‘World’s oldest wine found in 8,000-year-old jars in Georgia
‘World’s oldest wine’ found in 8,000-year-old jars in Georgia This remarkable find deserves a toast: People were fermenting grapes into wine about 8,000 years back in what is now the Republic of Georgia, say scientists who found what’s now considered the oldest known winemaking site on record. Archaeologists discovered ceramic jars that showed proof of winemaking during an excavation …
Unlocking 2,000-year-old Herculaneum scrolls were buried when Mount Vesuvius erupted.
Unlocking 2,000-year-old Herculaneum scrolls were buried when Mount Vesuvius erupted. Artefacts from the Roman towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum, buried in ash during an explosive Mount Vesuvius eruption, was a scale-out at the British Museum in 2013. But could even bigger treasures still lie underground, including lost classical literature? Scholars have been investigating the lost …
Rare tardigrade fossil found in 16-million-year-old Dominican amber
Rare tardigrade fossil found in 16-million-year-old Dominican amber The discovery of an incredibly rare fossil is helping scientists learn more about one of Earth’s ancient and most resilient inhabitants: the microscopic tardigrade. Modern tardigrades are eight-legged micro-animals, also known as water bears or moss piglets. They’re almost completely missing from the fossil record despite their …
Newly identified American saber-toothed cat species was larger than a tiger and hunted rhinos
Newly identified American sabre-toothed cat species was larger than a tiger and hunted rhinos Scientists have identified a huge new saber-toothed cat species, Machairodus lahayishupup, that would have prowled the vast areas of North America between 5 and 9 million years ago, using detailed fossil comparison techniques. One of the biggest cats ever discovered, M. lahayishupup is …
Archaeologists Find Oldest Home in Human History, Dating to 2 Million Years Ago
Archaeologists Find Oldest Home in Human History, Dating to 2 Million Years Ago Archaeologists have identified Wonderwerk Cave in South Africa’s the Kalahari Desert as the world’s oldest home, thanks to new evidence confirming the theory that early humans were already occupying the site 2 million years ago. The dates for the cave—named for the …
Who’s a Good Archaeologist? Dog Digs Up Trove of Bronze Age Relics
Who’s a Good Archaeologist? Dog Digs Up Trove of Bronze Age Relics Is this the world’s least likely archaeologist? A dog named Monty, who was out for a walk in the Czech village of Kostelecké Horky this past March, began excitedly digging in a field when he, miraculously, discovered a buried cache of rare Bronze …
World’s oldest ‘pet cemetery’ discovered in ancient Egypt
World’s oldest ‘pet cemetery’ discovered in ancient Egypt A dig near the famous ancient Egyptian port city of Berenice has turned up a mysterious animal cemetery dating to the 1st century AD. It emerged in the dunes to the northwest of the important ancient Red Sea port of Berenice, which saw traffic from far and …
An ancient mᴀss grave, WWII bunker among new finds in Istanbul’s Haydarpaşa dig
Ancient mᴀss grave, WWII bunker among new finds in Istanbul’s Haydarpaşa dig The ongoing archaeological excavation on the premises of Istanbul’s iconic Haydarpaşa Train Station entered a new phase with the recent removal of concrete platforms, with ancient mᴀss graves, a mausoleum and a bunker used during World War II joining a long list of …
Garden statues turn out to be ancient Egyptian relics, selling for $265,000
Garden statues turn out to be ancient Egyptian relics, selling for $265,000 An auction company said that a pair of carved stone statues used as garden ornaments sold for more than £195,000 ($265,510) when it was discovered that they were ancient Egyptian artefacts going back thousands of years. The artefacts were acquired from a garden …
Humans May Have Smoked Tobacco 12,300 Years Ago, Scientists Find New Evidence in Utah
Humans May Have Smoked Tobacco 12,300 Years Ago, Scientists Find New Evidence in Utah Humankind’s addiction to tobacco runs deep: Archaeologists in Utah have discovered what appears to be the earliest known use of wild tobacco, stretching back 12,500 years—some 9,000 years earlier than the previously dated evidence. A team from the Far Western Anthropological Research …