Have you ever heard the story of a wizard battle that supposedly took place when an early church was constructed? Or how about the story of a border guard who defied King Herod’s orders and spared Jesus’ life? Scholars have now translated these and other “apocryphal” Christian texts (stories notContinue Reading
This young boy died at the turn of the first millennium. Just after the turn of the first millennium A.D., a young child living in Egypt contracted a deadly illness — most likely pneumonia — and died. His tiny body was prepared for mummification and burial; some of his organsContinue Reading
One of Germany’s most famous ancient artifacts may not be what it seems, if a new study is to be believed. Fierce debate over the Nebra Sky Disk has been reignited by a new study that suggests it is at least 1,000 years younger than previously thought, and probably doesn’tContinue Reading
Divers from Finland have made an unexpected discovery while exploring the depths of the Baltic Sea, finding an incredibly well-preserved shipwreck dating back almost 400 years. Volunteer divers from the nonprofit Badewanne team more often come across wrecked 20th-century relics sunk during the sea battles of World War I andContinue Reading
The intricately painted coffins were stacked on top of each other. Archaeologists have discovered more than 13 ancient Egyptian coffins piled one on top of the other within a burial well at the desert necropolis of Saqqara, according to the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. The 2,500-year-old wooden coffinsContinue Reading
The goat died 400 years ago but is still recognizable. A hairless, leathery horror found encrusted in Alpine ice is a chamois that died 400 years ago. The long-dead goat-antelope was discovered in Val Aurina, South Tyrol, Italy by Italian alpinist and champion skier Hermann Oberlechner, who was on aContinue Reading
The 1,100-year-old steel sword is nearly 3 feet long. Archaeologists in Norway have unearthed the 1,100-year-old grave of a Viking warrior, whose steel sword was placed in an unusual spot: on his left side. Though the sword’s sinistral position is still somewhat perplexing, one theory is that the Vikings perceivedContinue Reading
The blast was more powerful than 50 million tons of TNT, and was felt hundreds of miles away. In October 1961, the Soviet Union dropped the most powerful nuclear bomb in history over a remote island north of the Arctic Circle. Though the bomb detonated nearly 2.5 miles (4 kilometers)Continue Reading