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This image shows a close-up of one of the engravings on the monolith that was scanned and shown here in green contrast. The engraving appears circular with a hole in the center and lines radiating from the circle.

Engraved with fangs, ornate swirls, Peruvian monument lay hidden for 2,000 years

By Owen Jarus

A sprawling, stone monument decorated with swirls, circular patterns and godly fangs has been hiding in a remote jungle in northern Peru for around 2,000 years.

The rich assemblage of grave goods indicates that the person buried here held a high status.

Princely tomb of Iron Age mystery man discovered in Italy. And there's a chariot inside.

By Laura Geggel

Whoever was buried here was a big deal in the Iron Age.

The mummified body of the ancient Egyptian priest Nesyamun underwent medical scans in 2018 so that a copy of its vocal tract could be made.

Egyptian mummy speaks again after 3,000 years

By Tom Metcalfe

The voice of an ancient Egyptian priest has been heard for the first time in more than 3,000 years, thanks to a detailed reconstruction of his vocal tract from his mummified remains.

Excavation plan and 3D high-resolution laser scan record of the excavation in fornice 8.

Vesuvius victims baked slowly as they died

By Mindy Weisberger

Hundreds of people in ancient Herculaneum died when Mount Vesuvius erupted. And their deaths weren't instantaneous, new evidence reveals.

Fragment of glassy black material extracted from the cranial cavity of a victim of the volcanic eruption at Herculaneum in the year 79.

Extreme heat of Vesuvius eruption turned a man's brain to 'glass'

By Nicoletta Lanese

A man who died in Herculaneum during the historic Vesuvius eruption was found with an exploded skull and glass-like brain tissue.

The leader of the excavation, archaeologist Daniele Morandi Bonacossi, and one of the panels of Assyrian carvings unearthed in the northern Kurdistan region of Iraq.

Ancient Assyrian rock carvings in Iraq show procession of gods riding mythical animals

By Tom Metcalfe

Stunning ancient rock carvings that portray an Assyrian king paying homage to his gods amid a procession of mythical animals have been unearthed in the Kurdistan region in the north of Iraq.

Train tracks converge at the entrance to the Nazi death camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau.

Why Didn't the Allies Bomb Auschwitz?

By Mindy Weisberger

A new PBS documentary probes the deliberation behind the historic decision.

This woman was buried with her head resting on a pillow, suggesting that she held an elite position in her community.

50 Graves of Slaves Who Toiled at a Roman Villa Unearthed in England

By Laura Geggel

The graves of these enslaved people may help experts understand the transition from the Iron Age to the Roman era.

The Hebrew writing on this jar says that it belongs to a man whose name can be translated as “Benayo” or “Benayau.” The jar dates back more than 2,800 years to the ninth century B.C.

Ancient Yahweh Worshipper's Jar Bears Hebrew Script in Biblical City

By Owen Jarus

A 2,800-year-old jar inscribed in Hebrew with the Yahwistic name "Benayo" has been discovered at Abel Beth Maacah, an Israel site mentioned in the Hebrew Bible.

The Pachacamac idol, long thought to be destroyed by the Spanish Conquistadors in 1533, was discovered in 1938.

Incan Idol That Allegedly Escaped Conquistadors' Destruction Is Real, New Analysis Shows

By Laura Geggel

The Pachacamac idol, long thought destroyed by Spanish conquistadors, was once a colorful deity.

Leprosy mutilated the face of this high-status woman, who lived from the mid-15th to the 16th century in Scotland.

Amazing Digital Reconstructions Show a 16th-Century Scottish Woman Scarred by Leprosy

By Laura Geggel

The man had a missing lower jaw, so the forensic artist gave the individual a beard to hide his jaw line.

a gold bar looted from the Aztecs in the 1620s

Massive Gold Bar Unearthed in Mexico Was Looted Aztec Treasure

By Yasemin Saplakoglu

The bar was stolen from the Aztec capital by Cortes.

Leonardo da Vinci's 'Salvator Mundi' painting, shown here after being unveiled in Hong Kong on Oct. 13, 2017, has a dramatic past.

Mystery of Orb in a Record-Breaking Leonardo Da Vinci Painting Deepens

By Stephanie Pappas

New research claims that Leonardo da Vinci's optics-breaking orb in the "Salvator Mundi" was a realistic portrayal.

A painting shows Columbus landing in what he called the West Indies in 1492.

Columbus' Claims of Cannibal Raids May Have Been True After All

By Brandon Specktor

Christopher Columbus claims to have fought with a fierce cannibal tribe in the Caribbean, despite historical evidence to the contrary. Now, a new study shows he may have been telling the truth.

Gen. George Washington's army marches to Valley Forge, Pennsylvania in 1777.

3 Skeletons Found in Connecticut Basement Might Be from Revolutionary War Soldiers

By Laura Geggel

It's unclear which side these soldiers fought on. Were they revolutionaries, Brits or perhaps Tories — colonists who sided with the king?

Scientists are amazed that a human brain could persist for 2,600 years.

Incredible 'Heslington Brain' Resists Rotting for 2,600 Years. Here's How.

By Laura Geggel

Most brains rot soon after a person dies. How did this 2,600-year-old human brain stay intact?

A sculpture of the Roman emperor Commodus, dressed as the mythical hero Hercules.

Roman Emperors Were More Likely Than Gladiators to Die Gruesome Deaths

By Mindy Weisberger

Emperors of ancient Rome tended to die bloody, violent deaths, a new study finds.

Niccolò da Poggibonsi penned this Venice sketch in the mid-1300s.

Little-Known Pilgrim Made First Sketch of Venice, Beating Out Renaissance Masters

By Laura Geggel

This isn't a kid's drawing. It's the oldest known sketch of Venice.

Cuneiform tablets from a lost city called Irisagrig in Iraq were returned to Iraq after being seized from Hobby Lobby.

1,400 Ancient Cuneiform Tablets Identified from Lost City of Irisagrig in Iraq. Were They Stolen?

By Owen Jarus

About 1,400 cuneiform tablets that were possibly stolen from Irisagrig, a 4,000-year-old lost city in Iraq, have just been revealed.

Archaeologists had some trees removed so that the palace excavation could go forward. Now, scientists may plant new trees to protect the delicate ruins.

Maya Palace Discovered Deep in the Mexican Jungle

By Laura Geggel

The Maya enjoyed this stone palace in Mexico more than 1,000 years ago.