Ancient history

Egyptian researchers discover collection of ancient rock art spanning 10,000 years in Sinai desert

The engravings and drawings are divided into several groups, researchers learned in their initial study of the space, the oldest of which are done in red and dated to between 10,000 and 5,500 BCE.

Red pigment drawings discovered by Egyptian archaeologists on the Umm Arak Plateau in the southern Sinai, February 17, 2026.
 English archaeologist Howard Carter near the golden sarcophagus of Tutankhamun in the Valley of Kings, Egypt. Photo acquired on February 16, 2026.

On This Day: Howard Carter enters King Tut's burial chamber in Egypt's Valley of Kings

Unguentarium, 4th-5th century AD. Creator: Unknown.February 8, 2026.

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

 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.

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


2,000-year-old Roman brooch found by detectorist

The finds liaison officer confirmed the brooch's age, saying it dates from between 1,800 and 2,000 years ago and calling it 'an interesting item for Dorset' that is uncommon nationally.

A detectorist searching for relics. Illustration.

'The detector went crazy': Hoard found in Byzantine Christian center near Sea of Galilee

Dr. Michael Eisenberg said this is one of Israel’s main Byzantine treasures, unique for its mix of jewelry and gold coins from various emperors.

A Byzantine Christian center near Sea of Galilee.

Roman era 1,800-year-old stadium unearthed in Syedra ancient city in southern Turkey

Roughly forty inscriptions found around the city refer to wrestling, boxing and other contests, indicating the stadium’s use for sports, religious festivals and imperial celebrations.

Syedra is an ancient city near the Alanya district of Antalya province.

Sunken Ptolemaic harbor near Alexandria revives hunt for Cleopatra's lost tomb

“After 2,000 years, no one has ever been there. We are the first,” said archaeologist Kathleen Martinez, citing the harbor’s link to Taposiris Magna as a decisive clue.

Near Alexandria, archaeologists have discovered the remains of a sunken harbor.

Turkish dig shows how people used daily objects in mysterious 5,000-year-old ceremonies

Head archeologist says face-carved pottery from Konya Plain served ritual purposes rather than daily cooking or storage functions.

Illustration: the neolithic Site of Çatalhöyük in Konya.

Bacchus or theater mask? Rare 1,900-year-old Roman find in the Netherlands

Alongside an oil lamp were four ceramic plates, two jugs, a cup, a glass bowl and a bronze bowl, and archaeologists debate its meaning.

The lamp, after cleaning.

Scientists found a 3.5-meter dolphin fossil in a desert that was once an ancient ocean

The fossil, discovered in July, measures three and a half meters and will undergo exhaustive analysis before public display.

Whale fossils in the Ocucaje desert, Peru.

Why this small dinosaur from Mongolia is rewriting the story of dome-headed evolution

Dated to about 108 million years ago, the fossil preserves roughly 90 percent of the skeleton, including the first pachycephalosaur hand and stomach stones.

Artist illustration of Z. rinpoche.

A 3,000-year-old divination archive found in Turkey

Cuneiform tablets mentioning crown princes and kings provide new insights into how ancient empire used bird omens for state decisions.

Some of the tablets found.

Sparta and Athens: History's wartime lessons for a modern-day Israel - analysis

As Netanyahu evokes "super-Sparta," Israel may be repeating the mistakes that left both city-states devastated after decades of war.

Repulse of Pyrrhus from Sparta', 1890. Pyrrhus, in retreat at the Siege of Sparta, 272 BC from Spartans defending their city under command of Areus I. From "Cassell's Illustrated Universal History, Vol. I - Early and Greek History", by Edmund Ollier.