Free Republic

Archaeologists in Egypt recently uncovered a massive statue believed to depict King Ramses II, the pharoah believed to be a major character in the Old Testament. The statue was found at the Tel Pharaoh site in Husseiniya Center, Sharqia Governorate, the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said on April 22. The site is in Egypt's Nile Delta, northeast of Cairo. Officials also described the statue as "remarkable" in size, weighing between 5 and 6 tons and measuring over 7 feet long. In a translated statement, the ministry described the statue as being in a "relatively poor condition of preservation,"...

The Times of India reports that researchers led by epigrapher K. Muniratnam Reddy from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) have decoded a Sanskrit inscription written in Brahmi characters on a seal discovered in what is now Pakistan. The translation reads, "Devadaruvane Svami Kotesvarah," indicating that the fifth-century a.d. seal belonged to a temple dedicated to Shiva, a principal Hindu deity. Reddy and his colleagues explained that the inscription refers to a pivotal story about Shiva set in the Devandaru forest that is recorded in a sacred text called the Skanda Purana. The seal is thought to be the oldest...

An example of Linear Elamite( Image Credit: Darafsh/Wikimedia/CC 3.0) An ancient Iranian mystery has finally been solved, according to a French archaeologist who reports successfully cracking the code to an enigmatic, undeciphered writing system. Known as Linear Elamite, the 4000-year-old script—once considered impossible to decode—has now been unlocked by François Desset, in an achievement that has drawn comparisons to Jean-François Champollion’s famous deciphering of the enigmatic Rosetta Stone. Desset, a 43-year-old archaeological researcher based at the University of Liege in Belgium, says the remarkable ancient script is the only truly “local” writing system from the country’s early history, which is...

Phys.org reports that wheat for baking bread (Triticum aestivum) may have first been grown some 8,000 years ago in Georgia. Genetic studies of modern wheat plants and wild grasses indicate that domesticated wheat and wild goat grass were mixed in the South Caucasus and the Caspian Sea region. This hybrid plant eventually became bread wheat, explained Nana Rusishvili of the Georgia National Museum and her colleagues. They examined charred grains recovered from Gadachrili Gora and Shulaveris Gora, two Neolithic village sites in Georgia. Because charred grains of bread wheat look similar to durum wheat and other wheat seeds, the team...

A team of researchers led by Kyungcheol Choy of Hanyang University found evidence of chicken-keeping some 2,000 years ago with the Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry (ZooMS) technique, according to a statement released by Hanyang University. This technique allows scientists to analyze collagen peptides and amino acid sequences obtained from small samples of bone, thus allowing the identification of even highly fragmented remains. The chicken bones in this study were unearthed at the Gungok-ri site in southwestern Korea. "We confirmed not only the presence of chickens but also their management during the Proto-Three Kingdoms period," Choy said. Plus, elevated levels of...

A newly identified species of ancient snake, Vasuki indicus, may rank among the largest snakes to ever exist. The massive reptile lived around 47 million years ago in what is now Gujarat, India, according to research published in Scientific Reports. Scientists estimate it reached an extraordinary length of about 11 to 15 meters (36 to 49 feet). While it belonged to the extinct madtsoiidae family, researchers say it represents a unique lineage that originated on the Indian subcontinent.

A gold brooch attributed to the Late Germanic Iron Age has been uncovered in Denmark by metal detectorist Mikkel Warming. The object is provisionally dated to the mid-6th century AD based on typological characteristics, although further specialist assessment is required.The find was identified following a non-distinct metal-detecting signal consistent with low-value metallic debris. Subsequent excavation revealed a gold object at shallow depth within compact soil. No immediate surface indicators distinguished the signal from common modern refuse...The brooch measures approximately 40 mm in length. Its surface is densely decorated with repeated circular motifs arranged in a highly regular pattern. The ornamentation...

A remarkable archaeological discovery in eastern Norway has revealed the largest Viking Age coin hoard ever found in the country, offering new insights into trade, wealth, and political transformation during the late 10th and early 11th centuries.The hoard, uncovered in a field near Rena in Østerdalen, currently consists of 2,970 silver coins, with excavations still ongoing. Archaeologists believe the total may rise further as the site continues to be investigated under controlled conditions. The discovery is already being described as unprecedented in a Norwegian context.The coins originate from a wide geographical area, underscoring Norway's extensive international connections during the Viking...

A structure long interpreted as the remains of an early medieval fortification is now being reclassified as a Viking Age boat grave, suggesting activity at the site several centuries prior to Oslo's conventional founding date.The site lies beneath the medieval royal estate, historically linked to Harald Hardrada. He is often credited with establishing Oslo around 1048...The dating itself also comes into question. A coin hoard found near the top of the mound had been used as key evidence. But closer examination shows the coins were placed into an already existing feature. That detail suggests the mound predates the deposit.The shift...

A Roman ship that sank about 2,200 years ago off the Adriatic coast... known as Ilovik–Paržine 1, was found in 2016 near the Croatian island of Ilovik. Archaeologists have examined the hull and cargo before, but recent work has focused on the material used to seal the ship's exterior -- substances meant to keep water out and protect the wood from damage...Most of the coating was made from pine-based pitch, produced by heating resin from conifer trees. In one case, the material included beeswax mixed with pitch. This combination would have made the coating more workable and slightly more flexible...

Archaeologists in Chile have uncovered a 16th-century silver coin, confirming the location of one of South America's most infamous failed colonial settlements at the site of Rey Don Felipe – later known as Puerto del Hambre, or "Port Famine".Located on the north shore of the Strait of Magellan, Rey Don Felipe was founded in 1584 with around 300 Spanish settlers. According to historical accounts, the extreme conditions led to the settlers starving or freezing to death, and by the arrival of English navigator Thomas Cavendish in 1587, the settlement was mostly in ruins.The coin, valued at eight reals and bearing...

Archaeologists from the University of Warsaw have discovered a concentration of shipwrecks near the ancient port of Ptolemais in northern Libya... one of the five cities that formed the Pentapolis of Cyrenaica, established by the Ptolemaic dynasty between the late 4th and 3rd centuries BC. The city emerged as a major hub for maritime trade until the Arab conquest in the 7th century AD.Covering a stretch of over 100 metres, the large concentration of submerged material suggests that multiple shipwrecks accumulated over time as a navigational danger for ships approaching the harbour.After a 13-year hiatus due to the Libyan civil...

Spanish archaeologists have documented over 30 shipwrecks in the waters between the Rock of Gibraltar and the port of Algeciras.This discovery follows a three-year study titled Project Herakles. Led by the University of Cádiz, the team identified 151 archaeological sites and 134 total wrecks, according to The Guardian...The researchers worked with colleagues from the University of Granada to document 34 specific wrecks.These vessels represent a diverse array of eras and cultures:Punic era: One ship dating back to the fifth century B.C.Roman period: 23 Roman ships and two late Roman ships.Medieval period: Four vessels, including three that may clarify seafaring practices...

The shipwreck of a WWI US combat vessel has been discovered off the Cornish coast by a team of divers – 108 years after it sank. The US Coastguard Cutter TAMPA has been missing since being torpedoed by a German U–boat in 1918. Now, it has been found, 50 miles offshore in Newquay by the Gasperados Dive Team. All 131 lives on the vessel were lost including those from the American navy and coastguard, and British civilians. Dominic Robinson, 54, a member of the Gasperados Dive Team, says they have been searching for the last three years for the ship...

Archeologists in Italy's Pompeii have for the first time used artificial intelligence to reconstruct the appearance of one of the victims of the volcanic eruption that destroyed the ancient Roman city nearly 2,000 years ago. Archaeologists use AI to generate image of Pompeii victim | 0:59 Reuters | 4.18M subscribers | 12,415 views | April 27, 2026

Between the 10th and 13th centuries, the monks at the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, Greece, sporadically broke down a 6th century manuscript and reused its pages as binding material and flyleaves for other texts. In time, Codex H effectively disappeared. These new volumes were spread across Europe and it was only through the enterprise of a sharp-eyed 18th century French monk that researchers today have been able to locate the lost folios among libraries in Italy, Greece, Russia, Ukraine, and France. All the same, while the general content of Codex H, which contains a copy of the Letters...

The academic turned antiquities dealer who exposed the theft of hundreds of artefacts from the British Museum has died aged 61. Dr Ittai Gradel, from Denmark, alerted the British Museum and the police after he was able to buy dozens of museum artefacts on eBay over the course of several years. Gradel died of renal cancer days after receiving a rarely presented medal from the museum in recognition of what its director called his “very significant contribution”, according to the BBC. A police investigation is still ongoing, more than three years after the museum reported the thefts to Scotland Yard...

Apologist Wesley Huff is pushing back against renewed claims that modern technology has identified the location of Noah’s Ark, calling the latest findings “not legit” and rooted in “sensationalism and non-credible archeology.” The debate follows comments from researcher Andrew Jones, whose team at Noah’s Ark Scans says it has uncovered new evidence at a site near Mount Ararat. The formation, first identified in 1959, has long been the subject of speculation. Jones drew national attention during an April 22 appearance on Fox News, where he said scans revealed what appear to be man-made features beneath the site. “I do believe...

Well into Scotland this week and looking at Roman occupation, including one of the last physical signs of it, the truly remarkable Eagle Rock near Cramond. Now it normally raises some controversy in the comments whenever we acknowledge Roman control north of the wall, so we try to take a balanced view in this film: yes, parts of Scotland did fall for some periods - it's bonkers to deny that - but this site investigation shows how transitory it was. As well as the fantastic Eagle Rock, we explore the exposed remains of the Roman fort in Cramond - a...

The discovery of the lost Roman city of Briga in the forests of Normandy is a masterclass in persistence. For decades, experts doubted a significant city could exist in such a remote location, dismissing early finds as exaggerated. This video explores how archaeologists unearthed a massive 160-acre urban center, including a monumental sanctuary, a 5,000-seat theater, and a luxury basilica -- all hidden beneath the soil. Briga: The Most Significant Archaeological Discovery Of The 21st Century | 52:19 Unearthed History - Archaeology Documentaries | 282K subscribers | 17,885 views | April 26, 2026