Wednesday, October 14, 2026

Cold Pools Uncovered at Sanctuary Bathhouse

ÇANAKKALE, TURKEY—Hürriyet Daily News reports that excavations at the 1,700-year-old Western Bath at the sanctuary of Apollo Smintheus, which is located near the coast of northwestern Turkey, have uncovered areas with cold water pools, or frigidaria, and a changing room, or apodyterium. “We have not opened the pools yet, but right next to them is…

Buddha Statues Uncovered in Sri Lanka

COLOMBO, SRI LANKA—According to an AFP report, 17 gold-plated bronze Buddha statues have been unearthed at the site of the Abhayagiri temple in Anuradhapura, an ancient Sinhalese capital in north-central Sri Lanka. “We have found artifacts [at the temple site] before, but this is the first time we have seen such a large number of…

Natufian Hunters May Have Consumed Reptiles
Ancient Engineering

Natufian Hunters May Have Consumed Reptiles

Microscopic image showing cut marks on a bone from a large whip snake (Dolichophis jugularis) KIEL, GERMANY—According to a statement released by Kiel University, analysis of cut marks on bones suggests that hunter-gatherers living in a small settlement on northern Israel’s Mount Carmel some 15,000 years ago hunted and consumed reptiles. “Lizards and snakes became…

Iron Smelting Site Discovered in Northern England
Ancient Engineering

Iron Smelting Site Discovered in Northern England

THORNTON, ENGLAND—Iron was smelted in northern England some 2,400 years ago, The Yorkshire Post reports. An investigation conducted ahead of a construction project unearthed the bottom of a large furnace consisting of a pit that would have been packed with green wood. In this system, molten waste slag dripped down into the pit, slowly burned…

Human Remains Found at Peruvian Pyramid Site
Ancient Engineering

Human Remains Found at Peruvian Pyramid Site

LIMA, PERU—According to an Associated Press report, the bones of an adult have been uncovered near the base of Huaca Pucllana, an adobe pyramid constructed by the Lima culture some 1,400 years ago. Archaeologist Gladys Paz said that the bones are thought to belong to a man who may have been sacrificed during a ritual…

Dwellings Detected Near Monuments at Göbekli Tepe

ISTANBUL, TURKEY—IFL Science reports that possible dwellings have been found at Göbekli Tepe, an 11,000-year-old site in southeastern Turkey. It had been previously suggested that the site may have been built and used by hunter-gatherers solely for ceremonial gatherings, since little evidence of farming or pottery have been uncovered in the area. Necmi Karul of…

This 23-foot crocodylian may have ruled South America’s food chain

Miocene South America was packed with giant prey—and the predators hunting them were just as spectacular. Fossil bite marks suggest crocodylians, especially the enormous Purussaurus neivensis, were more important predators than mammals in this ancient tropical ecosystem. At around seven meters long, Purussaurus may even have helped control populations of giant herbivores.

Early Islamic Industrial Complex Unearthed
Ancient Engineering

Early Islamic Industrial Complex Unearthed

Aerial view of excavations next to the stadium in Ramat Gan, Israel RAMAT GAN, ISRAEL—According to a statement released by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), archaeologists uncovered a remarkable 1,700-year-old commercial complex in Ramat Gan during excavations next to the Winter Stadium. The site contains a series of workshops, warehouses, pottery kilns, and other industrial…

Medieval Scottish Man May Be First Confirmed Case of Death by Trebuchet

BERLIN, GERMANY—The Herald Scotland reports that scholars believe they have identified the first ever documented victim of a trebuchet attack. The new research was presented by University of Bradford archaeologist Jo Buckberry at the biannual European meeting of the Paleopathology Association. During the 1990s, excavations at Scotland’s Stirling Castle uncovered the remains of an individual…