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First In Situ Defensive Wall Discovered at the Phrygian Midas Fortress in Türkiye
Archaeologists working at Yazılıkaya, also known as Midas Fortress, in central Türkiye have uncovered a substantial section of an ancient defensive wall still standing in its original position. Researchers already knew that fortifications once surrounded parts of the Phrygian stronghold. Cuttings and wall beds carved into the bedrock showed where masonry had once stood, but…
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10,500-Year-Old Wooden Remains Found 20 Meters Beneath a German Lake
Deep beneath a lake in northern Germany, archaeologists have found remarkably preserved wooden remains dating back some 10,500 years. The discovery could provide rare evidence of how Mesolithic hunter-gatherers built and organized the places where they lived. The wooden remains were discovered in Lake Arendsee in Saxony-Anhalt, according to the State Office for Heritage Management…
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A 3,500-Year-Old Wooden Ladder Found at the Bottom of a Bronze Age Waterhole in England
A wooden ladder driven into the earth nearly 3,500 years ago has been discovered at the bottom of a Bronze Age waterhole in England. Found south of Gloucester, the remarkably preserved structure also contained a timber platform, woven walls and around 150 pieces of waterlogged wood. Radiocarbon dating places the structure in the Middle Bronze…
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Satellite Images Reveal a 6,500-Year-Old Irrigation System Beside Ancient Eridu
For the first time, researchers have directly dated irrigation features surrounding Eridu, one of southern Mesopotamia’s earliest major settlements. The results show that people were managing water in this part of present-day Iraq as early as the fifth millennium BC. Published in the journal Iraq, the study examined channels extending from an abandoned course of…
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The Sword Is Gone, but Its 1,000-Year-Old “Shoe” Survived in Poland
A small metal fitting found almost on the surface of the ground in Poland may be the last surviving part of an 11th-century warrior’s sword equipment. The weapon and its sheath have disappeared, but the object that once protected the scabbard’s lower end survived for approximately 1,000 years. The artefact was discovered in the Masovian…
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Anglo-Saxon Girl Was Buried with Garnets from India and Sri Lanka 1,400 Years Ago
A teenage girl buried in eastern England around 1,400 years ago wore a necklace containing garnets that had travelled thousands of miles from India and Sri Lanka. Her grave, the richest in a previously unknown Anglo-Saxon cemetery in Lincolnshire, reveals how even a small rural community was connected to trade networks extending far beyond Britain.…
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Roman Settlement Destroyed by Fire Discovered in Switzerland
Archaeologists excavating ahead of a housing project in southern Switzerland have uncovered a Roman settlement containing evidence of iron and bronze working on a significant scale. The complex, occupied during the second and third centuries AD, came to a violent end when a fire brought down its tiled roof. The discovery was made near Via…
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Mysterious Deer-Decorated Ossuary and Fire-Scarred Altar Unearthed in Uzbekistan
Archaeologists excavating the ancient settlement of Odirmon in southern Uzbekistan have uncovered a decorated ossuary and a ritual altar still bearing traces of fire. Dating from a period between the third century BC and the third century AD, the discoveries could reveal how the settlement’s inhabitants honored their dead and maintained their ceremonial traditions. The…
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Rare 2,600-Year-Old Cube-Shaped Tomb in Italy Held Cremated Remains Inside a Greek Wine Vessel
A rare Etruscan-era burial built around an imported Greek wine vessel has been discovered beneath the modern town of Pontecagnano Faiano in southern Italy. Dating to the first half of the sixth century BC, the tomb is believed to have belonged to a high-ranking member of the ancient community. Archaeologists uncovered the burial during preventive…