Archaeology

Native American use of dice, probability predates known Old World dice by millenia - study

In total, archaeologist Robert Madden observed 659 sets of Native American dice from 57 archaeological sites across 12 different states. 

A series of Native American dice discovered at archaeological sites in the western US, April 9, 2026.
 World's oldest Neanderthal fingerprint found on 43,000-year-old pebble in Spain. Illustration.

Neanderthals who lived in Siberian cave millenia apart were distant relatives, study finds

(a) Section of the mosaic showing the leopard and the woman. (b) Section of the mosaic showing the venator with the pole, the leopard, and the woman.

Lost mosaic shows first visual depiction of women fighting beasts in Roman arenas - study

Excavations of Raknehaugen, Norway, in 1939.

Scandinavia's largest prehistoric mound is not a tomb, but a memorial to a natural disaster - study


'Haters gonna hate': 1,500-year-old mosaic inscription in Turkey strikes surprisingly modern tone

The unusual phrasing has been described as bearing a protective function against the evil eye and negative energies.

The inscription. Haters are going to hate.

Funerary offerings, pottery, gold jewelry discovered in 1,000-year-old pre-Hispanic tomb in Panama

The tomb belonged to an individual of high status within their community, from an important lineage in the Rio Grande area, lead archaeologist Julia Mayo said.

Panama Culture Minister María Eugenia Herrera and archaeologists at the entrance to Tomb 3 at the El Caño archaeological site in Panama, March 19, 2026.

Dressed for the afterlife: What 7,000-year-old grave soil reveals about Stone Age clothing - study

The study uses the technique of microarchaeology to examine the soil collected from 35 graves at the Skateholm I and II cemeteries in southern Sweden.

 Study reveals Stone Age methods of extracting animal teeth for jewelry. Illustration

Ancient clay beads found in northern Israel rewrite timeline of cultural expression in the region

Researchers identified 19 different types of beads, whose shapes are reminiscent of plants that were harvested by Natufians, and were vital to their lives, such as wild barley, lentils, and peas. 

A butterfly clay bead from the Final Natufian period in Eynan-Mallaha, Hula Valley, colored red with ochre and marked with the fingerprints of an approximately 10-year-old child, March 18, 2026.

Ancient Egyptian scribes used 'Wite-Out' correction liquid to fix mistakes in sacred texts

While preparing a papyrus for the museum’s upcoming “Made in Ancient Egypt” exhibit, conservators noticed a thick white pigment lining the body of a jackal illustrated in one of the scenes. 

Scene from Ramose's Book of the Dead showing an illustration of a jackal corrected with "Wite-Out," March 18, 2026.

'Fat factories': Neanderthals orchestrated massive elephant kills 125,000 years ago

New findings show that they systematically managed resources and reveal what they hunted, something even scientists did not expect.

 World's oldest Neanderthal fingerprint found on 43,000-year-old pebble in Spain. Illustration.

Hiker finds 3,000-year-old bronze bull head on Mallorca trail

Authorities say the artifact dates to the late Bronze Age and has been handed to the regional heritage department.

A miniature bull's head.

'Wealthy religous center': Mosaics, ancient Byzantine church discovered at Nitzana National Park

Dated to the Byzantine and Early Islamic periods (fifth to seventh century CE), the church is the sixth to be discovered at the site.

THE SITE of a 1,400 year old church at Nitzana National Park.

Archaeologists uncover traces of a lost medieval city deep in Polish forest

Researchers trace Stolzenberg’s origins to the 14th or 15th centuries on the historically disputed border between Pomerania and Neumark.

Medieval town found in Polish forest.

Lesson learned: First inscribed Hellenistic sling bullet found in Golan Heights' ancient Hippos

The sling bullet found in 2025 at Hippos is the first inscribed bullet to be discovered at the site in 26 years of excavations.

Sling bullet found in near the ancient city of Hippos in the Golan Heights bearing the Greek inscription “Learn,” March 16, 2026.