Ancient Civilizations News

January 16, 2016

First Ancient Irish Human Genomes Sequenced

Farmers Had Beehives 8,500 Years Ago

Earliest Church in the Tropics Unearthed

Ancient Shipwrecks Discovered Off Greece

Latest Headlines

updated 9:28pm EST

Roman Toilets Gave No Clear Health Benefit, and Romanization Actually Spread Parasites

Jan. 8, 2016 — Intestinal parasites such as whipworm became increasingly common across Europe during the Roman Period, despite the apparent ... read more

Archaeological Discovery Yields Surprising Revelations About Europe's Oldest City

Jan. 6, 2016 — An ancient Aegean city not only recovered but also flourished following the collapse of the Bronze Age, a new study shows. Recent fieldwork at the ... read more

Religion and Politics Led to Social Tension and Conflict, Then and Now

Dec. 21, 2015 — Humans haven't learned much in more than 2,000 years when it comes to religion and politics. Religion has led to social tension and conflict, not just in today's society, but ... read more

Excavations Uncover Unique Hebrew Inscription Showing Existence of a Jewish Village at Kursi

Dec. 18, 2015 — This first evidence of a Jewish village on the site strengthens the hypothesis, that until now was no more than folklore, ... read more

Ancient Egyptians Described Algol's Eclipses

Dec. 17, 2015 — The Ancient Egyptian papyrus Cairo 86637 calendar is the oldest preserved historical document of naked eye observations of a variable star, the eclipsing binary Algol -- a ... read more

Ancient Trade Routes Between Bronze Age Iran and Mesopotamia Uncovered

Dec. 3, 2015 — Archaeologists have found evidence of raw materials trade between Bronze Age Iran ... read more

Impression of King Hezekiah's Royal Seal Discovered in Excavations in Jerusalem

Dec. 2, 2015 — Excavations by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem at near the southern wall of the Temple Mount have unearthed an impression ... read more

Breakthrough for Mining Research in the Bronze Age

Nov. 9, 2015 — Mining in the Alps dates back much further than previously thought – in the Austrian region of Montafon since the Bronze Age. Thanks to C14 dating, a group of researchers was able to detect in the ... read more

Snail Trails Lead to Climate-Driven Cultural Shift in Ancient Morocco

Nov. 5, 2015 — Research on ancient Moroccan snails shows clear evidence for climate-induced early human agricultural production. The work suggests that natural climate change that occurred ... read more

Ancient Salvadoran Village Buried by Ash Freezes Daily Life in Time

Nov. 3, 2015 — A continuing look at a Maya village in El Salvador frozen in time by a blanket of volcanic ash 1,400 years ago shows the farming families who lived there went about their ... read more

King Tut's Wet Nurse May Have Been His Sister: Expert

US Returns Ancient Artifacts to China

Egypt's Pyramids, Sphinx Awash in Green

Scans Suggest '90%' Chance of Hidden Chamber in King Tut Tomb

Archaeologists Unearth New Evidence of Roman, Medieval Leicester

Dec. 10, 2015 — Insights into Roman and medieval domestic life has been revealed by archaeologists whose project has taken place below a former city center bus ... read more

New Test for Ancient DNA Authenticity Throws Doubt on Stone Age Wheat Trade

Nov. 3, 2015 — A new method reliably tests whether DNA shows ancient or modern patterns of biochemical change. This has recently cast doubt on the authenticity of what was thought to be evidence of a Stone Age ... read more

Invaluable Ancient Syrian Mosaic Discovered

Nov. 2, 2015 — Classical scholars are excavating one of the few sites of ancient Roman Syria in Turkey that are currently accessible as a result of the political situation in the Middle ... read more

Beyond the Temples, Ancient Bones Reveal the Lives of the Mayan Working Class

Oct. 29, 2015 — Most of what we know about Mayan civilization relates to kings, queens and their elaborate temples. To understand what life was like for the 99 percent, one researcher turned to ancient animal ... read more

3D Models Provide a Credible Stimulus to Current Archaeological Thought, Practice

Oct. 28, 2015 — Archaeological concepts such as the real, virtual, and authentic are becoming increasingly unstable as a consequence of archaeological artefacts and assemblages being digitalised, reiterated, ... read more

Rare Warrior Tomb Filled With Bronze Age Wealth and Weapons Discovered

Oct. 26, 2015 — Archaeologists have discovered a Bronze Age warrior's tomb in southwestern Greece filled with more than 1,400 objects: jewels, weapons and armor, as well as bronze, silver and gold ... read more

Evidence of Ice Age ‘economic Migrants’ in Europe to Be Unearthed

Oct. 15, 2015 — New excavations aim to save flint artefacts from the impact of erosion. After being hidden for nearly 15,000 years, the lives of Ice Age hunter-gatherers who migrated to Europe to benefit from warmer ... read more

Ancient Genome from Africa Sequenced for the First Time

Oct. 8, 2015 — The first ancient human genome from Africa to be sequenced has revealed that a wave of migration back into Africa from Western Eurasia around 3,000 years ago was up to twice as significant as ... read more

Tiny Ancient Fossil from Spain Shows Birds Flew Over the Heads of Dinosaurs

Oct. 6, 2015 — A new discovery documents the intricate arrangement of the muscles and ligaments that controlled the main feathers of the wing of an ancient bird, supporting the notion that at least some of the most ... read more

Earliest Evidence of Ancient North American Salmon Fishing Verified

Sep. 21, 2015 — Researchers in Alaska have found the earliest known evidence that Ice Age humans in North America used salmon as a food source, according to a new ... read more

Archaeologists Discover 'Roman Village' in Gernsheim

Sep. 17, 2015 — During their first Gernsheim dig last year, archaeologists suspected that a small Roman settlement must have also existed there in the Hessian Ried. Now they have discovered clear relics of a Roman ... read more

Unlocking Secrets of How Fossils Form

Sep. 16, 2015 — Fossils tell amazing stories and inspire them, too -- just think of this summer's 'Jurassic World' blockbuster. But because some of the processes that preserve fossils are not well ... read more

Neolithic Skeleton Reveals Early History of Rickets

Sep. 10, 2015 — Rickets has been identified in a Neolithic skeleton from the Scottish island of Tiree, making it the earliest case of the disease in the United Kingdom. The nature of the grave itself - a simple ... read more

Ancient Genomes Link Early Farmers to Basques

Sep. 7, 2015 — A surprising discovery from the genomes of eight Iberian Stone-Age farmer remains has been reported. The analyses revealed that early Iberian farmers are the closest ancestors to modern-day Basques, ... read more

'Super Stonehenge': Super Circle of Stones Surround Existing Monument

Sep. 7, 2015 — The Stonehenge Hidden Landscapes Project team has discovered evidence for a row of up to 90 standing stones, some of which may have originally measured up to 4.5 meters in height. Many of these ... read more

Greedy Kestrel Provides First Proof of Bird Breeding in Ancient Egypt

Sep. 3, 2015 — 3D imaging of a mummified kestrel that died due to forced overeating provides evidence that the ancient Egyptians bred birds of prey as offerings for the gods, according to a new study. The digital ... read more

3D Printing Revives Bronze-Age Music

Sep. 2, 2015 — An archaeologist has 3D-printed a replica of an iron-age artifact to revive a rich musical culture in ancient Ireland, uncovering evidence that the artifact may have been a mouthpiece from an ... read more

Scientists Reveal New Zealand's Prehistoric Wildlife Sanctuaries

Sep. 1, 2015 — Prehistoric 'sanctuary' regions where New Zealand seabirds survived early human hunting have been documented by scientists. The researchers reconstructed the population histories for ... read more

Philistines Introduced Sycamore, Cumin and Opium Poppy Into Israel During the Iron Age

Aug. 28, 2015 — A new study describes the bio-archaeological remains of the Philistine culture in Israel during the Iron Age (12th century to 7th century BCE). The results of this research indicate that the ca. 600 ... read more

Unusual Use of Blue Pigment Found in Ancient Mummy Portraits

Aug. 26, 2015 — In an unexpected discovery, a research team of scientists and art conservators has found an unusual use of the pigment Egyptian blue in Roman-era Egyptian mummy portraits. No blue is visible to the ... read more

Thursday, December 10, 2015

Archaeologists unearth new evidence of Roman, medieval Leicester

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

New test for ancient DNA authenticity throws doubt on Stone Age wheat trade

Monday, November 2, 2015

Invaluable ancient Syrian mosaic discovered

Thursday, October 29, 2015

Beyond the temples, ancient bones reveal the lives of the Mayan working class

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

3D models provide a credible stimulus to current archaeological thought, practice

Monday, October 26, 2015

Rare warrior tomb filled with Bronze Age wealth and weapons discovered

Thursday, October 15, 2015

Evidence of Ice Age ‘economic migrants’ in Europe to be unearthed

Thursday, October 8, 2015

Ancient genome from Africa sequenced for the first time

Tuesday, October 6, 2015

Tiny ancient fossil from Spain shows birds flew over the heads of dinosaurs

Monday, September 21, 2015

Earliest evidence of ancient North American salmon fishing verified

Thursday, September 17, 2015

Archaeologists discover 'Roman Village' in Gernsheim

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Unlocking secrets of how fossils form

Thursday, September 10, 2015

Neolithic skeleton reveals early history of rickets

Monday, September 7, 2015

Thursday, September 3, 2015

Greedy kestrel provides first proof of bird breeding in ancient Egypt

Wednesday, September 2, 2015

3D printing revives bronze-age music

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Scientists reveal New Zealand's prehistoric wildlife sanctuaries

Friday, August 28, 2015

Philistines introduced sycamore, cumin and opium poppy into Israel during the Iron Age

Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Unusual use of blue pigment found in ancient mummy portraits

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

Meteorite impacts can create DNA building blocks

Thursday, August 13, 2015

Prehistoric carnivore dubbed 'scarface' discovered in Zambia

Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Competition from cats drove extinction of many species of ancient dogs

Monday, August 3, 2015

Archaeologists uncover entrance gate, fortification of ancient city

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Genome analysis pins down arrival and spread of first Americans

Thursday, July 9, 2015

Volcanic rocks resembling Roman concrete explain record uplift in Italian caldera

Tuesday, June 30, 2015

South Africans used milk-based paint 49,000 years ago

Friday, June 26, 2015

Bronze Age humans' diet and arrival of new crops in Iberian Peninsula

Thursday, June 18, 2015

Kennewick Man closely related to Native Americans, geneticists say

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Data bank launched for global access to ancient DNA

Monday, June 15, 2015

Remote cave study reveals 3000 years of European climate variation

Friday, June 5, 2015

Archaeologists discover evidence of prehistoric gold trade route

Thursday, May 28, 2015

Ancient DNA sheds light on how past environments affected ancient populations

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Social media and archaeology: A match not made in heaven

Thursday, May 21, 2015

Our bond with dogs may go back more than 27,000 years

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Who left the dogs out? No trace of ancient colonizers' canines in Madagascar

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Size of domestic animals has increased over time

Monday, May 18, 2015

'Eternal flames' of ancient times could spark interest of modern geologists

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Ancient skeleton shows leprosy may have spread to Britain from Scandinavia

Friday, May 8, 2015

Traces of flowers placed on a Palaeolithic tomb

Monday, May 4, 2015

As the river rises: Cahokia's emergence and decline linked to Mississippi River flooding

Friday, May 1, 2015

Heritage destruction in conflict zones provides archaeological opportunities

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Monday, April 20, 2015

Ancient crucible steel weapon found in Eastern Europe

Thursday, April 16, 2015

Palaeolithic remains show cannibalistic habits of human ancestors

Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Two ancient human fossils from Laos reveal early human diversity

Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Ancient seashell coloration patterns revealed using ultraviolet light

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Study underscores complexity of geopolitics in the age of the Aztec empire

Thursday, March 19, 2015

Monday, March 16, 2015

The Largest Known Bronze Mask of Pan Uncovered

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

For 80 Years, Ancient Gold Treasure Rested Undisturbed

Friday, March 6, 2015

Ancient Mongol metallurgy an extreme polluter

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Excavation reveals ancient town and burial complex in Diros Bay, Greece

Tuesday, March 3, 2015

When age matters: precise dating of ancient charcoal found near skull is helping reveal unique period in prehistory

Monday, March 2, 2015

Archaeologists open mysterious lead coffin found buried just feet from the former grave of King Richard III

Friday, February 27, 2015

DNA evidence shows surprise cultural connections between Britain and Europe 8,000 years ago

Friday, February 20, 2015

Ancient and modern cities aren't so different

Sunday, February 15, 2015

An Italian cemetery may provide clues on cholera's evolution

Friday, February 13, 2015

Researchers use isotopic analysis to explore ancient Peruvian life

Thursday, February 12, 2015

First-of-Its-Kind Discovery of 1,500 Year-Old Grape Seeds May Answer the Question: Why Was the Wine of the Negev So Renowned in the Byzantine Empire

Monday, February 9, 2015

Archaeologists help protect cultural heritage of northern Iraq

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

The world's oldest known snake fossils: Rolling back the clock by nearly 70 million years

Friday, January 16, 2015

Antiquity of dairying on Emerald Isle revealed

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Study of ancient dogs in the Americas yields insights into human, dog migration

Monday, January 5, 2015

New research dishes the dirt on the demise of a civilization

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Widespread looting, damage to historical sites in Syria, analysis shows

Monday, December 15, 2014

Thursday, December 11, 2014

Affluence, not political complexity, explains rise of moralizing world religions

Monday, December 8, 2014

Major Viking hall identified in Sweden

Thursday, December 4, 2014

Dirt provides new insight into Roman burials

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Archaeologists reveal layout of medieval city at Old Sarum

Monday, December 1, 2014

Scientists find 240-million-year-old parasite that infected mammals' ancestor

Thursday, November 27, 2014

Ancient dental plaque: A 'whey' into our milk drinking past?

Thursday, November 20, 2014

Laser from a plane discovers Roman goldmines in Spain

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Secrets in stone: Art historian cracks the code of an ancient temple

Monday, November 10, 2014

Unique Roman relief discovered: Depiction of unknown god in Turkey; Relics from 2,000 years of cult history excavated

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Ancient auditory illusions reflected in prehistoric art?

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Hippos-Sussita excavation: Silent evidence of the earthquake of 363 CE

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Ancient Europeans intolerant to lactose for 5,000 years after they adopted agriculture

Monday, October 20, 2014

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Prehistoric crocodiles' evolution mirrored in living species

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Archaeologists discover bronze remains of Iron Age chariot in the UK

Thursday, October 9, 2014

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Monday, September 22, 2014

Answer to restoring lost island biodiversity found in fossils

Thursday, September 18, 2014

Wednesday, September 17, 2014