![A scene from the La Brea Tar Pits with models of Ice Age animals. A scene from the La Brea Tar Pits with models of Ice Age animals.](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_1097,h_617,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/MD-20140623-539-f6aaab78366bfd79182982bed0ff1d28.jpg)
![Megan Gannon Megan Gannon](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_180,ar_1:1,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/Avatar-d5ddc498268c4a105f3ef28957ca4de4.png)
Megan Gannon
Joined: Sep 25, 2015
![A scene from the La Brea Tar Pits with models of Ice Age animals. A scene from the La Brea Tar Pits with models of Ice Age animals.](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_1097,h_617,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/MD-20140623-539-f6aaab78366bfd79182982bed0ff1d28.jpg)
![Foot pain and sprained ankles are just a few of the common problems affecting our ill-adapted feet. Foot pain and sprained ankles are just a few of the common problems affecting our ill-adapted feet.](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_756,h_425,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/voltaxMediaLibrary/mmsport/mentalfloss/01jatfz10gh8r9sm2yna.jpg)
6 Downsides of Human Evolution
![We invented jewelry (such as this ancient Egyptian beaded necklace) before we invented the wheel. We invented jewelry (such as this ancient Egyptian beaded necklace) before we invented the wheel.](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_4445,h_2500,x_0,y_649/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/GettyImages/mmsport/mentalfloss/01hwdbxcgk1w4nc937gj.jpg)
11 Inventions That Came Before the Wheel
![Graffiti of gladiators from Pompeii at the Naples National Archaeological Museum Graffiti of gladiators from Pompeii at the Naples National Archaeological Museum](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/541713-flickr-primary-51bcc2819f2008054cf5ac5bb69f819d.jpg)
7 Entertaining Examples of Ancient Graffiti
This May Be the Oldest Tattoo Kit in the World
It was unearthed more than 30 years ago, but archaeologists have only just realized what it is.
Archaeologists Are Recreating Recipes from 17th-Century Ships
They want to learn what happens to salted beef and beer at sea—and more about the grub's nutritional value.
Rainy Season in the Andes Reveals the Oldest Known Copper Death Mask
Its discovery complicates the long-standing idea that metalworking began on the continent in Peru.
Archaeologists Find 30,000-Year-Old Jewelry in Indonesia
They were found in a cave on the island of Sulawesi.
Portugal’s Oldest Skull Adds to Puzzle of Human Evolution
It's about 400,000 years old.
Antibiotics, Pain Meds, and a Vegetarian Diet Found in Neanderthal Teeth
Dental plaque traps bits of food, bacteria, and pathogens. That might be bad news for you, but it’s good news for archaeologists.
Unusual 100,000-Year-Old Human Skulls Found in China
The finds bolster the idea that the precursors to modern humans were a diverse bunch who routinely interbred with one another.
Surprising Viking Boat Burial Found in Scotland
Such ships have previously been unearthed across Scandinavia, but recently, archaeologists report the first discovery of a rich Viking boat burial on the UK mainland.
Is This America’s Oldest Condom?
“In terms of its dimensions, it’s clearly the right shape and everything,” Sara Rivers-Cofield told mental_floss.
9 Archaeological Sites of Biblical Importance
Archaeology might raise more questions about the bible than it answers, but that doesn’t stop millions of religious tourists from flocking to the Holy Land every year to walk in the footsteps of figures like Jesus and Moses.
Scientists Reveal the Secrets of the Capuchin Catacomb Mummies
The crypt has long been a religious site and morbid tourist attraction. But only recently has it also become a place for serious science.
15 Hirsute Alternatives to Bigfoot
Get your yowies, agogwes, yetis, and mogollons right here.