Chilean mummies reveal a lost lineage of smallpox
Centuries-old DNA that was found in these mummies belongs to an extinct viral lineage of smallpox that was brought across the Atlantic during European colonization of the Americas
Hundreds of never-before-seen ancient ‘earthworks’ discovered in the Amazon
Many of these structures date to around C.E. 100–300, during the time of the Aquiry civilization, and may have been used for ceremonial purposes
Tom Hiddleston on Pompeii, Mount Vesuvius and the human stories frozen in time
Actor Tom Hiddleston reflects on the first time he visited Pompeii as a teenager and explains why the ancient city’s preserved tragedy continues to shape his understanding of history and humanity
Ancient Egyptian princesses were ‘powerful’ weapon users, new analysis suggests
These findings challenge a long-held belief about weapons found in female burial sites
We finally know the name of an ancient Maya mathematician
The signature of Sak Tahn Waax, or “White-Chested Fox,” was found inscribed in a 1,000-year-old chamber beneath present-day Guatemala
Meet the 1,900-year-old latrine helping explain how Roman concrete grew stronger with age
An ancient sample shows calcite threading through this material’s cracks and pores, offering possible lessons for making modern concrete last longer
Wordle, but for art history—Anthropeum puts your artifact smarts to the test
Anthropeum is a daily game that uses the Met’s open-access data to showcase underrepresented art and artifacts
Ancient ‘hobbits’ feasted on Komodo dragons’ leftovers
The hominins may have gone on adventures, but they lacked key skills of modern humans
Ancient cave paintings can harbor human DNA for millennia, scientists find
The breakthrough could reveal previously hidden ancient human activity inside caves acting as “genetic archives”
Ancient Roman scrolls destroyed by Mount Vesuvius digitally unrolled in full for first time
This Silicon Valley–backed venture is unraveling the mangled remains of scrolls ruined by the C.E. 79 eruption of Vesuvius that destroyed Herculaneum and Pompeii
Ancient human ancestors may have first used fire 1.79 million years ago
A new method that detects whether bones have been burned reveals Homo erectus brought fires into caves far earlier than previous evidence had suggested
Ancient worshipers gathered at a ‘prototype’ Stonehenge to celebrate the solstices, new analysis reveals
These ruins, located just five kilometers from Stonehenge, likely laid the groundwork for religious rites celebrating the longest and shortest days of the year