Archaeology Finds

Chinese writing developed square forms gradually, shaped by language, tools and tradition, analysis suggests

Chinese characters' square shape may have emerged through writing practice, not one design choice.

Fossilised red blood cells found in 115m-year-old dinosaur’s bone, say scientists

A 115-million-year-old dinosaur bone may hold traces of red blood cells.

Dinosaur blood—oldest discovery rewrites what fossils can reveal about the past

Scientists confirmed blood in a dinosaur bone that is 115 million years old.

400,000-year-old fossilized termite nests named after Little Karoo town

A 400,000-year-old termite nest discovery now carries the name of a nearby town.

30,000-year-old DNA reveals Ice Age Europeans were far more connected than we thought

A woman buried 30,000 years ago in France carried ancestry from across Europe.

2,700-year-old mummy head yields first molecular evidence linking aloe to Egyptian embalming

A 2,700-year-old mummy head holds the first molecular evidence of aloe in embalming.

Rare Iron Age Celtic helmet discovered in northeastern Poland far from its homeland

A 2,400-year-old Celtic helmet in Poland is the only one of its kind found abroad.

A mysterious 4,000-year-old wall is rewriting North Africa’s history

A 4,000-year-old wall in Morocco hints at a more powerful ancient North Africa.

Rare fossil discovery reveals new dinosaur species that specialized in eating fruit

This newly named dinosaur may be the first known species built to eat fruit.

Rediscovered 1935 recordings reveal earliest known spoken audio of endangered Louisiana Creole

A 1935 recording offers the earliest known voice of Louisiana Creole.

Ancient copper mine hints that Iberia played an important role in Bronze Age trade networks

Copper from a Spanish mine may have traveled as far as Scandinavia 3,000 years ago.

Perfume bottle and child’s necklace among treasures found in Pompeii wardrobe

A child’s necklace with more than 20 charms survived nearly 2,000 years in Pompeii.

Marine fossils in Colombia reveal possible evolutionary transition without mass extinction

Colombian fossils show major evolutionary change may happen without mass extinction.

How ancient insect-eating diets could inspire more sustainable food systems

People have eaten insects for thousands of years, and archaeology may shape future diets.

What animal bones in Malawi teach us about the social lives of people long ago

Nearly 13,000 bones reveal how food shaped ancient social boundaries in Malawi.

Snøfrid the Sámi: Matriarch of Norway's royal bloodline?

Medieval records show South Sámi ancestry was woven into royal family stories.

Capturing our closest archaeal relatives offers clues to the origin of eukaryotes

Two newly grown microbes offer a rare look at the ancestors of complex life.

Ancient charcoal remains provide clues about Neanderthal camp organization

About 76% of the charcoal fragments came from mountain pine near the Neanderthal shelter.

New fossil scans challenge insect flight timeline, suggesting origins up to 80 million years later

Insect flight may have begun up to 80 million years later than thought.

Ancient Alberta fish fossils reveal evolutionary secrets of modern species

Alberta fossils reveal which freshwater fish lived alongside the last dinosaurs.