Tom Metcalfe is a freelance journalist and regular Live Science contributor who is based in London in the United Kingdom. Tom writes mainly about science, space, archaeology, the Earth and the oceans. He has also written for the BBC, NBC News, National Geographic, Scientific American, Air & Space, and many others.
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50 Viking Age burials discovered in Denmark, including a woman in a rare 'Viking wagon'Finding a Viking Age burial ground of this size is rare, in part because Scandinavian soil doesn't preserve skeletons well.
By Tom Metcalfe Published
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Razed city that rebelled against Rome 'remained uninhabited for over 170 years,' excavations revealThe ancient city was besieged and destroyed in 125 B.C., probably in a dispute over the rights of Roman citizenship.
By Tom Metcalfe Published
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When was steel invented?No one knows for sure when steel was invented, but some of the earliest examples crop up in the first millennium B.C. in Central and South Asia.
By Tom Metcalfe Published
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Man buried with large stones on his chest to prevent him from 'rising from the grave' unearthed in GermanyArchaeologists in Germany have unearthed a "revenant" grave where a man was buried with large stones on his chest to prevent him from rising from the dead.
By Tom Metcalfe Published
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2,300-year-old Celtic helmet discovered in PolandArchaeologists think the ancient helmet indicates that Celts settled in the region to protect their supplies of precious amber.
By Tom Metcalfe Published
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16,000-year-old skeleton, crystals and stone tools discovered in Malaysian cavesArchaeologists think the earliest skeleton from the Malaysian excavation may be up to 16,000 years old.
By Tom Metcalfe Published
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Why doesn't stainless steel rust?The special chemistry of this shiny iron alloy creates a protective layer on its surface that prevents it from rusting.
By Tom Metcalfe Published
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1,700-year-old 'barbarian' burial discovered along Roman Empire's frontier in GermanyArchaeologists think the man was buried in the first half of the fourth century.
By Tom Metcalfe Published
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Roman coin trove discovered on Mediterranean island may have been hidden during ancient pirate attackThe silver coin discoveries date to the Roman Republic and are from the island of Pantelleria, between Sicily and Tunisia.
By Tom Metcalfe Published
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World War I British warship that sank in a surprise U-boat attack 110 years ago discovered in North SeaHMS Hawke sank after an explosion caused by an enemy torpedo, with the loss of more than 500 of its crew.
By Tom Metcalfe Published
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3 shipwrecks from 'forgotten battle' of World War II discovered off remote Alaskan islandThis is the first time that wrecks from the almost-overlooked conflict in WWII have been studied scientifically.
By Tom Metcalfe Published
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3,000-year-old goddess figurine found in an Italian lake still bears the handprints of its makerArchaeologists think the figurine was a homemade representation of an ancient goddess.
By Tom Metcalfe Published
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17th-century pirate 'corsair' shipwreck discovered off Morocco's Barbary CoastThe wreck is the first time the remains of a pirate corsair have been found in the region known as the Barbary Coast.
By Tom Metcalfe Published
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32 important scientists you've probably never heard ofThese scientists may be lesser known than Einstein and Newton, but they made giant contributions to science, including astronomy, physics, chemistry and medicine.
By Tom Metcalfe Published
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Stunning Tang dynasty mural in tomb unearthed in China may portray a 'Westerner' man with blond hairA Tang dynasty tomb unearthed in China dates from the 700s, and the murals on its walls give an unprecedented view of daily life at the time.
By Tom Metcalfe Published
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Ancient stone circles in Norway were hiding a dark secret: dozens of children's gravesA Bronze and Iron Age burial ground for children that was unearthed in Norway was used for 600 years, and archaeologists aren't sure why.
By Tom Metcalfe Published
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6,000-year-old burial mound in Czech Republic may be one of earliest funeral monuments ever found in EuropeThe structure is thought to be made by the people behind the Neolithic Funnel-Beaker culture.
By Tom Metcalfe Published
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Royal tomb in Benin has traces of human blood on its walls, hinting at human sacrifice, study findsResearchers examining the wall of a ceremonial tomb in Benin found proteins that could have come only from human blood.
By Tom Metcalfe Published
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4,000-year-old 'Seahenge' in UK was built to 'extend summer,' archaeologist suggestsThe construction of the monument and another beside it more than 4,000 years ago corresponds to a time of bitter cold.
By Tom Metcalfe Published
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'Jackpot' of 2,000 early-medieval coins discovered by hiker in Czech RepublicThe coins must have amounted to a huge sum when they were buried about 900 years ago.
By Tom Metcalfe Published
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Viking sword with 'very rare' inscription discovered on family farm in NorwayThe ancient weapon seems to be a rare type of iron sword made in the Frankish Empire.
By Tom Metcalfe Published
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Wreck of WWII 'Hit 'Em Harder' submarine, which sank with 79 crew on board, discovered in South China SeaThe U.S. wreck is the grave site of the 79 crew who died when the sub was sunk in battle in 1944.
By Tom Metcalfe Published
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2,000-year-old gold jewelry from mysterious culture discovered in KazakhstanResearchers think the artifacts were made during the little-known Kangju state.
By Tom Metcalfe Published
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Grave robbers looted lavish 1,800-year-old tombs in China — but missed this oneArchaeologists think the people in the tombs, dated to the Han dynasty, were all from the same wealthy family.
By Tom Metcalfe Published
