Archaeology

The Great Pyramids of Giza - Khufu's on the right and Cheops's on the left, Giza Plataeu, Egypt
Zahi Hawass told LiveScience that he believes the burial chamber of the pharaoh Khufu (also known as Cheops) is hidden, along with treasure, within his Great Pyramid. (Image credit: Shutterstock)

Archaeology is fundamentally the study of humanity and its past. Archaeologists study things that were created, used or changed by humans. They do this by studying the material remains, in other words, the stuff we leave behind.

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Ultraviolet photography revealed a hidden text containing part of the Gospel of Matthew written in Old Syriac.

UV light reveals hidden, never-before-seen version of the Gospel of Matthew on ancient parchment

By Owen Jarus published

Historians just found a hidden, ancient fragment of the Bible in the Vatican that no one has seen before.

A shard of pottery containing an ancient inscription.

Ancient inscription on jar found in Israel links kingdoms of Solomon and Sheba

By Jennifer Nalewicki published

A new study has deciphered a mysterious inscription on a jar unearthed in Israel that lists an ingredient for making incense.

two worn roman coins in copper and silver

Mystery of Roman coins discovered on shipwreck island has archaeologists baffled

By Tom Metcalfe published

Two silver coins minted in during the Roman Empire have been found on a remote and uninhabited island in the Baltic Sea. Archaeologists have no idea how they got there.

A picture of the femur bone with the 3-inch bone growth.

Centuries-old skeleton with massive, crippling bone growth unearthed in Portugal

By Sascha Pare published

Archaeologists think that a debilitating, "rope-like" lump of bone protruding from a 14th to 19th century woman's thigh sprouted as a result of extreme trauma.

The Parthenon Temple on a bright day on the Acropolis in Athens, Greece.

31 ancient temples from around the world, from Göbekli Tepe to the Parthenon

By Owen Jarus published

Throughout the ages, humans have built temples dedicated to deities. Here are 31 of the most famous monumental temples from around the world.

A sculpture of Alexander the Great riding his horse Bucephalus in Thessaloniki, a port city in Greece.

Where is Alexander the Great's tomb?

By Owen Jarus published

Based on ancient writings, legends and recent discoveries, where might Alexander the Great be buried?

An illustration of an astronomical instrument.

Hidden Ptolemy text, printed beneath a Latin manuscript, deciphered after 200 years

By Jennifer Nalewicki published

Researchers have deciphered a long-lost text written by the ancient astronomer Claudius Ptolemy.

An 'Altar group with a queen mother' one of more than 3,000 artworks pillaged from Benin during Britain's 1897 military expedition.

Benin Bronzes were crafted of metal from a completely unexpected place

By Ben Turner published

The Benin Bronzes were made from rings used to purchase slaves in Africa. Now, scientists have found that most of the metal was mined in western Germany.

Iceman Ötzi reconstruction

31 amazing facial reconstructions, from Stone Age shamans to King Tut's father

By Christina Hughes last updated

New scientific techniques are helping us reconstruct people from the past in uncanny detail.

Two restorers work on their knees on a Roman-era black and white mosaic surrounded by dirt.

Mysterious mosaics depicting Medusa uncovered at 2nd-century Roman villa

By Owen Jarus published

Two Roman-era mosaics depicting the snake-haired mythological figure Medusa were unearthed at the Villa of the Antonines in Italy.

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