Archaeology
Ancient Maya city of Ucanal was contaminated with mercury, study reveals
Newly published research shows just how pervasive mercury—an essential element in the red cinnabar pigment favoured by the Maya—is at the site in Guatemala
US authorities return four artefacts from Ban Chiang archaeological site to Thailand
The items, which include a vessel and bracelet, had been gifted to a US soldier more than 50 years ago
‘An irreplaceable portal to the past’: English Heritage launches campaign to help preserve more than one million artefacts
Funds are sought to help experts store, care for, catalogue and undertake new research on the UK charity’s vast array of objects
Ancient throne room of powerful Moche woman discovered in Peru
The so-called “Hall of the Moche Imaginary” is one of two elaborately decorated spaces archaeologists recently uncovered at Pañamarca
Israeli archaeology bill raises fears of West Bank annexation
Experts warn that the bill, which expands the Israel Antiquities Authority’s jurisdiction, violates international law and could lead to sanctions against Israel
Turkey keeps ruins open after dark to combat heatwaves
Fierce summers are making visits to sites such as Ephesus hard to endure, so tourists can now see them in the evening. But is their popularity putting them in peril?
'Go, thou, and do likewise': a field guide to Britain’s stone circles delivers both scholarship and romance
An authoritative and engaging read for fans of the UK's mute monoliths—be they academic or sentimental
MFA Boston returns necklace that was likely looted from a tomb to Turkey
Investigations by both the museum's internal team and experts from Turkey's Ministry of Culture suggested the gold and carnelian artefact was exported illegally
Mysterious Stonehenge altar rock was transported 500 miles, finds study
Researchers have found that the six-tonne feature of the neolithic monument likely came from the Orcadian Basin in north-east Scotland, rather than Wales
Heavy rains cause partial collapse of ancient pyramid in Mexico
Authorities said that significant precipitation amid a severe drought had undermined the Purépecha structure at Ihuatzio
Oldest example of figurative art found in Indonesian cave
The picture depicting a wild pig and a trio of human figures dates from 51,000 years ago, according to researchers, and suggests that Europe was not the birthplace of cave art
Art of the Ice Age has a lot to teach us—it’s time the British Museum dedicated a gallery to it
The museum is only one of two institutions in the world to see Ice Age art as part of human cultural endeavour, but it needs a proper space to explain and explore this
New study of skeletons at Chichén Itzá rewrites history of ancient Maya child sacrifice
An international research team performed genetic testing on 64 children's skeletons, debunking some longstanding myths about Maya religious sacrifices
Artefacts discovered down well shed light on ancient Roman rituals
The objects, found within the Ostia Antica archaeological site in southern Italy, include burnt animal bones and a carved wooden chalice
New encyclopaedia makes Africa’s distant past relevant to today and tomorrow
Project aims to help seasoned researchers unlearn biases and the next generation of archaeologists to find inspiration
Possible Ancient Egyptian structure identified beside the Giza pyramids
The discovery of the L-shaped object was made in an ancient Egyptian elite cemetery beside the Great Pyramid of Khufu
18th-century glass bottles filled with cherries discovered at George Washington's Mount Vernon residence
Brandy, anyone?
Burned Maya royals' remains discovered in Guatemalan temple-pyramid
The discovery, at the ancient site of Ucanal, is believed to reflect a political regime change in the 8th or 9th century
Stunning frescoes revealed at Pompeii
Depicting scenes from Greek mythology, the works were discovered in the banqueting room of a large house in the ancient Roman city
Archaeologists in Brazil find petroglyphs alongside dinosaur tracks
No, this does not mean dinosaurs and humans lived there at the same time
Lost building discovered in Sicily’s ancient Valley of the Temples
Archaeologists working at a Unesco World Heritage site in Agrigento have revealed the remains of a previously unknown building
How the US’s Black cemeteries are being made visible once more
A cemetery hidden under a Florida air base is the latest African American burial site rediscovered following decades of erasure
How ancient cave art is rewriting Puerto Rican history
Recent study shows that humans inhabited and made art in the archipelago thousands of years earlier than previously thought
16 new archaeological sites identified in Brazil’s Tocantins state
Newly discovered rock art, including human and animal footprints, is thought to have been created 2,000 years ago
Archaeologists in Peru identified one of the oldest megalithic structures in the Americas
The 4,750-year-old circular stone plaza has been under analysis since 2018
Cave paintings in Patagonia discovered to be oldest rock art in South America
Radiocarbon dating by archaeologists has revealed that wall motifs in a cave in southern Argentina are over 8,000 years old
30 archaeological artefacts returned to Mexican authorities in Los Angeles ceremony
Objects ranging from the 1st century to the 15th century were handed over at the Mexican consulate in Los Angeles earlier this month
Roman funerary bed found in central London
Archaeologists are "blown away" by the levels of preservation of the finds at Holborn Viaduct, which also include five oak coffins, a decorated lamp, a glass vial, and jet and amber beads
Cambodian government takes over management of three Angkor archaeological sites from World Monuments Fund
The announcement coincides with the 35th anniversary of WMF's efforts at the archaeological park and a new phase of conservation at Phnom Bakheng
Why the ancient Amazonian cities recently discovered in Ecuador are so significant
The findings in the Upano Valley, researchers say, counter racist and dismissive attitudes about Amazonian heritage