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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.
archaeology -
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.
archaeology -
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.
archaeology -
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.
archaeology -
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.
archaeology -
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.
neanderthals -
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.
archaeology -
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.
vikings -
Ancient language found on 2,100-year-old bronze hand may be related to BasqueResearchers think the inscription is written in a Vasconic language spoken in northeastern Spain before the arrival of the Romans.
archaeology -
Spectacularly preserved Roman-age egg still has its yolk and whitesThe egg-citing object may be the oldest unintentionally preserved egg ever found.
romans -
11,000-year-old submerged stone wall discovered off Germany was once used to trap reindeerThe wall may be among the oldest hunting structures on Earth and one of the largest Stone Age structures ever found in Europe.
archaeology -
Undeciphered script from Easter Island may predate European colonizationA wooden tablet inscribed with the undeciphered rongorongo script from Rapa Nui (also known as Easter Island) dates to the 15th century, long before Europeans arrived. This early date suggests that the Rapa Nui people invented their own script without European influence.
archaeology -
13 of the world's oldest artworks, some crafted by extinct human relativesArchaeological evidence suggests that symbolism in art, once seen as something that only modern humans were capable of, was produced by earlier hominins.
archaeology -
Did art exist before modern humans? New discoveries raise big questions.Feature Scientists are finding ever-earlier examples of artistic expression in the archaeological record that reshape what we know about the cognitive abilities of our archaic human relatives, such as Neanderthals.
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1st-century villa discovered near Mount Vesuvius may be where Pliny the Elder watched catastrophic eruptionArchaeologists think the luxurious villa was where Pliny the Elder first witnessed the massive volcanic eruption that would later claim his life.
romans -
One of Sweden's oldest stone tombs is mysteriously missing skullsA 5,500-year-old Neolithic tomb in Sweden contains the remains of at least 12 people, but many of their skulls and long bones are missing.
archaeology -
Denmark's oldest runes inscribed on ancient knifeResearchers say the runic letters may spell "little sword," which could have been the name of the knife's owner or the knife itself.
archaeology -
Remains of 4,000-year-old 'lost' tomb discovered in IrelandThe tomb was said to have been demolished in the 19th century, but a new search has found its location.
archaeology -
Roman dodecahedron uncovered by amateur archaeologists in the UKMore than 100 dodecahedrons have now been found in northwestern Europe, but archaeologists still don't know what they were used for.
romans -
'Extremely rare' 2,500-year-old broken silver coin unearthed near JerusalemThe find is rare evidence that such early coins were being used for commerce in the region.
archaeology -
Part of Hadrian's 1,800-year-old aqueduct and rare Greek coins unearthed near CorinthThe enormous aqueduct was built in the second century to carry water to the city of Corinth from a lake 50 miles away.
romans -
Are 3,000-year-old carvings from Italy a star map? Researchers can't agree.A new study suggests the disk was made to accurately represent the brightest stars at least 2,400 years ago, possibly as an aid for planting crops. But other experts are not convinced.
archaeology -
Medieval grave of 'very, very powerful' man and his 4-foot-long sword unearthed in SwedenArchaeologists think the man buried in the grave may have been a wealthy supporter of the Kalmar Union in which a single monarch united the kingdoms of Denmark, Sweden and Norway.
archaeology -
Medieval belt buckle of 'dragon' eating frog discovered in Czech Republic may be from unknown pagan cultArchaeologists in the Czech Republic thought they'd found a unique object, but they have since learned of at least three more.
archaeology
