Archaeology

  1. A pile of cremated animal and human bone fragments suggests Vikings travelled from Scandinavia across the North Sea to England.
    Archaeology

    Vikings brought animals to England as early as the year 873

    A chemical analysis of cremated remains offers physical evidence of the arrival of Norse animals to England in the ninth century.

    By Anna Gibbs
  2. rows of pots and other vessels used in an Egyptian embalming workshop seen in an archaeological site
    Archaeology

    Chemical residue reveals ancient Egyptians’ mummy-making mixtures

    Chemical clues in embalming vessels reveal previously unknown ingredients used to prepare bodies for mummification and their far-flung origins.

    By Bruce Bower
  3. A photo of the Xi'an fortress wall with the city skyline visible in the background.
    Physics

    Muon scanning hints at mysteries within an ancient Chinese wall

    Density fluctuations within the ancient rampart encircling the city of Xi’an could be defects or yet-to-be-discovered archaeological finds.

    By James R. Riordon
  4. A photo of an ancient cave marking of aurochs (similar to modern cattle) with four dots on the animal's torso.
    Archaeology

    Mysterious marks on Ice Age cave art may have been a form of record keeping

    Hunter-gatherers during the Ice Age may have recorded when prey mated and gave birth, suggesting that these people possessed complex cognitive skills

    By Anna Gibbs
  5. The Pantheon in Rome still stands including its soaring dome.
    Chemistry

    These chemists cracked the code to long-lasting Roman concrete

    Roman concrete has stood the test of time, so scientists searched ruins to unlock the ancient recipe that could help architecture and climate change.

    By Carolyn Gramling
  6. An underwater photo of a replica sunken merchant ship with a scuba diver swimming above.
    Archaeology

    Complex supply chains may have appeared more than 3,000 years ago

    Finds from one of the world’s oldest shipwrecks hint that miners in Central Asia and Turkey provided a crucial metal to Mediterranean rulers.

    By Bruce Bower
  7. the Maya site Aguada Fénix as mapped by lasers, showing a rectangular ceremonial site oriented toward sunrise, surrounded by other structures and faint markings that may be roads
    Archaeology

    Lasers reveal sites used as the Americas’ oldest known star calendars

    By around 3,100 years ago, Mesoamerican ritual complexes tracked celestial cycles using a 260-day count, a huge lidar mapping project shows.

    By Bruce Bower
  8. An Amazonian woman walks away from the camera while holding a large basket on her head.
    Earth

    Indigenous people may have created the Amazon’s ‘dark earth’ on purpose

    Modern Amazonians make nutrient-rich soil from ash, food scraps and burns. The soil strongly resembles ancient dark soils found in the region.

    By Freda Kreier
  9. a child's partial skull, belonging to Homo naledi, against a black backdrop. The area around the bridge of the nose and eyebrows is brown, while the rest of the skull is mostly white.
    Anthropology

    Homo naledi may have lit fires in underground caves at least 236,000 years ago

    Homo naledi may have joined the group of ancient hominids who built controlled fires, presumably for light or warmth, new finds hint.

    By Bruce Bower
  10. A photo of spider monkey bones found buried alongside eagle bones to the left and other animal bones
    Archaeology

    A spider monkey’s remains tell a story of ancient diplomacy in the Americas

    A 1,700-year-old spider monkey skeleton unearthed at Teotihuacan in Mexico was likely a diplomatic gift from the Maya.

    By Freda Kreier
  11. A photo of a large boab tree in the center with several smaller trees spread out around it
    Anthropology

    Carvings on Australia’s boab trees reveal a generation’s lost history

    Archaeologists and an Aboriginal family are working together to rediscover a First Nations group’s lost connections to the land.

    By Freda Kreier
  12. A photo of the remnants of a pyramid among trees and other forest growth
    Archaeology

    Some Maya rulers may have taken generations to attract subjects

    Commoners slowly granted authority to kings at the ancient Maya site of Tamarindito, researchers suspect.

    By Bruce Bower