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© Tolga İldun
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Features
The Many Faces of the Kingdom of Shu
Thousands of fantastical bronzes are beginning to reveal the secrets of a legendary Chinese dynasty
Courtesy Sichuan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology -
Features
Ancient DNA Revolution
How the rapidly evolving field of archaeogenetics is unlocking secrets of the past
AdobeStock/lucaar -
Features
Hunting for the Lost Temple of Artemis
After a century of searching, a chance discovery led archaeologists to one of the most important sanctuaries in the ancient Greek world
Courtesy Swiss School of Archaeology in Greece
Trending Articles
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Features September/October 2024
Hunting for the Lost Temple of Artemis
After a century of searching, a chance discovery led archaeologists to one of the most important sanctuaries in the ancient Greek world
Courtesy Swiss School of Archaeology in Greece -
Digs & Discoveries September/October 2024
Moving Day
Courtesy LNER/Archaeological Service, City of Antwerp -
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Features May/June 2023
Peru's Great Urban Experiment
A millennium ago, the Chimú built a new way of life in the vast city of Chan Chan
(Alamy)
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Features March/April 2023
The Ancient Promise of Water
How people of the past harnessed the power of the world’s most precious resource
(Adobe Stock) -
Features March/April 2022
Paradise Lost
Archaeologists in Nova Scotia are uncovering evidence of thriving seventeenth-century French colonists and their brutal expulsion
(© Jamie Robertson) -
Features March/April 2022
The Last King of Babylon
Investigating the reign of Mesopotamia’s most eccentric ruler
(iStock/HomoCosmicos) -
Features May/June 2022
Secrets of Scotland's Viking Age Hoard
A massive cache of Viking silver and Anglo-Saxon heirlooms reveals the complex political landscape of ninth-century Britain
(National Museums Scotland)
Around the World
ITALY
Five canoes recovered 35 feet underwater in Lake Bracciano, northwest of Rome, are thought to be the oldest boats ever found in the Mediterranean region. The vessels were discovered at the site of the Neolithic village of La Marmotta, which was occupied more than 7,000 years ago. The canoes were constructed from alder, oak, poplar, and beech, and the largest is 35 feet long. These technologically advanced crafts would have been capable of sailing on the Mediterranean, which was accessible from the lake via the Arrone River.
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ENGLAND
Judging from the high-quality glass, pottery, and carved gemstones found at a bathhouse in the city of Carlisle, the facility was frequented by upper-class Romans—perhaps including the emperor himself. Among the finds was a clump of Tyrian purple dye, the most expensive commodity in antiquity. Made from sea snail secretions, the pigment was reserved exclusively for royalty and the very wealthy. This is the only example ever discovered in England and may be connected with the emperor Septimius Severus’ visit to Carlisle in A.D. 208.
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MEXICO
During the 1st millennium B.C., Teotihuacan was a thriving metropolis of at least 100,000 people, but the city was abandoned around A.D. 650 for reasons that aren’t fully understood. New analysis of 3 of the city’s monuments—the Pyramid of the Sun, the Pyramid of the Moon, and the Temple of the Feathered Serpent—revealed telltale signs of seismic damage. Researchers now believe that 5 megathrust earthquakes struck the city between A.D. 100 and 600, likely hastening its collapse.