Article written by Natasha Harlow, University of Nottingham Archaeologists are often described as “stumped” or “baffled” by their discoveries. But, in reality, specialists have a good grasp of what most historical objects were created for. But there are a few exceptions to this rule. The following list is a selection of intriguing mystery objects. They’re…

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Article written by Steven L. Tuck, Miami University On Aug. 24, in A.D. 79, Mount Vesuvius erupted, shooting over 3 cubic miles of debris up to 20 miles (32.1 kilometers) in the air. As the ash and rock fell to Earth, it buried the ancient cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. According to most modern accounts,…

The post Archaeologists discover records of Pompeii’s survivors, proving famous eruption didn’t kill everyone by The Conversation appeared first on Study Finds.

Article written by Sam Edwards, Loughborough University The Allied invasion of Normandy in June 1944, commonly known as D-Day, was an enormously significant moment in the history of the Second World War. Commanded by General Dwight D. Eisenhower, D-Day began the liberation from Nazi rule of France (followed in turn by the rest of Western…

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DENVER — A trio of young fossil hunters have made dinosaur history — and now, they’re getting their own movie! What started as a casual family walk turned into a groundbreaking find that could reshape our understanding of one of history’s most infamous predators — the Tyrannosaurus rex. On July 31, 2022, brothers Liam and Jessin…

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ABERDEEN, Scotland — Around 4,000 years ago, a pair of mysterious timber circles were built on the coast of what is now Norfolk, England. Archaeologists have long puzzled over the purpose of these unusual monuments, known as Holme I and Holme II. However, a new study suggests they may have been part of an ancient…

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Article written by Frank A. Blazich Jr., Smithsonian Institution Between the villages of Vierville-sur-Mer and Sainte-Honorine-des-Pertes in Normandy, France, is a 5-mile stretch of beach that was once called Côte d’Or, or “golden coast.” Since June 6, 1944, however, this beach has borne a different name: Omaha. Eighty years ago, on a day now known…

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Study also raises new questions about the role of women during combat in ancient Egypt. The ancient Egyptians are renowned for their remarkable achievements in medicine, architecture, and art. Now, a groundbreaking study is shedding light on their attempts to tackle one of the most formidable medical challenges: cancer. After examining two ancient Egyptian skulls…

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Beneath the surface of the Mona Lisa’s elusive smile lies a debate that touches the very essence of the Renaissance, its politics and the role of women in history.

The post Who really was Mona Lisa? 500+ years on, there’s good reason to think we got it wrong by The Conversation appeared first on Study Finds.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Earth beneath our feet may feel solid, stable, and seemingly eternal. But the continents we call home are unique among our planetary neighbors, and their formation has long been a mystery to scientists. Now, researchers believe they may have uncovered a crucial piece of the puzzle: the role of ancient weathering…

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Article written by Timothy J. Ralph, Macquarie University; Eman Ghoneim, University of North Carolina Wilmington, and Suzanne Onstine, University of Memphis The largest field of pyramids in Egypt – consisting of 31 pyramids built over a millennium, including the famous Great Pyramid at Giza – lies along a narrow strip of land in the desert…

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VOLOS, Greece — An incredibly rare 3,500-year-old suit of Mycenaean bronze armor was more than just a ceremonial fashion statement in ancient times, an eye-opening experiment reveals. Thanks to a team of Greek Marines, researchers have discovered that this Bronze Age suit was actually meant for combat and lots of it! The ancient centerpiece was an…

The post Marines tested 3,500-year-old Mycenaean armor and made a surprising discovery by Chris Melore appeared first on Study Finds.

ROME — In a remarkable discovery, a team of researchers has uncovered the long-lost location of Plato’s tomb, thanks to the cutting-edge analysis of an ancient carbonized papyrus scroll. The scroll, which contains Philodemus of Gadara’s “History of the Academy,” has revealed that the great philosopher was laid to rest in a private garden within…

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CORVALLIS, Ore. – The amount of carbon dioxide in Earth’s atmosphere is increasing at a speed that has never been seen before in modern times, a dire new study warns. Specifically, a detailed chemistry analysis of Antarctic ice shows the rate of atmospheric carbon dioxide is rising 10 times faster than at any other point in…

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SAN DIEGO — Climate change is a constant threat in today’s society, but it also caused its fair share of problems for civilizations thousands of years ago. However, underwater excavations of ancient remains are helping scientists better understand how these societies actually managed to survive these brutal environmental changes. Around 6,200 BCE, the climate in…

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Article written by Samantha Tipper, Anglia Ruskin University Roman dodecahedra are something of an enigma: there is no known mention of these 12-sided, hollow objects in ancient Roman texts or images. First discovered in the 18th century, around 130 dodecahedra have been found across the Roman Empire, although it is interesting that the majority have…

The post Another mysterious Roman dodecahedron unearthed by researchers in Europe by The Conversation appeared first on Study Finds.

Article written by Erik Bleich, Middlebury College, and Christopher Star, Middlebury College The exponential growth of artificial intelligence over the past year has sparked discussions about whether the era of human domination of our planet is drawing to a close. The most dire predictions claim that the machines will take over within five to 10…

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CAMBRIDGE, United Kingdom — Neanderthals have long been perceived as primitive brutes, but a team of archaeologists and conservators led by the University of Cambridge is challenging that notion. Their incredible research has led to the reconstruction of the face of a 75,000-year-old female Neanderthal. The remarkable feat, chronicled in the new Netflix documentary “Secrets…

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CINCINNATI — Think sports fans today have some crazy rituals? A new study suggests they don’t hold a candle to the psychedelic ceremonies taking place on the ballcourts of the ancient Mayans! Researchers have found evidence of ceremonial offerings buried under an ancient Maya sports arena, including a psychoactive plant containing similar compounds to LSD. Archaeologists…

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LEIPZIG, Germany — When we picture our ancient ancestors, many of us imagine groups of hunters pursuing woolly mammoths or spearing fish. However, surprising new research suggests that Stone Age humans living in Morocco over 13,000 years ago actually ate a diet rich in plants, challenging long-held assumptions about the eating habits of early people.…

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BRISTOL, United Kingdom — Although the Tyrannosaurus rex may have had tiny arms, scientists have generally thought the king of dinosaurs had a pretty big brain — until now. Prior studies suggested that the T. rex (and most of its dinosaur cousins) was quite smart, having an intelligence roughly equivalent to that of a modern-day…

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Article written by Magdalena M.E. Bunbury, James Cook University, and Guido Alberto Gnecchi-Ruscone, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology How do we understand past societies? For centuries, our main sources of information have been pottery sherds, burial sites, and ancient texts. But the study of ancient DNA is changing what we know about the human…

The post These ancient nomads disappeared from Europe 1,000 years ago. Now, DNA is revealing how they lived by The Conversation appeared first on Study Finds.

OXFORD, England — Scientists have discovered the oldest known record of Earth’s magnetic field, dating back a staggering 3.7 billion years. This remarkable finding, published in the Journal of Geophysical Research, not only pushes back the age of our planet’s magnetic shield but also suggests that it was remarkably similar in strength to the field…

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Written by Fabio Silva, Bournemouth University; Amanda Chadburn, Bournemouth University, and Erica Ellingson, University of Colorado Boulder When it comes to its connection to the sky, Stonehenge is best known for its solar alignments. Every midsummer’s night tens of thousands of people gather at Stonehenge to celebrate and witness the rising Sun in alignment with…

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A new study from University of Cambridge researchers and published in the journal Life, suggests that the key ingredients -- nitriles and isonitriles -- may have bubbled up from graphite-rich volcanic vents on the early Earth.

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ROORKEE, India — One of the largest snakes in history may have been slithering around what is now India about 47 million years ago. Scientists from the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee have unearthed a collection of well-preserved vertebrae that likely belong to a gigantic prehistoric snake. Terrifyingly, the study suggests this snake, which was longer…

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HARRAT KHAYBAR, Saudi Arabia — Scientists appear to have uncovered a hidden chapter of human history — inside a massive lava tube in Saudi Arabia. It’s the first evidence that ancient humans occupied these giant caves formed by volcanic activity in the Middle East, giving modern-day scientists a glimpse into the lives of early desert dwellers.…

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An ichthyosaur was a real-life sea monster that ruled the waters waters during the age of dinosaurs hundreds of millions of years ago.

The post Mysterious oversized bones came from these colossal ‘sea monsters,’ scientists conclude by StudyFinds Staff appeared first on Study Finds.

A new study suggests that for the ancient Egyptians, a key figure of their cosmos - the sky goddess Nut - may have been linked to the most prominent feature of the night sky: our own galaxy the Milky Way.

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As a scientist, lab work can sometimes get monotonous. But in 2017, while a Ph.D. student of paleobiology at the University of Bristol in the U.K., I heard a gleeful exclamation from across the room. Kirsty Penkman, head of the North East Amino Acid Racemization lab at the University of York, had just read the…

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WASHINGTON — In a nod to pop culture that bridges the gap between science and kids of all ages, a team of scientists has given a name to a prehistoric fossil that’s straight out of our childhoods. The star of the show? None other than Kermit the Frog. That’s right. The beloved Muppet character now…

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BRISTOL, United Kingdom — Anyone with a successful sibling can relate to the pressures of living in a brother’s or sister’s shadow. Joan Shakespeare, the younger sister of William, arguably the greatest writer of all time, had largely been relegated to anonymity in the centuries since her death. Now, however, a groundbreaking discovery from the…

The post Shakespeare’s Unknown Sister Revealed In Obscure Religious Text by John Anderer appeared first on Study Finds.

SHANGHAI — The distant past doesn’t have to seem so far away. Case in point: a 1,500-year-old face reconstructed today with the magic of modern science. Scientists have successfully recreated the face of Chinese Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou using DNA extracted from his remains. Besides the visual implications, this groundbreaking work suggests the emperor’s…

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Ludwig van Beethoven may have overcome more than anyone ever thought. New genetic research is providing a refreshing reminder that we’re so much more than our genes. While genetic factors absolutely play a pivotal role in shaping individual talents, skills, and abilities, this latest project reveals that one of the most celebrated musical…

The post Genetic Underdog: Beethoven’s Musical Genius Defied Poor DNA Scores, Study Reveals by John Anderer appeared first on Study Finds.

BRISBANE, Australia — Modern adults often view moving as a highly stressful endeavor, but we all have it easy compared to our ancestors tens of thousands of years ago. A fascinating new study that combined genetic, palaeoecological, and archeological evidence has revealed the Persian Plateau was a hub for Homo sapiens (humans) during our earliest stages…

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Women’s History Month has been highlighting the trailblazing achievements of women every March since 1987. Although the month focuses on celebrating contributions by women in all fields of society, it’s no secret that much of the public conversation (and even scientific studies) still centers around the barriers many women face in the working world. Despite…

The post What Glass Ceiling? These Women Changed The Food Industry Forever by Chris Melore appeared first on Study Finds.

StudyFinds’ Editor-in-Chief Steve Fink contributed to this report.

The post New Facial Reconstruction Of 16th Century ‘Venice Vampire’ With Brick In Mouth Sparks Controversy by StudyFinds Staff appeared first on Study Finds.

CAMBRIDGE, United Kingdom — An extremely rare astronomical object from the 11th century is turning heads. In the Fondazione Museo Miniscalchi-Erizzo in Verona, Italy, an Islamic astrolabe, etched with both Arabic and Hebrew inscriptions, stands as a testament to the rich, intertwined histories of Muslim, Jewish, and Christian scholars across Spain, North Africa, and Italy.…

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The depravity of the Holocaust is still shocking to this day. During World War II, Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany tried to exterminate the Jewish population, killing six million Jews across Europe between 1941-1945. Jewish families tried to flee during Hitler’s rise to power, but many countries, including the United States, wouldn’t take them in.…

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NEW YORK — Scientists have made a genetic breakthrough that sheds light on why humans, unlike many other primates, do not have tails. A team from NYU Grossman School of Medicine say their discovery could help unravel one of the long-standing mysteries of human evolution. At the heart of the study is a comparison between…

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PADUA, Italy — Red lipstick may have been the world’s first fashion statement nearly 4,000 years ago. In the heart of southeastern Iran, within the Jiroft region of Kerman province, archaeologists have unearthed a small, cylindrical vial made of chlorite-schist, a type of stone, that contained a substance strikingly similar to modern lipstick. This deep…

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Have you ever wondered why the extra day of the leap year falls on February 29, an odd date in the middle of the year, and not at the end of the year on December 32? There is a simple answer, and a slightly more complex one. Let’s start with the simple answer. Several ancient…

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CAMBRIDGE, United Kingdom — This won’t be music to Pythagoras’ ears. A new study is turning the tables on an ancient music theory as researchers have unveiled findings that could reshape our understanding of universal harmony. The study, a collaborative effort by academics from Cambridge University, Princeton, and the Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics,…

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LEICESTER, United Kingdom — It’s difficult to fathom just how minuscule an amount of time humans have inhabited the Earth. The planet was revolving around the Sun for billions of years before we showed up. Now, researchers from the University of Leicester have discovered of a new type of microfossil that’s providing a peek into the…

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In 2024, salt has a pretty bad reputation when it comes to your health. However, 100 years ago, salt changed the world forever. Goiter, a condition which sees the thyroid gland grow, is a serious health issue. Prior to and during the 1920s, the condition was extremely prevalent across the United States. Due to its…

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VILLENA, Spain — In 1963, an astonishing trove of Late Bronze Age goldwork was discovered near the town of Villena in eastern Spain. Nicknamed “The Villena Treasure,” this cache dates back 3,500 years and contained elaborately decorated crowns, figurines, and jewelry rivaling those buried with famous pharaohs like King Tutankhamun. Now, scientists have made an…

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Why does a leap year have 366 days? Does the Earth move slower every four years? You may be used to hearing that it takes the Earth 365 days to make a full lap, but that journey actually lasts about 365 and a quarter days. Leap years help to keep the 12-month calendar matched up…

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CORK, Ireland — The curious case of a 280-million-year-old fossil has finally been solved. Researchers say the famous prehistoric remains that scientists once thought showed the earliest evidence of soft tissue in reptiles is nothing more than paint! Tridentinosaurus antiquus was first discovered in the Italian Alps in 1931 in a layer of fine volcanic…

The post This famous 280-million-year-old fossil is actually a fake! by Jocelyn Solis-Moreira appeared first on Study Finds.

SINGAPORE — The complete library of Charles Darwin, which encompasses 13,000 books, pamphlets, and journals, is being revealed for the world to see for the first time. Darwin, arguably the most influential scientist in history, amassed a vast personal collection of books throughout his career. However, until now, 85 percent of its contents remained either…

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — A 65-million-year-old fossil of a previously unknown species of shark has been found in Alabama. A team of researchers from Alabama and South Carolina made the groundbreaking finding, revealing a new chapter to the state’s rich paleontological history and also providing significant insights into marine life following the mass extinction of the dinosaurs.…

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More than 380 million years ago, a sleek, air-breathing predatory fish patrolled the rivers of central Australia. Today, the sediments of those rivers are outcrops of red sandstone in the remote outback. Our new paper, published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, describes the fossils of this fish, which we have named Harajicadectes zhumini. Known…

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