Archaeology

Evidence of human sacrifice, inbreeding found at ancient Korean burial complex - study

Additionally, researchers found genetic confirmation that entire families had been sacrificed together as part of sunjang, the ritualistic sacrifice of servants to be buried alongside their superiors

|ByMIRIAM SELA-EITAM
The women's Hanbok in 5th-century Goguryeo murals, rooted in the attire of northern nomadic peoples, features a separate top and bottom, with an A-line skirt worn over pants.
A European pond turtle next to the foot of a European straight-tusked elephant, April 16, 2026; illustrative.

Neanderthal children in central Europe may have hunted turtles for materials, not for food - study

The study also floated the possibility that the turtles had been hunted for “their taste or for an assumed medicinal value.” 

|ByMIRIAM SELA-EITAM
Margery Brews "Letter to a Lover," April 16, 2026.

MyHeritage's Scribe AI decodes world's oldest love letter, reveals 15th century familial tensions

Brews’ letter is part of the “Paston Letters” collection of correspondence between the Paston noble family and others iduring the 15th century, including state papers and other important documents.

|ByMIRIAM SELA-EITAM
Illustration: The skull of an asian elephant.

Early humans may have begun eating elephants, large animals 1.8 million years ago - study

The fat stored in Elephant bones, which is rich in essential nutrients, is thought to have played a role in supporting the growth of larger brains in the Homo erectus lineage.

|ByMIRIAM SELA-EITAM

Zapotec tomb from 600 CE marks Mexico’s most ‘significant archaeological discovery’ in last decade

The Zapotecs were a major pre-Hispanic civilization that flourished in Oaxaca from circa 700-500 BC until the Spanish conquest.

FEBRUARY 15, 2026ByMIRIAM SELA-EITAM
Owl carving above the entrance to a Zapotec tomb from 600 CE in the Oaxaca Valley, Mexico, February 14, 2026.

German archaeologists discover medieval tunnel system inside Neolithic burial site

Thousands of similar tunnel systems have been discovered across Europe and despite this, their purpose has been subject to decades of theory and debate. 

FEBRUARY 14, 2026ByMIRIAM SELA-EITAM
Erdstall discovered in late 2025 by the Saxony-Anhalt State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology (LDA) during excavations near Reinstedt in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, February 14, 2026.

'Nothing quite like it': UK Treasure Act names Roman carriage ornament Essex's first 'treasure'

According to the Act, archaeological finds can be given the status of Treasure if they are deemed to be of historical, archaeological, or cultural importance.

FEBRUARY 14, 2026ByMIRIAM SELA-EITAM
Rare Roman vehicle ornament depicting a panther with its paws atop a bearded man’s severed head discovered in Essex in 2024.

Stone seal from biblical Kingdom of Judea discovered during construction in northern Israel

The seal, which is made of a light brown gemstone, is thought by archaeologists to have been “hung like a necklace around its owner’s neck,” and decoratively divided into three. 

FEBRUARY 12, 2026ByMIRIAM SELA-EITAM
An 8th century stone seal believed to have belong to a high-ranking official of the biblical Kingdom of Judah. The inscription reads: “Belonging to Makhach (son of) Amihai." Picture released on February 12, 2026.

Archaeologists discover Anglo-Saxon child buried with shield, spear in medieval cemetery in Kent

Four medieval swords were also discovered during excavation.

FEBRUARY 10, 2026ByMIRIAM SELA-EITAM
Target practice for jousting: consisting of a cross-bar turning upon a pivot with a broad part to strike against. Illustration after a manuscript in the Bodleian Library at Oxford. An engraving from The Sports and Pastimes of the people of England, by Joseph Strutt, (London, 1833).

Researchers discover world’s oldest sewn hide, dated to Ice Age, in Oregon caves - study

Through carbon dating, researchers have ruled that the artifacts are between approximately 11,700 and 12,900 years old, a time when Ice Age temperatures had returned after a brief warm period.

FEBRUARY 10, 2026ByMIRIAM SELA-EITAM
Inside Sea Lion Caves, Oregon, February 10, 2026.

Authorities reveal discovery of fourth century Roman shipwreck off Italy’s southern coast

According to the ministry, the site has been under constant monitoring by Italy’s financial police to “protect the site from possible looting and to preserve its enormous scientific value.”

FEBRUARY 9, 2026ByMIRIAM SELA-EITAM
Divers carrying amphorae from the fourth century AD Roman shipwreck discovered off the coast of Gallipoli, southern Italy in June 2025.

Netherlands returns 3,500-year-old sculpture stolen from Egypt during Arab Spring

Egypt requested that the artifact be returned under the 1970 UNESCO Convention, which both it and the Netherlands are beholden to. 

FEBRUARY 8, 2026ByMIRIAM SELA-EITAM
Dutch Education, Culture and Science Gouke Moes and the Egyptian Ambassador to the Netherlands during the formal handover ceremony of the stolen scultpure at the Egyptian embassy in the Hague, February 8, 2026.

Residue from Roman vial reveals first evidence of ancient physicians' use of fecal medicine - study

The vial, also known as an unguentarium, is commonly believed to have held perfumes or cosmetic oils.

FEBRUARY 8, 2026ByMIRIAM SELA-EITAM
Unguentarium, 4th-5th century AD. Creator: Unknown.February 8, 2026.

Elephant bone found at Spanish archaeological site may have marched on Rome with Hannibal - study

The finding represents the first elephant skeletal remains found to possibly confirm Hannibal’s historical march from Carthage to Italy during the Second Punic War.

FEBRUARY 7, 2026ByMIRIAM SELA-EITAM
A member of staff of the Natural History Museum in Berne, Switzerland, checks the skeleton of an elephant on show at the museum's Skeleton Hall, September 16, 2005.