The site is part of a royal compound that archaeologists think may have been overseen by King Raedwald. Archaeologists in England have unearthed the 1,400-year-old remnants of a possible pagan temple or cult house that was once part of a royal compound. The discovery was made this summer during ongoingContinue Reading
The toilet was found in the Shaanxi province’s Yueyang City Ruins and was likely used by high-ranking officials during the early years of China’s first unified empire. Archaeologists in China have discovered one of the world’s oldest flush toilets, a “luxury object” that was likely used by elite individuals justContinue Reading
During the last ice age, which route was taken by the first humans to reach the Americas, and did they travel by foot, boat or both? Humans first arrived in North America at least 15,500 years ago. Exactly how they got there, however, constitutes one of the longest-standing debates inContinue Reading
Did the first civilization arise in Mesopotamia, or elsewhere? Countless civilizations have risen and fallen over the millennia. But which one is the oldest on record? About 30 years ago, this question seemed to have a straightforward answer. Around 4000 B.C., the earliest phase of the Sumerian culture arose asContinue Reading
The discoveries hint that humans occupied the region longer than locals thought. Archaeological treasures, including Stone Age pottery and medieval graves with swords and jewelry, have revealed a long history of human habitation near the Danube River in Germany. At the site, in the Geisingen-Gutmadingen district of Tuttlingen, in southwesternContinue Reading
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. The Aztec Empire flourished in central Mexico during the Postclassic period of Mesoamerican history, from approximately A.D. 1325 toContinue Reading
Silver penis pendants like this are rare. A metal detectorist recently discovered a silver, penis-shaped pendant in Kent, England that was likely worn around the neck to protect a person from misfortune around 1,800 years ago. Ancient Roman writers such as Marcus Terentius Varro (lived 116 B.C. to 27 B.C.)Continue Reading
The most notorious pirates stole ships, gold and other treasures. History is filled with notorious pirates that terrorized the seven seas. The exploits of these ship plunderers remain famous to this day, but they were very different from the friendly pirates seen in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” movie franchiseContinue Reading
Experts are calling them hybrid Byzantine ring pommeled swords. Archaeologists in Turkey have discovered two “rare and unique” swords in a heavily fortified city from the Byzantine Empire, a new study finds. One of the swords, unearthed in a church, may have been placed there as an offering. Both ironContinue Reading
Archaeologists don’t know why the horse was decapitated. The skeletal remains of a man buried 1,400 years ago near a headless horse have been discovered at an ancient cemetery in the town of Knittlingen in southern Germany. He likely was the horse’s owner/rider when he was alive. The man wasContinue Reading