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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…
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1,000-Year-Old Christian Cemetery in Norway Reveals Unusual Multiple Burials
Archaeologists investigating a 1,000-year-old Christian cemetery in Norway have uncovered 15 skeletons, including adults and children. Several of the graves contain two or more people, making the burial ground at Valum unusual for an early medieval rural community. One grave at Valum, near Hamar, held four individuals placed closely together, while others contained three or…
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Human Remains Found Inside an Underground Canal Sealed in a 1,400-Year-Old Ritual at Huaca Pucllana
Archaeologists excavating Huaca Pucllana in Lima have found human remains inside an underground canal that appears to have been deliberately sealed during a ritual about 1,400 years ago. The discovery, made during the site’s 2026 excavation season, comes from a context preliminarily dated to around AD 650 and associated with the Lima culture. Peru’s Ministry…
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Inverted Human Skull and Iron Nails Found in an Unusual Grave in Poland
An inverted human skull has been uncovered in a puzzling grave at Ślipcze in eastern Poland, where archaeologists had already found disarticulated bones and iron nails among the human remains. The toothless skull was positioned with its cranial vault facing downward and the foramen magnum — the large opening at the base of the skull…
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A Giant ‘Death Jar’ in Laos Held the Remains of 37 People for Generations
A Laos death jar has revealed something archaeologists had long suspected but rarely seen so clearly: at least one of the great stone vessels of the Plain of Jars was used to hold the dead. Inside a massive stone jar at Site 75 in northern Laos, researchers found the disarticulated remains of at least 37…
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Teen with Cleft Lip Lived and Was Accepted in Qing China, First Archaeological Case Reveals
The first archaeological case of a cleft lip in China has been identified in a Qing Dynasty burial, revealing that a teenager born with a visible facial condition was not pushed aside, but cared for and accepted within his community. The discovery, published in the International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, comes from the Wenchi Cemetery in…
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Ancient Toltec Altar With Human Remains Discovered Near Tula Ruins in Mexico
Archaeologists working near the ancient city of Tula in central Mexico have uncovered a Toltec ceremonial altar surrounded by human remains and ritual offerings, shedding new light on the religious life and urban layout of one of Mesoamerica’s most influential civilizations. The discovery emerged during salvage excavations linked to the construction of the Mexico City–Querétaro…
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Child’s Curiosity Uncovers Bronze Age Burial at Britain’s Southern Edge
What began as a seaside stroll for a seven-year-old has unexpectedly opened a window onto prehistoric Britain. During a family visit to Lizard Point — the dramatic tip of Cornwall and the southernmost point of mainland Britain — young Arthur picked up what he believed to be a shark tooth. Instead, the find proved to…