Archaeology

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.” 

A European pond turtle next to the foot of a European straight-tusked elephant, April 16, 2026; illustrative.
Margery Brews "Letter to a Lover," April 16, 2026.

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

Illustration: The skull of an asian elephant.

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

One of the sarcophagi found during archaeological excavations in the tomb of Seneb, April 15, 2026.

Over 20 sarcophagi belonging to ‘Chanters of Amun’ discovered during excavations near Luxor


Native American use of dice, probability predates known Old World dice by millenia - study

In total, archaeologist Robert Madden observed 659 sets of Native American dice from 57 archaeological sites across 12 different states. 

A series of Native American dice discovered at archaeological sites in the western US, April 9, 2026.

Neanderthals who lived in Siberian cave millenia apart were distant relatives, study finds

Further analysis of the genetic similarity showed that Neanderthals in the Altai region likely lived in groups of fewer than 50 people.

 World's oldest Neanderthal fingerprint found on 43,000-year-old pebble in Spain. Illustration.

Lost mosaic shows first visual depiction of women fighting beasts in Roman arenas - study

The mosaic, recovered in 1860s Reims, France and dated to the third century CE, shows about 35 different gladiatorial and hunting scenes, each surrounded by diamond or square-shaped decorations.

(a) Section of the mosaic showing the leopard and the woman. (b) Section of the mosaic showing the venator with the pole, the leopard, and the woman.

Scandinavia's largest prehistoric mound is not a tomb, but a memorial to a natural disaster - study

Archaeological excavations that have taken place at Raknehaugen, have all failed to discover evidence that would typically indicate a burial mound, such as a grave or human remains.

Excavations of Raknehaugen, Norway, in 1939.

Priceless Romanian artifacts recovered a year after being stolen from Dutch museum

The Dutch government last year paid 5.7 million euros to compensate Romania for the theft.

Golden Helmet of Cotofenesti and gold bracelets recovered after being stolen from a Dutch museum, April 3, 2026.

China's largest artifact made of meteorite iron found in Bronze Age ritual site - study

To date, a total of 13 meteoritic iron artifacts have been identified in China, with most found in the country’s north. 

(Illustrative) A massive 420 kg meteorite on display in Paris, France, November 5, 2025.

Iron Age hoard rewrites history of wagons in Britain, may have been part of royal memorial - study

The collection's careful arrangement is indicative of a “noisy, symbolic acts of deliberate destruction," showing that the Melsonby Hoard was not just a collection of abandoned valuables.

Excavation of the Melsonby Hoard in Yorkshire, England, April 1, 2026.

Evidence of lost baptismal rite stage uncovered in Byzantine era church near Kinneret - study

Additional discoveries made a the site included a bronze candelabrum and marble reliquary, both the largest of their kind to ever be found in Israel.

Ancient city of     Hippos looking east, with the cathedral’s location marked within the city, March 31, 2026.

Archaeologists unearth at least five Gaul skeletons buried sitting upright during Paris excavations

Burials such as these are unique, as only about 50 “seated skeletons” have been found across a dozen archaeological sites in Europe.

Gallic skeletons found by archaeologists during excavations of the former garden of the Cordeliers Convent in Paris, France, March 30, 2026.

Stone stele depicting Roman emperor, Egyptian gods found near Karnak temple site in Luxor

The stele was discovered during the three-year-long restoration efforts of a gateway from the time of Ramesses III in Karnak.

Stele depicting Roman Emperor Tiberius standing before the Theban triad of the ancient Egyptian gods found near the Karnak Temple Complex, March 30, 2026.