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After hosting months of events at Rice University, the Houston mudhif will be relocated to a permanent home at the end of the year.
ancient

Ordering Off a 5,000-Year-Old Mesopotamian Menu

A community effort brings ancient flavors to modern Texas.
Andrew Coletti November 3, 2023
Te Matua Ngahere—"Father of the Forest"—a giant kauri tree growing in the Waipoua Forest of New Zealand, is the second-largest of its kind.
volcanoes

Wonder Is Everywhere: The World’s Oldest Trees, the Heaviest Ball of Twine, and More From Around the Web

Get a peek into what we’re obsessed with right now.
April White October 27, 2023
Arikamedu
Veerampattinam, India

Arikamedu

The best-preserved Roman site in India.
Kasori Shell Mounds
Chiba, Japan

Kasori Shell Mounds

This prehistoric site is home to the largest shell midden cluster in Japan.
Ibros, Spain

Cyclopean Wall of Ibros

Built thousands of years ago, this wall is still part of the urban layout of this village.
Kayseri, Turkey

Asur Ticaret Tableti

A giant replica of an Assyrian cuneiform tablet stands in the middle of a busy intersection near the city center of Kayseri.
Lennel, Scotland

Lennel Kirk

This Norman church survived the Reformation before suffering 300 years of neglect.
San Rafael, Mexico

Nahualac Pond

A shrine in the middle of this pond represents a Mesoamerican creation myth.
By the New Kingdom (1550-1069 BC), both royals and non-royals were buried with dozens of figurines known as shabti, which would serve them in the afterlife.
ancient

In Ancient Egypt, Human Sacrifice and Shabti Figures Ensured an Afterlife of Servitude

Clay figurines and murdered retainers provided plenty of company—and a workforce—for the dead.
Nicky Nielsen October 17, 2023
Ovelgönne Bread Roll
Hamburg, Germany

Ovelgönne Bread Roll

Dating back to the Pre-Roman Iron Age, this piece of bread is Europe's oldest surviving formed bakery product.
London, England

Nimrud Lens

Despite the name, this ancient piece of crystal may not have been a lens at all.
Eguílaz, Spain

Dolmen of Aitzkomendi

A stone structure built thousands of years ago on the Iberian peninsula.
Hell Gate, as seen from over Queens, connects New York Harbor to Long Island Sound, resulting in chaotic currents.
ships

Is There Sunken Treasure Beneath the Treacherous Currents of Hell Gate?

In the heart of New York City, a centuries-long hunt for Revolutionary War–Era gold.
Joaquim Salles September 27, 2023
In late June, weeks after the catastrophic destruction of Ukraine's Kakhovka Dam, lowered water levels upriver revealed this ancient boat.
ships

The Kakhovka Dam Disaster Revealed an Archaeological 'Goldmine'

Destruction of the Ukrainian dam unleashed a catastrophic flood—and surfaced centuries of cultural heritage. Now there's a call not to rebuild it.
Roman Cherevko September 26, 2023
Arrizala, Spain

Dolmen of Sorginetxe

An ancient stone structure that, according to legend, was built by witches.
murder

The Batavia's Tale of Mutiny and Murder Gets a New Chapter

Archaeologists have unearthed new details of the 400-year-old bloodshed on a remote Australian island.
Chris Baraniuk September 25, 2023
Takasaki, Japan

Yamanoue Stele and Tumulus

The oldest surviving stele in Japan is a personal dedication from a monk to his late mother.
Atlatls use leverage to launch spears faster and farther than hand-thrown javelins.
ancient

How Ancient Dart Launchers Changed the Game for Early Female Hunters

A female archaeologist is challenging the idea of men as hunters and women as gatherers, one throw at a time.
Roxanne Hoorn September 5, 2023