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A pile of gold coins discovered in Israel dating to the Byzantine Empire.

Buried treasure of 44 Byzantine gold coins found in nature reserve in Israel

By Jennifer Nalewicki published

Researchers in Israel discovered a hoard of 44 gold coins from the Byzantine Empire.

The archaeologists have discovered about 35 skeletons, almost all missing their heads, in a mass grave that dates from about 5000 B.C. at Vráble in western Slovakia.

7,000-year-old mass grave in Slovakia may hold human sacrifice victims

By Tom Metcalfe published

The mass burial had about 35 decapitated skeletons.

A facial reconstruction of a woman using computers.

See lifelike facial reconstructions of a medieval Scottish woman, priest and bishop

By Jennifer Nalewicki published

Using forensic technology, researchers reanimate medieval skulls.

Archaeologists have been excavating a site known as Slaves Hill in the Timna Valley, which was a major center for copper production from the 11th to the ninth centuries B.C.

King Solomon's mines were abandoned and became a desert wasteland. Here's why.

By Tom Metcalfe published

Copper mines in southern Israel that may have inspired the legend of King Solomon's mines of gold were abandoned 3,000 years ago. Now we may know why.

One of the archaeologists excavating the Gribshunden, led by Sweden's Lund University, explores some of the ship's timbers.

15th-century Baltic warship served as a 'floating castle' for an intrepid king

By Tom Metcalfe published

Archaeologists exploring the wreck of a 15th-century royal warship off the coast of Sweden have revealed how it functioned as a "floating castle."

An artist's digital approximation of a Stone Age woman seen from multiple angles.

See the striking facial reconstruction of a Paleolithic woman who lived 31,000 years ago

By Jennifer Nalewicki published

Using forensic facial reconstruction, researchers reclassified a Stone Age skull as female.

The Fair Head crannog in Northern Ireland

Artificial islands surrounding British Isles were used for ancient parties, archaeologists find

By Kristina Killgrove published

A high-tech look at crannogs, artificial islands build around the British Isles, reveals that prehistoric to post-medieval people partied on them.

A pink sunset with clouds falls over Stonehenge in England.

Did druids build Stonehenge?

By Owen Jarus published

It's commonly said that the druids built Stonehenge. But is there any truth to this assertion?

Roman Forum at sunrise, from left to right: Temple of Vespasian and Titus, church of Santi Luca e Martina, Septimius Severus Arch, ruins of Temple of Saturn.

Why did the Roman Empire split in two?

By Joe Phelan published

The vast Roman Empire split into the Eastern Roman Empire and Western Roman Empire in the fourth century A.D.

The skeletal remains of a male buried with ceramic vessels containing opium residue was found in Israel.

Earliest traces of opium use, found in Israel, may have been an 'offering to the gods'

By Jennifer Nalewicki published

Researchers in Israel discovered the earliest evidence of opium use at a burial site near Tel Aviv.

Illustration of the Druids of Ole England. In a forest, one druid is sitting down and looks like he's telling a story, whilst four other druids stand around him.

The mysterious history of druids, ancient 'mediators between humans and the gods'

By Owen Jarus published

Reference Druids were revered in ancient Britain. Much about them is a mystery, but we know this: They did not build Stonehenge.

Reference
The gold funeral mask was found in the tomb of an ancient noble of the Shang Dynasty. It is thought to be more than 3,000 years old.

3,000-year-old gold funeral mask unearthed in noble's tomb in China

By Tom Metcalfe published

A gold 'funeral mask' thought to be more than 3,000 years old has been discovered in the tomb of an ancient noble in the city of Zhengzhou, central China.

The tomb includes the shrouded remains of an elite male, dubbed the "Lord of Huarmey," and six other people, some of whom may have first been buried elsewhere and brought to the tomb later.

Gold and silver treasures discovered with 'elite craftspeople' burials near powerful Wari queen's tomb

By Tom Metcalfe published

Archaeologists excavating a site north of Lima have unearthed a 1,300-year-old ornate tomb from the Wari era of Peru.

This pink granite coffin, found near the pyramid of King Unas.

3,300-year-old pink granite sarcophagus of Egyptian 'pyramid keeper' found at Saqqara

By Owen Jarus published

Archaeologists in Egypt have discovered a pink granite sarcophagus crafted for an official who cared for a pyramid built during the time of Ramesses II.

An aerial view of the Vinoř roundel near Prague, showing three separate entrances.

7,000-year-old structure near Prague is older than Stonehenge, Egyptian pyramids

By Kristina Killgrove published

Archaeologists near Prague have unearthed the remains of a 7,000-year-old structure that may have been a Stone Age community center.

Here we see ancient mud brick walls at the archaeological site of Babylon, capital of the ancient kingdom of Babylonia, in a photo taken in 1979.

Are Mesopotamia and Babylon the same thing?

By Owen Jarus published

Mesopotamia and Babylon are often confused. Here's how the two are different and where they overlap.

Pottery found in the cave is shown in this photo. The pottery would have been buried along with the deceased.

3,300-year-old cave 'frozen in time' from reign of Ramesses II uncovered in Israel

By Owen Jarus published

Construction workers in Israel unexpectedly broke into a 3,300-year-old cave that looks like an "Indiana Jones film set."

Detail from the Processional Way in Babylon. Glazed enamel bricks with a lion motif and also some white daisies.

Ancient Babylon, the iconic Mesopotamian city that survived for 2,000 years

By Owen Jarus published

Reference Babylon, the ancient Mesopotamian civilization, existed from roughly 2000 B.C. to 540 B.C.

Reference
Cross section of white, milk, dark and darker chocolate bars

Who invented chocolate?

By Tom Metcalfe published

Although it's now familiar as candy, the origins of chocolate are much deeper.

Two silver coins from the Islamic era found behind a temple in Egypt.

Hoard of Islamic era gold and silver coins found behind Egyptian temple

By Jennifer Nalewicki published

Researchers in Egypt uncovered hundreds of gold and silver coins.