Explore how archaeologists study objects, buildings and landscapes to reconstruct the past, including the limits of the surviving evidence.
Explore ancient cities beneath Mexico City, Rome and Istanbul—and how archaeologists read layers, date evidence and work beneath living streets.
Sep 16, 2026 • 6 min readRead the discovery →New stories, explanations and research from Archaeology.
Papyrus survives when its environment slows deterioration. Dry burial preserved many Egyptian texts, but excavation leaves fragile plant fibres needing careful conservation.
Sep 29, 2026 • 3 min read
Cuneiform is a writing tradition used for several languages. Its decipherment required comparisons, sound values and independent tests, with different languages becoming readable at…
Sep 28, 2026 • 3 min read
Ancient colour survives as materials, traces and altered layers. Imaging and spectroscopy help identify it, while reconstruction must distinguish evidence from interpretation.
Sep 28, 2026 • 3 min read
Shipwreck preservation depends on materials, burial and the surrounding water. Raising a wreck changes those conditions and can create a demanding new conservation problem.
Sep 28, 2026 • 3 min read
Dendrochronology matches distinctive sequences of wide and narrow growth rings among trees and timbers, producing calendar dates and environmental records where suitable species and…
Sep 24, 2026 • 2 min read
Linear B became readable through sign catalogues, recurring word endings, place-name tests and the recognition of early Greek. The breakthrough was collaborative.
Sep 23, 2026 • 3 min read
Microscopic grains preserved in sediment reveal changing forests, wetlands, farms, fires and human land use.
Sep 21, 2026 • 12 min read
Radiocarbon dating measures the loss of carbon-14 after carbon exchange stops. Calibration and sample context turn that measurement into a useful calendar-age estimate.
Sep 21, 2026 • 3 min read
Airborne lasers can map tiny differences in ground elevation through gaps in a canopy, revealing roads, terraces and monumental landscapes—but not replacing archaeology on…
Sep 14, 2026 • 4 min read
Microscopic grains preserved in sediment reveal changing forests, wetlands, farms, fires and human land use.
Sep 21, 2026 • 12 min read
Radiocarbon dating measures the loss of carbon-14 after carbon exchange stops. Calibration and sample context turn that measurement into a useful calendar-age estimate.
Sep 21, 2026 • 3 min read
Airborne lasers can map tiny differences in ground elevation through gaps in a canopy, revealing roads, terraces and monumental landscapes—but not replacing archaeology on…
Sep 14, 2026 • 4 min read
Corroded bronze fragments recovered from a shipwreck preserve an intricate geared model of celestial cycles—and a continuing archaeological puzzle.
Sep 13, 2026 • 8 min readOne remarkable idea at a time—nature, science, history and beyond.
