Scientists solve 1,500-year-old mystery of the first pandemic
For centuries, historians have debated what caused the Plague of Justinian, the world’s first recorded pandemic.
Now, for the first time, scientists have found direct...
Ancient rubbish heaps reveal the secret social life of bronze age Britons
Huge prehistoric rubbish heaps, known as middens, are giving archaeologists fresh insight into the feasting habits of communities living in Britain more than 3,000...
Was Jesus really wrapped in the Shroud of Turin? Medieval scholar said no
The Shroud of Turin, a centuries-old linen cloth believed by many to have wrapped the body of Jesus after his crucifixion, has long been...
Stonehenge stones may have been hauled by cows from Wales, study finds
A single cow tooth buried for nearly 5,000 years is offering remarkable new insight into the origins of Stonehenge and the lives of the...
Ancient Egyptian rock art reveals early kings’ divine power and brutality
Today, the desert around Wadi el Malik in southern Egypt appears empty and lifeless.
But carved into the rocky cliffs are hundreds of ancient images—silent...
Scientists discover earliest evidence of humans and Neanderthals interbreeding
For many years, scientists believed that Homo sapiens and Neanderthals were two separate human groups that only met and interbred much later in history.
But...
Viking silver hoard reveals trade routes from England to the Islamic world
A remarkable Viking treasure uncovered in North Yorkshire has revealed that Viking wealth stretched far beyond raiding monasteries and coastal towns.
New research shows that...
Meet our long-lost cousin: Scientists discover a new ancient human relative
An international team of scientists has made an extraordinary discovery in Ethiopia’s Ledi-Geraru region: new fossils that suggest early humans and another ancient relative,...
Half-billion-year-old trilobite legs show ancient ocean acrobatics
Over 500 million years ago, long before dinosaurs roamed the Earth, the oceans were home to trilobites—one of the planet’s earliest and most successful...
Scientists reveal stunning images of sunken warships from the Battle of Guadalcanal
An international team of scientists has completed one of the most detailed surveys ever of historic shipwrecks from World War II, revealing new details...