In Brief
Archaeologists Find Solid Gold Scythian Vessels for Opium and Weed
In "a once-in-a-century discovery," archaeologists excavating in the Caucasus Mountains of Russia have discovered two intact, solid gold vessels used by the Scythians.
Archaeology
Art
Remains of 18th-Century Slave Ship Find Safe Harbor at Smithsonian
Long-lost between two reefs off the coast of Cape Town, South Africa, are the fragmented remains of a Portuguese slave ship, now identified centuries later as the first known wreck of its kind.
News
Tomb-Raiding Archaeologists Arrested in Chinese Antiquities Trafficking Bust
Four archaeologists were among nearly 200 people from six Chinese provinces recently arrested for raiding ancient tombs and selling an estimated $80 million worth of antiquities on the black market, the Beijing Times reported.
News
British Scientists Find Trove of Animal Mummies with No Bones
It sounds like the beginnings of a detective tale: researchers in the UK recently scanned 300 animal mummies from Egypt only to discover that a full third held no bodies.
In Brief
Archaeologist Discovers Ancient Mayan City Built on a Grid
If you've ever found yourself lost in Manhattan, you know that city grids are a beautiful thing.
In Brief
Archaeologist Finds Liquid Mercury at Ancient Mesoamerican Site
Large quantities of liquid mercury have been discovered at one of Mexico's most sacred pre-Columbian sites.
News
An Archaeological Twist in a Florida Fight Against High-Speed Rail
Eastern Floridians who have long been fighting a high-speed rail development in their region claim in a lawsuit that it would damage two "prehistoric sites of cultural importance."
News
ISIS Video Shows Devastating Destruction of Ancient Assyria's Capital
They were removing "signs of idolatry." That's what an ISIS fighter said in a video published online Saturday.
Art
Richest Gathering of Hellenistic Bronzes in Centuries Goes on Tour
In Power and Pathos: Bronze Sculpture of the Hellenistic World, opened last week at Florence's Palazzo Strozzi, more Greek bronzes are assembled than ever before in the modern age.
Art
Afterlives of Mesopotamian Artifacts, from Flapper Fashion to de Kooning
After excavation, ancient artifacts embark on an afterlife of interpretation. From Ancient to Modern explores how the archaeology of Mesopotamia reflected fashions and academia of the 1920s and 30s, and influenced contemporary art.
In Brief
Angered Archaeologists Allow Thousands to Enter the Louvre for Free
On Thursday about 100 peeved archaeologists took over the lobby of the Louvre in Paris, blocking the ticket booths for nearly five hours and allowing visitors to enter the museum without paying admission.
Art
Why Is No One Talking About Libya's Cultural Destruction?
Over the past few years, Libya has been making archaeology headlines not for the exciting new discoveries there, but for the ruthless cultural destruction.