Ancient history

Scientists found a 3.5-meter dolphin fossil in a desert that was once an ancient ocean

The fossil, discovered in July, measures three and a half meters and will undergo exhaustive analysis before public display.

Whale fossils in the Ocucaje desert, Peru.
Artist illustration of Z. rinpoche.

Why this small dinosaur from Mongolia is rewriting the story of dome-headed evolution

Some of the tablets found.

A 3,000-year-old divination archive found in Turkey

Repulse of Pyrrhus from Sparta', 1890. Pyrrhus, in retreat at the Siege of Sparta, 272 BC from Spartans defending their city under command of Areus I. From "Cassell's Illustrated Universal History, Vol. I - Early and Greek History", by Edmund Ollier.

Sparta and Athens: History's wartime lessons for a modern-day Israel - analysis


Study: Oldest mummies predate ancient Egypt by 6,000 years

Researchers analyzed 54 skeletons from 11 sites, detecting prolonged low-temperature heating and tightly bound 'fetal' postures consistent with deliberate processing before burial.

Smoked mummies kept in private households in Papua, Indonesia, photographed in January 2019.

Ancient lentils in the canary islands survived 2,000 years, DNA shows

Genetic analysis reveals indigenous cultivation practices and crop continuity dating back to the 3rd century CE.

Lentil plant grown at Fuerteventura.

Older than Neanderthal rites? New papers double down on the Homo naledi burial hypothesis

Researchers say remains of at least 15 individuals in the Rising Star cave were deliberately placed and quickly covered by sediments, countering claims of accidental deposition.

A facial reconstruction of Homo naledi.

Three new 7.7-million-year-old elephant skulls unearthed in Turkey

“This year we can talk about the year of the elephant. From 2018 until now, we had identified two skulls, but only this year did we find three” described an archeologist.

Illustration: The skull of an asian elephant.

'Palm-sized predator' with outsized teeth rewrites lizard origins

Scientists used the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility to X-ray the tiny fossil and reveal high-resolution details.

An illustration of the newly discovered lizard ancestor.

9,500-year-old communal hall uncovered at Çayönü, reshaping our understanding of Neolithic society

“The fact that the floor paint was renewed at least four times shows that the building was periodically re-functionalized and used” said an archeologist.

The Çayönü excavation area in 2020.

Under La Rambla's makeover, a 50-meter stretch of Barcelona's 14th-century defenses is revealed

Archaeologists documented a pentagonal tower, flood deposits at 3.5 meters, and the burial of a small donkey surrounded by bronze needles.

Excavations of the ancient wall in Barcelona’s La Rambla.

Ancient Cemetery Reveals Unique Burial Practices with Insect Jewelry

"The discovery of a Phyllobius viridicollis beetle ornament in a cremation grave shows diverse use of organic materials in funerary rites and, with dandelion pollen, helps date the burial season."

Contemporary representation of the beetle and the remains found.

The oldest organ in Christendom plays again after 800 years of silence

Archaeologists found 222 bronze pipes, bells, and other objects hidden by Crusaders. Built in 11th-century France for Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity, the organ will go to Terra Sancta Museum.

Dr. David Catalunya with the reconstructed organ.

This bronze helmet survived the final battle that ended Rome's first major war

Archaeological team recovers intact cheek plates and crown knob from First Punic War clash that established Roman Mediterranean dominance.

The Montefortino helmet recovered.

Iron Age olive oil center in Beit Aryeh shows Israelite kingdom’s economic power in Samaria

A study published in the Israel Antiquities Authority's latest volume found that olive oil production was a key economic engine for the ancient Kingdom of Israel.

View of an ancient olive press in an archeological digging site in the Sharafat neighborhood of Jerusalem, on March 27, 2019 (illustrative).