Humans have left clues of our existence throughout time, leaving behind burials, artifacts and written records that hint at our evolution, beliefs, practices and cultures. Studying the archaeological record shows us that the oldest known bones belonging to Homo sapiens are 300,000 years old, or that the world’s oldest civilizations arose at least 6,000 years ago.
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Whether you’re looking for facts about the ancient Egyptians, the discovery of an ancient human skull, a gold hoard dating to the fall of the Roman Empire or how the latest technology is helping us find hidden pyramids, Live Science's expert science writers and editors are here to give you the latest coverage on our past with archaeology news, articles and features.
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'A flash of copper caught our attention': 4,000-year-old dagger discovered deep in Italian cave
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Rare tomb from Egypt's Middle Kingdom holds a wealth of jewelry and several generations of the same family
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Puzzling patchwork skeleton in Belgium contains bones from 5 people spanning 2,500 years
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Origins of world's earliest writing point to symbols on 'seals' used in Mesopotamian trade
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'An offering to energize the fields': 76 child sacrifice victims, all with their chests cut open, unearthed at burial site in Peru
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The 3,300-year-old ancient Egyptian statue of Ramesses II said to have inspired Percy Shelley's 'Ozymandias'
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'Unique' gold offering to god of war discovered at Roman fortress in Georgia
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Rare tomb from Egypt's Middle Kingdom holds a wealth of jewelry and several generations of the same family
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The 3,300-year-old ancient Egyptian statue of Ramesses II said to have inspired Percy Shelley's 'Ozymandias'
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'Extraordinary' burial of ancient Egyptian governor's daughter discovered in a coffin within another coffin
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3,200-year-old ancient Egyptian barracks contains sword inscribed with 'Ramesses II'
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Ancient Egyptian head cones: Mysterious headgear that could be related to sensuality and fertility rituals
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Ancient Egyptians used so much copper, they polluted the harbor near the pyramids, study finds
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'Everything we found shattered our expectations': Archaeologists discover 1st astronomical observatory from ancient Egypt
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Last meal of crocodile mummified in ancient Egypt revealed in CT scans 3,000 years later
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'Screaming Woman' mummy suffered a painful death in ancient Egypt, virtual autopsy finds
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Puzzling patchwork skeleton in Belgium contains bones from 5 people spanning 2,500 years
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'Unique' gold offering to god of war discovered at Roman fortress in Georgia
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2,000-year-old temple from 'Indiana Jones civilization' found submerged off Italy
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'The waters become corrupt, the air infected': How the ancient Greeks and Romans viewed pollution and what they did about it
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Remains of 1,600-year-old Roman fort unearthed in Turkey
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Rare hoard of Roman-era coins discovered in German mountains — miles from the empire's frontlines
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Grand tomb of Roman gladiator found in Turkey actually contains the remains of 12 other people
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Razed city that rebelled against Rome 'remained uninhabited for over 170 years,' excavations reveal
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Did Romans battle rhinos in the Colosseum? A historian explains the truth behind the fight scenes in Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II.
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Were the Vikings really that violent?
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1,200-year-old Viking cemetery with 'stone ship' burials discovered in Sweden
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Why didn't the Vikings colonize North America?
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50 Viking Age burials discovered in Denmark, including a woman in a rare 'Viking wagon'
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Vikings in Norway were much more likely to die violent deaths than those in Denmark
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Viking Age stone figurine unearthed in Iceland — but no one can agree on which animal it is
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'Spectacular silver treasure' from Viking Age unearthed by college student on farm in Denmark
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Viking Age ship burial may be hiding beneath Norwegian farm, iron rivets hint
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Viking Age 'treasure' discovered by metal detectorist on Isle of Man
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