Archaeology, features and articles | Educational Science

May 1, 2023

Double hoard of Viking treasure discovered near Harald Bluetooth's fort in Denmark

Silver coins and jewelry unearthed from a field on the Jutland peninsula in Denmark are revealing new insight into the reign and religious ambitions of the powerful Viking king Harald Bluetooth, according to archaeologists. The objects — around 300 pieces of silver, including about 50 coins and cut-up jewelry —...

Jul 6, 2023

1,200-year-old 'Viking graffiti' is the oldest drawing ever discovered in Iceland

Archaeologists in Iceland have unearthed the country's oldest known drawing: a scratched-out piece of Viking graffiti that looks like a partly drawn boat. The researchers found the graffiti in the remains of a longhouse, said Bjarni F. Einarsson, an archaeologist and manager at his private company Fornleifafræðistofan (The Archaeological Office)...

Jul 6, 2023

Viking sword from warrior's grave unearthed in family's yard in Norway

A man digging in his yard to build an extension of his house in southern Norway has unearthed the 1,100-year-old grave of a Viking warrior who was buried with weapons. The finds include a rusty iron sword in two pieces; its hilt style enabled archaeologists to date the burial to...

Oct 4, 2023

Norwegian family finds 1,200-year-old Viking treasure while searching for a lost earring in their yard

A family in Norway unearthed more than they were expecting when they used a metal detector to search their yard for a lost earring. Instead of finding the modern jewelry, they detected a signal beneath a large tree behind their house. And when they dug down, they discovered relics from...

Dec 18, 2023

Oldest known ship burial discovered in Norway predates Vikings

A large, grassy hill in Norway known as the Herlaugshagen burial mound was likely the site of a pre-Viking ship burial, a new analysis finds. Archaeologists have long wondered whether the oversize mound in Leka, a municipality in central Norway located along a known centuries-old shipping route, once housed a...

Jan 1, 2024

What's the farthest place the Vikings reached?

In less than 300 years, the Vikings raided and explored land in at least four continents, spreading out in every direction from Scandinavia to invade and trade with civilizations across Europe and beyond. But just how far did the Vikings get, and why were they so adventurous? Fundamentally, the Vikings'...

Feb 22, 2024

Viking market may be buried on a Norwegian island, radar suggests

A Viking Age marketplace may be buried on a Norwegian island, new research suggests. Archaeologists surveying part of the historic island of Klosterøy, in southwest Norway about 190 miles (300 kilometers) west of Oslo, used ground-penetrating radar to detect signals from what appear to be the buried remains of several...

Mar 7, 2024

1,100-year-old Viking sword pulled from UK river by magnet fisher

A corroded sword pulled from an English river by a magnet fisher is a Viking weapon dating to between A.D. 850 and 975, experts have confirmed. Trevor Penny was searching for lost and discarded objects in the River Cherwell in Oxfordshire in November 2023 when he made the discovery. The...

Jul 22, 2022

The Roman Colosseum: Facts about the gladiatorial arena

The Colosseum was the largest amphitheater built in ancient Rome. The massive arena held thousands of spectators, who packed the stands to watch gladiators battle to the death and fight exotic animals, such as lions. Built in A.D. 72, the four-story amphitheater soon towered nearly 165 feet (50 meters) high....

Jul 22, 2022

Gladiator arena from Roman era unearthed in Turkey

Archaeologists in Turkey have discovered the remains of a magnificent Roman-era arena, where up to 20,000 spectators likely cheered and jeered as they watched gladiator matches and wild animal fights, the excavators said. The 1,800-year-old arena was discovered on the rolling hills of the ancient city of Mastaura, in Turkey's...

Jul 22, 2022

Last Roman gladiator arena ever built unearthed in Switzerland

Archaeologists in Switzerland have uncovered the ruins of a Roman-era amphitheater — possibly the youngest on record — where spectators likely watched gladiator fights and animal hunts with bated breath. The oval-shaped amphitheater was built in an abandoned Roman quarry that had been in use until late antiquity. This clue,...

Jul 22, 2022

Ancient Concession Stands and Shops Found at Roman Gladiator Arena

Just like spectators at modern-day sporting events, people who attended ancient Roman gladiator fights would have gotten hungry and might have even wanted to shop for little souvenirs. Archaeologists in Austria say they have detected the remains of the bakeries, fast-food stands and shops that would have served spectators at...

Jul 22, 2022

'Box seats' found at Roman Empire-era arena in Turkey

Archaeologists in western Turkey have discovered the 1,800-year-old equivalent of box seats at a giant arena dating to the Roman Empire. During excavations at the ancient amphitheater of Pergamon, a large arena built to mirror the Colosseum of ancient Rome, researchers discovered two seat blocks with carved inscriptions on the...

Jul 27, 2022

What was the largest empire in the world?

According to Guinness World Records, which seems as good an authority as any, the answer is the Achaemenid Empire in 480 B.C. Also known as the Persian Empire, it's estimated that 44% of the world's population was ruled from the Achaemenid throne in what is now modern-day Iran, making it...

Aug 1, 2022

Roman 'Zodiac' coin with cancer sign unearthed in Israel

Archaeologists diving into the Mediterranean sea by Israel have discovered a bronze coin on the seafloor dating to one of the Roman Empire's most peaceful eras. On one side, the coin depicts Luna (Selene in Greek), the Roman goddess of the moon, with a crab, the astrological sign of cancer,...