Humans have left clues of our existence throughout time, leaving behind burials, artifacts and written records that hint at our evolution, beliefs, practices and cultures. Studying the archaeological record shows us that the oldest known bones belonging to Homo sapiens are 300,000 years old, or that the world’s oldest civilizations arose at least 6,000 years ago.
Discover more about archaeology
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Apollo gold ring with 'healing serpent' found in 2,000-year-old tomb in Greece
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'The most shameful form of execution': Han warriors found dismembered in 2,100-year-old mass grave in Mongolia
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Neanderthals, modern humans and a mysterious human lineage mingled in caves in ancient Israel, study finds
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'Pregnant' ancient Egyptian mummy with 'cancer' actually wasn't pregnant and didn't have cancer, new study finds
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Jewish ritual bath discovered near Rome is the 'oldest discovery of its kind in the world'
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Most ancient Europeans had dark skin, eyes and hair up until 3,000 years ago, new research finds
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Human ancestors arrived in Western Europe much earlier than previously thought, fossil face fragments reveal
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'Pregnant' ancient Egyptian mummy with 'cancer' actually wasn't pregnant and didn't have cancer, new study finds
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2,600-year-old jewelry stash from ancient Egypt includes gold statuette depicting family of gods
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Thutmose II tomb discovery raises new mysteries: Where is his mummy, and why wasn't he buried in the Valley of the Kings?
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Tomb of ancient Egyptian pharaoh is 1st to be discovered in 100 years
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Mummy quiz: Can you unwrap these ancient Egyptian mysteries?
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Ancient Egyptian 'granary with scribes' diorama: A miniature workplace found buried in a tomb from the Middle Kingdom
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Excavations at Queen Hatshepsut's mortuary temple reveal elaborate burials, decorated blocks and ancient tools
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'Big surprise' reveals supposed skull of 'Cleopatra's sister' actually belongs to an 11-year-old boy
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4,100-year-old tomb of doctor who treated pharaohs discovered at Saqqara
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Jewish ritual bath discovered near Rome is the 'oldest discovery of its kind in the world'
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Hoard of silver Roman coins found in UK — and some date to reign of Marcus Aurelius
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Mystery of how man's brain turned to glass after Vesuvius eruption possibly solved
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Rare fresco discovered in Pompeii shows type of woman who 'breaks free from male order to dance freely, go hunting and eat raw meat in the mountains'
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2,000-year-old remains of London's oldest Roman basilica discovered under office building
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'Incredible moment in history:' Particle accelerator and AI offer first peek inside 2,000-year-old Herculaneum scroll
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1,900-year-old Roman sanctuary and coin found in flooded Spanish cave
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1,600-year-old Roman padlock with spring mechanism discovered in Germany — and it's tiny
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1,900-year-old papyrus 'best-documented Roman court case from Judaea apart from the trial of Jesus'
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'Vulva stone' and coin jewelry among remarkable treasures discovered at Viking burial site in Norway
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Were the Vikings really that violent?
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1,200-year-old Viking cemetery with 'stone ship' burials discovered in Sweden
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Why didn't the Vikings colonize North America?
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50 Viking Age burials discovered in Denmark, including a woman in a rare 'Viking wagon'
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Vikings in Norway were much more likely to die violent deaths than those in Denmark
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Viking Age stone figurine unearthed in Iceland — but no one can agree on which animal it is
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'Spectacular silver treasure' from Viking Age unearthed by college student on farm in Denmark
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Viking Age ship burial may be hiding beneath Norwegian farm, iron rivets hint
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Human ancestors arrived in Western Europe much earlier than previously thought, fossil face fragments reveal
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2,200-year-old grave in China contains 'Red Princess of the Silk Road' whose teeth were painted with a toxic substance
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'Find of a lifetime': 15th-century gold and silver coins discovered by amateur metal detectorists in Scotland
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