Archaeology

Apr 24th, 2025 - Who's a Carthaginian? Genetic Study Revises Ancestry of Rome's Ancient Nemesis The inhabitants of Carthage were long thought to have derived from Levantine Phoenicians. But an eight-year study suggests they were more closely related to Greeks. Want to stay updated on what's happening in Italy and Tunisia? , and we'll send our latest coverage to your inbox. The Phoenicians were a confederation of maritime traders who emerged from the chaos of the Levant about 3,100 years ago and developed the ... [Read More]

Apr 23rd, 2025 - The 3,300-year-old monument has sat in the French capital's center for almost 200 years, but no one else noticed these strange encryptions. In 1830, the viceroy of Egypt gifted France a 3,300-year-old Egyptian obelisk—a carved stone pillar with a pyramidal top. In 1836 , the obelisk found its home in Paris, in Place de la Concorde. One would think that after standing in the center of the French capital for almost 200 years, Parisian Egyptologists would have learned all there is to ... [Read More]

Apr 23rd, 2025 - Two groundbreaking studies challenge the old narrative that cats followed early farmers into Europe. For decades, scientists believed the domestic cat first wandered into European life alongside the continent's early farmers. But two sweeping genetic studies now suggest something more complex — and more fascinating. Our adorable fluffy companions may be the result not of pragmatic pest control but of religious reverence and Mediterranean trade. A pair of new investigations, one led by ... [Read More]

Apr 23rd, 2025 - The "Eye of Horus," a depiction of a single stylized eye looking straight ahead, is found throughout ancient Egypt. The symbol is frequently seen in ancient burials — especially on a type of amulet known as the wedjat (or udjat). Sometimes, the Eye of Horus is also featured on coffins and inside tomb chapels. But what is the Eye of Horus and what did it mean to the ancient Egyptians ? According to Egyptian mythology, Horus was the son of Osiris, the god of the underworld . Horus fought ... [Read More]

Apr 22nd, 2025 - Hundreds of skeletons were recently uncovered by archaeologists while they were excavating a British university's property – the discovery a complete surprise. The skeletons, along with an ancient church, were found on the school's City Campus property, which was acquired by the university in 2021. The University of Gloucestershire announced the discovery in an April 11 press release.  The City Campus property, which formerly housed a department store, is expected to open this ... [Read More]

Apr 21st, 2025 - Perched high above the ocean on South Africa's southern coast, a cave carved into a cliff has revealed thousands of ancient stone tools left behind by early humans some 20,000 years ago. Through painstaking excavation and detailed analysis, a team of archaeologists has uncovered clues not only about how these tools were made, but also how people in the late ice age traveled, interacted, and passed along their techniques – suggesting a web of shared knowledge stretching across southern ... [Read More]

Apr 20th, 2025 - Archaeologists recently uncovered the remains of a lost city dating back thousands of years – and newfound evidence suggests it may be the capital of a once-thriving civilization. The recent excavation was announced by California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, on April 4. It took place at Gradishte, an archaeological site near the North Macedonian village of Crnobuki; it was done with the help of experts from Macedonia's Institute and Museum in Bitola. Speaking to Fox News ... [Read More]

Apr 19th, 2025 - Archaeologists recently unveiled a series of strange, centuries-old inscriptions at the site believed to be the location of the Last Supper – just in time for Easter. The Room of the Last Supper, also known as the Cenacle, is located on Mount Zion in Jerusalem . The hall was built by the Crusaders in the 12th century, though pilgrims have venerated the site as early as the 4th century. The recent discovery was announced by the Austrian Academy of Science (OeAW) on April 16, with the help ... [Read More]

Apr 18th, 2025 - Archaeologists have long assumed that Stone Age tombs in Ireland were built for royalty. But a new analysis of DNA from 55 skeletons found in these 5,000-year-old graves suggests that the tombs were made for the community, not for a ruling dynasty. In Ireland's Neolithic period, which lasted from about 3900 to 2500 B.C., people built " megalithic monuments" — large stone structures that contained human bones and cremated remains. While the monuments clearly marked burials, archaeologists ... [Read More]

Apr 17th, 2025 - An exquisitely decorated 7,500-year-old antler from central Sweden was first used as a battle ax and later probably as a fishing harpoon during the Stone Age, a new study suggests. Researchers found the antler eight years ago, but had not been able to study it with new technology until now. "It was probably handled as an ax," study co-author Lars Larsson , a professor of archaeology at Lund University in Sweden, told Live Science. "There are several examples in present-day Denmark of antler ... [Read More]

Apr 11th, 2025 - SO'OUD ATEN, Egypt — It's a familiar story: The whim of a leader upends citizens' lives and leads them into the wilderness.  In ancient Egypt , Pharaoh Akhenaten was no different. Determined that his population should stop from worshipping multiple gods, more than 3,300 years ago he told residents to seal up their homes and workshops in the city of So'oud Aten with mud and clay bricks and move to a new home, a leading Egyptologist, Zawi Hawass, told NBC News last month.  ... [Read More]

Apr 4th, 2025 - Proof of an ancient garden, consistent with biblical scripture, has emerged at the holiest site in Christianity — and an archaeologist says "many surprises" from the site are in the works. Archaeologists excavating the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the ancient church in Jerusalem situated where Jesus Christ was crucified and buried, recently found evidence of ancient olive trees and grapevines. The specimens date back roughly 2,000 years. The discovery echoes the New Testament verse John ... [Read More]

Apr 2nd, 2025 - Italian archaeologists recently unearthed ancient Roman tombs during the excavation of a necropolis – including one bearing the epitaph of a gladiator. The discovery was announced by the Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape (ABAP) Superintendence for the Metropolitan Area of Naples on March 21.  In a statement translated from Italian to English, officials said that the dig took place in Liternum, an ancient town near the city of Giugliano in Campania. The excavation site was used as ... [Read More]

Mar 27th, 2025 - By Will Dunham (Reuters) - Archaeologists have discovered the large limestone burial chamber of an unidentified ancient Egyptian pharaoh near the city of Abydos dating to about 3,600 years ago during a chaotic period in Egypt's history. The discovery of the tomb seven meters (23 feet) underground at the ancient necropolis of Anubis Mountain was announced by University of Pennsylvania Museum and Egyptian archaeologists. It marked the second discovery announced this year of a tomb of an ancient ... [Read More]

Mar 14th, 2025 - Archaeologists in Greece have discovered a monumental ancient tomb that was used as a burial spot for centuries before being repurposed as a healing shrine. Artifacts pointing to its later use include a gold signet ring of Apollo with a "healing serpent" and small sculptures of human body parts, including fingers. The tomb was found in fall 2024 in Chiliomodi, a town near Corinth in Greece's Peloponnese region, according to a March 10 translated statement from the Greek Ministry of Culture. ... [Read More]

Mar 13th, 2025 - Archaeologists in Israel have discovered five burials in a cave belonging to an enigmatic human lineage that suggest this group shared aspects of its lifestyle, technology and burial customs with modern humans and Neanderthals, who also lived in the region up to 130,000 years ago, a new study reports. The finding reveals that Neanderthals, modern humans and related human lineages coexisted in what is now Israel for about 50,000 years. However, it's unknown which group influenced the other and ... [Read More]