A research team in Mexico claims the Pyramid of the Moon at Teotihuacan aligns with the summer and winter solstices. The findings, which include measurements from drone flights, suggest the pyramid’s orientation influenced the entire city’s layout. However, not all experts agree with this assessment, citing modifications to the pyramid over time.
A 13-year-old boy hiking in northern Israel stumbled upon a remarkable discovery: an 1,800-year-old ring depicting the Roman goddess Minerva. The ring, found near an ancient quarry, is believed to have belonged to a woman or girl during the Roman period and offers insights into the lives of people who lived in the region.
Archaeologists have unearthed underwater rock carvings depicting ancient Egyptian pharaohs in the Nile River near Aswan, Egypt. The discovery, made by a joint French-Egyptian team, reveals well-preserved inscriptions and carvings dating back to various dynasties, including those of Amenhotep III, Thutmose IV, Psamtik II, and Apries. This find highlights the potential for further discoveries in the submerged area, which was flooded during the construction of the Aswan High Dam.
A new study suggests that ancient humans may have butchered and eaten a giant armadillo-like creature in Argentina around 20,000 years ago, pushing back the timeline of human presence in the Americas. This discovery adds to the growing evidence that humans spread throughout the Americas much earlier than previously thought, possibly arriving as early as 21,000 years ago.
The Lion Man, a 40,000-year-old ivory statuette found in Germany, was once considered the oldest known depiction of a therianthrope, a part-human, part-animal figure. However, newly discovered rock art in Indonesia has pushed back the origins of this concept by over 10,000 years, suggesting that humans were engaging in complex religious practices much earlier than previously thought.
Archaeologists have discovered a 1.7-mile-long ancient stone wall in Italy, believed to have been built to trap Spartacus and his slave army during the Third Servile War. The wall, found in the Dossone della Melia forest in Calabria, was likely part of a Roman defense system designed to contain Spartacus’s forces after they escaped from a gladiator school in Capua.
Archaeologists in Norway have unearthed a unique burial site containing dozens of graves of children from the Bronze and Iron Ages. The graves, marked by circles of meticulously placed stones, are unlike any other known burial site in Europe. The discovery has left experts baffled, prompting further investigation into the reasons behind the unusual burial practices and the significance of the site.
A cave painting in Indonesia, depicting three human-like figures and a wild pig, has been confirmed as the oldest example of a ‘picture story’ in the world, dating back at least 51,200 years. This discovery pushes back the timeline of storytelling and provides insights into the abstract thinking abilities of early humans.
Archaeologists working at Sutton Hoo in England have uncovered missing pieces of a 1,500-year-old copper bucket imported from Turkey. This discovery, predating the famed ship burial, sheds light on life in early medieval times and the extensive trade networks of the period.
Mysterious handbag-like symbols found in ancient rock carvings across the globe have sparked debate among archaeologists. These depictions, from Gobekli Tepe to Assyrian reliefs, could hold clues about ancient civilizations’ understanding of the cosmos and their beliefs about the material and spiritual worlds.
