Visiting the Secret Wonders of Herculaneum: The (Other) Archeological Site in Naples, Italy
Have you heard of Herculaneum? Discussions of catastrophic volcanic eruptions, and specifically the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, generally touch on the ancient city of Pompeii and the…
Baalbek’s Stone of the Pregnant Woman: How Was This 1000-Ton Megalith Moved?!
One of the biggest feats of Roman ingenuity lies in Lebanon’s historic Bekaa Valley, home to the ancient city of Heliopolis, now Baalbek. Here, the 2,000-year-old Temple…
Kinship and Culture in an Alemannic Burial Ground from the early 7th century
In 1962 an Alemannic graveyard in Niederstotzingen in Southern Germany was discovered and excavated. New studies of the aDNA of thirteen individuals – ten male adults and…
Meet the Fantastically Bejeweled Skeletons of Catholicism’s Forgotten Martyrs
Art historian and author Paul Koudounaris elucidates the macabre splendor and tragic history of Europe’s catacomb saints Paul Koudounaris is not a man who shies away from…
The Forgotten Story Of The Radium Girls, Whose Deaths Saved Thousands Of Workers’ Lives
During World War I, hundreds of young women went to work in clock factories, painting watch dials with luminous radium paint. But after the girls — who…
The Mesmerizing Tale of Arizona’s 225-Million-Year-Old Petrified Forest
A Journey Through Time: The Formation of Petrified Wood In the heart of northeastern Arizona lies a geological wonder that transports visitors back to a prehistoric era….
The Enigmatic Basalt Torso: Ancient Egypt’s Fusion of Art and Magic
19 Th12 Dating to the 30th Dynasty (circa 350–300 B.C.), the basalt torso of Pa-Maj is a remarkable artifact showcasing ancient Egyptian beliefs in protection and spirituality….
The Mummies of East Central Asia
In 1988, while visiting the Ürümqi Museum in China, I came upon an exhibition which changed the course of my professional life. At the time, my academic…
Why Was This Mummified 17th-Century Bishop Buried With a Fetus?
The stillborn baby was likely the grandson of Peder Winstrup, whose well-preserved remains have been the subject of much study In 1679, prominent Lutheran bishop Peder Winstrup was buried…
Archaeologists puzzle over mystery woman in early Christian cemetery
Buried beside a stunning blue glᴀss drinking bowl, the woman may have been the first interred at the Roman site, with others eager to be near her…