Ancient history

Sparta and Athens: History's wartime lessons for a modern-day Israel - analysis

As Netanyahu evokes "super-Sparta," Israel may be repeating the mistakes that left both city-states devastated after decades of war.

Repulse of Pyrrhus from Sparta', 1890. Pyrrhus, in retreat at the Siege of Sparta, 272 BC from Spartans defending their city under command of Areus I. From "Cassell's Illustrated Universal History, Vol. I - Early and Greek History", by Edmund Ollier.
Smoked mummies kept in private households in Papua, Indonesia, photographed in January 2019.

Study: Oldest mummies predate ancient Egypt by 6,000 years

Lentil plant grown at Fuerteventura.

Ancient lentils in the canary islands survived 2,000 years, DNA shows

A facial reconstruction of Homo naledi.

Older than Neanderthal rites? New papers double down on the Homo naledi burial hypothesis


Three new 7.7-million-year-old elephant skulls unearthed in Turkey

“This year we can talk about the year of the elephant. From 2018 until now, we had identified two skulls, but only this year did we find three” described an archeologist.

Illustration: The skull of an asian elephant.

'Palm-sized predator' with outsized teeth rewrites lizard origins

Scientists used the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility to X-ray the tiny fossil and reveal high-resolution details.

An illustration of the newly discovered lizard ancestor.

9,500-year-old communal hall uncovered at Çayönü, reshaping our understanding of Neolithic society

“The fact that the floor paint was renewed at least four times shows that the building was periodically re-functionalized and used” said an archeologist.

The Çayönü excavation area in 2020.

Under La Rambla's makeover, a 50-meter stretch of Barcelona's 14th-century defenses is revealed

Archaeologists documented a pentagonal tower, flood deposits at 3.5 meters, and the burial of a small donkey surrounded by bronze needles.

Excavations of the ancient wall in Barcelona’s La Rambla.

Ancient Cemetery Reveals Unique Burial Practices with Insect Jewelry

"The discovery of a Phyllobius viridicollis beetle ornament in a cremation grave shows diverse use of organic materials in funerary rites and, with dandelion pollen, helps date the burial season."

Contemporary representation of the beetle and the remains found.

The oldest organ in Christendom plays again after 800 years of silence

Archaeologists found 222 bronze pipes, bells, and other objects hidden by Crusaders. Built in 11th-century France for Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity, the organ will go to Terra Sancta Museum.

Dr. David Catalunya with the reconstructed organ.

This bronze helmet survived the final battle that ended Rome's first major war

Archaeological team recovers intact cheek plates and crown knob from First Punic War clash that established Roman Mediterranean dominance.

The Montefortino helmet recovered.

Iron Age olive oil center in Beit Aryeh shows Israelite kingdom’s economic power in Samaria

A study published in the Israel Antiquities Authority's latest volume found that olive oil production was a key economic engine for the ancient Kingdom of Israel.

View of an ancient olive press in an archeological digging site in the Sharafat neighborhood of Jerusalem, on March 27, 2019 (illustrative).

Joe Rogan amazed by underwater discovery off Spain that has Atlantis hunters intrigued

High-resolution scans show rectangular stones and right-angled structures 20 meters below surface that expedition team says survived ancient tsunami.

Underwater ruined from one of the possible Atlantis locations.

Forgotten king created England 141 years before William the Conqueror, yet is unknown today

Cambridge professor launches campaign to restore Æthelstan to British history after 1,100 years of neglect despite unifying the kingdom in 927.

The empty grave of Aethelstan in Malmesbury Abbey, dated to the late 14th or early 15th century.

The first kebab? 3,000-year-old meat oven discovered in Turkey

Francesca Balossi Restelli: "They put the meat inside, covered it with a baked clay lid, and cooked it for hours, even all night."

Arslantepe.