Several brain anatomical parts have been discovered in arthropod fossils over five hundred million years old. They prove that the brain can be preserved and fossilized despite its fragility. Under light microscopy the brain marks appear black. DOGMA . Paleontologists have long claimed that brains
Geneticists have sequenced the DNA of an Inca child mummy sacrificed in the Andes 500 years ago. It reveals a significant genetic diversity, which disappeared with the arrival of European settlers at the time of the Conquest. The Cerro Aconcagua mummy, found in the Andes in 1985. Top left, lung fra
The announcement was made by the French president during a speech delivered in Paris during the 70th general conference of Unesco. François Hollande at Unesco on November 17, 2015. SHELTER . The right to asylum applies to people [...] but asylum also applies to works, world heritage. This is why t
DNA from fossil humans reveals that a group of hunter-gatherers from the Caucasus also contributed to the gene pool of modern Europeans. A fourth tribe of Homo sapiens would therefore be part of our ancestors. Explanations. One of the fossilized bodies from Caucasus, Georgia. ANALYSIS. Each of the
Chinese villagers are suing a Dutch collector for the return of a mummified Buddha statue that was allegedly stolen from them 20 years ago. This statue – and its mummified body – would be the only known case to date in the West. HERITAGE. The people of Yangchun go on the offensive! These villagers
From Thursday, November 26, archaeologists will conduct new radar tests in the tomb of Tutankhamun, in Egypt. Their goal:to find a secret chamber where the famous Queen Nefertiti would be buried. The bust of Nefertiti in the Neues Museum in Berlin. SEARCH. Lets go ! On Thursday, November 26, 2015,
After a new series of radar examinations carried out in the tomb of Tutankhamun, in the Valley of the Kings, near Luxor, in Egypt, scientists estimate at 90% the probability of the existence of a secret chamber. In the tomb of Tutankhamun:a photo taken on September 29, 2015, during the visit of Nic
The famous golden mask in the Cairo Museum was not intended for Tutankhamun. Erased traces of a previous royal name have been discovered. German restoration researchers work on the Golden Mask of Tutankhamun at the Cairo Museum in Egypt, on October 20, 2015. REVELATIONS. It is an incredible series
The San José, a Spanish ship sunk 307 years ago off Cartagena, Colombia, has reportedly been discovered. Its holds would contain 200 tons of gold, silver and emeralds. The ship San José during a naval battle off Cartagena, in June 1708. She was sunk with his treasure during this battle. DISCOVERY.
A complete Etruscan tomb with intact sarcophagi has been unearthed in Umbria. An unexpected discovery for Italian archaeologists, very often confronted with the looting of these highly sought-after ancient remains. Etruscan tomb from the 3rd-4th century BC discovered on November 28, 2015, near Citt
Dutch archaeologists claim to have discovered traces of a Caesar battle in the southern Netherlands. Julius Caesar is said to have crushed two groups of Germans in the Kessel region of the Netherlands in a reported battle in The Gallic Wars. BATTLE. Vici, vedi, vici *…The site of a battle describe
The Minoan goddess Astarte would be one of the key figures of the mysterious disc of Phaistos, discovered in 1908 in Crete. Phaistos disc discovered in Crete (1700 BC). GODDESS. The enigmatic Phaistos disc, this strange clay disc 16.5 cm in diameter and 1 cm thick dated to 1700 BCE and preserved i
Stones of the famous monument of Stonehenge come from Wales. They would have been moved to the south of England to the current site. A point of view far from being shared, in particular by a glaciologist. Stonehenge, historic monument, splendid in this late afternoon light. Would the stones of St
The presence in the stomach of the famous iceman of a bacterium responsible for the appearance of gastric ulcers suggests that Ötzi could suffer from this pathology. Samples taken from Ötzis mummy. HELICOBACTER . About Ötzi, we know almost everything:his DNA has been decoded, the contents of his i
In Poland, five bodies have just been unearthed in a medieval cemetery, a sickle planted under their throats. A ritual to protect oneself from ghosts? Skeleton with scythe around throat, found in a 17th century Polish cemetery. RITUAL. Terror in the face of the unknown? Afraid of demons? To face i
A hodgepodge of cords unearthed in Peru may help to elucidate one of the most enduring mysteries of the Inca civilization:that of the knotted cords, an original form of writing. The quipus constitute a writing system using successions of knots, along cords, developed by Incas. COMMUNICATION. Rare
Enigmatic plume-shaped traces in the famous cave of Chauvet-Pont dArc, in Ardèche, represent a volcanic eruption that occurred 36,000 years ago. One of the sheaf figures present in the Megaloceros gallery, in the Chauvet-Pont dArc cave, can represent a volcanic eruption. GERBS. Several signs repro
British archaeologists claim to have unearthed a Pompeii, after the discovery of the best preserved dwellings of the Bronze Age. Dwelling remains of the English Pompei, a Bronze Age site discovered at Much Farm near Peterborough, Cambridgeshire. EXCAVATIONS. A giant Mikado! The extraordinarily wel
The find was made in Austria, in the tomb of a man who lived in the 6th century and who had had his left foot and ankle amputated. Undated photo provided by the Austrian Institute of Archeology showing the grave of a man with an amputated left foot and ankle, buried in Hemmaberg, southern Austria
These particles can cross very thick rocks. In Egypt, the ScanPyramids campaign uses them to X-ray monuments in depth and reveal previously invisible structures. The Bent Pyramid of Dahshur, Egypt. FUTURISTIC. The image is worthy of a science fiction film:a line of men dressed in white coveralls,
According to the Greek historian Plutarch in his account of the life of Lucius Licinius Lucullus, the ancient city of Artaxata (located south of modern Artashat, in the Armenian province of Ararat) was built thanks to the advice of the Carthaginian general Hannibal, who also would have directed the
The prehistorian Eric Boeda, a specialist recognized for his work on lithic industries, comes back with reservations on the recent announcements concerning Brazilian capuchin monkeys who cut tools... A capuchin monkey using rocks, photographed in Serra da Capivara (Piaui) National Park, northeast
he was King of Macedonia from 360 to 336 BC, famous for his military tactics and for initiating expansionism towards Asia that his son Alexander the Great will inherit and continue successfully, after the assassination committed by Pausanias in 336 BC. The main characteristic of King Philip II was
In the current Turkish province of Manisa is the site of the ancient city of Sardes, founded by the Lydian king Gyges around 660 BC. It is one of the most profuse archaeological zones in the country in material remains, among which are a gym, a synagogue, a Greek theater and a stadium, as well as se