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Features
The Unexpected World of the Odyssey
Discovering the surprising inspirations behind Homer’s great tales of the Trojan War
a_medvedkov/Adobe Stock -
Features
Pioneers of Lakefront Living
Why Neolithic and Bronze Age farmers in the Alps built their villages on stilts
© APM/Frank Müller -
Features
Pompeii's House of Dionysian Delights
Vivid frescoes in an opulent dining room celebrate the wild rites of the wine god
Courtesy Archaeological Park of Pompeii -
Features
Return to Serpent Mountain
Discovering the true origins of an enigmatic mile-long pattern in Peru’s coastal desert
Courtesy J.L. Bongers
Trending Articles
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The Unexpected World of the Odyssey May/June 2026
The Archer’s Tomb
Manuel Cohen/Art Resource, NY -
The Unexpected World of the Odyssey May/June 2026
Another Trojan War?
©ULAS -
Features May/June 2026
Pioneers of Lakefront Living
Why Neolithic and Bronze Age farmers in the Alps built their villages on stilts
© APM/Frank Müller
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Features March/April 2024
Discovering a New Neolithic World
Excavations in southeastern Turkey are revolutionizing how archaeologists understand the monumental achievements of hunter-gatherers
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(Scala / Art Resource, NY) -
Features March/April 2022
Exploring Notre Dame's Hidden Past
The devastating 2019 fire is providing an unprecedented look at the secrets of the great cathedral
(Patrick Zachmann) -
Features July/August 2021
The Ugarit Archives
Thousands of cuneiform tablets written in a distinctive script tell the dramatic story of a Bronze Age merchant city in Syria
(Dick Osseman/ Wikimedia Commons) -
Features November/December 2022
Magical Mystery Door
An investigation of an Egyptian sacred portal reveals a history of renovation and deception
(© The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge)
Around the World
THE NETHERLANDS
Artificial intelligence has helped decipher the rules of an ancient Roman game. A puzzling stone artifact found at the site of Coriovallum features geometric patterns, hinting at its use for gaming, but scholars had no idea how the game was played. Two AI agents were programmed to compete against each other using different sets of rules from known ancient games as a guide. The software revealed that the artifact’s wear patterns are consistent with blocking games, such as tic-tac-toe, which were not known to have existed in Europe before the Middle Ages.
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GREENLAND
Paleo-Inuit people were accomplished seafarers who routinely braved treacherous seas 4,500 years ago to visit remote High Arctic locations. An archaeological survey identified evidence of seasonal occupation, such as tent rings and hearths, on the Kitsissut Islands, some 30 miles off northwest Greenland. These early sailors had to cross notoriously dangerous open water in skin-covered wood-frame crafts to hunt marine mammals and gather eggs from the islands’ thriving seabird colonies.
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SOUTH AFRICA
When humans first began using bows around 80,000 years ago, it represented a monumental step forward in their hunting capabilities. Lacing projectiles with toxins was the next game changer. The earliest evidence of poison-tip technology comes from 60,000-year-old quartz arrowheads found at the Umhlatuzana Rock Shelter. Researchers studying the arrowheads detected residue from a toxic plant known as bushman’s poison bulb. Although not immediately fatal, this substance would have severely weakened wounded prey over time.