Latest articles by Kristina Killgrove
Vlad the Impaler: The medieval prince who inspired Dracula
Vlad the Impaler was a medieval prince whose bloodthirsty acts inspired the world's most famous vampire, Bram Stoker's Dracula.
Eagle brooches: 1,500-year-old pins filled with dazzling gems and glass — and worn by powerful Visigoth women
Visigoth women may have worn eagle-shaped pins as a symbol of power.
How long does DNA last?
The world's oldest DNA comes from a 2.4 million-year-old ecosystem in Greenland. Will scientists eventually sequence even older DNA?
1 million-year-old skull from China holds clues to the origins of Neanderthals, Denisovans and humans
Reconstruction of a 1 million-year-old skull shows that early human groups split and diversified quickly.
Mystery creature found in 'forbidden cloud forest' of Peru is new species of marsupial
The newly described mouse opossum was discovered at a surprisingly high altitude in the Andes.
Statuette of a Comic Actor: A 2,000-year-old depiction of a Roman actor letting one rip
The ancient Romans had a soft spot for physical comedy (aka fart jokes), as exemplified by a bronze figurine of a comic actor.
Ötzi quiz: What do you know about the Iceman mummy who was murdered 5,300 years ago in the Alps?
Think you know a lot about Ötzi the Iceman? Don't get left in the cold — take our quiz!
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.
