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Top image: Colony of microbes, representational image. Source: iarhei / Adobe Stock

What Could Go Wrong?! 48,500-Year-Old Siberian Virus is Revived

The world’s oldest known frozen and dormant virus has been revived in a French laboratory leading many to express concerns about the dangers of bringing to life ancient microbes. The virus was...
Remains of healthy snacks have been found at the Colosseum, Rome. Source: Amith/Adobe Stock

Romans Snacked on Nuts and Melons While Enjoying Colosseum Bloodbath

Over the last year archaeologists excavating the Colosseum in Rome have unearthed animal bones and coins. Now, they’ve discovered “snacks” that were consumed by the bloodthirsty spectators. Dating...
The discovery of a cache of Aztec ritual offerings, including the remains of a Mexican wolf dressed as a warrior (seen here), has lead experts to believe they may have found the tomb of an Aztec king. Source: Mirsa Islas / INAH

Sacrificed Animals Dressed as Warriors Point to Tomb of Aztec King

Researchers conducting excavations in Mexico City found a series of boxes containing Aztec treasures. Inside they discovered a cache of Aztec ritual offerings, including child remains, precious...
King Henry VI and Margaret of Anjou in an illuminated miniature. Source: Public domain

Henry VI Needed a Helping Hand to Bed His Wife Margaret of Anjou

In her book The Shadow King: The Life and Death of Henry VI , historian Lauren Johnson claimed that the prudish 15th century king of England needed a helping hand to do the deed when it came to...
The encrypted letter from Charles V. Painting of Charles V by Juan Pantoja de la Cruz. Photo of Mummified corpse of Charles V. Source: Bibliotheque Stanislas de Nancy; Public Domain; CC BY 4.0

Encrypted Letter of Charles V Reveals A Rumored Assassination Attempt

Holy Roman Emperor and King of Spain, Charles V, was one of the 16th century’s most powerful people, but certainly not well liked. A rumored French plot to assassinate the erstwhile emperor has been...
There are two holy wells dedicated to St. Brigid in Kildare. The cloths tied to the trees are “clooties” and are imbued with prayers for healing (Image: Courtesy Elyn Aviva)

Walking In Ireland’s Brigid’s Way, Pagan Goddess Or Saint

It is impossible to separate myth and fact, truth from fiction, but there are some things that can be said about Ireland’s Brigid with assurance—and one of these is that her importance has grown...
Celtic gold coins stolen during museum heist in Germany from the Celtic Museum in Manching. Source: Alex / CC BY-SA 2.0

Disastrous German Museum Heist Scoops Gold Coins Worth Millions

In a museum heist that seems lifted straight from a movie screen, thieves made off with a collection of ancient Celtic gold coins from the Celtic and Roman Museum in the town of Manching in Bavaria...
Sonar imagery of the shipwreck discovered in Lake Mjøsa suggests it has a distinct bow and stern with a central rudder, which would make it a medieval boat dating to some time after the 1300s. Source: FFI / NTNU

Sonar Spots Up To 700-Year-Old Shipwreck Deep in Norwegian Lake

Marine archaeologists from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) have discovered the sunken remains of what looks like a medieval-era shipwreck 1,350 feet (410 m) below the...
Swiss archaeologist Sâm Ghavami with his team of students at the Peruvian Huaca Pintada in northern Peru. Source: Sâm Ghavami

Lost Peruvian Huaca Pintada and its 1,000-Year-Old Mural Rediscovered

The last time anyone saw this Peruvian Huaca Pintada was over a century ago. Now, a team of intrepid archaeology students and their professor have painstakingly rediscovered the lost 1,000-year-old...
Ivanka Trump and family enjoying the features of the Giza Plateau . Source: Ivanka Trump/Facebook)

Ivanka Trump’s Family Is Making Egypt Great Again

U.S.- Egyptian cultural ties are strengthened as Ivanka Trump’s family explores the crumbling pyramids, temples and tombs of the Nile River. This week brought news of “hundreds” of mummies dated from...
The controversial Sponsian coin. Source: The Hunterian / University of Glasgow

‘Fake’ Gold Coins Prove Roman Emperor Sponsian Was Real

For many years, a hoard of Roman coins uncovered in Transylvania in 1713 were thought to be forgeries, with the ancient coinage displaying the name of an apparently “lost” emperor known as Sponsian...
A golden mummy from Manchester Museum. Source: Allan Gluck / CC BY-SA 4.0

Mummification Had Nothing to Do With Preservation, Claims Exhibit

For over a century archaeologists and teachers have taught students that ancient Egyptians mummified corpses to “preserve” their bodies. Now, a disruptive new museum exhibit in the UK is set to...
Neanderthal or Homo Sapiens family cooking animal meat over a fire.	Source: Gorodenkoff/Adobe Stock

Prehistoric Neanderthal and Human Chefs Cooked Up Tasty Dishes

Neanderthals and ancient humans consumed a surprisingly complex diet writes a study in Antiquity . Their cooks conceived and prepared multi-ingredient recipes that included a shockingly diverse...
Mexican woman Abigail Villalobos trespassing on the sacred Kukulcán pyramid at Chichen Itza, Mexico. Source: Twitter

Attention-Seeker Treks Over Forbidden Mexican Pyramid

A Mexican woman who climbed up an ancient Maya pyramid was immediately fined by authorities. However, enraged visitors threw water and pulled the hair of the so-called “Lady Chichen Itza”. This story...
Astrolabe tile fragments recovered at Lambsar castle. Source: ILNA / Tehran Times

Astrolabe Tile Fragments Recovered from the Lambsar Castle of the Hashshasins

Lambsar Castle, representing the gargantuan castle in the popular ‘Assassin’s Creed’ franchise, has yielded stunning astrolabe tile fragments during excavations. Located in the Central Alburz...
Mural of Turkic cavalry, Beshbalik (10th Century)(CC0)

The 751 AD Battle Of Talas Deciding The Fate Of Medieval Central Asia

In the eighth century, as Charlemagne forged his European empire, and the Vikings emerged from the bowels of Scandinavia as the most fearsome raiders of their time, fierce battles raged...
Aerial image of the Pyramid of the Moon at Teotihuacan in Mexico. Source: Wirestock Creators / Adobe Stock; Khanh / Adobe Stock; N. Sugiyama / Project Plaza of the Columns Complex

Diplomacy by Spider Monkey? Maya Peace Offering Found at Teotihuacan

A spider monkey sacrificed to the gods in the great Mesoamerican city-state of Teotihuacan in 300 AD may have originally been a gift of friendship from their rivals the Maya. At least this is what a...
Two of the creepily preserved Venzone mummies. With normal decomposition, teeth tend to fall out several weeks after death. Source: Left; Joadl / CC BY SA 3.0 Right; Joadl / CC BY SA 3.0

What Caused the Natural Mummification of the Mummies of Venzone?

Italy is famous for many things, but did you know it’s also famous for mummies? The Venzone mummies are a collection of over forty mummies found in Venzone, Italy in the 17th century. Although these...
Metal detectorists have unearthed a hoard of medieval coins, like this Edward I penny. Source: Public domain

Scottish Detectorists Swoop Over 8,000 Medieval Coins

Metal detectorists in Scotland have unearthed thousands of 13th and 14th century coins. Dubbed the Dunscore hoard, this amazing find is the largest hoard of medieval coins to have been discovered in...
The extensive Roman road network has contributed to 2,000 years of economic prosperity for cities and towns that maintained them, according to a recent study. Source: Sean Gladwell / Adobe Stock

Study Reveals Lasting Prosperity Along the Roman Road Network

Some 2,000 years after the Romans established their extensive road network, regions lying along it remain the most affluent, a recent study has found. The Roman road network links contributed to...
Left: front view of the Helmet of Coțofenești Right: Side view of the mythological creatures on the helmet.      Source: Left: National Museum of Romanian History, GFDL Right: © Radu Oltean / Wikimedia Commons

Demystifying the Famous, Fierce, Golden Helmet of Coțofenești

In 1929, a small child discovered an intricate golden helmet in the Poiana Coțofenești village of Romania. Archaeologists determined that it was a stray find from a group of Thracian tribes that...
Ulysses (Odysseus) and the Sirens of Greek mythology in a painting dating to circa 1909 by Herbert James Draper. Source: Public domain

Seductive Sirens of Greek Mythology and How Heroes Resisted Them

Sirens are a type of creature found in ancient Greek mythology. Commonly described as beautiful but dangerous creatures , the sirens are remembered for seducing sailors with their sweet voices, and,...
Lady Brook’s medieval gold ring, up for auction at Noonans Mayfair. Source: Noonans

Metal Detected Medieval ‘Love Ring’ Might Fetch Over $40K

An English metal detectorist has unearthed a medieval “love ring” made of gold and diamonds. With its noble heritage known, this rare golden artifact has been valued at a show-stopping $40,000...
Irish castle Source: Christie’s International Real Estate

10,000 Years of History Up for Sale: Fancy Your Own Irish Castle?

Southern Ireland is peppered with hundreds of historic stone castles from different time periods. While most are crumbling into the sea, Blackwater Castle has been maintained continuously for over...

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