Archaeology, features and articles | Educational Science

Apr 30, 2023

2,500-year-old poop from Jerusalem toilets contain oldest evidence of dysentery parasite

By analyzing poop from biblical-era toilets in Jerusalem, archaeologists have discovered the oldest known evidence of a tiny parasite that causes traveler's diarrhea, a new study finds. This microscopic parasite, the protozoan Giardia duodenalis, can cause dysentery, an intestinal infection that results in severe, bloody diarrhea and is often accompanied...

Apr 30, 2023

What was the longest-lasting civilization?

Ancient Egypt, China and Mesopotamia are all frequently cited as long-lasting civilizations, enduring for thousands of years. But which of these societies lasted the longest? It turns out, that's not a straightforward question, for a few reasons. First, modern historians and archaeologists don't agree on a single definition of a...

Mar 31, 2023

Where is Alexander the Great's tomb?

By the age of 32, Alexander the Great had conquered an empire that stretched from the Balkans to modern-day Pakistan, making him the sovereign of one of the largest empires in the ancient world. Despite his success and fame, it's impossible to pay respects to him today, as the location...

Mar 31, 2023

Ancient inscription on jar found in Israel links kingdoms of Solomon and Sheba

For more than a decade, archaeologists have struggled to decipher an inscription carved into the neck of a broken jar that dates back to King Solomon's reign in ancient Israel. Now, researchers have finally revealed the mysterious message's meaning. Based on the new interpretation, published in January in the Jerusalem...

Mar 31, 2023

Ancient princesses helped build vast warrior empire that prompted China to erect the Great Wall

Elite women, perhaps princesses, played a crucial role in holding the Xiongnu, one of the first nomadic empires of the eastern Eurasian Steppe, together, a new study suggests. The Xiongnu, who may have been among the ancient ancestors of the Mongols, formed a confederation of nomadic peoples who controlled much...

Feb 28, 2023

Cosmic rays reveal 'hidden' 30-foot-long corridor in Egypt's Great Pyramid

Cosmic rays and photos from an endoscope have revealed a hidden corridor inside the Great Pyramid of Giza's north face, above the pyramid's ancient entrance, new research finds. The Great Pyramid was built on orders of the pharaoh Khufu (ruled circa 2551 B.C. to 2528 B.C.) on the Giza plateau...

Feb 28, 2023

Roman-era tomb scattered with magical 'dead nails' and sealed off to shield the living from the 'restless dead'

In ancient Roman times, people may have feared the restless dead, according to the discovery of a cremation tomb sprinkled with intentionally bent nails and sealed not only with two dozen bricks but also a layer of plaster, a new study finds. The unusual grave, found at the site of...

Jan 31, 2023

See the lifelike face of Zuzu, a man who lived 9,600 years ago in Brazil

In 1997, archaeologists unearthed a skeleton buried in the fetal position at Toca dos Coqueiros, an archaeological site in Brazil's Serra da Capivara National Park. Based on the size and shape of the skull, they identified the remains as female and named the skeleton Zuzu. But that classification has remained...

Jan 31, 2023

3,400 years ago, 'brain surgery' left man with square hole in his skull, ancient bones suggest

The skeletal remains of two Bronze Age brothers buried more than 3,400 years ago in what's now northern Israel reveal that the siblings lived with severe health problems but had access to treatments, including trepanation, a new study suggests. The older brother had a piece of bone removed from his...

Dec 31, 2022

Lasers reveal massive, 650-square-mile Maya site hidden beneath Guatemalan rainforest

Geologists in northern Guatemala have discovered a massive Maya site that stretches approximately 650 square miles (1,700 square kilometers) and dates to the Middle and Late Preclassic period (roughly 1000 B.C. to 250 B.C.). The findings were the result of an aerial survey that researchers conducted via airplane using lidar...

Dec 31, 2023

5 blockbuster archaeology discoveries that may come in 2024

In 2024, we can expect to see a number of new finds and advances in archaeology. New AI techniques may lead to a wave of lost texts being rediscovered, and similar techniques may be used to track down stolen artifacts. We may also see the discovery of new inscriptions at...

Dec 31, 2023

Medieval grave of 'very, very powerful' man and his 4-foot-long sword unearthed in Sweden

Archaeologists in Sweden have discovered the medieval burial of an extremely tall man who was buried with a long sword — one that was nearly two-thirds of his height — and may have been a nobleman who supported the region's ill-fated union with Denmark and Norway. The sword, which is...

Jan 17, 2024

Doctor injected dog and rabbits with bacteria from assassinated US president in bizarre autopsy experiments, documents reveal

Never-before-seen documents from an autopsy on assassinated U.S. President William McKinley reveal that after the president's death, a doctor performed unorthodox experiments in which he injected bacterial samples from the president's wounds into rabbits and a dog. The notes are now on sale for the first time. On Sept. 6,...

Jan 17, 2024

Babylon's Ishtar Gate may have a totally different purpose than we thought, magnetic field measurements suggest

Babylon's bright-blue Ishtar Gate was thought to have been built to celebrate the conquest of Jerusalem — but a new analysis finds that it may have been erected years later. The iconic glazed-brick edifice, which King Nebuchadnezzar II ordered to be built and decorated with wild bulls and mušhuššu-dragons while...

Jan 18, 2024

'Extremely rare' 2,500-year-old broken silver coin unearthed near Jerusalem

A broken 2,500-year-old silver coin unearthed near Jerusalem is rare evidence that early currency was used in ancient Judea, according to archaeologists. It's one of only a handful of coins of this age — made in the sixth or fifth century B.C., when Judea was under the control of the...