Latest articles by Kristina Killgrove
World's oldest mummies were smoke-dried 10,000 years ago in China and Southeast Asia, researchers find
The world's oldest evidence for purposeful human mummification comes from Southeast Asia, where people smoke-dried their ancestors' corpses 10,000 years ago.
1,900-year-old oil lamp that provided 'light in the journey to the afterlife' found in Roman cemetery in the Netherlands
Archaeologists excavating in a Roman cemetery in the Netherlands have uncovered a unique oil lamp dating to the second century A.D.
Pawnee Star Chart: A precontact elk-skin map used by Indigenous priests to tell an origin story
The unique map depicts patterns of stars in the night sky, but its meaning is debated.
'Extraordinary' Roman helmet from war-ending battle found in the sea off Sicily
Archaeologists recovered the "Montefortino"-style helmet in an underwater excavation in the Aegadian Islands off the coast of Sicily.
Kneeling Bull: A 5,000-year-old hybrid creature from Iran with a mysterious purpose
This silver bull figurine posing in a human-like manner may have been buried in a ritual to mark a temple boundary 5,000 years ago.
Homo erectus: Facts about the first human lineage to leave Africa
Homo erectus is associated with a number of firsts in its 2 million years of existence, including being the first hominin to travel out of Africa.
Scientists develop 'glue gun' that 3D prints bone grafts directly onto fractures
Researchers created a special glue gun that can 3D print a bone-like substance for fracture repair during surgery and have tested it in early experiments.
Skull of bear held captive to fight Roman gladiators discovered near ancient amphitheater in Serbia
Archaeologists determined that the bear had an infected injury and had been held captive for a significant amount of time.
Iconic winged lion statue in Venice may actually be from China's Tang dynasty, study finds
A new study of the trace amounts of lead in Venice's famous winged lion statue suggests that its metal originated in China — and Marco Polo's family may have brought it over.
1.8 million-year-old human jawbone discovered in Republic of Georgia — and it may be earliest evidence yet of Homo erectus
A new fossil find in the Republic of Georgia is expanding our understanding of the earliest humans to leave Africa.
Haniwa Dancers: 1,500-year-old ghostly figurines thought to hold the souls of the dead
Two cylindrical clay sculptures may represent dancers who performed at a funeral 1,500 years ago.
2,200-year-old 'complex and delicate' Celtic warrior charm is evidence of sophisticated metalworking in the Iron Age
Archaeologists discovered a 2,200-year-old bronze warrior charm while excavating an ancient Celtic town in Germany.
2,100-year-old skeleton of warrior nicknamed 'Lord of Sakar,' buried in a stunning gold wreath, unearthed in Bulgaria
The second century B.C. burial mound is the richest ever found in Bulgaria.
'A truly unprecedented discovery': 3,000-year-old multicolored mural with fish, stars and gods discovered in Peru
A multicolored mural discovered in Peru is shedding light on pre-Inca coastal artistic traditions.
An exotic quartz arrow may have killed a man 12,000 years ago in Vietnam
A man who died 12,000 years ago in Vietnam had a "bonus" rib — and it was broken when he was shot by an exotic arrow.
Malia Bee Pendant: A 3,800-year-old accessory found in a Minoan 'pit of gold'
This extremely detailed depiction of insects holds clues to the natural world of the ancient Minoans.
'We never had concrete proof': Archaeologists discover Christian cross in Abu Dhabi, proving 1,400-year-old site was a monastery
The discovery of a Christian cross proves that eighth-century houses found in the United Arab Emirates were part of a monastery.
Pazuzu figurine: An ancient statue of the Mesopotamian 'demon' god who inspired 'The Exorcist'
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
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
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
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
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
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.
