Archaeology
How Tree Rings Put Dates on the Past
Overlapping patterns of wide and narrow growth rings can build exact regional calendars, allowing wood from buildings and sites to be dated while preserving…
Sep 23, 2026 • 13 min readPAST, REDISCOVERED
History & Knowledge
Explore the people, places, inventions and evidence that shape our understanding of the past and the history of knowledge.
EDITOR’S PICK
The Ancient Cities Discovered Beneath Modern Landscapes
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 →LATEST
Latest discoveries
New stories, explanations and research from History & Knowledge.
Ancient Civilizations
How Scholars Learned to Read Maya Writing
Maya writing combines word signs and syllabic signs. Decipherment advanced by linking sounds, repeated spellings and historical sequences—not by treating every glyph as a…
Sep 22, 2026 • 3 min read
Archaeology
How Ancient Pollen Reconstructs Lost Landscapes
Microscopic grains preserved in sediment reveal changing forests, wetlands, farms, fires and human land use.
Sep 21, 2026 • 12 min read
Archaeology
How Radiocarbon Dating Turns Decay Into a Clock
The changing ratio of carbon isotopes can estimate when once-living material stopped exchanging carbon with its environment.
Sep 21, 2026 • 14 min read
Ancient Civilizations
Why Some Ancient Roman Concrete Becomes More Resilient Around Cracks
Lime clasts, volcanic materials and water-driven mineral reactions help explain why selected Roman structures endured—and what modern engineers can learn without repeating the myths.
Sep 19, 2026 • 12 min read
Archaeology
The Ancient Cities Discovered Beneath Modern Landscapes
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 read
Archaeology
How LiDAR Reveals Ancient Cities Beneath Forests
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
Cultural Origins
How Ancient DNA Reconstructs Lost Human Migrations
Fragments of genetic material recovered from the past reveal population movement, mixture and continuity—but only through careful sampling and statistical comparison.
Sep 13, 2026 • 8 min read
Archaeology
The Antikythera Mechanism: Inside the Ancient World’s Astronomical Computer
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 readWORTH KNOWING
Popular & evergreen
Archaeology
How Ancient Pollen Reconstructs Lost Landscapes
Microscopic grains preserved in sediment reveal changing forests, wetlands, farms, fires and human land use.
Sep 21, 2026 • 12 min read
Archaeology
How Radiocarbon Dating Turns Decay Into a Clock
The changing ratio of carbon isotopes can estimate when once-living material stopped exchanging carbon with its environment.
Sep 21, 2026 • 14 min read
Ancient Civilizations
Why Some Ancient Roman Concrete Becomes More Resilient Around Cracks
Lime clasts, volcanic materials and water-driven mineral reactions help explain why selected Roman structures endured—and what modern engineers can learn without repeating the myths.
Sep 19, 2026 • 12 min read
Archaeology
How LiDAR Reveals Ancient Cities Beneath Forests
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