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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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
archaeology -
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
archaeology -
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
archaeology -
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
archaeology -
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
archaeology -
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
archaeology -
'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
archaeology -
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
archaeology -
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
archaeology -
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
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6,800-year-old burial of Neolithic 'mayor' unearthed in BavariaThe wealth of grave goods suggests the person buried there was a leader of high status — possibly a Stone Age chieftain.
By Tom Metcalfe Published
archaeology -
'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
archaeology -
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
archaeology -
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
archaeology -
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
archaeology -
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
archaeology -
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
archaeology
