Archaeology News | Sci.News

The 800-year-old Arabic-inspired chess piece is richly decorated with circles. Image credit: Lars Haugesten, Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research.

Norwegian Archaeologists Find 800-Year-Old Arabic-Inspired Chess Piece

Jan 6, 2022 by News Staff

Archaeologists have found a richly decorated ‘knight’ chess piece at a medieval site in Tønsberg, the oldest city in Norway. The 800-year-old Arabic-inspired...

The five Viking longhouses found near the Gjellestad ship in Norway. Image credit: Lars Gustavsen, Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research / Arild L. Teigen, Viken fylkeskommune.

Archaeologists Find Five Viking Longhouses in Norway

Jan 4, 2022 by News Staff

Archaeologists using ground-penetrating radar have detected five longhouses in Østfold county, Norway. One of the ancient buildings is approximately 60...

The 800-year-old figurine found in the medieval town of Oslo, Norway. Image credit: Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research.

Archaeologists Find 800-Year-Old Figurine of Falconer in Norway

Jan 3, 2022 by News Staff

Archaeologists excavating the medieval town of Oslo in Norway have unearthed a finely carved figurine of a king or a queen with a falcon perched on his/her...

Curtin et al. provide unequivocal evidence for human arrival and livestock disturbance in the Faroe Islands centuries before Viking settlement in the 9th century CE. Image credit: T.H. Jensen.

Faroe Islands Were Settled Before Vikings Arrived, New Research Shows

Dec 30, 2021 by News Staff

The Faroe Islands, a North Atlantic archipelago between Norway and Iceland, were settled by Viking explorers in the mid-9th century CE. However, several...

Surface of a section of undisturbed block of sediment from Denisova Cave. Image credit: Mike Morley / Flinders University.

Scientists Find Ancient Hominin and Animal DNA in Cave Sediments

Dec 28, 2021 by News Staff

A research team led by Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology and Flinders University scientists has successfully extracted ancient DNA from...

An underwater archaeologist holds a gold ring with a green gemstone. Image credit: Yaniv Berman, Israel Antiquities Authority.

Spectacular Artifacts Found in Two Ancient Shipwrecks

Dec 23, 2021 by News Staff

Archaeologists from the Marine Archaeology Unit of the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) have discovered hundreds of silver and bronze coins, silver and...

El Sidron Neanderthals taste wild mushrooms, pine nuts and forest moss. Image credit: Abel Grau, CSIC Communication.

Study: Neanderthals Transformed Landscapes 125,000 Years Ago

Dec 21, 2021 by News Staff

According to an analysis of paleoenvironmental and archaeological data from the 125,000-year-old Neanderthal site of Neumark-Nord in Germany, our closest...

Dr. Dina Avshalom-Gorni and Dr. Yehuda Guvrin in the 2,000-year-old synagogue unearthed in Magdala, Israel, in 2021. Image credit: University of Haifa / Yoli Schwartz, Israel Antiquities Authority.

Israeli Archaeologists Unearth 2,000-Year-Old Synagogue

Dec 16, 2021 by News Staff

An ancient synagogue, dating back about 2,000 years (Second Temple period), has been unearthed by a team of archaeologists digging at the site of Magdala,...

The 2,400-year-old tea residue from a bowl found in the ancient capital of the Zhu Kingdom in Zoucheng, Shandong province, China. Image credit: Jiang et al., doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-95393-w.

2,400-Year-Old Tea Residue Found in China

Dec 13, 2021 by Enrico de Lazaro

Archaeologists have found the ancient charred remains of tea in a bowl from a Warring State period tomb in the ancient capital city site of the Zhu Kingdom,...

The megalithic stele monument at the archeological site of Sakaro Sodo in Gedeo zone, Ethiopia. Image credit: Andrew Duff.

Ethiopian Megalithic Stelae Much Older than Previously Thought

Dec 13, 2021 by News Staff

An international team of researchers has conducted an archaeological survey and test excavation at Sakaro Sodo, one of the ancient megalithic stele sites...

Left: Assyrian infantry archer in scale armor depicted in a relief from the south west palace of Sennacherib (reigned 704-681 BCE) in Nineveh. Right: Assyrian cavalry archer in scale armor depicted in a relief from the palace of Assurbanipal (reigned 669-631 BCE) in Nineveh. Image credit: Trustees of the British Museum.

Archaeologists Find 2,700-Year-Old Assyrian-Style Leather Armor in China

Dec 9, 2021 by News Staff

The ancient leather armor, datable to 786-543 BCE, was originally made of about 5,444 smaller scales and 140 larger scales, which, together with leather...

The 2,000-year-old silver shekel. Image credit: Israel Antiquities Authority.

Rare 2,000-Year-Old Coin Found in Israel

Dec 7, 2021 by News Staff

Liel Krutokop, an 11-year-old girl from Petah Tikva, has found a silver shekel from the Second Temple period on the ‘Pilgrimage Road’ in the City of...

Dorsal views of the 41,500-year-old decorated ivory pendant from Stajnia Cave, Poland. Image credit: Antonino Vazzana / BRAVHO Lab, Bologna University.

41,500-Year-Old Mammoth Ivory Pendant Found in Poland

Nov 26, 2021 by News Staff

The 41,500-year-old oval-shaped pendant from Stajnia Cave in Poland is the oldest decorated jewelry found in Eurasia. Dorsal views of the 41,500-year-old...

The Rutland mosaic. Image credit: Historic England Archive.

Ancient Roman Villa with Magnificent Mosaic Unearthed in UK

Nov 25, 2021 by News Staff

The 1,700-year-old mosaic — part of the ruins of the ancient Roman villa complex in Rutland, England — is the first example in the UK displaying...

The 2,100-year-old Hellenistic fortress in Israel. Image credit: Emil Aljem, Israel Antiquities Authority.

Israeli Archaeologists Unearth 2,100-Year-Old Fortress

Nov 22, 2021 by News Staff

Archaeologists from the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) have unearthed a Hellenistic fortified structure as well as weapons, burnt wooden beams and...

Regional map showing extent of LiDAR survey and location of Classic period Maya capitals. Image credit: Golden et al., doi: 10.3390/rs13204109.

Some Ancient Maya Kingdoms Had Sustainable Agricultural Practices, High Food Yields

Nov 17, 2021 by News Staff

Using the high-resolution airborne LiDAR data, archaeologists have found extensive systems of sophisticated irrigation and terracing in and outside the...

The West Norfolk hoard contains 131 gold coins and four other gold objects from the Anglo-Saxon period. Image credit: British Museum.

Large Hoard of 1,400-Year-Old Gold Coins Unearthed in England

Nov 16, 2021 by News Staff

The West Norfolk hoard, discovered by an anonymous metal detectorist, contains a total of 131 gold coins, most of which are Frankish tremisse. The West...

Tang Dynasty mural commemorating the victory of General Zhang Yichao over the Tibetans in 848 CE, from Mogao cave 156.

Volcanic Eruptions Contributed to Repeated Collapse of Ancient Chinese Dynasties, Says New Study

Nov 12, 2021 by News Staff

One or more volcanic eruptions preceded the majority (62 of 68) of dynastic collapses in China over the past 2,000 years, according to new research led...

Upper faces of the engraved chalk plaques from the Stonehenge region. Image credit: Davis et al., doi: 10.1017/ppr.2021.13.

5,000-Year-Old Engraved Chalk Plaques Found in Stonehenge Region

Nov 10, 2021 by News Staff

A team of experts from Wessex Archaeology has analyzed four ancient chalk plaques from the Stonehenge region in southern England. Their results place the...