Thousands of years ago, the Sahara Desert was not the arid expanse it is today. It was a green region with rivers, lakes, and vegetation, inhabited by pastoralist communities. Recent analysis of two mummies found in a rock shelter called Takarkori has provided new insight into how knowledge and culture spread in the ancient world.
The mummies, estimated to be about 7,000 years old, belonged to women whose DNA did not match any known genetic lineage from the region. Their genome was equally distant from populations living in the southern Sahara and from hunter-gatherers found in a cave in Morocco. This suggests that the Takarkori people lived in relative isolation, likely without significant mixing with outside groups.
This genetic isolation presents a question for researchers. Agriculture and animal husbandry are typically believed to have spread through large-scale migrations. When groups moved into new areas, they often displaced or mixed with local populations, introducing new technologies and genetic diversity. However, the Takarkori mummies show no such genetic mixing.
The researchers concluded that these people likely learned about cattle breeding through the simple exchange of knowledge rather than through conquest or migration. The scenario suggests that a traveler might have shared agricultural techniques with the community before moving on. Alternatively, a member of the Takarkori group could have traveled elsewhere and returned with new knowledge. In either case, the knowledge spread without genetic exchange, indicating that the ancient world may have shared ideas in ways similar to modern societies.
Separately, scientists are studying how the human genome adapted to the use of fire. Humans are the only species that regularly interacts with fire, using it for cooking, warmth, and tool-making. This behavior has carried risks of burns for thousands of years. Research suggests that humans possess a set of genes that respond to burns, and some of these genes have evolved to be more effective at healing and fighting bacteria than those of other primates.
This adaptation was likely the result of natural selection, where individuals who healed more quickly from burns had a survival advantage. However, this same immune response can be problematic. The aggressive healing strategy that works for small burns can be dangerous for major burns, as it can cause massive inflammation that threatens survival. The genetic protection appears to have developed in response to small incidents around campfires, not large-scale fires.
Archaeological work in Egypt has also yielded new findings about the origins of pyramid construction. At a site called Jabal al-Tair, about 150 miles south of Cairo, archaeologists have uncovered two tombs dating back roughly 5,000 years, placing them at the dawn of Egyptian civilization. The tombs were built during the era of the first pharaohs and share design features with the tomb of King Hor-Aha, one of the most powerful rulers of the First Dynasty.
The tomb walls are deliberately thicker at the base and taper as they rise, demonstrating that builders at the time understood how to manage structural weight. This same principle is the basic idea behind the pyramid, suggesting that these modest tombs may have been an early prototype for the engineering feats that followed. The tombs also show evidence of precise stonework and the use of large wooden beams for reinforcement, providing rare evidence of early construction techniques.
The site also contains graves from earlier periods, predating the pharaohs, as well as much later burials. This suggests that the location was used as a burial ground for nearly the entire arc of ancient Egyptian history, from simple village communities to the period of the last pharaohs. The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism has stated that work at the site is ongoing.
In paleontology, researchers have been studying a fossil skull known as Dragon Man, discovered in northern China. The skull, found in 1933 but only brought to scientists in 2021, belonged to a man who lived at least 146,000 years ago. A detailed analysis of the skull’s features has led some researchers to classify it as a new branch of ancient humans, named Homo longi, which may be more closely related to modern humans than Neanderthals were.
The skull is notably large, and its features have sparked debate among scientists. Some believe the unique traits are evidence of a distinct species, while others suggest they might be a result of the skull’s size. There is also ongoing discussion about whether Dragon Man could be a Denisovan, an ancient human group known from a small number of fossils found in Siberia and Tibet. Researchers have created a digital model of Dragon Man’s face based on the skull, and while the classification remains disputed, the find contributes to a growing picture of a complex human family tree in ancient Asia.
A related ancient human group, the Denisovans, was first identified in 2008 from a finger bone found in Denisova Cave in Siberia. DNA analysis of the bone revealed that it belonged to a young girl who lived around 40,000 years ago and that she was part of a previously unknown human species. Later research has suggested that Denisovans may have consisted of three distinct groups, and that one group may have survived in New Guinea until as recently as 15,000 years ago.
Recent archaeological work in Greece has addressed a long-standing question about the burial site of Philip II, the father of Alexander the Great. Philip II was assassinated in 336 BCE. Since the discovery of royal tombs at Aigai (modern Vergina) in 1977, experts have debated which tomb belonged to him. A new study using X-rays, CT scans, and radiocarbon dating concluded that Philip II was most likely buried in Tomb I, which is smaller and simpler than the other royal tombs. The researchers suggest that Alexander, who was preparing to invade Asia and short on funds, may not have built an elaborate tomb for his father. The tomb also contained the remains of a woman and a child, believed to be Philip’s wife Cleopatra and their infant son. The debate, however, may not be fully settled.
At Abydos, Egypt, archaeologists have discovered a royal tomb dating back about 3,600 years. The tomb is large, with mud-brick vaults rising over 16 feet, and is decorated with golden hieroglyphs of the deities Isis and Nephthys. However, the cartouche that would identify the king is unreadable, leaving the pharaoh nameless. The tomb dates to the Second Intermediate Period, a time of political fragmentation in Egypt. It shares design features with the tomb of Senebkay, a king of the previously obscure Abydos Dynasty, confirming that this was a royal burial. The site also includes a Roman-era pottery workshop, indicating that the area was used for various purposes over thousands of years.
Modern technology has allowed researchers to study mummies without unwrapping them. The Bashiri mummy, discovered by Howard Carter in 1919, remains untouched because its intricate wrapping is so delicate that researchers fear any attempt to undo it would cause irreversible damage. X-ray scans have revealed that the mummy belonged to a man who lived during the Ptolemaic era, roughly 2,300 years ago. The scans also showed an inscription on the casing, though the name is difficult to read. Another mummy, a woman named Isetemkheb, was also left untouched due to its excellent condition, though scans revealed that she had dental issues and arthritis.
The mummy of King Tutankhamun, discovered in 1922, was not so fortunate. When researchers opened the nested coffins and reached the king’s mummy, they found that oils poured over the body had hardened, gluing it to the coffin. Attempts to separate the mummy from the coffin required placing it in the sun to heat the resins. When this failed, the research team made cuts to the body to extract it, a process that caused significant damage. The king’s mummy was eventually reassembled, but the approach remains controversial.
Researchers have also used radar scans to investigate the Giza Plateau. A team of Italian scientists believes that a second Sphinx may be buried under a large mound of sand near the known monuments. They point to the alignment of the pyramids, the Sphinx, and the mound, as well as ancient carvings depicting two Sphinxes. The radar scans have also indicated the presence of vertical shafts, tunnels, and chambers beneath the plateau, possibly forming an underground network. These findings are not universally accepted, and no excavations have confirmed them.
The Great Sphinx itself is a subject of ongoing study. It was carved directly from the bedrock, is about 240 feet long and 66 feet high. Its missing nose was likely removed deliberately, though the exact circumstances are unknown. The ancient Egyptians viewed the Sphinx as a protector, and it may have originally been painted in bright colors.
In Spain, researchers have studied the Treasure of Villena, a significant hoard of Bronze Age gold. Among the items, a scepter and a bracelet stand out because they were made of iron, a metal not typically worked during that period. Analysis revealed that the iron came from a meteorite, containing a high nickel content. This indicates that prehistoric people used iron from space objects before they developed the technology to mine and smelt terrestrial iron.
Several significant treasure finds have been made by members of the public. In 1992, a man using a metal detector in England discovered the Hoxne Hoard, the largest collection of late Roman gold and silver found in Britain. In 2013, a couple in California found a can containing over 1,400 gold coins dating from the late 19th century. In 2015, divers off the coast of Israel found a large collection of gold dinars on the seabed.
In the Sahara Desert in Niger, paleontologists have identified a new species of Spinosaurus. The dinosaur, named Spinosaurus aegyptiacus, lived about 95 million years ago. It was a large predator, as long as a school bus, with a distinctive tall crest on its head that was likely used for display. The fossil was found in an area that was once a river system, hundreds of miles from the nearest ocean. This is unusual, as most Spinosaurus fossils are found along ancient coastlines. The researchers believe this species hunted fish in freshwater rivers and shallow water.
In Indonesia, scientists have dated a cave painting on the island of Muna to about 67,800 years ago. The artwork includes a stencil of a human hand with a claw-like finger. The discovery is the oldest known example of cave art and suggests that human creativity developed in different parts of the world independently.
The Voynich Manuscript, a 15th-century book filled with illustrations and text, remains undeciphered. The language and writing system are unknown, and the plants and diagrams depicted do not match any known species. The manuscript is available online for researchers to study, but no one has successfully decoded it.
Archaeologists in Poland excavated a burial containing the skeleton of a woman with a sickle across her neck and a padlock on her toe. The placement of these objects suggests that locals in the 17th century took precautions to prevent the woman from returning from the dead.
In the ancient city of Petra in Jordan, a team discovered a hidden tomb beneath the famous Treasury building. The tomb contained 12 human skeletons and several artifacts, including a ceramic chalice. Unlike many tombs in Petra that have been looted, this one remained undisturbed for about 2,000 years. The discovery may help researchers learn more about the people who built the city.
Researchers studying a fossil known as the Tully Monster, which lived about 310 million years ago, remain uncertain about its classification. The creature had a soft body, a long flexible snout with a claw-like end, and eyes on a horizontal bar. Over 2,000 fossils have been found, but scientists cannot agree on its place in the evolutionary tree.
Scientists have identified a new ichthyosaur species from a skeleton found in England. The creature, called the sword dragon of Dorset, lived about 190 million years ago. It had a long, narrow snout and large eyes, and it likely used its snout to slash through schools of fish. The skeleton is well preserved and may contain traces of its last meal. It also shows bite marks from a larger predator.
A fossil discovery in Brazil has revealed a new species of ancient tetrapod that had teeth pointing outward rather than upward. The creature lived about 275 million years ago and may have used its unusual mouth to grind food.
In the mountains of the North Caucasus, a deep vertical shaft known as Karakhora has attracted attention. The shaft features large, fitted stone blocks and openings that resemble ventilation channels. While geologists suggest the shaft could have formed through natural erosion, its symmetrical features have led to speculation that it was intentionally built. The shaft is dangerous to explore, and a local hiker who brought it to public attention passed away a few years after its discovery, which has fueled further speculation.
A newly discovered dinosaur species from the Sahara has been described as resembling a heron, though on a massive scale. The Spinosaurus species lived around 95 million years ago, and its discovery in Niger, hundreds of miles from an ancient coastline, suggests it hunted in freshwater habitats.
The ancient city of Akrotiri on the island of Santorini was a flourishing Bronze Age settlement until a volcanic eruption buried it in ash during the 16th century BCE. The city was abandoned before the eruption, and its well-preserved frescoes provide insight into the lives of its residents.
In 1970, an earthquake in Peru triggered an avalanche that buried the city of Yungay, resulting in a significant loss of life. The area is now a national mourning site, and excavations are prohibited.
The search for lost cities has yielded mixed results. The lost city of Ubar, long considered a myth, was located in the deserts of Oman with the help of satellite imagery. The city, a trading center for frankincense, was found to have been swallowed by a sinkhole. In Mexico, archaeologists have located the lost Maya city of Sak Balan, which was abandoned in the early 18th century after Spanish forces took control. The search used a 17th-century letter to narrow down the location.
As for the mythical island of Atlantis, no concrete evidence of its existence has been found. Various theories place it in different locations, but none have been confirmed.
