
Kristina Killgrove
Kristina Killgrove is a staff writer at Live Science with a focus on archaeology and paleoanthropology news. Her articles have also appeared in venues such as Forbes, Smithsonian, and Mental Floss. Kristina holds a Ph.D. in biological anthropology and an M.A. in classical archaeology from the University of North Carolina, as well as a B.A. in Latin from the University of Virginia, and she was formerly a university professor and researcher. She has received awards from the Society for American Archaeology and the American Anthropological Association for her science writing.
Latest articles by Kristina Killgrove

Pazuzu figurine: An ancient statue of the Mesopotamian 'demon' god who inspired 'The Exorcist'
By Kristina Killgrove published
Statues of the Mesopotamian demon Pazuzu are often found at archaeological sites, and his cultural relevance is seen in recent comparisons to creepy-looking Labubu dolls.

Medieval knight 'Lancelot' and his stunning stone tomb found under ice cream shop in Poland
By Kristina Killgrove published
Archaeologists found the body of a medieval knight underneath a tombstone that depicted him in full military regalia.

Incredible, first-of-its-kind video shows human embryo implanting in real time
By Kristina Killgrove published
Scientists have captured a video showing the implantation of a human embryo for the first time, using a laboratory model of a uterus.

2.6 million-year-old stone tools reveal ancient human relatives were 'forward planning' 600,000 years earlier than thought
By Kristina Killgrove published
Hundreds of stone tools discovered in Kenya have revealed that human relatives traveled long distances to find raw material.

A braided stream, not a family tree: How new evidence upends our understanding of how humans evolved
By Kristina Killgrove published
Evidence is mounting that the evolution of our species is more convoluted than we imagined — more like a braided stream than a branching tree.

'It makes no sense to say there was only one origin of Homo sapiens': How the evolutionary record of Asia is complicating what we know about our species
By Kristina Killgrove published
As experts study the human fossil record of Asia, many have come to see it as telling a different story than what happened in Europe and Africa.

DNA has an expiration date. But proteins are revealing secrets about our ancient ancestors we never thought possible.
By Kristina Killgrove published
Analysis of ancient proteins may fill in the gaps of human evolution left by the decomposition of DNA.

Archaeology student finds rare ninth-century gold 'within the first 90 minutes' of her first excavation
By Kristina Killgrove published
An archaeologist in training discovered a rare medieval gold object in northwestern England during her first excavation.

Archaeologists locate 'La Fortuna,' a Spanish ship that exploded in 1748 along North Carolina's coast
By Kristina Killgrove published
Four shipwrecks newly discovered on the North Carolina coast date to colonial times, including one that blew up during an attack.

1,300-year-old skeletons found in England had grandparents from sub-Saharan Africa, DNA studies reveal
By Kristina Killgrove published
A DNA analysis of two people who lived in Britain in the seventh century reveals they had recent African ancestry.

Sabu Disk: A mysterious 5,000-year-old Egyptian stone sculpture that looks like a hubcap
By Kristina Killgrove published
This unique disk-shaped bowl, found in a 5,000-year-old Egyptian tomb, has puzzled archaeologists for nearly a century.

'Oddly shaped head' left in Italian cave 12,500 years ago is Europe's oldest known case of cranial modification, study finds
By Kristina Killgrove published
A Stone Age skull discovered in a cave in Italy is the oldest evidence of artificial cranial modification ever found in Europe.

1.5 million-year-old stone tools from mystery human relative discovered in Indonesia — they reached the region before our species even existed
By Kristina Killgrove published
A handful of stone tools found on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi has pushed back the date that human relatives arrived in the region.

300,000-year-old teeth from China may be evidence that humans and Homo erectus interbred, according to new study
By Kristina Killgrove published
A study of a handful of 300,000-year-old teeth revealed an ancient human group had a mix of archaic and modern tooth features.

Roman Britain quiz: What do you know about the Empire's conquest of the British Isles?
By Kristina Killgrove published
The Romans took over a large chunk of Great Britain 2,000 years ago. The conquest was anything but smooth sailing.

Hadrian's Wall: The defensive Roman wall that protected the frontier in Britain for 300 years
By Kristina Killgrove, Owen Jarus published
The wall is the largest Roman archaeological feature in Britain and was built to defend the northernmost limit of the Roman Empire.

Hornelund Brooches: Viking age gold ornaments mysteriously buried in Denmark 1,000 years ago
By Kristina Killgrove published
Two brooches from Denmark are unique examples of Viking Age goldwork that includes Christian and Norse designs.

Shroud of Turin wasn't laid on Jesus' body, but rather a sculpture, modeling study suggests
By Kristina Killgrove published
A 3D analysis comparing the way fabric falls on a human body versus a low-relief sculpture shows that the Shroud of Turin was not based on a real person.

2,300-year-old arm tats on mummified woman reveal new insights about tattooing technique in ancient Siberia
By Kristina Killgrove published
A new analysis used near-infrared photography to shed light on the methods and tools for creating tattoos in the Early Iron Age Pazyryk culture.

Sticky goo in 2,500-year-old bronze jars finally identified, settling 70-year debate
By Kristina Killgrove published
A cutting-edge chemical analysis of a mystery substance that had stymied experts for 70 years finally revealed its identity.

Meskalamdug's Helmet: One of the world's oldest helmets depicts a Mesopotamian prince's man bun
By Kristina Killgrove published
This 15-karat gold helmet was discovered in a royal tomb at Ur, but it may only have been worn for ceremonial purposes.

Ancient DNA suggests ancestors of Estonians, Finns and Hungarians lived in Siberia 4,500 years ago
By Kristina Killgrove published
A study of genomes from ancient Siberian people shows genetic linkages with people living in Estonia, Finland and Hungary today.

Ancient human relative cannibalized toddlers, 850,000-year-old neck bone reveals
By Kristina Killgrove published
Cut marks on a child's cervical vertebra found at Atapuerca in Spain suggests Homo antecessor was indiscriminate about cannibalism victims.
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