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All the latest news on finds, advancements, and research in archaeology and ancient history, from the No 1 Ancient History website in the world

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Pompeii

Giraffe and Sea Urchin on the Menu for People of Pompeii

A new study , which will be presented today at the Archaeological Institute of America, draws on the results of a large-scale excavation in a forgotten area of Pompeii . The findings revealed the...
Pattra Leaf

Tibet fights to preserve culture through protection of ancient scriptures

An institute has been established in Tibet to preserve ancient texts written on the leaves of plants, known as pattra-leaf scriptures. Originally from ancient India, these cultural relics are...
Denisova Caves - Siberia

Scientists draw up definitive list of genes that make us human

Last month we reported on the incredible accomplishment of researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, who mapped the Neanderthal genome to the same level of detail that...
Masacre in a well

1,200-year-old murder mystery – dozens of bodies found in ancient well

Archaeologists have discovered the remains of a mass grave at the bottom of a 1,200-year-old well in the town of Entrains-sur-Nohain in Burgundy, France. It appears the discovery relates to the...
Sacrificial Skulls in Mexico

Unusual Aztec sacrificial skulls found in Mexico subway dig

Archaeologists have made an announcement about an unusual Aztec sacrificial offering , which was found back in 2009 but kept under wraps until now. The discovery consists of a dog’s skull with holes...
Tekhelet - Israel

Ancient textile may contain Biblical blue dye lost for 1,300 years

An extremely rare blue dye which adorned the robes of kings, priests, and Jews in ancient times, and which was lost to the world nearly 1,300 years ago, is believed to have been found on a 2,000-year...
Rome Sundial Secrets

Virtual Reconstruction Reveals Secret to Ancient Sundial

Scientists have used latest technology to produce virtual simulations of an Egyptian obelisk and the famous Ara Pacis (Altar of Peace) in ancient Rome to solve a mystery surrounding the ancient...
King Janus

Ancient History of New Year’s Resolutions

A New Year's resolution is a tradition, most common in the West but found around the world, in which a person makes a promise on New Year’s Eve to make certain changes or self-improvements in the...
The best on human origins 2013

What we discovered about ancient human origins this year… and what is still a mystery

This year, huge strides were made in unravelling some of the mysteries of our ancient ancestors. For example, in the first ever analysis of a virtually complete Neanderthal genome, scientists were...
Ancient China - Cats

Chinese May Have Loved Cats before Ancient Egyptians

The Egyptians are well known for their love of cats . Not only were they praised for controlling vermin and snakes, but the cat was a symbol of grace and poise. The goddess Mafdet, the deification of...
Dujiangyan Irrigation System

The legacy of Dujiangyan: China’s ancient irrigation system

Dujiangyan is the oldest and only surviving non-dam irrigation system in the world, and a wonder in the development of Chinese science. Built over 2,200 years ago in what is now Sichuan province in...
Kharga Oasis Rock

Could Kharga Oasis Rock Panel Represent Zodiacal Constellations?

Two weeks ago, Egyptologist Salima Ikram announced the discovery of a very unusual rock panel in the Kharga Oasis, 175 kilometres west of Luxor in Egypt. While the date of the panel is still...
Hhunter gatherers

Sharks, bees and humans use same mathematical pattern to hunt

A mathematical pattern of movement called a Lévy walk describes the hunting behaviour of many animals, including sharks, birds and honeybees, and now for the first time it has been shown to describe...
Stone Age Beer

Beer was more important than bread for our Stone Age ancestors

Around 11,500 years ago, hunter gatherers ceased being nomadic and began to cultivate crops and form settlements. But what is it that made our Stone Age ancestors start harvesting? A logical...
Vatican Cemetery

Ancient Roman cemetery to be opened by the Vatican next year

The Vatican will be opening an ancient Roman cemetery to the public early next year. The ancient burial site, which was discovered under a Vatican City car park 60 years ago, contains the remains of...
Neanderthal Skull

Diabetes gene may come from Neanderthals

Type 2 diabetes is a condition in which the body does not produce enough insulin or the cells in the body do not use insulin properly. It is an illness which is known to disproportionately affect...
Kharga Oasis spider rock art

Kharga Oasis spider rock art may be astronomical writing

Last week we reported on the discovery of a very unusual rock panel in the Kharga Oasis, 175 kilometres west of Luxor in Egypt, which Egyptologist Salima Ikram claimed was a depiction of spiders...
Indonesia Cave

Record of ancient tsunamis found in Indonesia cave

A limestone cave discovered in Sumatra, near the source of the deadly tsunami that hit Indonesia on 26 th December, 2004, contains the footprints of past ancient tsunamis dating back 7,500 years. The...
Abacus

Ancient Chinese abacus receives UNESCO recognition

The abacus , also called a counting frame, is a calculating tool that was in use centuries before the adoption of the written modern numeral system and is still widely used by merchants, traders and...
4,000-year-old cosmetics shop

4,000-year-old cosmetics shop found in Cyprus

Archaeologists have unearthed a unique 4,000 year-old cosmetics workshop at the Pyrgos-Mavroraki archaeological site in Limassol, Cyprus. It is the first time that evidence has been found of...
Bian Que

Ancient Chinese Medical Texts verified to belong to legendary Bian Que

Several days ago we reported on the discovery of 920 bamboo strips at an archaeological site in China containing recipes for treating ailments that date back 2,000 years. Archaeologists speculated...
Unusual Discoveries 2013

Ten unusual archaeological discoveries

One of the best things about archaeology is uncovering the unexpected. Some of the findings listed below certainly fit into this category – from elongated skulls to vampire graves, green slime, and...
Kaipawa Harbour

Unknown Shipwreck could rewrite New Zealand history

Last week, an 11-year-old boy stumbled upon an old bronze canon in Darwin, Australia that predates the arrival of the acclaimed Captain James Cook to the continent in 1770. Now, a new discovery has...
Angels

Clergyman claims angels have no wings

Most depictions of angels show a blond-haired woman in a white gown with feathered wings and a glowing golden halo, but is this what angels really look like? According to ‘Angelogist’ Father Renzo...

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