Floods of unimaginable magnitude once washed through Gale Crater on Mars around 4 billion years ago, raising the possibility life once existed on the Red Planet. Researchers from Jackson State University, Cornell University and the University of Hawaii worked with NASA to examine sediment data captured by the Curiosity Rover. Dubbed a ‘raging megaflood’ by … Read more
Britain at its best: Chalk up a walk along the ancient Ridgeway track, which takes in the mysterious Uffington White Horse, Iron Age hill-forts and Bronze Age burial mounds Kate Eshelby embarked on an ancient walk between Wiltshire and Buckinghamshire known as The Ridgeway For more than 5,000 years, drovers, traders and invaders have travelled … Read more
A gynaecological treatment from nearly 1,800BC has been revealed in the tomb of an ancient Egyptian noblewoman. The woman, called Sattjeni, was found interred with a fire-damaged cup between her legs – evidence of an ancient treatment whereby the vagina was fumigated. Experts speculate that roast meat, herbs or rancid milk may have been used … Read more
Secrets from within the shrouds of three ancient Egyptian mummies, first discovered in 1615, have been revealed for the first time thanks to CT scans. A man in his twenties, a woman in her thirties and a teenage girl aged between 17 and 19 were inside the plaster-covered remains, buried with jewellery, gold coins and … Read more
Ancient ‘paperclip’ squid that roamed the oceans 68 million years ago would live for centuries, strange stationary-shaped fossil reveals Remains of a 68 million-year-old squid reveals the creature lived 200 years Experts re-examined its paperclip-shaped shell to determine its age The shell had ridges from methane being released from the seafloor each year By Stacy … Read more
A Viking ship burial, feast hall and cult house have been found by archaeologists in Norway without having to dig into the soil – only using ground penetrating radar. The discovery was made by experts from the Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research (NIKU) at Gjellestad in southeastern Norway. Gjellestad is home to the Jell Mound, … Read more
Analysis of a meteorite found in the Sahara Desert reveals the existence of water on Mars 4.4 billion years ago, scientists report. The mineral composition of Martian meteorite NWA 7533, found in 2012, reveals chemical signatures of oxidation – which would have occurred as water formed. The 84 gram meteorite, named partly after its landing … Read more
Ancient Maya water purification system developed over 2,000 years ago in Guatemala ‘would still work today’, study shows By Ian Randall For Mailonline Published: 12:00 GMT, 26 October 2020 | Updated: 12:05 GMT, 26 October 2020 The ancient Maya people of Mesoamerica developed one of the world’s oldest water purification systems — and it would … Read more
Leading ecologists warn moving ancient woodland to make way for HS2 is a ‘fundamentally flawed’ idea based on no strong evidence HS2 bosses say they are trying to move ancient woodland soil to a nearby field Ecologist warns it could take ‘hundreds of years’ for nature to recover from move Experts at HS2 accept there’s … Read more
Archaeologists are investigating ‘witches’ marks’ found carved into the ruins of a medieval church that stood in England 700 years ago. The crumbled structure was uncovered in Stoke Mandeville during a construction project for a high-speed railway that is set to span across the country. Researchers with HSR, the company involved with the project, spotted … Read more