ARCHAEOLOGY

The Staffordshire Hoard contains the one of the richest collections of Anglo-Saxon gold ever found.

20 Amazing Historical Discoveries in the Last 20 Years

Scientists and historians have made incredible finds—from the oldest human-made art to long-lost shipwrecks—in the 20 years since Mental Floss began.

The Great Sphinx with the Pyramids of Giza in the distance.

Visit the Pyramids of Giza Without Even Leaving Your Couch

The Great Pyramid, the Great Sphinx, and the rest of the Giza Plateau’s many wonders are a few clicks away.

Nicola White discovered this antique gold and sapphire ring while mudlarking on the River Thames.

Extreme Mudlarking: How London Fortune Hunters Unearth Thames Treasures

London's mudlarks hunt for treasures in the River Thames's tidal sands, finding everything from Roman pottery to human bones.

Beneath a parking lot, archeologists uncovered the ruins of a chapel in which Henry VIII prayed.

11 Things Found Buried Under Parking Lots

Sometimes deliberately, often unintentionally, countless artifacts have been buried—and then rediscovered—under parking lots.

Researchers Uncover 29 Graves at the Original Site of a Razed Black Cemetery in Clearwater, Florida

People have long believed that a 1954 cemetery relocation process in Clearwater, Florida, was incomplete. They were right.

Ruins of Industrial Brewery Unearthed in Ancient Egypt City

The massive brewery uncovered in the ancient Egyptian city of Abydos was capable of producing 5900 gallons of beer at a time.

This magnificent Iron Age cauldron is just one of many amazing items found in a bog.

11 Incredible Things Found in Bogs

Bogs have an almost magical power to preserve organic material. From butter to bodies, here are 11 of the most amazing things archaeologists have recovered from bogs.

Amateur Treasure Hunter Discovers Henry VIII’s Missing Crown Ornament

A gold figurine unearthed by a metal detectorist in England turned out to be the centerpiece of King Henry VIII's long-lost crown.

Game of Thrones’s Dire Wolves Existed—But a New Study Suggests They Weren’t Really Wolves

New research suggests that the real-life inspiration for Ghost from 'Game of Thrones' wasn’t a wolf species.

Early Victorian Bathhouse Unearthed Beneath Manchester Parking Lot

Construction of a new park in Mayfield, Manchester, uncovered a bathhouse used by factory workers 150 years ago.

Bird-Watcher in England Discovers a Hoard of 1st-Century Celtic Coins

Last September, an unnamed bird-watcher found a trove of 1300 Celtic gold coins dating back to the 1st century CE.

A portion of the skull wall at Huei Tzompantli.

Archaeologists Uncover a Wall Made of 119 Skulls at Mexico City’s Huei Tzompantli

Aztec peoples considered human sacrifice an integral, life-sustaining ritual, and the sacrificial skulls were prominently displayed.

A glamour shot of the mummy at the Argonne National Laboratory.

Researchers Used Advanced X-Rays to Reveal Secrets of an Ancient Egyptian Mummy—Without Unwrapping It

It’s far from the first time an ancient mummy has been scanned, but this technology isn’t any old X-ray.

National Trust, Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain

Archaeologists Discover the Jousting Yard Where Henry VIII Had His Historic Accident

Henry VIII nearly lost his life while jousting in 1536. Now, archaeologists have located the site of the history-making accident.

NTNU archaeologist Astrid Kviseth digs up a viking sword in Norway.

A Left-Handed Viking’s 1200-Year-Old Sword Discovered in Norway

Archaeolgists in Norway recently uncovered a sword buried on a Viking’s left side, indicating that the Viking likely wielded it with his left hand.

A gold-embossed religious text from the 15th century.

Rare 16th-Century Textiles and Manuscripts Pulled Out of Giant Rat Nests in English Manor House

“I see it, I like it, I want it, I got it.” —Ariana Grande and also the avaricious rats of Oxburgh Hall.

Researcher samples cave sediments for DNA.

Humans First Arrived in North America 30,000 Years Ago, New Studies Suggest

New archeological evidence pushes back the arrival of the first North Americans 15,000 years and suggests they occupied the Americas during the Last Glacial Maximum, 26,000 to 19,000 years ago.

Iron Age skeleton found buried face-down on Wellwick Farm in England.

Possible Iron Age Murder Victim’s Skeleton Discovered In England

During in excavation in Buckinghamshire, England, a skeleton was found lying face-down with its hands tied behind its back, indicating that it belonged to a possible murder victim.

For the First Time Ever, You Can Watch the Summer Solstice at Stonehenge via Livestream

After telling tourists to stay away from Stonehenge on the summer solstice, English Heritage has announced it will be livestreaming the event for the first time in the landmark's history.

A photo of the Pompeii ruins from November 2019.

Explore Two of Pompeii’s Excavated Homes in This Virtual Tour

Before the Mount Vesuvius eruption of 79 C.E., these homes in Pompeii featured gardens and impressive art collections.

9 Ancient Objects That Have Had DNA Tests

From fossilized feces to antediluvian rodent nests, ancient objects are getting their DNA analyzed for clues about the past.

Viktoria Hrekova, iStock via Getty Images

Treasure Hunters Unearth 22 Spanish Coins From 1715 Shipwreck on Florida Beach

Florida's Treasure Coast is filled with artifacts from an 18th-century shipwreck, as a group of friends demonstrated recently when they found 22 silver coins there.

Historian Liz Hallam Smith shows off the a-door-able opening in the wall of Westminster Hall.

Secret Doorway Discovered in London’s House of Commons

Earlier this week, England’s Parliament announced that a secret door had been discovered in the walls of Westminster Hall. Inside, historians found “graffiti” left in 1851 by a bricklayer who was “fond of Ould Ale.”

Drone image above the H.M.S. Erebus shipwreck.

More Than 350 Franklin Expedition Artifacts Retrieved from Shipwreck of HMS Erebus

A pair of epaulets, a pencil case, and a glass decanter were found at the Arctic shipwreck, which continues to reveal clues to the fate of the doomed 19th century expedition.

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