Archaeology, features and articles | Educational Science

Apr 18, 2023

Severed hands buried in ancient Egyptian palace were likely 'trophies' exchanged for gold

In a gruesome exchange about 3,600 years ago, the severed right hands of at least 12 individuals were traded for gold and then buried in a royal palace in ancient Egypt, a new study finds. Scientists discovered the severed hands buried in three pits during a 2011 excavation of a...

Apr 20, 2023

Hidden contents of 6 ancient Egyptian coffins, sealed for thousands of years, revealed

For thousands of years, six ancient Egyptian coffins have been sealed to the outside world, their contents unknown. Now, scientists have used technology to peer inside the coffins, which are now housed at the British Museum in London, for the first time since their burial, revealing the mummified remains of...

Apr 23, 2023

3,300-year-old ancient Egyptian tombs and chapel with 'amazing' decorations unearthed at Saqqara

Archaeologists in Egypt have discovered several tombs and chapels dating back around 3,300 years in an ancient cemetery at the site of Saqqara. The biggest tomb belonged to a man named Panehsy who was the overseer of the temple of Amun, Lara Weiss, a curator of the Egyptian and Nubian...

Apr 28, 2023

Mystery of 'impossible' ancient Egyptian statue may be solved

The mystery of an impossible ancient Egyptian sculpture depicting two individuals, one of them a pharaoh, may now be solved, according to a researcher. Not everyone agrees with the new assessment, however. The 3D sculpture, carved out of limestone, shows the statue of a pharaoh seated on the lap of...

May 2, 2023

1st-century Buddha statue from ancient Egypt indicates Buddhists lived there in Roman times

A 1,900-year-old statue of the Buddha — discovered at the ancient Egyptian port city of Berenike, on the coast of the Red Sea — likely belonged to a transplant from South Asia, according to archaeologists. The Buddha statue depicts Siddhartha Gautama, who lived in South Asia around 2,550 years ago....

May 16, 2023

Ancient Egyptian children were plagued with blood disorders, mummies reveal

A large percentage of mummified children from ancient Egypt show signs of blood disorders known as anemias, suggesting that these youngsters may have had a slew of related medical problems, including malnutrition and growth defects, a new study finds. Using full body CT (computed tomography) scans, a non-destructive way to...

Jun 1, 2023

Ancient Egyptian queen's bracelets contain 1st evidence of long-distance trade between Egypt and Greece

Bracelets found in the tomb of the ancient Egyptian queen Hetepheres I — the mother of Khufu, the pharaoh who commissioned the Great Pyramid of Giza — reveal new information about the trade networks that once linked the Old Kingdom to Greece. After analyzing samples taken from the jewelry, an...

Jun 2, 2023

Ancient Egypt: History, dynasties, religion and writing

Ancient Egypt in North Africa was one of the most powerful and influential civilizations in the region for over 3,000 years, from around 3100 B.C to 30 B.C. It left behind numerous monuments, documents and works of art that continue to be studied by scholars today. However Egyptian civilization existed...

Jun 2, 2023

2,300-year-old Egyptian mummification workshops found at Saqqara

Two ancient mummification workshops — one for humans and another for animals — have been discovered at Saqqara in Egypt. The workshops date back around 2,300 years and were in use between the late 30th dynasty and the early Ptolemaic period. During that time, Egypt lost its independence, first being...

Jun 7, 2023

King Tut's likeness revealed in vivid new facial approximation of ancient Egyptian pharaoh

The pharaoh Tutankhamun, also known as King Tut, is arguably the best-known ruler in ancient Egyptian history. And while much has been written about the royal youth, who held the throne from about the age of 9 until his death a decade later around 1323 B.C., his actual appearance is...

Jun 26, 2023

Evidence of ancient hydraulic engineering discovered along Nile

A vast number of stone walls spread across more than 600 miles (1,000 kilometers) of the Nile River were constructed over a period of 3,000 years and functioned as flood and flow control structures, new research reveals. The walls, called groynes, stretch from the first cataract of the Nile River,...

Jul 12, 2023

X-ray scans reveal 'hidden mysteries' in ancient Egyptian necropolis paintings

More than 3,000 years ago, ancient Egyptian artists flubbed a royal portrait that was discovered in a tomb within a vast necropolis, a new study suggests. The painting, of the pharaoh Ramesses II (reign circa 1279 B.C. to 1213 B.C.), is in the tomb of an official named Nakhtamun, who...

Aug 9, 2023

What did Cleopatra, Egypt's last pharaoh, really look like?

Cleopatra VII may have been the most famous woman in the ancient world. She was the last of a dynasty that ruled ancient Egypt for around 300 years, from the death of Alexander the Great to the rise of the Roman Empire. Her face has been immortalized on a handful...

Aug 29, 2023

How old are the Egyptian pyramids?

Pyramids are iconic symbols of the ancient pharaohs' power and technological prowess that still dominate the Egyptian skyline. But when were pyramids first built? And why were they constructed in the first place? The first pyramid in Egypt was built by the pharaoh Djoser, who reigned nearly 4,700 years ago....

Aug 31, 2023

Elite ancient Egyptian woman was embalmed with exotic ingredients smelling of vanilla and larch, new analysis reveals

Ancient Egyptians were masters at embalming and created elaborate concoctions to mummify the dead. Now, a new study reveals the lengths these innovators went to obtain exotic ingredients as part of this cultural practice — especially if the deceased were of high status. This was the case for Senetnay, a...