ARCHAEOLOGY

Easter Island Statues Are Being Threatened By Nose-Picking Selfie-Seekers

The number of travelers to Rapa Nui has exploded in recent decades, and the island is feeling the pressure.

A Piece of Stonehenge, Missing for 60 Years, Was Just Returned to the Site

Three 3-foot stone cores were extracted from Stonehenge in the 1950s, and for 60 years, a former diamond-cutter held onto one of them.

Metal Detectorist Finds a Gold Hatpin That May Have Belonged to Edward IV

Talk about a lucky find. A woman was scanning a field with her metal detector when she discovered this accessory valued at about $13,000 to $19,550, according to auction estimates.

Stonehenge Builders Likely Descended From Immigrants, Genetic Analysis Says

There are many mysteries surrounding Stonehenge, but we thought we knew who built it. Now, a study suggests that the 5000-year-old structure was the work of Aegean immigrants and their decedents rather than native Britons.

Unraveling the History of Human Hair

Archaeologists and geneticists are looking at how human hair, and its countless hair types, evolved over millennia. Their research could shed light on the habits of our ancestors.

New Study Reveals Why Easter Island's Statues Are Positioned Along the Coast

One of the mysteries of Easter Island's moai statues is why islanders dragged them to the coast. Now, scientists think they may be markers for hidden water sources.

Laser Scans Detect Hidden Buildings and Tunnels Beneath Alcatraz Prison

The inmates at Alcatraz Prison had lived above a network of potential escape routes leftover from the island's days as a military fortification.

Scientists Solve an Ancient Stonehenge Mystery: Where the Massive Rocks Came From

Archaeologists aren't sure how ancient people moved the rocks used to make Stonehenge 4000 years ago. But now, part of the mystery has been solved.

32cnamart, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 4.0

A Private Island With Ancient Ruins Just Hit the Market in Ireland

Interested in buying your own private island? High Island in Ireland is currently for sale, and it's home to ruins dating back to the 7th century.

Pipe layer Jannick Vestergaard and engineer Henning Nøhr hold up the sword they found.

A (Still-Sharp) Medieval Sword Was Pulled from a Sewer in Denmark

Archaeologists think the sword's owner may have been defeated in battle during the power struggles and strife that marked the medieval era.

Machu Picchu Is Wheelchair-Accessible for the First Time Ever

People in wheelchairs can now travel to Machu Picchu in Peru without spending a fortune.

A stone circle like this one was recently shown to be a replica.

Historians Studying an ‘Ancient’ Scottish Stone Circle Learn It Was Built in the 1990s

Scientists' suspicions were outweighed by the excitement of finding another recumbent stone circle.

Karolina Kristensson, the Swedish National Maritime Museums

The Quest to Find—and Save—the World's Most Famous Shipwreck

In 1628, the 'Vasa' sank on its maiden voyage. For the next 300 years, it sat in a watery grave—until one man sparked a monumental effort to salvage it.

11 Facts About Robert the Bruce, King of Scots

Get to know the pony-riding, eel-eating, cave-dwelling rogue who became Scotland's most famous king.

People Have Been Dining on Caviar Since the Stone Age

The expensive delicacy has ancient origins.

Dozens of Cat Mummies, Plus 100 Cat Statues, Discovered in 4500-Year-Old Egyptian Tomb

Another nearby tomb remains sealed.

A. R. Coster, Topical Press Agency/Getty Images

Wreckage of a World War II Nazi 'Flying Bomb' Found in English Forest

It was shot down by a Polish pilot in 1944.

How Fossil Fuel Use Is Making Carbon Dating Less Accurate

It's deeply concerning to archaeologists and paleontologists who rely on the method.

Scientists Find Fossil of 150-Million-Year-Old Flesh-Eating Fish—Plus a Few of Its Prey

It has razor-sharp teeth like a piranha's.

Advanced CT Scans Reveal Blood Vessels and Skin Layers in a Mummy's Hand

Researchers can look at the inside of a mummy on the cellular level without ever slicing into it.

Dani Nadel, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY 3.0

Archaeologists Uncover World's Oldest Known Brewery in Israel

The beer probably didn't taste great.

Wellcome Images, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 4.0

Endeavour, Captain Cook's Lost Ship, Might Have Been Found—Solving a Centuries-Old Mystery

But only a full excavation will prove its identity for sure.

Ice Age Wolf Pup and Caribou Mummies Discovered in Yukon

Fur and all.

How Long Does Something Have to Be In the Ground Before It's Considered a Fossil?

It depends on who you ask.

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