1001 Items Tagged

Archaeology

The Archaeologists Who Unlocked Cold War Spy Photos of Israel

Their efforts convinced the U.S. to declassify CIA images from America's first satellite program.

Karen Chernick September 28, 2020

Kumbakonam, India

Airavatesvara Temple’s Optical Illusion

This temple contains what might be the world's oldest optical illusion.

Found: The Wreck of a Ship That Carried Enslaved Maya from Mexico to Cuba

This slave trade is well known to historians, but this is the first known wreck from it.

Matthew Taub September 23, 2020

How a King's Feast of Sturgeon Sank to the Bottom of the Baltic Sea

In 1495, a fire destroyed a stately ship and sank a big fish.

Isaac Schultz September 23, 2020

How Does an Archaeologist Keep Heritage Sites Safe From Wildfires?

It involves Twitter, maps, dozer lines, and luck.

Jessica Leigh Hester September 16, 2020

What Wildfire Archaeology Tells Us About the Burning American West

Archaeologists in New Mexico are studying past wildfires through tree rings and pottery sherds.

Atlas Obscura September 15, 2020

Found: A 1200-Year-Old Olive Oil Soap Factory in the Negev Desert

Excavations in Rahat also turned up ancient board games.

Claire Voon August 27, 2020

Recreate the Ancient Egyptian Recipes Painted on Tomb Walls

Make bread fit for a pharaoh and a sweet treat out of tiger nuts.

Jess Eng August 21, 2020

military history

The Death Site of John Laurens, Friend to Alexander Hamilton, Was a Mystery—Until Now

The 18th-century soldier, statesman, and abolitionist was also a character in the hit musical 'Hamilton.'

Isaac Schultz August 19, 2020

Found: A Miniature Incan Llama at the Bottom of Lake Titicaca

The centuries-old offering was nestled inside an underwater stone box.

Isaac Schultz August 12, 2020

The Ancient Greek Temples Home to Orchards, Vineyards, and Rare Bees

A UNESCO site that doubles as a working farm represents a shift in conservation.

Shaun Pett July 30, 2020

Temple of Minerva Medica

Believed to be the remains of the lost Temple of Minerva, this nymphaeum has been known by its misnomer to this day.

Subterranean Scans Reveal New Mysteries at an Ancient Irish 'Fort'

Navan Fort is perched on an Irish hilltop, but some of its history hides beneath the soil.

Isaac Schultz July 23, 2020

India's Ancient Sites Are Under Threat From Development

India is key to the story of early human migration. But its archaeological sites are rapidly disappearing.

Atlas Obscura July 20, 2020

The Roman Baths of Toledo

The fragmented remains of a massive public bath connected to the city's water supply.

Piè di Marmo (Marble Foot)

A massive marble foot is tucked away in a small alley near the Pantheon.

Archaeology Dogs Can Help Scholars Sniff Out the Past

With proper training, dogs can follow their noses to human and animal remains from bygone centuries.

Jill Neimark July 8, 2020

Sacello Ipogeico

The only visible remains of this ancient Greek underground temple is its roof protruding from the earth.