
Owen Jarus
Owen Jarus is a regular contributor to Live Science who writes about archaeology and humans' past. He has also written for The Independent (UK), The Canadian Press (CP) and The Associated Press (AP), among others. Owen has a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Toronto and a journalism degree from Ryerson University.
Latest articles by Owen Jarus

Stunning ancient Egyptian artifacts discovered in more than 60 burials, including 'ba-birds' and 'eye of Horus'
By Owen Jarus published
Grave goods found in 63 burials from ancient Egypt include gold foil figures, pottery and bronze coins.

Rock carvings of ancient Egyptian pharaohs found underwater near Aswan
By Owen Jarus published
Archaeologists discovered rock carvings featuring several pharaohs during an underwater expedition near Aswan, Egypt.

Remains of hundreds of 7,000-year-old 'standing stone circles' discovered in Saudi Arabia
By Owen Jarus published
Archaeologists in Saudi Arabia have now excavated eight ancient stone circles that likely served as homes to people more than 7,000 years ago.

Spartacus, the gladiator who led a slave revolt against the Romans
By Owen Jarus last updated
The Thracian gladiator Spartacus, a popular character in movies and television, outsmarted the Romans until his demise in the first century B.C.

4,000-year-old rock art in Venezuela may be from a 'previously unknown' culture
By Owen Jarus published
Archaeologists in Venezuela have discovered 20 previously unknown rock art sites that are thousands of years old.

Antikythera mechanism, world's oldest computer, followed Greek lunar calendar
By Owen Jarus published
Researchers previously thought the calendar ring on the Antikythera mechanism tracked the ancient Egyptian calendar, but new research suggests it tracked the Greek lunar calendar instead.

Easter Island (Rapa Nui) and its famous Moai statues
By Owen Jarus published
The island of Rapa Nui, the most isolated inhabited landmass on Earth, is known for its massive Moai statues.

Long-lost Assyrian military camp devastated by 'the angel of the Lord' finally found, scientist claims
By Owen Jarus published
Has a scholar located two Assyrian military camps mentioned in the Hebrew bible?

Newly deciphered papyrus describes 'miracle' performed by 5-year-old Jesus
By Owen Jarus published
A manuscript written in the fourth or fifth century describes how Jesus brought clay birds to life as a child.

Chichén Itzá: Maya temples in the Yucatán
By Owen Jarus last updated
The ruins of Chichén Itzá in eastern Mexico were built about 1,200 years ago.

32 haunting shipwrecks from the ancient world
By Owen Jarus published
Shipwrecks can reveal information about traded goods and even which rituals people partook in centuries ago. Here's a look at shipwrecks from ancient times found around the world.

Why are so many ancient Egyptians buried at the Saqqara necropolis?
By Owen Jarus published
The ancient Egyptians buried their dead at Saqqara for thousands of years. Why was the necropolis so important to them?

3,500-year-old rock art of wild sheep and double-humped camels revealed in Kazakhstan
By Owen Jarus published
Volunteers on an environmental clean-up in Kazakhstan uncovered rock art dating to the Bronze or Iron ages, but archaeologists say they already knew about the site.

Jamestown colonists killed and ate the dogs of Indigenous Americans
By Owen Jarus last updated
Archaeologists investigating Jamestown have discovered that colonists likely butchered and ate the dogs of Indigenous Americans.

32 stunning centuries-old hoards unearthed by metal detectorists
By Owen Jarus published
Archaeologists and amateurs armed with metal detectors have discovered previous hoards from centuries past.

Long-lost branch of the Nile was 'indispensable for building the pyramids,' research shows
By Owen Jarus published
The Nile's now-extinct branch likely helped the ancient Egyptians move materials to pyramid building sites.

Mysterious L-shaped structure found near Egyptian pyramids of Giza baffles scientists
By Owen Jarus published
An enigmatic L-shaped structure found underground near the pyramids at Giza may be an entrance to a mysterious deeper feature below it.

2,500-year-old Illyrian helmet found in burial mound likely caused 'awe in the enemy'
By Owen Jarus published
Archaeologists excavating a burial mound in Croatia have discovered a 2,500-year-old Illyrian helmet that may have been a votive offering.

3,500-year-old 'rest house' used by ancient Egyptian army discovered in Sinai desert
By Owen Jarus published
A 3,500-year-old rest house in the Sinai desert may have been used by an Egyptian pharaoh.

Rare 'Excalibur' sword from Spain dates to Islamic period 1,000 years ago
By Owen Jarus published
The sword is the first weapon from the Islamic period to be found in the Spanish city of Valencia.

32 times lasers revealed hidden forts and settlements from centuries ago
By Owen Jarus published
Lasers have helped uncover ancient human-made structures the world over.

Teotihuacan: Ancient city of pyramids
By Owen Jarus last updated
This 2,000-year-old complex in Mexico was one of the largest urban centers in the ancient world.

Humans were living in a lava tube 7,000 years ago on the Arabian Peninsula
By Owen Jarus published
An analysis of a lava tube in Saudi Arabia reveals that humans have lived there for at least 7,000 years.
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