Archaeology, features and articles | Educational Science

Aug 31, 2023

Early medieval warrior found buried with his weapons in Germany

Archaeologists in Germany have discovered the grave of a Frankish warrior who was buried with his weapons and shield more than 1,300 years ago. The weapons include a spatha, a long sword based on cavalry swords of the late Roman Empire. The deceased appears to be a man who died...

Aug 31, 2023

Paleolithic 'art sanctuary' in Spain contains more than 110 prehistoric cave paintings

Archaeologists have discovered more than 110 prehistoric cave paintings and engravings dating to at least 24,000 years ago near Valencia, Spain. The Paleolithic, or Stone Age, rock art is arguably the most important found on the Eastern Iberian Coast in Europe, the team said in a statement about the finding....

Aug 31, 2023

Landslide reveals 2,500-year-old 'richly decorated' gold necklaces in Spain

Two richly decorated gold necklaces that were likely buried in a hoard about 2,500 years ago recently saw the light of day after a landslide exposed them in northern Spain. The first of the C-shaped necklaces was discovered by Sergio Narciandi, a man working for a water supply firm tasked...

Aug 31, 2023

Mysterious and 'beautifully carved' life-size camel carvings discovered in Saudi Arabian desert

Archaeologists have documented a cluster of carvings depicting camels on a rock outcropping near the southern edge of Saudi Arabia's Nafud desert. The monumental artwork portrays a dozen life-size wild camels, a now-extinct species that once roamed this swath of the Arabian Peninsula desert thousands of years ago but has...

May 31, 2023

3.2 million-year-old human ancestor 'Lucy' had massive leg muscles to stand up straight and climb trees

Our 3.2 million-year-old ancestor Lucy could stand and walk upright just like modern humans do, new 3D muscle modeling reveals. The finding bolsters a growing consensus among researchers that Australopithecus afarensis — the extinct species to which Lucy belongs — walked erect rather than with a chimpanzee-like, crouching waddle. The...

Apr 30, 2023

Neanderthals passed down their tall noses to modern humans, genetic analysis finds

Neanderthals were equipped with tall noses that could warm and moisten the cold and dry air around them in chilly climates — an adaptation that may be the result of natural selection. These sizable schnozzes were likely helpful to Neanderthals; once anatomically modern humans (Homo sapiens) left Africa and joined...

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...