Latest articles by Tom Metcalfe
'Ritual text' from lost Indo-European language discovered on ancient clay tablet in Turkey
Researchers are still studying the ancient text of an unknown language, written in cuneiform on a clay tablet.
Cup crafted from prehistoric human skull discovered in cave in Spain
A new study suggests that Spain's ancient peoples shared complex beliefs about death and the afterlife.
Early medieval warrior found buried with his weapons in Germany
Archaeologists think the man died during the Merovingian period, an early stage of the Germanic-speaking empire of the Franks.
14th-century shipboard cannon that fired 'stone shots' may be Europe's oldest on record
An analysis of cloth found inside the cannon suggests that it dates to the 14th century and that the weapon was charged with gunpowder and ready to fire.
Early human relatives purposefully crafted stones into spheres 1.4 million years ago, study claims
The stone spheres were crafted by early hominins who were trying to create symmetry in the objects, a new study suggests.
Who were the first farmers?
Farming fundamentally altered the way humans live, eventually changing people from nomadic hunter-gatherers to sedentary city-dwellers.
Divers recover US airman's remains from WWII bomber wreck near Malta
The remains have been identified as those of a gunner killed when the badly damaged aircraft crashed into the sea in 1943.
Mysterious 17th-century 'cauldron' may be primitive submarine used to salvage treasure from a sunken galleon
The object was found on the seafloor off Florida, near the wreck of a Spanish treasure galleon.
Wreckage from Tuskegee airman's warplane recovered from Lake Huron
The recovered wreck will help tell the full story of America's first Black military pilots.
See the likeness of Bonnie Prince Charlie, who led Scottish clan uprising against the British crown
The new look of Charles Edward Stuart as a young man is based on forensic studies of his death masks.
Synagogue unearthed in Russia may be one of the oldest outside Israel. But not everyone is convinced.
Archaeologists think the temple dates to the first century B.C., before the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem.
Europe's oldest known village teetered on stilts over a Balkan lake 8,000 years ago
The village likely dates to the time of Europe's first farmers, who arrived from Anatolia about 8,000 years ago.
Ötzi the Iceman may have been bald and getting fat before his murder 5,300 years ago
A new DNA analysis reveals that Ötzi the Iceman was genetically predisposed to male-pattern baldness, diabetes and obesity.
Europe's 1st humans were likely wiped out by a sudden freeze 1.1 million years ago
Europe underwent "extreme cooling" about 1.1 million years ago, which coincides with a gap in hominin habitation, a new study finds.
400-year-old 'vampire child' found buried with its foot padlocked to stop it rising from the grave
The child was buried face-down and with an iron padlock on its foot.
29 lost burials archaeologists have yet to find (and 1 they did)
The burials of famous people provide enduring archaeological mysteries. Here are 30 of the most acclaimed "lost" tombs.
What are the origins of the Nazi swastika?
The Nazi symbol is not the same as the ancient Hindu symbol.
Ancient Roman boat from empire's frontier unearthed in Serbian coal mine
Coal miners found the remains of a Roman boat that likely supplied an ancient frontier city and military headquarters.
4,000-year-old cemetery discovered at future rocket launch site in UK
Archaeologists think the burial site dates from about 4,000 years ago, during the Bronze Age.
3,000-year-old untouched burial of 'charioteer' discovered in Siberia
The discovery implies horse-drawn chariots were once used in the region, but none have been found.
Evidence of Roman-era 'death magic' used to speak with the deceased found near Jerusalem
Researchers think the morbid practice originated with pagan people who settled in the region after the Romans drove out the Jews.
Elite Bronze Age tombs laden with gold and precious stones are 'among the richest ever found in the Mediterranean'
The obvious wealth of the tombs was based on the local production of copper, which was in great demand at the time to make bronze.
Metal detectorists find buried WWII aircraft in Ukraine while disarming wartime bomb
The aircraft were sent to the Soviet Union in 1941 to help the Allied war effort, but they were dumped to avoid payment.
