
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

Who were the Celts, the fierce warriors who practiced druidism and sacked Rome?
By Owen Jarus published
The ancient Celts were fierce warriors who lived in mainland Europe. But during the Renaissance, an idea took hold that they lived in the British Isles.

Remains of ancient temple with hieroglyphic inscriptions discovered in Sudan
By Owen Jarus published
Archaeologists in Sudan have uncovered the remains of a temple dating to 2,700 years ago.

Newfound ancient Egyptian sphinx statue may depict Roman emperor Claudius, but not everyone agrees
By Owen Jarus published
A sphinx found at an ancient Egyptian temple may depict the face of the Roman emperor Claudius, but not everyone agrees with this interpretation.

Who were the Vikings, the warriors who raided Europe and explored the New World?
By Owen Jarus published
During the Viking Age (A.D. 793 to 1066), Viking raided, explored and traded from what is now Canada to the Middle East.

Cosmic rays reveal 'hidden' 30-foot-long corridor in Egypt's Great Pyramid
By Owen Jarus published
For years, scientists have known there was something hidden above the entrance to the Great Pyramid. Now, they've finally revealed it.

No, archaeologists haven't found 'elite housing' at Chichen Itza
By Owen Jarus published
Archaeologists haven't uncovered an elite housing complex at Chichen Itza, but there is news; a previously closed off area at the site will open to the public in 2023.

See photos of stunningly preserved 52-foot-long Book of the Dead papyrus from ancient Egypt
By Owen Jarus published
Egypt has released photos of a newly discovered Book of the Dead from more than 2,000 years ago.

Fear of reanimated corpses may explain mysterious burials at 1,600-year-old cemetery
By Owen Jarus published
A cemetery in central Italy has the remains of children whose bodies were pinned down with rocks, likely to prevent "revenants" rising from the dead.

AI is deciphering a 2,000-year-old 'lost book' describing life after Alexander the Great
By Owen Jarus published
When Mount Vesuvius erupted in A.D. 79, it carbonized a book on rulers who followed Alexander the Great. Now, machine learning is deciphering the "lost book."

Statue of slain Roman emperor dressed as Hercules found near sewer in Rome
By Owen Jarus published
Archaeologists in Rome have discovered a statue of an ancient Roman emperor who is dressed to look like Hercules.

Who was Nefertiti, the ancient Egyptian queen depicted like a goddess?
By Owen Jarus published
Queen Nefertiti was the wife of the sun-disk worshipping Pharaoh Akhenaten and stepmother to King Tutankhamun.

Egyptian mummies covered in gold are rare, and we may have just found the oldest
By Owen Jarus published
An ancient Egyptian mummy is the oldest covered with gold, but it's not the oldest ancient Egyptian mummy on record.

The worst epidemics and pandemics in history
By Owen Jarus last updated
Discover the deadliest epidemics and pandemics in history — including ones that have wiped out entire civilizations.

Ancient Roman residences with 'pigeon towers' discovered in Luxor, Egypt
By Owen Jarus published
Roman residences located near workshops and pigeon towers have been discovered in Luxor, Egypt.

52-foot-long Book of the Dead papyrus from ancient Egypt discovered at Saqqara
By Owen Jarus published
For the first time in 100 years, a full "Book of the Dead" papyrus has been uncovered at Saqqara.

Who was Genghis Khan, the warrior who founded the Mongol Empire?
By Owen Jarus published
Genghis Khan (1160 to 1227) founded the Mongol Empire, which covered much of Asia and parts of Europe.

Royal tomb discovered near Luxor dates to time when female pharaoh co-ruled ancient Egypt
By Owen Jarus published
The tomb dates from a period when ancient Egypt was co-ruled by the female pharaoh Hatshepsut and Thutmose III.

Rare, 'high-status' Viking burial unearthed in a garden in Oslo
By Owen Jarus published
Archaeologists have excavated a rare Viking burial in Oslo containing the remains of a high-status individual and a variety of grave goods.

5 stunning archaeological discoveries that may finally be unearthed in 2023
By Owen Jarus published
Here are five predictions about what archaeologists may dig up in 2023.

10 incredible archaeological finds from 2022
By Owen Jarus published
The top 10 archaeological finds of 2022 include ancient bronze Etruscan statues from Italy, a Roman-era mosaic in Syria and a prehistoric chalk sculpture in England.

Protective gold idols and 'rejuvenating' amulets found in ancient Egyptian burials
By Owen Jarus published
Archaeologists in Egypt have discovered about 20 ancient burials, some of which contain gold idols fashioned to look like the deities Isis, Bastet and Horus.

Nazca Lines: Mysterious geoglyphs in Peru
By Owen Jarus published
These huge earthen creations in a Peruvian desert depict animals, plants and fantastic creatures.

Aerial investigation reveals 168 previously unnoticed Nazca Lines in Peru
By Owen Jarus published
Archaeologists in Peru have discovered more than 100 "smaller and fainter" Nazca Lines, some of which were made by piling stones on top of each other.
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