma collage

In Louisiana’s ‘Cancer Alley,’ a Black community battles an industry that threatens its health—and history

By Megan I. Gannon

Artist reconstruction of Wilamaya Patjxa vicuña hunt.

A female hunter’s remains hint at more fluid gender roles in the early Americas

By Kate Baggaley

Shipwreck on shore

How scientists keep ancient shipwrecks from crumbling into dust

By Sara Kiley Watson

Atlantis isn’t real, but here are all the places it could have been

By Eleanor Cummins

view from above an erupting volcano

A volcanic eruption may have helped the dinosaurs take over the world

By Rachael Zisk

The Cahokia Mounds in Collinsville, Illinois, mark the site of one of the biggest pre-Colombian civilizations in the US.

Colonial bias gave us an incorrect history of North America’s Indigenous people

By Sturt Manning/The Conversation

two maps side by side

Scientists explored a buried Roman city without digging up an ounce of soil

By Sara Kiley Watson

A Maasai youth with a goat herd in Tanzania

Prehistoric footprints reveal how ancient men and women divided labor

By Harcourt-Smith & Pobiner/The Conversation

ancient human tools

Anthropologists have identified the earliest evidence of Homo sapiens in Europe

By Kate Baggaley

Mammoth Bison carved illusion

This ancient optical illusion is a 14,000-year-old puzzle

By Tom McNamara

a cattle skull mounted on wood

Five surprising ways people have used (and are still using) bones

By John Kennedy

joan wong illustration

Seven mysterious sounds science has yet to solve

By Erin Blakemore

Egyptian coffin mummy.

Egypt is reclaiming its mummies and its past

By Sara Kiley Watson

A controversial new study claims Botswana may be the origin of modern humanity

A controversial new study claims Botswana may be the origin of modern humanity

Gender and class inequalities haven’t really changed for 4,000 years

Gender and class inequalities haven’t really changed for 4,000 years

What unearthing ancient cities teaches us about exploring outer space

What unearthing ancient cities teaches us about exploring outer space

By Annalee Newitz

These bowls suggest humans were already smoking weed by 420 BC

These bowls suggest humans were already smoking weed by 420 BC

By Alex Schwartz

The king behind Machu Picchu built his legacy in stone

By Eleanor Cummins

Archaeologists unearth more evidence that when a civilization drinks together, it stays together

Archaeologists unearth more evidence that when a civilization drinks together, it stays together

By Alex Schwartz

As Rome digs its first new metro route in decades, an archaeologist safeguards the city’s buried treasures

These Chinese fossil deposits shed light on an explosive period in evolution

These Chinese fossil deposits shed light on an explosive period in evolution

By Jan Zalasiewicz and Mark Williams/The Conversation

Ancient poop is helping archaeologists understand a midwestern city’s demise

Ancient poop is helping archaeologists understand a midwestern city’s demise

By Kaitlin Sullivan

Cremation research tombs

Your ashes might say more about you than you’d think

By Eleanor Cummins

Dental calculus jaw and teeth photo

These 1,000-year-old, blue-specked teeth could rewrite medieval history

By Eleanor Cummins

Siberian unicorns lived alongside humans, and they were so much cooler than the mythical version

Siberian unicorns lived alongside humans, and they were so much cooler than the mythical version

By Sara Chodosh

The oldest weapons in North America offer a new view of prehistoric tech

The oldest weapons in North America offer a new view of prehistoric tech

By Neel V. Patel

Bogs are beautiful, swampy records of human history

By Henry Chapman, Ben Gearey, Jane Bunting, Kimberley Davies, Nicola Whitehouse/The Conversation

Cheese played a surprisingly important role in human evolution

Cheese played a surprisingly important role in human evolution

By Penny Bickle/The Conversation

Reports of Homo erectus’ laziness are ‘moronic’

Reports of Homo erectus’ laziness are ‘moronic’

walter rothschild zebra carriage

The weirdest things we learned this week: bone flutes, zebra carriages, and laughing gas parties

By Rachel Feltman

Burnt bread shows that our ancestors were baking 4,000 years before agriculture

Burnt bread shows that our ancestors were baking 4,000 years before agriculture

By Mary Beth Griggs

Chinese characters on pottery

Ancient ‘made in China’ label pushes back the date of shipwreck by 100 years

By Mary Beth Griggs

Neolithic surgeons might have practiced their skull-drilling techniques on cows

Neolithic surgeons might have practiced their skull-drilling techniques on cows

By Sara Chodosh

Why archaeologists are arguing about sweet potatoes

Why archaeologists are arguing about sweet potatoes

By Sara Chodosh

Humans flourished through a supervolcano eruption 74,000 years ago (so you can make it through Tuesday)

Humans flourished through a supervolcano eruption 74,000 years ago (so you can make it through Tuesday)

By Sara Chodosh

Mind your pickaxe: What to do when you encounter fossils and artifacts in the wild

Mind your pickaxe: What to do when you encounter fossils and artifacts in the wild

By Mary Beth Griggs

Neolithic women were probably a lot stronger than you

Neolithic women were probably a lot stronger than you

By Claire Maldarelli

There’s apparently a giant void in the Great Pyramid. Here’s why we don’t know what’s in there.

There’s apparently a giant void in the Great Pyramid. Here’s why we don’t know what’s in there.

By Mary Beth Griggs

This lonely human skull might belong to an ancient tsunami victim

This lonely human skull might belong to an ancient tsunami victim

By Mary Beth Griggs

Gigantic dinosaur finally has a name of its own

Gigantic dinosaur finally has a name of its own

By Sara Kiley Watson

The first humans in Australia arrived early enough to cause some trouble

The first humans in Australia arrived early enough to cause some trouble

By Sara Chodosh

10,000 years ago, North Americans were chowing down on potatoes—some things never change

10,000 years ago, North Americans were chowing down on potatoes—some things never change

By Kendra Pierre-Louis

drilling into seawall

Ancient Romans were way better at making concrete

By Mary Beth Griggs

The skull cult at the world’s oldest temple probably isn’t quite what you think

The skull cult at the world’s oldest temple probably isn’t quite what you think

By Sara Chodosh

Fungal spores staining painting

The world’s art is under attack—by microbes

By Kate Baggaley

How plagues help scientists puzzle out the past

How plagues help scientists puzzle out the past

By Brenna Hassett

From the archives: 100 years of mastodon fossil fascination

From the archives: 100 years of mastodon fossil fascination

By Mark D. Kaufman

Is the Anthropocene really a thing? Minerals we’ve helped create rekindle the debate.

By Mary Beth Griggs

This ancient society passed power down from woman to woman

This ancient society passed power down from woman to woman

By Mark D. Kaufman

Ancient jars hold clues about the intensity of Earth’s magnetic field

Ancient jars hold clues about the intensity of Earth’s magnetic field

By Mary Beth Griggs

Scientists just found signs of a stolen Dead Sea Scroll

Scientists just found signs of a stolen Dead Sea Scroll

By Rachel Feltman

We’ve been grinding up plants to eat for over 10,000 years

We’ve been grinding up plants to eat for over 10,000 years

By Sara Chodosh

New evidence suggests our hominid cousin Lucy loved climbing trees

New evidence suggests our hominid cousin Lucy loved climbing trees

By Rachel Feltman

Scientists shine light on the origin of a mysterious ancient amulet

Scientists shine light on the origin of a mysterious ancient amulet

By Michael Koziol

The Iceman Wore Five Different Animal Products When He Died

The Iceman Wore Five Different Animal Products When He Died

By Mary Beth Griggs

Inuit woman photographed from behind, circa 1921

Neanderthals’ Clothing Could Have Killed Them

By Meaghan Lee Callaghan

Why Did King Tut Have A Knife Made Out Of Meteorite?

Why Did King Tut Have A Knife Made Out Of Meteorite?

By Mary Beth Griggs

Neandertal vs human skulls

Our Neanderthal DNA May Help Scientists Understand Depression And Addiction

By Alexandra Ossola

The Cat May Have Been Domesticated Two Separate Times

The Cat May Have Been Domesticated Two Separate Times

By Grennan Milliken

Video: Sunken Seaplane Was One Of The First Victims Of Pearl Harbor

By Mary Beth Griggs

Ancient Tooth Yields Up DNA Of Ancient Human Cousins, The Denisovans

Ancient Tooth Yields Up DNA Of Ancient Human Cousins, The Denisovans

By Claire Maldarelli