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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'It was not a peaceful crossing': Hannibal's troops linked to devastating fire 2,200 years ago in SpainResearchers think a farmhouse in the Pyrenees was set on fire by Carthaginian troops on their way to attack Rome.
By Tom Metcalfe Published
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Stone with 1,600-year-old Irish inscription found in English gardenInvestigations show the stone is inscribed with a message in ogham, an Irish alphabet used from the fourth century A.D.
By Tom Metcalfe Published
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See stunning reconstruction of ancient Egyptian mummy that languished at an Australian high school for a centuryThe forensic facial reconstruction is based on a precise 3D model of the skull created with medical scans.
By Tom Metcalfe Published
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Iron Age necropolis that predates Rome unearthed near NaplesThe excavations have recovered weapons, necklaces, bracelets and worked bones.
By Tom Metcalfe Published
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Key events in the Bible, such as the settlement and destruction of Jerusalem, confirmed using radiocarbon datingThe research combined radiocarbon dating with measurements of atmospheric radiocarbon from tree rings to build a chronology of the ancient city.
By Tom Metcalfe Published
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1,700-year-old Roman shipwreck was stuffed to the gills with fish sauce when it sankThe wreck near a beach on Mallorca gives a snapshot of sea trade in late Roman times.
By Tom Metcalfe Published
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Villa near Mount Vesuvius may be where Augustus, Rome's 1st emperor, diedResearchers say a villa buried by the eruption in A.D. 79 corresponds with records of the Roman emperor's death in A.D. 14.
By Tom Metcalfe Published
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Lavish 2,200-year-old tomb unearthed in China may be that of ancient kingIt's not known who was buried in the tomb, but one expert says it was probably the Chu state ruler.
By Tom Metcalfe Published
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Weapons chest found on wreck of 15th-century 'floating castle' sheds light on 'military revolution at sea'The chest could help archaeologists understand the fire and explosion that sank the vessel.
By Tom Metcalfe Published
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1,700-year-old Roman ruins discovered atop much older Neolithic sacred springArchaeologists think veneration of the freshwater spring started in Neolithic times.
By Tom Metcalfe Published
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Ancient artists high on hallucinogens may have carved dancer rock art in PeruThe research notes similarities between the carvings in southern Peru and the ayahuasca-induced art of the Amazon's Tucano people.
By Tom Metcalfe Published
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Neolithic women in Europe were tied up and buried alive in ritual sacrifices, study suggestsThe research found evidence of the "incaprettamento" method of murder at 14 Neolithic sites in Europe.
By Tom Metcalfe Published
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Viking Age women with cone-shaped skulls likely learned head-binding practice from far-flung regionThe skull modifications were found on the skeletons of three women buried on Gotland almost 1,000 years ago.
By Tom Metcalfe Published
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Pet fox with 'deep relationship with the hunter-gatherer society' buried 1,500 years ago in ArgentinaResearch suggests a fox buried with hunter-gatherers 1,500 years ago had a "strong bond" with humans.
By Tom Metcalfe Published
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Low tides reveal Bronze Age fortress that likely defended against Irish mainlandThe walls, discovered on a partially submerged isthmus, were exposed by recent low tides.
By Tom Metcalfe Published
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Ancient quarries in Israel reveal where Homo erectus hunted and butchered elephantsResearchers suggest ancient quarry sites in Israel were favored because they were close to elephant migration routes.
By Tom Metcalfe Published
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Ötzi the Iceman used surprisingly modern technique for his tattoos 5,300 years ago, study suggestsThe researchers compared Ötzi's ancient tattoos with modern tattoos made using different techniques on the skin of one of the authors.
By Tom Metcalfe Published
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Ancient Chinese burials with swords and chariot cast light on violent 'Warring States' periodResearchers say the finds could help them understand the political and social changes going on in China during the Warring States period.
By Tom Metcalfe Published
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Lavish, 800-year-old tombs in China may hold remains of Great Jin dynasty elitesThree newfound brick tombs date to the Golden Khanate, a non-Chinese people who ruled in northern China centuries ago.
By Tom Metcalfe Published
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Winged 'basilisk' on medieval pilgrim's badge discovered in PolandSuch badges were common among Christian pilgrims in the Middle Ages, but it's not clear what the basilisk represents.
By Tom Metcalfe Published
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3,300-year-old tablet from mysterious Hittite Empire describes catastrophic invasion of four citiesResearchers think a sacred language inscribed in cuneiform on the tablet suggest the Hittite king visited or lived where the tablet was found in Turkey.
By Tom Metcalfe Published
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Ancient humans used cave in Spain as burial spot for 4 millennia, 7,000 bones revealThe bones show burials from the Neolithic until the Bronze Age, and the researchers think the cave may have even been used by Neanderthals.
By Tom Metcalfe Published
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14 wrecks that expose 'what life was like on slaver ships' identified in the BahamasResearchers say they hope to recover what's left of the ships after more than 200 years underwater.
By Tom Metcalfe Published
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Viking market may be buried on a Norwegian island, radar suggestsThe Norwegian island of Klosterøy is famous for its medieval monastery, but new research suggests it was important long before that.
By Tom Metcalfe Published
