History & Archaeology

The Mormon Joseph Smith translated his Book of Abraham from papyri fragments. When it emerged that some of these had survived to the present day, it was found the text did not match his translation. Was he lying?

Was there an organized, underground religion based on witchcraft and devil worship in medieval Europe? One woman’s research suggested there was – was she right?

Built as one of the homes of Vladimir the Great, the ancient city-castle known as Bilhorod Kyivskyi rose to prominence in the 10th century. All that is visible today are a few remains near a small village in the Ukraine. Although meagre, they are the largest fortress remains dating back to this era.

The Royston Cave is an artificial cave in Hertfordshire, England, which contains strange carvings. It is not known who created the cave or what it was used for, but there has been much speculation.

Australian aquatic forensics experts have taken advantage of new tools in an attempt to understand what happens to bones over time in shipwrecks, revealing their owner’s circumstances.

A large cache of materials and artifacts connected with the embalming and mummification process used in ancient Egypt has been uncovered at Abusir cemetery.

South Africa’s Cradle of Humankind is a network of archaeological sites that have yielded an incredible variety of fossils related to human evolution. Five early hominin species, including the recent Homo naledi find of 2015, lived in the area making the area pivotal for the human evolution story.

Tutankhamun's tomb, rediscovered a century ago, contained many treasures. However, strangely an iron dagger was also found inside. How did King Tut have an iron weapon centuries before the Iron Age?

Australian researchers have announced the Endeavour shipwreck captained by James Cook on his 1768 AD mission to Australia has been discovered after 22 years of searching Newport Harbor, Rhode Island, USA but American maritime authorities say, “not so fast!”

Founded on the banks of the Ganges in 460 BC, Pataliputra grew to be the largest city in the world and the capital of five empires. What made this city so important, and what treasures did it hold?

Ancient Egypt dominates the archaeology of North Africa, but there are other civilizations of the Nile. One such is Kerma. Who were these people, who rivalled the Pharaohs and whose descendants would come to rule Egypt?

Eric Bloodaxe, despite his short reign, is one of the most famous Vikings in British history. Who was this violent man, and did he really win himself a kingdom in England when he lost his Norwegian crown?