Archaeology

Mysteries of the Crystal Skulls
There are many legends and tales associated with the crystal skulls that were excavated in the ruins of the Mayan and Aztec civilizations. Why these crystals were carved out is still a baffling mystery even today. Read on…

Careers in Archeology
Archeology is an interesting field and you need to have a natural liking for investigation and research to make it a career. A field technician, project archeologist or an academic archeologist are some of the career options in archeology.

How to Write Ethnography?
Ethnography is a branch of cultural anthropology. A researcher in ethnography is known as an ethnographer. Read on to find a few tips on how to write ethnography.

Has the Mystery of Stonehenge Been Solved?
Though recent analysis of human remains found at Stonehenge have researchers declaring it a cemetery, others are not sure it’s that simple.

Ancient Greek Alphabet
In the History of the Persian Wars, 5.58.2, Herodotus says that the Greeks picked up the letters from the Phoenicians, and once they had somewhat altered their shape, they used them as Greek alphabets. And once they started using them, they rightly called them ‘Phoenicians’, since it was the Phoenicians that brought the alphabet into ancient Greece.

Ancient Greek Theater
The theaters of ancient Greece have always been incredibly fascinating. Euripides, Aeschylus, Aristophanes, Sophocles have all been the greatest teachers of morality and courage, nobleness and patriotism across the centuries. The stories of Medea, Oedipus and Antigone seem to have survived the passage of time. Take a closer look at what the Ancient Greek Theaters were all about.

The Lost City of Atlantis Fact or Fiction
As Plato considers, The Lost City of Atlantis is the very cradle of civilization. Was that a real city? We might know …some day if the science proves it.

The Maya: Civilization is Found in the New World
Far from home, the first European explorers found not a land of primitive savages, but one containing a multitude of rich and complex cultures. Of these, the culture of the ancient Maya is considered one of the greatest.

The Culture Code
New book from cultural anthropologist, Dr. Clotaire Rapaille explains how cultures are constructed in America and elsewhere by studying the belief patterns of individuals.

Archaeologists Discover Treasures of Holocaust Victims in Poland
Holocaust survivors working in conjunction with an Israeli archaeologist in Lublin, Poland have found jewelry and other artifacts that were apparently hastily buried by prisoners at the Majdanek death camp.

Archaeologists Excavating Europe’s Oldest Civilization
Archaeologists are working to unearth what is believed to be the oldest civilization in Europe, built almost 7,000 years ago.

Academic Freedom: Excuse me, Professor
Professor B says the Human Race evolved from Apes and the very annoyed human in the class snaps, "Okay, that's it, I'm taking you on a court outing, you pedagogical Ape!"

The Piltdown Plot
Who had perpetrated this great hoax? There are many probable and improbable candidates, including famously Arthur Conan Doyle.

The Roman Invasion of Britain
The Roman Empire, founded according to legend by Romulus and Remus, extended across large portions of Europe, Asia and Africa and successfully imposed its highly developed civilization on the conquered lands. Britain, after its conquest, was no exception. Here is an account of how this conquest came about.

Civilization and Its Enemies: The Next Stage of History
So begins Civilization and Its Enemies, an extraordinary tour de force by America's "reigning philosopher of 9/11," Lee Harris. What Francis Fukuyama did for the end of the Cold War, Lee Harris has now done for the next great conflict: the war between the civilized world and the international terrorists who wish to destroy it.

Anthropology
Anthropology students can dig up websites galore related to human behavior, thought, and language when they conduct research online.

Ancient Worlds: Ancient Civilizations
Anyone interested in discovering the fascinating world of ancient civilizations can enlist the Internet to learn about past cultures and their historical significance.

Neanderthals: Not Stupid, Just Different
Scientists challenge the theory that Homo sapiens was more intelligent

Archaeology: Ancient Bones May Lead to Tb Cure
Archaeologists and medical researchers join forces to examine human remains from Jericho

King Herod's Grave Uncovered in Hilltop Fortress
Archaeologists have unearthed the grave of King Herod the Great, the ruler of Jerusalem who attempted to kill Jesus soon after his birth, it was announced today.

Ninety Years On, Victims of a Futile Massacre Exhumed From the Mud
Final resting place of troops killed in battle of Fromelles during first world war found by archaeologists

Vikings: From Ram-raiders to Fishmongers
Archaeologists and scientists have revealed that 1,000 years ago cod was traded extraordinary distances across Europe

Building of Iraqi Police Barracks Threatens World Heritage Site
The construction of a large police barracks close to the Great Mosque of Samarra and its famed spiral minaret is imperiling another of Iraq's precious historical sites, Unesco and senior archaeologists have warned.

Archaeologists in Mexico City Find First Tomb of Aztec Ruler
Archaeologists believe they have made the first discovery of a tomb of an Aztec ruler. Radar equipment suggests the tomb has several chambers and lies 5 meters (15ft) below ground in a major ceremonial site in the heart of Mexico City.

Iceman Bled to Death, Scientists Say
Archaeologists think they have solved the longstanding mystery of how Otzi, the world's most famous iceman, met his end: an arrow wound to his shoulder caused him to bleed to death.

King Herod's Grave Uncovered in Hilltop Fortress
Archaeologists have unearthed the grave of King Herod the Great, the ruler of Jerusalem who attempted to kill Jesus soon after his birth, it was announced today.

Muslim Protests As Israel Digs at Holy Site
Israeli archaeologists began digging up a stone ramp near the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem's Old City yesterday, bringing immediate protests from Palestinians and condemnation from the king of Jordan.

Country Diary: Tetbury
Yesterday, I received an extract from the 2005 Proceedings of the Somerset Archaeology and Natural History Society, titled A Late-Medieval Screen Fragment from Glastonbury Abbey, that immediately rang bells. By Colin Luckhurst

Tourists Flock to Bosnian Hills But Experts Mock Amateur Archaeologist's Pyramid Claims
In Bosnia's Valley of the Pyramids, Semir Osmanagic, a new-age philosopher and amateur archaeologist, claims to have discovered Europe's only pyramids.

Bronze Age Pyramid Found in Ukraine
Archaeologists in Ukraine have unearthed the remains of an ancient pyramidal structure that pre-dates those in Egypt by at least 300 years.

European Man 'worked on Terracotta Army Tomb'
Archaeologists have unearthed evidence that a foreign worker helped build the terracotta army mausoleum, the resting place of China's first emperor, who died more than 2,200 years ago.

'Foreigner' Helped Build Terracotta Army
Chinese archaeologists have unearthed evidence that a foreign worker helped build the Terracotta Army mausoleum, the resting place of the country's first emperor, who died more than 2,200 years ago.

Newly Found Mosaic is Optical Illusion
Archaeologists studying an ancient mosaic found by workers laying cable south of Rome have been astonished to discover that it is an optical illusion.

Archaeologists Find Candidates for Cook's Ship Endeavour
One of four 18th-century ships found on the sea bed off Rhode Island could be the Endeavour, the vessel Captain Cook commanded on his first epic voyage across the Pacific Ocean, according to US archaeologists.

Greek Island Dig Offers Chance to Solve Riddle of Ancient Art
A dig into the rich past of a tiny isle in the Aegean archipelago could soon answer one of the riddles of prehistoric archaeology: why the remote outcrop produced so many of the flat-faced marble figurines that went on to inspire Pablo Picasso and Henry Moore.

Ancient Pyramid Unearthed in Mexico
Archaeologists have discovered a previously unknown pyramid standing 22 metres high inside a hill on the outskirts of Mexico city, it emerged today., measures 150 metres on each...

Scientists Find Lost Civilisation Buried By Volcano
· Indonesian eruption was largest in modern times · Village's 10,000 residents died in moments

Lost Treasures of Constantinople Test Turkey's 21st-century Ambition
£2bn train tunnel linking Europe to Asia faces delays as dig unearths 5th-century port.

Archaeologist Stumbles on 2,000-year-old Mayan Mural San Bartolo Discovery
Archaeologists have dug up the oldest known Mayan painting inside a ruined pyramid deep inside a Guatemalan jungle.

Ancient Legends Give an Early Warning of Modern Disasters
The new science of geomythology is being harnessed by researchers who believe folklore can save lives.

History of Olmec Civilization
Who were the Olmecs? Little is know of them but they are believed to have been the first civilization to have a written language, cultivated and utilized the cacao tree, and generally were the forerunners of subsequent inhabitants of Mexico.

Farmers Accused of Plunder at Ancient Site
· Archaeologists say locals ruining cultural heritage · Iranian authorities issue jail threats and land ban

Author Identifies Oldest Purpose-made Sports Ball
A lump of battered wood from the archaeology museum in Hull has been identified as the oldest purpose-made sports ball in Britain.

Copernicus's Remains Found Under Floor of Polish Cathedral
Team of Polish archaeologists discover remains of the man who developed the theory that the planets circle the sun beneath the floor of a medieval cathedral.

Middle Eastern Civilizations' Expansion Brought Civilization To Europe
Due to Colonial times perceptions and historiography, today’s European academia, statesmen, legislators and journalists still view the world through obsolete viewpoints. Yet, it is essential to re-appraise European civilization’s dependence on Ancient Middle East civilizations, and to enumerate issues that must be taken into account before any European politician tries to say what is and what is not Europe.

Bulgaria Unearths Huge Hoard of Gold
A 4,200-year-old hoard of gold, comparable to the fabulous treasures of Troy, has been found in Bulgaria to the delight of archaeologists desperate to beat looters to tombs in the former communist country.

History of Modern Man Unravels As German Scholar is Exposed As Fraud
Flamboyant anthropologist falsified dating of key discoveries.

Decision Due on Hill of Tara Motorway
Archaeologists say 'heart and soul of Ireland' is threatened.

Archaeologists Fear 'looters' Charter'
Archaeologists were yesterday aghast over a plan by MPs loyal to Silvio Berlusconi to legalise the private ownership of archaeological treasures in Italy. One called the measure a "looters' charter". At present, all antiquities found in Italian soil are deemed to be the property of the...

Scientists Dig Up Family Skeletons
It has been a mystery for more than a century - is a skull in an Austrian basement really that of arguably the greatest composer of all time, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart? Over the weekend a group of archaeologists began to answer the question by digging up the remains of Mozart's close...

Dig Finds Ancient Stone Doll
Archaeologists say they have found the remains of a 4,000-year-old stone doll on the Mediterranean island of Pantelleria, between Sicily and Tunisia. The 3cm head, crudely carved with eyes, nose and mouth and wavy hair, was found with a miniature set of terracotta cooking pots in the...

Marbles Expert: Greeks Are Like Abusive Parents
It is Europe's longest-running cultural heritage dispute, yet the row over the rightful home of the Elgin Marbles is still so hotly contested it will almost qualify as an Olympic sport in Athens this summer. Undiplomatic comments made by a British archaeologist in a new BBC documentary on...

Damage Inquiry at Ancient Babylon
Leaders of the US occupation have launched an urgent investigation after complaints from Iraqi archaeologists that US-hired contractors may have damaged the ancient city of Babylon, one of Iraq's most revered historic sites. Paul Bremer, the US administrator in Iraq, and Lt General...

Dodgy Donors Embarrass Scholars
Murky pasts of US university benefactors come to light. It should have been the culmination of a sparkling redesign for New Mexico University's campus: the Hibben Center for Archaeological Studies.

Carpark to Be Laid Over Roman Mosaics
Archaeologists expressed dismay yesterday after learning that a car park was to be laid over excavations which have yielded some of the most impressive mosaics ever found under Rome.

Roman Dig Backs Ancient Writers' Portrait of Megalomaniac Caligula
Ruins reveal ruler extended palace into Forum temple. British and American archaeologists digging in the Roman Forum said yesterday they had uncovered evidence to suggest that the emperor Caligula really was a self-deifying megalomaniac, and not the misunderstood, if eccentric, ruler that modern scholars have striven to create.

Kill Looters, Urges Archaeologist
An American archaeologist yesterday urged her compatriots to kill the looters who are pillaging archaeological sites in Iraq. "I would like to see some helicopters flying over these sites, and some bullets fired at the looters," Elizabeth Stone, head of archaeology at Stony Brook...

US Archaeologist Calls for Armed Clampdown on Iraq Looters
The continued widespread looting of Iraq's priceless heritage sites will only be stopped by armed force, an American archaeologist told a press conference at the British Museum today. Professor Elizabeth Stone, of Stonybrook University, New York, said that massive damage was being done by...

Russian treasure hunters destroy 'Greek outpost'
The Russian security services are trying to prevent illegal archaeologists, known as "black diggers", destroying the remains of what might have been a remote outpost of classical Greek civilisation.

Ancient archive lost in Baghdad library blaze
As flames engulfed Baghdad's National Library yesterday, destroying manuscripts many centuries old, the Pentagon admitted that it had been caught unprepared by the widespread looting of antiquities, despite months of warnings from American archaeologists.

The End of Civilisation
Iraq is one huge world heritage site, a unique storehouse of art and archaeology. Now the war threatens to destroy it all, says Fiachra Gibbons.

Blown Away
Iraq was the cradle of civilisation. Archaeologists in Europe and the US are deeply concerned about the damage the current conflict will do to the country's - and the world's - heritage. Donald MacLeod reports.

Excavations to Resolve Temple Row
A court in India yesterday ordered archaeologists to excavate the site of the demolished Ayodhya mosque to determine whether a Hindu temple ever existed there. Three judges sitting at the Uttar Pradesh state high court ordered the work to start within a week. The findings, due within six...

Taste of Caesar's Home Life Rises From the Ashes
For almost 2,000 years one of the most glorious Roman treasures preserved by the ash from Mount Vesuvius has lain hidden, covered by rambling weeds and surrounded by stagnant water and unsuspecting frogs. But from today, after a £10m programme of archaeological digging and cleaning,...

Pyramids
The Great Pyramid remains impervious to plunderers, archaeologists and webcam-wielding robots. But our net guide may yet penetrate its hidden mysteries ...

China Stamps Its Mark on History
China had an express postal delivery service more than 2,000 years ago, archaeologists in Beijing now believe, as well as less pleasant features of the modern state, such as imprisonment for overdue taxes.

Planet of the apes
A 7 million-year-old skull lets us look down the tunnel of time to our own beginnings. Three days ago, Toumaï was a carefully guarded secret. Two days ago, Toumaï became the world's most famous hominid.

Tomb May Yield the Sons of Pharaoh
Archaeologists are on the brink of identifying at least one of three human skulls and a complete skeleton found in a 3,200-year-old tomb in Egypt's Valley of the Kings.