Archaeology

Archaeology is fundamentally the study of humanity and its past. Archaeologists study things that were created, used or changed by humans. They do this by studying the material remains, in other words, the stuff we leave behind.

Related Topics: Anthropology, Fossils, Human Origins, Shipwrecks

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Photo of an archaological site in ukraine that dates to the Scythian period; the outline of a structure can be seen in stone with several indentations in the floor

Scythian arrowheads and Bronze Age dwelling uncovered in Ukraine

By Nicoletta Lanese published

Scythian artifacts were found near Bilsk in Ukraine.

A black-and-white photo shows Nazi minesweeper watercraft on a river with a bridge ahead of them.

Nazi warships revealed as Danube River levels drop

By Tom Metcalfe published

The falling levels of the Danube River have revealed wrecks from a Nazi German fleet of warships.

Students pictured walking past two large grassy mounds on the LSU campus

Oldest human-made structure in the Americas is older than the Egyptian pyramids

By JoAnna Wendel published

Sediment cores from the LSU Mounds reveal thousands of years of buildup of clay, ash from burning plants and animal remains.

A view of the ancient burial mound in Cyprus.

Broken fortress discovered under 'mega-monument' burial mound in Cyprus

By Donavyn Coffey published

Archaeologists in Cyprus have unearthed a broken rampart, or a part of a defensive wall, under a massive burial mound.

Illustration of deceased young woman lying in a wampos (ceremonial canoe). There is a pot next to her head.

1,000 years ago, a woman was buried in a canoe on her way to the 'destination of souls'

By Tom Metcalfe published

A young woman buried in Patagonia up to 1,000 years ago was placed in a ceremonial canoe to represent her final journey into the land of the dead, according to a new study.

Members of the Gruppo Storico Romano, (Roman Historical Group) take part in the re-enactment of Julius Caesar's assassination more than 2,000 years after it happened, on March 15, 2017 in Rome, Italy.

Sacred chickens, witches and animal entrails: 7 unusual ancient Roman superstitions

By Tom Metcalfe published

Here are seven unusual superstitions of the ancient Romans and what they may have meant.

A section of the "Book of the Dead," a papyrus manuscript with cursive hieroglyphs and color illustrations. Here we see Ani, Scribe of the Sacred Revenues of all the gods of Thebes, and administrator of the Granaries of the Lords of Abydos, and his wife Tutu before a table of offerings of meat, cakes, fruit, flowers, etc.

Book of the Dead: The ancient Egyptian guide to the afterlife

By Owen Jarus published

The "Book of the Dead" served multiple functions, including helping ancient Egyptians in the afterlife.

Early medieval weapons and jewelry found in southwestern Germany near the Danube River.

Pottery, swords and jewelry: Rich Stone Age and early medieval graves found in Germany

By Stephanie Pappas published

Archaeologists have found one Stone Age and 140 early medieval graves filled with artifacts in Germany.

A fragment of transparent quartz crystal found at Neolithic burial site.

'Magical' rock crystals found at Stone Age ceremonial site in England

By Tom Metcalfe published

Neolithic people sprinkled the crystals over burials.

Here we see the Aztec calendar stone known as the Stone of the Sun. It is a round shape, with a face in the middle with it’s tongue out. In concentric circles going out from the middle there are several layers, each with intricate patterns.

The Aztec civilization: Mexico's last great Indigenous empire

By Tom Garlinghouse published

The Aztec Empire flourished in the Valley of Mexico between A.D. 1325 and 1519 and was the last great civilization before the arrival of the Spanish in the early 16th century.

A statue of Roman emperor Augustus. He has short hair and is wearing a decorated breast plate with his cape draping around from his back, around his waist, and then over his left arm. He has one pointed finger in the air and in his other hand he is holding a rod.

The 5 craziest ways emperors gained the throne in ancient Rome

By Tom Metcalfe published

Being the emperor of Rome was a risky business. But merely gaining the imperial throne could be difficult, too.

A picture taken at the Archaeological Museum in Athens on September 14, 2014 shows a piece of the Antikythera Mechanism, a 2nd-century B.C. device known as the world's oldest computer which tracked astronomical phenomena and the cycles of the Solar System. Here we see what looks like a large gear.

Antikythera mechanism: Ancient celestial calculator

By Owen Jarus published

Here's what researchers know about the ancient Antikythera mechanism, a celestial-tracking device discovered in a shipwreck off a Greek island.

The Maya ruins of Toniná in Chiapas, Mexico. Here we see several stone buildings with their roofs and half their walls missing overlooking a beautiful green valley with trees and mountains in the distance.

Rubber balls used in famous Maya game contained ashes of cremated rulers, archaeologists claim

By Owen Jarus published

An archaeologist claims that Maya rulers' cremated remains were used to make rubber balls for use in Mesoamerican ballgames.

A scuba diver in deep dark water inspecting a sunken vessel.

Rare 400-year-old ship found in German river is a stunningly preserved 'time capsule'

By Tom Metcalfe last updated

The ship didn't capsize, but "sank almost standing."

An artist's interpretation of an early human hunting a woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius).

37,000-year-old mammoth butchering site may be oldest evidence of humans in North America

By Harry Baker last updated

But some experts are skeptical about the new findings.

Two reliefs of rulers from the ancient Olmec civilization in Mexico.

Twin 'grumpy mouth' reliefs of Olmec contortionists discovered in Mexico

By Jennifer Nalewicki published

Researchers have found two reliefs in Mexico that are tied to the ancient Olmec civilization.

A sampling of priceless treasures like gold and jewels found at a shipwreck site in the Bahamas.

Treasure trove of gold and jewels recovered from a 366-year-old shipwreck in the Bahamas

By Jennifer Nalewicki published

A treasure trove of gold coins and jewels has been recovered from a 350-year-old shipwreck in the Bahamas and will be part of a new museum exhibition.

A black and white illustration from the 19th century of King Alaric I in Rome, A.D. 410. King Alaric is riding into a large room upon a black horse, holding up his right hand. To his left are several followers dressed in white tunics carrying a large cross. There is black smoke billowing in the background and all around him is chaos – building debris on the floor, people huddling away from men waving swords, a broken sign on the floor that reads ‘Roma.’

Who were the ancient Goths, Visigoths and Ostrogoths?

By Owen Jarus last updated

The Goths sacked Rome, but they also helped preserve Roman culture. Gothic architecture, Gothic fiction and Goth music evolved from references to the Goths.

Maya ruins of Tikal in the jungle of Guatemala. On the right a tall step pyramid, with a series of stone steps leading to a doorway at the very top. To the left are two smaller step pyramids, half the size of the larger step pyramid. There are several rows of gravestones dotted around the green lawns. There are tall, lush trees in the background.

Tikal: The iconic ancient Maya city in Guatemala

By Owen Jarus published

The ancient Maya city of Tikal thrived between 600 B.C. and A.D. 900 in what is now Guatemala.

A rare 1766 King George III gold guinea, the equivalent of a soldier’s wages for a month, found during the Red Bank Battlefield Archaeology Project excavation.

Mass grave of Revolutionary War mercenaries and rare gold coin unearthed in New Jersey

By Jennifer Nalewicki published

A public dig in New Jersey uncovered a mass grave of Hessian soldiers who fought during the Revolutionary War.