STONES, BONES, AND WRECKS

The online database covers nearly all the fossils discovered in New Zealand.

New Zealand Is the First Country to Open Its Fossil Database to the Public

New Zealand’s open-access fossil database makes it easier for scientists to collaborate.

A Neanderthal skull against a backdrop of the German valley where the first specimens of the human ancestor were found.

‘Thal Order: 11 Things You Might Not Know About Neanderthals

Often dismissed as “primitive,” our extinct relatives were surprisingly thoughtful. Some were also cannibals.

A replica of the Laetoli footprints discovered in Laetoli, Tanzania; The original footprints were dated to 3.6 million years ago.

9 Fascinating Discoveries that Changed Our Understanding of Human Evolution

Scientists have uncovered ancient fossils, prehistoric artwork, and other clues to human evolution. Here are nine of the most revealing discoveries that have changed our understanding of our early ancestors—and ourselves.

An artist’s rendering of what Lucy may have looked like in life.

On the Origin of Lucy: How One Extraordinary Fossil Helped Alter Our View of Human Evolution

Lucy walked on her own two feet. Scientists weren’t expecting that.

Tollund Man—a bog body at the Silkeborg Museum in Denmark

8 Kinds of Mummies That Aren’t From Ancient Egypt

China, Chile, and New Zealand are a few places that have historic mummies of their own.

Divers have said that the RMS ‘Rhone’ is haunted.

The Legends Behind 6 Haunted Shipwrecks

Whether real wrecks or ghostly sightings, these ships bear stories of unexplained deaths, flying orbs, and screams from the depths of the sea.

Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site in Illinois.

11 Ancient Native American Earthworks You Can Visit

Hundreds—even thousands—of years ago, Native American peoples built complex and mysterious earthworks. Here are 11 you can visit for a glimpse into prehistory.

New 3D Scans Show the ‘Endurance’ Shipwreck in Stunning Detail

The footage is from a new ‘Endurance’ documentary hitting Disney+ later this year.

The knight’s tombstone rediscovered at Jamestown.

Jamestown’s Mysterious Black Tombstone Originated in Belgium, Archaeologists Say

Scientists examined microscopic fossils in the tombstone and suggest the jet-black slab with an English knight’s insignia could have come only from one place.

A Los Angeles high school turned out to be a hotbed for fossils.

Millions of Marine Fossils Discovered Beneath Los Angeles High School

Millions of fossils, from shells to the largest known shark species, were unearthed beneath San Pedro High School.

Notre-Dame has been the site of a mystery.

Mysterious ‘Horseman’ Found in a Lead Coffin Beneath Notre-Dame May Have Just Been Identified

The 2019 fire at the cathedral brought a mystery to the surface: a lead coffin containing an unknown skeleton.

‘Le Lyonnais’ (not pictured above) has been discovered after nearly 200 years.

‘Le Lyonnais,' a Long-Lost French Steamship, Has Been Discovered Off the Massachusetts Coast

The French vessel was the victim of a maritime hit and run.

The newly-discovered diamond weighs about a pound.

World’s Second-Largest Diamond Uncovered in Botswana

The impressive gemstone comes in at 2492 carats.

A portrait of the scientists who found and examined the Piltdown Man skull (accompanied by a picture of Charles Darwin on the wall).

10 Famous Archaeological Hoaxes

From forged artworks to fake mummies and even fraudulent orangutan bones, archaeological hoaxes fool scientists and stir the public’s imagination—until the culprits are forced to come clean.

A replica of Paleolithic cave drawings of deer, horses, and aurochs, dating to 15,000 BCE, from Lascaux cave in France.

7 Misconceptions About the Stone Age

The Stone Age timeline encompasses a huge chunk of prehistory—and life wasn’t only about hunting and gathering.

The ruins of the Maya settlement Palenque in Mexico.

5 Civilizations Destroyed by Climate Change

The changing climate did not bode well for Khmer Empire, the Maya Civilization, and more ancient cultures.

Tollund Man on display at the Silkeborg Museum, Denmark.

A Brief History of Bog Bodies

The bodies of Iron Age Europeans are so well preserved in peat bogs that they’re sometimes mistaken for modern murder victims.

This $45 Million Stegosaurus Is Now the Most Expensive Fossil Ever Sold at Auction

"Apex" is among the most complete Stegosaurus specimens ever discovered.

A portion of the preserved Maya village Joya de Ceren (“Jewel of Ceren”) under a protective roof.

The “New World Pompeii”: 10 Fascinating Facts about the Maya Village of Joya de Ceren

Buried by a volcanic eruption 1400 years ago, well-preserved remains of the Maya village in modern-day El Salvador have earned a provocative nickname: The Pompeii of the New World.

Pyramids of Giza, Egypt, at sunset, c26th century BC.

Egypt’s Giza Pyramids Might Have Been Built Next To A Now-Vanished River

A recent study claims that the pyramids of Giza were constructed alongside an almost 40-mile long artery of the Nile river that no longer exists today.

The mystery of the ‘Mary Celeste’ has confounded historians for more 150 years.

The Unsolved Mystery of the ‘Mary Celeste’

What really happened to the crew of the ‘Mary Celeste’? Delve into the theories and speculation surrounding this enduring maritime mystery.

Recreated Viking sod houses behind a wooden fence at L'Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland, Canada.

10 Facts About L’Anse aux Meadows, North America’s Only Viking Ruins

Discover the mysteries of L’Anse aux Meadows, the only confirmed Viking settlement in North America.

The massive megafauna of the Ice Age / Getty / VICTOR HABBICK VISIONS/SPL

Misconceptions About the Ice Age

In this episode of Misconceptions, host Justin Dodd thaws out a few myths about the ice age, from the idea that Earth was once frozen solid to what actually caused the mammoths’ extinction.

The Iceman Baldeth: New Genome Analysis Shows Ötzi Had Surprising Ancestry—and Male-Pattern Baldness

Ötzi the Iceman may have gone bald in middle age—but hey, at least he had tattoos.