archaeology

The Nizari garrison at Gird Castle resisted the Mongol horde of Hulagu Khan for 17 years before surrendering in December 1270. The fortress rose 300 meters above the surrounding plains of present-day eastern Iran, with three rings of fortifications enclosing its base. But dwindling supplies and an outbreak of cholera forced the defenders to abandon their posts after one of the longest sieges in medieval history.Eight hundred years later, the remaining fortifications at Gird Castle face the onslaught of a new invader:…

There are many competing theories as to why the Neanderthals disappeared. Horizon-backed research is using new techniques to learn more about the closest ancestor to modern humans. Credit: Gorodenkoff, Shutterstock Char from ancient fires and stalagmites in caves hold clues to the mysterious disappearance of Neanderthals from Europe.…

Any kids with an archaeological bent can have it nicely perverted by the third instalment in this digital animation series originating from Spain and devoted to Chicago bricklayer Tad Stones (an echo of Indiana Jones, who inspires some moments here), whose part-time adventures as a would-be archaeologist have already landed him with a living-dead Maya chum called Mummy. Pooh-poohed by the dig establishment after he finds an Egyptian sarcophagus beneath a Mexican temple (I did say perverted), he’s in deeper trouble when…

The Sumerian Great Ziggurat temple, in modern-day Iraq.Photo: Asaad NIAZI / AFP (Getty Images)Three new scientific papers provide a fascinating and comprehensive analysis of the genomes of 777 humans who lived from the Neolithic period (about 10,000 years ago) to the Ottoman period (around 1700 CE). Altogether, the research adds nuance to the story of human dispersal and connection since the dawn of civilization.Ancient DNA for the research came from sources representing a diversity of people across time. Some of the…

Two hundred years ago, an earthquake revealed the entrance to a large cave system in southern Spain; sealed within the dark chambers were artworks made tens of thousands of years ago by early modern humans and Neanderthals, our closest relatives. Now, excavations and scientific analyses have revealed the precise age of many of the cave’s artworks and the chronology of the system’s use.The cave is called Cueva de Ardales, and it contains over 1,000 artworks depicting animals, humans, handprints, and abstractions. Though…

The Westfall family lived in the Osburn Hotel in downtown Eugene for a number of years. While they lived there, the hotel boasted a 'Japanese Tea Room,' a lavish meeting space filled with Asian art. Credit: University of Oregon Uncovering the past of historically under-represented communities sometimes means having to do a little digging, through newspapers, archives and even the ground.…

Serpent figure with a round head and diamond-shaped body markings. Note that the base of the engraved glyph joins a natural fissure in the ceiling limestone (3.3m long). Credit: S. Alvarez; illustration by J. Simek/ Antiquity New details of our past are coming to light, hiding in the nooks and crannies of the world, as we refine our techniques to go looking for them. Most lauded is the reconstruction of the evolution of…