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3,600-Year-Old Kurgan in Azerbaijan Reveals a Bronze Age Symbol of Power
Archaeologists excavating a 3,600-year-old kurgan in western Azerbaijan have uncovered a polished stone staff head that may once have served as an emblem of authority. A bronze dagger and finely worked arrowheads found in the same burial suggest that the person laid to rest there held an elevated military and social position. The burial, designated…
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Inside Hallstatt’s Salt Mountain, Iron Age Miners Left a 300-Meter Underground Archive
Exploratory drilling in Austria’s prehistoric Hallstatt salt mine has identified an extensive Iron Age mining complex made up of enormous chambers arranged beside and above one another. Their floors preserve tools, clothing, food remains and biological traces left by miners around 2,500 years ago, effectively turning the underground workings into an archive of prehistoric labor.…
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A Giant Trapezoidal Monument in Germany Reveals a 5,500-Year-Old Grave
A rare Neolithic burial monument in Germany has emerged along the route of a new pipeline, revealing a vast trapezoidal structure built around a single grave more than 5,000 years ago. Archaeologists discovered the monument near Döhlen in Saxony’s Leipzig district during investigations preceding the construction of a district-heating and hydrogen pipeline between Leuna and…
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Thousands of Viking Age Silver Coins Unearthed in Finland’s Largest Hoard
A metal detectorist has uncovered Finland’s largest known Viking Age coin hoard, revealing thousands of silver coins buried near the town of Sysmä. The coins have a preliminary total weight of approximately 4.5 kilograms, more than twice that of the country’s previous record-holding find. The discovery is still largely concealed beneath soil and corrosion. Because…
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1,600-Year-Old Skeleton Found Curled Inside a Giant Roman Jar in Bulgaria
Archaeologists excavating the Roman city of Deultum in Bulgaria have uncovered a 1,600-year-old skeleton inside a giant ceramic storage vessel. The individual may have climbed into the jar as fire and violence engulfed the city—then died without attempting to escape. The remains were discovered on August 10 in the northern tower of Deultum’s western gate,…
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19th-Century Cavalry Armour Emerges from the Moat of the Palace Where Napoleon Made His “Greatest Mistake”
A 19th-century cavalry breastplate has emerged from the mud-filled moat of Pielaszkowice Palace in southwestern Poland, a residence closely associated with the armistice that Napoleon Bonaparte later regarded as one of the greatest mistakes of his life. The metal armour was discovered by Wiesław Andrysiak of the DRACO History Explorers Association, who reportedly sank waist-deep…
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A Roman Palace Tower in Serbia Was Hiding a Unique Imperial Bath
Archaeologists at Vrelo–Šarkamen in eastern Serbia have uncovered a remarkably preserved Roman imperial bath built into the lowest level of a monumental palace tower. The circular balneum belonged to a fortified residence associated with the Roman tetrarch Maximinus Daia, and the excavation team says no direct parallel for this architectural arrangement is currently known elsewhere…
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A Vast Ancient Wine-Producing District Emerges at Phanagoria on the Black Sea
Archaeologists excavating the ancient city of Phanagoria have uncovered an extensive wine-producing district dating to the first centuries AD. Five wineries, dozens of large fermentation vessels and nearby commercial buildings point to production on a scale far beyond the needs of individual households. The discovery was announced following the 2026 excavation season at Phanagoria, on…
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Archaeologists Open a Small Test Pit in Ghent and Find Five Layers of Medieval Burials
A two-square-metre test pit opened beside St James’ Church in Ghent has exposed four well-preserved burials at a depth of 1.3 metres. Further investigation indicates that five burial levels lie beneath this small section of the Vlasmarkt, where archaeologists estimate the remains of at least 240 people may survive within an area of just 23…