First known depictions of two biblical heroines uncovered in ancient Jewish synagogue
As they brushed the last layer of dirt from a small section of mosaic on the synagogue floor, the archaeologists were momentarily baffled by the odd image beginning to emerge......»»
Ancient Maya blessed their ballcourts: Researchers find evidence of ceremonial offerings in Mexico
For sports fans, places like Fenway Park, Wembley Stadium or Wimbledon's Centre Court are practically hallowed ground......»»
New rock art discoveries in Eastern Sudan tell a tale of ancient cattle, the "green Sahara" and climate catastrophe
The hyper-arid desert of Eastern Sudan, the Atbai Desert, seems like an unlikely place to find evidence of ancient cattle herders. But in this dry environment, my new research has found rock art over 4,000 years old that depicts cattle......»»
Deciphered Herculaneum papyrus reveals precise burial place of Plato
Various imaging methods comprised a kind of "bionic eye" to examine charred scroll. Enlarge / Imaging setup for a charred ancient papyrus recovered from the ruins of Herculaneum; 30 percent of the text has now been deciphered. (c.....»»
Gender-nonconforming ancient Romans found refuge in community dedicated to goddess Cybele
A Vatican declaration, the "Infinite Dignity," has brought renewed attention to how religions define and interpret gender and gender roles......»»
Archaeologists unearth top half of statue of Ramesses II
A team co-led by a CU Boulder classics researcher has unearthed the upper portion of a huge, ancient pharaonic statue whose lower half was discovered in 1930; Ramesses II was immortalized in Percy Bysshe Shelly's "Ozymandias.".....»»
Ancient giant tortoise fossils found in Colombian Andes
Paleontologists have discovered giant tortoise fossils in Colombia dating back some 57 million years, the university leading the excavation said, with the findings key to understanding South America's prehistoric eras......»»
Evolutionary biologists show that the color variants of female cuckoos are based on ancient mutations
Every cuckoo is an adopted child—raised by foster parents, into whose nest the cuckoo mother smuggled her egg. The cuckoo mother is aided in this subterfuge by her resemblance to a bird of prey. There are two variants of female cuckoos: a gray morp.....»»
Scientists use ancient DNA, historical context to unravel kinship, social practices of Avar society
A multidisciplinary research team led by scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology has combined ancient DNA data with a clear archaeological, anthropological and historical context to reconstruct the social dynamics of Avar.....»»
Feedback loop that is melting ice shelves in West Antarctica revealed
New research has uncovered a feedback loop that may be accelerating the melting of the floating portions of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, pushing up global sea levels......»»
Researchers uncover details of how bacteria build protective barriers, may inform new antibiotics
Yale researchers have uncovered new details on how bacteria like E. coli build their protective barriers, which will inform new antibiotic development......»»
East Africa"s "soda lakes" are rising, threatening their iconic flamingos
Huge pink flocks of millions of flamingos—flamboyances of flamingos—are one of nature's great spectacles. But colleagues and I have uncovered worrying trends in the salty and highly-alkaline "soda lakes" of east Africa where most of these birds l.....»»
Five things our research uncovered when we recreated 16th century beer (and barrels)
It's true that our 16th-century ancestors drank much more than Irish people do today. But why they did so and what their beer was like are questions shrouded in myth. The authors were part of a team who set out to find some answers......»»
This ancient snake in India might have been longer than a school bus and weighed a ton
A ancient giant snake in India might have been longer than a school bus and weighed a ton, researchers reported Thursday......»»
"Forgotten city:" the identification of Dura-Europos" neglected sister site in Syria
The Dura-Europos site in modern-day Syria is famous for its exceptional state of preservation. Like Pompeii, this ancient city has yielded many great discoveries, and serves as a window into the world of the ancient Hellenistic, Parthian, and Roman p.....»»
Dramatic burning of royal remains reveals Maya regime change
New archaeological investigations in Guatemala reveal that ancient Maya peoples did not just passively watch their dynastic systems collapse at the end of the Classic period. They actively reworked their political systems to create new governments......»»
First evidence of ancient human occupation found in giant lava tube cave in Saudi Arabia
If you look from above, you can see thousands of stone structures dotting the landscape of the Arabian peninsula. On the ground, you can find a bounty of stone tools and ancient fireplaces scattered along the edges of ancient lakes, as well as rock a.....»»
Researchers reveal a hidden trait in Mycobacterium genomes governing stress adaptation
A new study, led by Qingyun Liu, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Genetics, has uncovered a genetic feature known as "transcriptional plasticity," which plays a pivotal role in governing the transcriptional response of Mycobacteria to.....»»
Discovery of new ancient giant snake in India
A new ancient species of snake dubbed Vasuki Indicus, which lived around 47 million years ago in the state of Gujarat in India, may have been one of the largest snakes to have ever lived, suggests new research published in Scientific Reports. The new.....»»
US Infrastructure Is Broken. Here’s an $830 Million Plan to Fix It
WIRED spoke with US transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg about recent grants to fix ancient roads, bridges, and other critical infrastructure before it’s too late......»»
Two men shove boulders off ancient rock formation in Nevada, wrecking it, video shows
Two men shove boulders off ancient rock formation in Nevada, wrecking it, video shows.....»»