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1,400-Year-Old Moche Pottery Workshops Found in Peru
Archaeologists excavating Cerro Mayal on Peru’s northern coast have uncovered new evidence of 1,400-year-old Moche pottery workshops, revealing how one of the ancient Andes’ most distinctive ceramic traditions was produced. The excavations, in the Chicama Valley of the La Libertad region, have exposed ceramic molds, potters’ plates, large quantities of production waste and architectural remains…
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A Waste Heap at a Norwegian Quarry Hid Seven Medieval Stone Crosses
A heap of broken stone at Hyllestad in western Norway concealed more than ordinary quarry waste. Buried among the debris were fragments of seven medieval stone crosses, including pieces from monuments that may once have stood several metres high. The discovery was made in 2008 during an excavation led by University of Bergen archaeologist Irene…
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Archaeologists Uncover a 2.5-Meter-Deep Ditch at the Uyghur Khaganate’s Northern Capital
Archaeologists excavating Bay-Balyk in Mongolia have uncovered new details of the defenses that protected one of the principal cities of the Uyghur Khaganate more than 1,100 years ago. A trench opened beside the western citadel revealed a fortification wall measuring up to five meters wide. Along its outer side, researchers documented a ditch extending 2.5…
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A 2,500-Year-Old Statue of a Long-Haired Young Man Emerges from Beneath a Roman Street at Sardis
Roman builders at Sardis once laid a monumental marble statue face down beneath a colonnaded street. Centuries later, that act of reuse helped preserve the young man’s face, long hair and clothing in remarkable detail. The statue was uncovered during excavations at the ancient city in western Türkiye’s Manisa Province. Türkiye’s Ministry of Culture and…
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Archaeologists Find 3,000-Year-Old Hoard of Deliberately Broken Bronze Tools in Czech Wetland
Archaeologists near Kojetín in the Czech Republic have discovered a hoard of bronze tools that were used, deliberately damaged and then deposited in a wetland more than 3,000 years ago. The find includes nine bronze sickles, part of a sword blade, fragments of ornaments, three metal ingots and two unfinished objects. Researchers believe the assemblage…
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2,400-Year-Old Shipwreck with Up to 650 Amphorae Discovered off Andros
Greek underwater archaeologists have documented the remains of an ancient merchant ship carrying as many as 650 transport amphorae off the island of Andros. The vessel sank between the late fifth and early fourth centuries BC, leaving behind a dense concentration of ceramic containers at a depth of between 39 and 44 metres. The discovery…
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Half of a 1,000-Year-Old Silver Coin of Prince Vladimir Found in Veliky Novgorod
Archaeologists in Veliky Novgorod have discovered half of a rare silver coin issued by Prince Vladimir Sviatoslavich, one of the rulers most closely associated with the formation and Christianization of the early Rus’ state. The fragment was found on July 24 during rescue excavations in the historic Lyudin district, where archaeologists from the Institute of…
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Roman Oil Lamp with a Theatre-Mask Handle Unearthed in Slovenia
Archaeologists excavating a Roman cemetery beneath the future Ljubljana Passenger Centre in Slovenia have uncovered an unusually elaborate ceramic oil lamp whose tall handle ends in a finely modelled theatre mask. The object was found in one of the more richly furnished graves associated with Emona, the Roman predecessor of modern Ljubljana. Oil lamps are…
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1,600-Year-Old Roman Nail Cleaner with Phallic Handle Unearthed Near Cheltenham
A small Roman object discovered near Cheltenham combined personal grooming with supernatural protection. One end was designed to clean beneath the fingernails; the other was shaped into a phallus believed to ward off evil and bad luck. The copper-alloy tool was found in Gloucestershire during archaeological excavations carried out ahead of improvements to the M5…