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Archaeology
Excavations, artifacts, inscriptions, coins, and sites, with discoveries from digs and museums and what they reveal about ancient lives.
Why Did the Hittite Empire Collapse?
The Hittite Empire collapsed around 1200 BCE amid political strain, disrupted grain supplies and severe drought. Archaeology shows Hattusa was abandoned before it burned.
Mount Vesuvius in AD 79: The Eruption That Buried Pompeii
In AD 79, Vesuvius buried Pompeii and Herculaneum. Pliny’s eyewitness letters, volcanic deposits and new excavations reveal how the disaster unfolded.
Roman Mile Markers: What They Measured and What They Said
Roman milestones measured distances along roads and displayed imperial authority. Read their inscriptions, dates and evidence from Britain, Italy and the provinces.
Samaritan Estate at Kafr Qasim: Fruit Mosaics and Olive Presses
A 1,600-year-old Samaritan estate at Kafr Qasim revealed fruit mosaics, ritual baths and olive presses, with clues to life under Byzantine rule.
Ancient Egyptian Shopping Lists: Grain, Oil, and Household Accounts
Egyptian papyri recorded grain, debts, rations and household possessions. Heqanakht’s letters reveal how people managed supplies nearly 4,000 years ago.
Pozzino Shipwreck: A Doctor’s Kit and Ancient Eye Medicine
A 2,000-year-old shipwreck off Tuscany preserved a medical kit and zinc-rich tablets. Archaeology reveals their ingredients, possible use and unanswered questions.
Did Archaeologists Find a 1,600-Year-Old Nursing Home?
A Greek mosaic at Hippos says “Peace be with the elders.” The 2025 excavation study explains why it may mark an ancient home for…
Sardis Excavation: The Lydian Palace 8 Meters Down
Excavations at Sardis exposed eighth-century Lydian walls beneath the later city. Earlier studies reveal what the palace, coins and terraces really date to.
Birka Grave Bj 581: The Viking Warrior Woman
DNA identified the occupant of Birka grave Bj 581 as female. The weapons, horses and burial records explain why her warrior status remains debated.
Guatemala’s Ancient Maya Cities and Roads Revealed by LiDAR
LiDAR mapping in Guatemala reveals 417 early Maya cities, towns and villages, raised roads, reservoirs and evidence of complex Preclassic societies.
How Scientists Are Reading the Herculaneum Scrolls Without Opening Them
X-ray scans and AI are recovering ancient Greek writing from the Herculaneum scrolls, including a 2026 reading of one roll’s surviving text.
Inside San Giuliano’s Etruscan Tomb, Sealed for 2,600 Years
A sealed Etruscan tomb found at San Giuliano in 2025 held four people and 74 ceramic vessels. The finds reveal burial rituals and correct…
