Unearthing the Past

Stories

Stories 21 - 40 of 40

<< Prev 1 2 Next >>

February 2008
- Newfound Altar Predates Zeus Worship
  
  newser | New York Times | Feb 5, 08 11:15 AM CST
  
  Archaeologists in Greece have unearthed the remains of an altar that predates Zeus worship, the New York Times reports. The evidence of animal sacrifices to an unknown deity thousands of years ago turned up during excavation of a temple to Zeus in Greece's Arcadia region. “We went from BC to 'BZ'—before Zeus," quipped one archaeologist. More »
- Turks Find Hitler's 'Lost Fleet'
  
  newser | Daily Telegraph (UK) | Feb 4, 08 2:25 PM CST
  
  Three World War II U-boats, known as "Hitler's lost fleet," have been discovered off the Turkish coast, the Telegraph reports. A Turkish team combined archival research with sailor interviews and sonar technology to find the wreckage, part of the six-boat fleet that dogged Russian ships in the Black Sea under notorious commander "Silent Otto" Kretschmer. More »
January 2008
- Mayans Sacrificed Boys—Not Virgin Girls
  
  newser | Reuters | Jan 23, 08 11:16 AM CST
  
  The human sacrifices offered up to the Mayan gods in Pre-Columbian Mexico were likely boys and young men, not virgin girls, Reuters reports. A Mexican archaeologist has ventured into the sacred sinkholes of Chichen Itza to recover bones from 127 bodies, and discovered that more than 80% of them came from pre-adolescent males between the ages of 3 and 11. The sacrificed children were hurled into the water-filled caverns, scientists believe. More »
December 2007
- Pyramid Unearthed in Mexico City
  
  newser | Reuters | Dec 28, 07 10:58 AM CST
  
  Archaeologists have unearthed the ruins of an 800-year-old Aztec pyramid in the heart of modern Mexico City. The ruins, which are approximately 36 feet high, stand on the former site of Tlatelolco, a center of political and religious power and the twin city of Tenochtitlan. The discovery indicates that the ancient city might be more than a century older than previously believed, reports Reuters. More »
- eBay Halts Sale of Iraqi Treasure
  
  newser | Guardian (UK) | Dec 18, 07 4:24 PM CST
  
  eBay called off the auction of a 4,000-year-old clay tablet last week just minutes before it closed because an expert suspected the artifact had been smuggled out of Iraq, the Guardian reports. A German archaeologist alerted authorities after spotting the tablet, a business-card-size object covered in distinctive cuneiform script, on Swiss eBay. More »
- Pirate Ahoy! Capt. Kidd's Ship Found in Caribbean
  
  newser | Associated Press | Dec 14, 07 4:20 AM CST
  
  An American underwater archaeology team has found what's believed to be the remains of a ship piloted by notorious buccaneer Captain William Kidd. Indiana University researchers discovered cannons and anchors off a tiny Caribbean island in just ten feet of water, which they believe belong to the Quedagh Merchant , a ship Kidd abandoned in 1699 to face criminal charges in New York. More »
- Queen's Digs Found in Holy Land
  
  newser | Associated Press | Dec 7, 07 7:05 AM CST
  
  Queen Helene of Adiabene, ruler of parts of Iraq, apparently had a pied-a-terre in the seedy part of Jerusalem 2,000 years ago, according to an archaeological team that has unearthed the mansion. Now it’s prime real estate in the Arab quarter, forming the foundation of a parking lot until recently. More »
- Archaeologists Unearth Part of Roman Throne
  
  newser | Associated Press | Dec 5, 07 2:47 AM CST
  
  Archaeologists have discovered the remains of a Roman throne in the volcanic ash that buried the city of Herculaneum when Mount Vesuvius erupted in the year 79. Scientists unearthed two legs and the back of a throne, the first ever found. The piece was decorated with ivory bas-reliefs of ancient deities, pine cones and phalluses. More »
November 2007
- Diggers Unearth Key Bible Wall
  
  newser | Associated Press | Nov 30, 07 7:37 AM CST
  
  Archaeologists digging in Jerusalem's City of David have found what they believe is an ancient wall mentioned in the Bible, AP reports. While working to save a tower from collapse, they found pottery shards and arrowheads from the 5th century BC, leading them to believe that a wall nearby is one mentioned in the Book of Nehemiah. More »
- Cave of Romulus and Remus Comes to Light
  
  newser | Reuters | Nov 20, 07 3:28 PM CST
  
  Archaeologists have found the cave worshiped by ancient Romans as the site where a wolf nursed the infant twins Romulus and Remus, who later founded the city. The cave, called the Lupercale, was found underground in an unexplored site near the palace of Augustus. "You can imagine our amazement, we almost screamed," says the head of the archaeological team. More »
- Americas' Oldest Temple Found
  
  newser | Reuters | Nov 11, 07 1:18 PM CST
  
  Adding to the list of Peruvian treasures, archaeologists yesterday announced the discovery of a 4,000-year-old temple used to worship fire—rife with remarkably well-preserved murals that are possibly the oldest in the Americas. “What’s surprising are the construction methods, the architectural design,” said the lead archaeologist. More »
- Mask Lifts, Reveals Tut's Face
  
  newser | BBC | Nov 4, 07 1:00 PM CST
  
  King Tut, Egypt's famous boy-king, has shown his face publicly for the first time in about 3,000 years, BBC reports. Archaeologists worried about the effects of humidity on Tut removed the mummy from its stone sarcophagus and placed it in a climate-controlled case in his Valley of the Kings tomb. The mummy was unveiled exactly 85 years after the tomb's discovery by explorer Howard Carter. More »
September 2007
- New Georgian Fossils May Link 'Lucy' and Homo Erectus
  
  newser | New York Times | Sep 20, 07 6:57 PM CDT
  
  Archaeologists have unearthed four fossilized skeletons of a human ancestor that shares characteristics with the humanesque Homo erectus and the earlier, smaller Australopithicus afarensis, of which the famous 'Lucy' skeleton is a member. The fossils in the republic of Georgia contradict the previously held idea that hominids developed all key human attributes before emigrating from Africa, the NY Times reports. More »
- Ancient Israeli Tunnel Found
  
  newser | Associated Press | Sep 11, 07 2:37 PM CDT
  
  While searching for the ancient main road of Jerusalem, Israeli archaeologists stumbled upon a 2,000-year-old tunnel that residents used to escape Roman invaders destroying the Second Temple. The tunnel was originally used to drain rain water and prevent flooding, and its discovery is doubly significant, the AP reports, because it also shows how the ancient city’s rulers cared for their citizens during a pivotal moment in history. More »
August 2007
- Remains of Russian Royals Found
  
  newser | Guardian (UK) | Aug 24, 07 3:12 PM CDT
  
  Russian archaeologists say they’ve unearthed remains belonging to two children of Nicholas II, the Russian czar executed along with the rest of his family almost 90 years ago. The discovery of Alexei and Maria Romanov may help prove the authenticity of remains found in 1991 that are believed to be those of their parents and their three sisters. More »
- Angkor What?: Cambodian Dig Unearths Megacity
  
  newser | Los Angeles Times | Aug 14, 07 12:34 PM CDT
  
  Cambodia's famed Angkor—usually penciled into guidebooks thanks to its eponymous 12th-century temple—was once the world's biggest city, new research by University of Sydney archaeologists shows. From the 10th century on, Angkor grew to nearly one million inhabitants and sprawled out to the size of modern-day Los Angeles. More »
- First Tomb of Aztec Ruler Found
  
  newser | Associated Press | Aug 4, 07 6:45 AM CDT
  
  Mexican archaeologists believe their ground-penetrating radar has detected the first tomb of an Aztec ruler ever found, the AP reports. Workers in Mexico City, hanging from slings and digging delicately in a muddy underground passage, hope to uncover the remains of Emperor Ahuizotl, who ruled the Aztec empire at its height before the Spanish invasion of 1521. More »
June 2007
- Americas' First Gun Victim Found in Peru
  
  newser | Los Angeles Times | Jun 21, 07 4:17 AM CDT
  
  The first gunshot victim in the Americas—an 16th century Inca warrior blasted in the back of the head by Spanish Conquistadors—has been discovered by archaeologists poring over the bones of 72 Incans killed in a 1536 uprising in Peru. The remains of the warriors were uncovered in a Lima suburb during road construction. More »
- Iceman Bled Out From Arrow Wound, X-Ray Scan Reveals
  
  National Geographic | Jun 7, 07
  
  The well-preserved mummy known as Oetzi died from an arterial lesion inflicted by an arrow in his back, modern medical technology suggests. The finding clarifies the mystery of how the 46-year-old man died some 5,300 years ago high up on a mountain glacier in northern Italy.Oetzi was discovered in 1991 in South Tyrol 10,500 feet (3,210 meters) above sea level. He is one of the world's oldest and best preserved mummies.
July 1923
- With the Diggers - TIME
  
  Time | Jul 9, 23
  
  Archeological and paleontological progress since it was last recorded in TIME (March 3, April 28, May 12) is here summarized: Egypt. Excavations at Thebes (Valley of the Kings) have been discontinued for the summer, but will be resumed next season by Howard Carter, American collaborator of the late Lord Carnarvon. The treasures found in TutankhAmen's tomb (including the throne, chairs, alabaster vases, shrines, caskets, bedsteads, and boxes elaborately carved of inlaid ivory, ebony and gold) have been removed to Cairo by a 500-mile boat trip, and will be exhibited in the museum there under the...