Archeaology

An analysis of so-called pukao — colossal stone hats of monumental statues (moai) on Easter Island — provides evidence contrary to the widely held belief that the ancient civilization had a warrior culture. Easter Island, known as Rapa Nui to its earliest inhabitants, is one of the most remote inhabited …

Dr. Philip Riris from the Institute of Archaeology at University College London and colleagues have mapped a series of rock engravings (petroglyphs), some of which are thought to be up to 2,000 years old, in the Amazonas state of Venezuela. Aerial photograph of monumental Cerro Pintado petroglyphs. Image credit: Philip …

Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) archaeologists digging at the site of Beth Shemesh have discovered the spectacular remains of a 1,500-year-old monastery and church decorated with mosaic floors and imported marble elements. An archaeology student uncovering the mosaic floor of a church at Beth Shemesh, Israel. Image credit: Assaf Peretz, Israel …

Archaeologists from the University of Münster, Germany, have unearthed a large collection of 1,800-year-old clay seals, or bullae, at the ancient city of Doliche, which was part of the province of Syria in Roman times. Clay seals from the archive of Doliche. Image credit: University of Münster. “This unique group …

A total of 28 rock art cave sites have been discovered on the Indonesian island of Kisar, which measures just 81 km2 and lies north of Timor-Leste. A paper describing cave paintings at five of the discovered sites is published in the Cambridge Journal of Archaeology. Kisar cave painting of …

    Am ancient mummy is tended to by employees in a 3,500-year-old burial place in Luxor, Egypt. Photograph by     Nariman El-Mofty, AP for National Geographic Egyptian officials today announced the discovery and excavation of two burial places found in Thebes, now a UNESCO world heritage site.The tombs …

The production of iron from its ore only started in the 2nd millennium BC, but a number of iron artifacts from the preceding Bronze Age are known to exist. According to a new study published in the Journal of Archaeological Science, the composition of all Bronze Age iron artifacts is …

Archaeologists from the University of Leicester have unearthed a rare collection of Iron Age metal artifacts, including decorated cauldrons, a complete sword, and a 3rd century BC brooch, at the site of Glenfield Park in Leicestershire, England. An aerial shot of the Glenfield Park roundhouse. Image credit: University of Leicester …

    It was recently reported, to the pleasure of many, that a 4,000-year-old Assyrian baked clay tablet was likely a in a new working paper, a mindful translation of a number of them has exposed something absolutely remarkable: The areas of ancient metropolitan areas that have been long lost …

A hoard of 21 Islamic gold dinars, 2,200 silver coins, and gold artifacts dating to the 12th century CE has been unearthed by archaeologists digging at the Abbey of Cluny, a former Benedictine monastery in Cluny, Saône-et-Loire, France. The Cluny Abbey hoard. Image credit: Vincent Borrel-AorOc. The Cluny Abbey hoard was …