Archaeological Science
Articles tagged Archaeological Science.
Did Underground Gas Cause the Oracle of Delphi’s Trances?
Faults beneath Delphi and traces of hydrocarbons revived an ancient account of the Pythia’s visions, but later gas surveys and toxicology leave the cause...
How Did Ötzi the Iceman Die?
Ötzi was shot in the back around 3300 BC. His arrow wound is certain, but 2025 forensic studies challenge the claim that he bled...
How Does LiDAR Map Cities in the Maya Jungle?
LiDAR maps Maya cities by measuring ground elevation through gaps in jungle canopy. Learn how archaeologists identify houses, roads, terraces and reservoirs.
Ancient Skull Surgery: The 80% Survival Rate in Inca Peru
Skulls from ancient Peru suggest that 75% to 83% of Inca-period trepanation patients survived. The bone evidence reveals how surgeons worked and what remains...
Kiln Fingerprints: How Ceramics Reveal Their Origins
How archaeologists trace pottery to its origins using clay fabrics, kiln debris and chemical analysis, and what those fingerprints cannot prove.
OSL Dating: How Scientists Date Buried Sand and Ancient Footprints
OSL dating measures when buried sand last saw sunlight. Learn how quartz clocks work, how labs calculate ages, and what ancient footprints can really...
Palmyra in 3D: How Archaeologists Reconstruct Its Lost Monuments
After ISIS destroyed major monuments at Palmyra, archaeologists used photographs, laser scans and 3D models to document the ruins. What can those reconstructions prove?
Viking DNA: What Ancient Genomes Really Reveal
What 442 Viking Age genomes reveal about migration, ancestry, Birka’s female burial, Iceland’s settlers and the limits of Viking DNA tests.
LiDAR Maps the Cities, Roads and Farmland of the Maya Lowlands
Airborne laser surveys reveal thousands of Maya houses, causeways and farms, and have raised estimates of the ancient lowlands’ population.
Homo Floresiensis: The Hobbit of Flores
The tiny Homo floresiensis lived on Flores for thousands of years. Fossils, stone tools and new studies reveal its origins, diet and uncertain disappearance.
Malta Cart Ruts: The New Case for a Roman-Era Origin
Malta’s limestone cart ruts may belong largely to the Roman and wider Classical periods. New research tests their age, purpose and formation.
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.
