A newly unearthed enigmatic complex at the ancient coastal settlement of Áspero is believed to be an early astronomical observatory. The site was associated with the Caral culture, one of the oldest civilizations in the Americas, which flourished between 3000 and 1800 b.c. The complex consists of circular stone platforms from which ancient astronomers likely recorded the movements of the sun, moon, and stars. This helped Áspero’s inhabitants anticipate seasonal changes, plan fishing trips, and manage coastal resources.

One of the oldest and best-preserved metalworking sites in West Africa recently provided new clues regarding the origin and spread of iron technology in the region. Archaeologists uncovered the remnants of 25 furnaces, 30 tuyeres, or air nozzles, and one ton of metal slag at eastern Senegal’s site of Didé West 1. The workshop likely produced agricultural tools used by local people between 400 b.c. and a.d. 400. Didé West 1’s 800-year history is noteworthy, as similar sites were typically occupied for only a few generations.

After Lord Elgin set sail for Britain from Greece in 1802 in a ship laden with sculptures from the Parthenon, the artworks were nearly lost forever. Elgin’s ship, Mentor, sank off the island of Kythera, sending the sculptures to the seafloor. Divers salvaged most of the items, but some of Mentor’s cargo has remained submerged. Archaeologists recently retrieved a small piece of decorative marble at the wreck site. It likely came from a relief located above one of the Parthenon’s columns.