Bent Sword Found in 5th-Century Soldier’s Grave in Greece Live Science reports that Errikos Maniotis of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and his colleagues have uncovered seven graves, including a 1,600-year-old soldier’s arch-shaped grave, in an early Christian basilica discovered in 2010 ahead of subway construction in northern Greece. The soldier was buried with a shield, …

‘Vampire’ discovered in a mᴀss grave What may have been an exorcism of a vampire in Venice is now drawing bad blood among scientists arguing over whether gravediggers were attempting to defeat an unᴅᴇᴀᴅ monster. The controversy begins with a mᴀss grave of 16th-century plague victims on the Venetian island of Nuovo Lazzaretto. The remains …

1 billion-year-old fossil ‘balls’ may be Earth’s earliest known multicellular life Scientists have discovered a rare evolutionary “missing link” dating to the earliest chapter of life on Earth. It’s a microscopic, ball-shaped fossil that bridges the gap between the very first living creatures — single-celled organisms — and more complex multicellular life. The spherical fossil contains two different …

World War I Soldiers’ Artifacts Found in Alpine Cave According to a CNN report, continuing glacier melt has revealed additional World War I artefacts in a cave near the peak of Mount Scorluzzo in northern Italy. Twenty Austrian soldiers took shelter in the cave, which is located near the strategic Stelvio Pᴀss, and camouflaged it …

A Cache of 1,500-Year-Old Gold Pendants Found in Norway Science Norway reports that seven gold pendants, or bracteates, estimated to be 1,500 years old have been unearthed in southeastern Norway by archaeologists Jessica Leigh McGraw, Margrete Figenschou Simonsen found in a field and near a small hill at the edge of the field. If this …

Child’s Coffin Discovered at the Real Alcázar of Seville El País reports that the remains of a child were discovered under the floor near the main altar in the chapel at the Real Alcázar of Seville, a royal palace in southern Spain. The burial was found during work to restore the palace’s sixteenth-century ceramic tiles, …

Marble Head of Augustus Unearthed in Southern Italy Artnews reports that a marble head of the Roman emperor Augustus (r. 27 B.C.–A.D. 14) was unearthed in southern Italy’s region of Molise by a team of researchers led by archaeologist Francesca Giancola.  The sculpture, which has lost its body and nose was discovered while renovating Isernia’s …

The neanderthal family found cannibalised in a cave in Spain Researchers uncovered the bones of a possible family group of Neanderthals, including an infant, in a cave in Spain. The bones of the 12 people display evidence of cannibalism, suggesting another Neanderthal group came along and chowed down on the meat. According to the study, …

Shackled Skeletons Unearthed in Greece Could Be Remains of Slaughtered Rebels In the Faliron Delta district of southern Athens, two mᴀss graves containing 80 ancient bodies have been found. Young men’s bodies from the 7th century BC were placed side by side, their arms shackled over their heads. One skeleton had an arrow stuck in …