History

Predating the bow and arrow, the atlatl was a dart-throwing weapon that could launch projectiles with great force.

Researchers have discovered humanity's oldest cave art. The paintings depict a hunting scene with what may be part-animal, part-human figures.

A storehouse of ancient treasures, including precious jewels and gold beads, has been uncovered by archaeologists on an island near Crete devoted to making a precious purple dye from sea snails.

Archaeologists have uncovered two ancient Egyptian burials holding bodies wearing head cones, the first physical evidence of the practice.

An ancient church from the fourth century, containing both early Christian and what may be pagan artifacts, has been unearthed in a buried town in northern Ethiopia.

Archaeologists discovered nine mysterious stone-carved objects scattered around an ancient hearth.

Inside a 2,200-year-old grave, archaeologists have discovered a stunning Iron Age shield, along with a chariot and two ponies buried in a leaping pose.

A physicist who coined the term "black hole" lost highly sensitive nuclear weapons information when the U.S. had just completed tests of the first hydrogen bomb.

The wreck of one of the most famous German warships of World War I has been located on the seafloor near the Falkland Islands, where it sank in a battle with British warships more than 100 years ago.

In two daring heists that took place just days apart in Germany, burglars stole precious gems and artifacts from museums in two cities.

The remains of a Viking ship have been discovered on a farm near a medieval church at Edøy, on the island of Smøla, in Norway.

The "Habsburg jaw" is an elongated jaw that was prominent among royalty at the time.

Archaeologists think they may have discovered the oldest chess piece in the world, excavated from a seventh-century trading site in Jordan.

The way the artists saw themselves in the mirror was likely a bit different than how others saw them.

Historians recently uncovered the name of a fourth spy who delivered U.S. atomic secrets to the Soviets in the 1940s.

Archaeologists found not one, but two Vikings buried in boats — right on top of each other.

Two mummified lions, dating back about 2,600 years, have been discovered in a tomb full of cat statues and cat mummies in Saqqara, in Egypt.