Archaeology

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.
Whether you’re looking for facts about the ancient Egyptians, the discovery of an ancient human skull, a gold hoard dating to the fall of the Roman Empire or how the latest technology is helping us find hidden pyramids, Live Science's expert science writers and editors are here to give you the latest coverage on our past with archaeology news, articles and features.
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Sunken temple and sanctuary from ancient Egypt found brimming with 'treasures and secrets'
By Jennifer Nalewicki published
Archaeologists discovered a cache of treasure inside a sunken underwater temple and sanctuary in Egypt.

Cup crafted from prehistoric human skull discovered in cave in Spain
By Tom Metcalfe published
A new study suggests that Spain's ancient peoples shared complex beliefs about death and the afterlife.

Archaeologists in Zambia discover oldest wooden structure in the world, dating to 476,000 years ago
By Kristina Killgrove published
A new finding in Zambia reveals the oldest known wooden construction shaped by the hands of a human ancestor and demonstrates the ingenuity and technical prowess of our ancient relatives.

See the stunning facial approximation of a medieval man with dwarfism
By Jennifer Nalewicki published
Researchers used 3D scans of a medieval man's skull to recreate a facial approximation of what he may have looked like when he was alive centuries ago.

Paleolithic 'art sanctuary' in Spain contains more than 110 prehistoric cave paintings
By Laura Geggel published
Cave paintings and engravings dating to at least 24,000 years ago were discovered near Valencia in Spain.

Early medieval warrior found buried with his weapons in Germany
By Tom Metcalfe published
Archaeologists think the man died during the Merovingian period, an early stage of the Germanic-speaking empire of the Franks.

'Outstanding' 2,200-year-old child's shoe discovered deep underground in Austrian mine
By Laura Geggel published
A second century B.C. leather shoe found in an Austrian mine offers 'extremely rare insight into the life of Iron Age miners.'

14th-century shipboard cannon that fired 'stone shots' may be Europe's oldest on record
By Tom Metcalfe published
An analysis of cloth found inside the cannon suggests that it dates to the 14th century and that the weapon was charged with gunpowder and ready to fire.

'This is complete nonsense': Scientists rail against 'alien' bodies shown before Mexican congress
By Owen Jarus published
Scientists blast claims of two 'alien' bodies that a journalist presented to Mexico's congress.

No one 'expected to find what we did': 4,000-year-old Canaanite arch in Israel may have been used by cult
By Sascha Pare published
Archeologists discovered the mysterious arch at the end of a narrow, underground passageway that was sealed with sediment shortly after it was built in the Middle Bronze Age.
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