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Jewish ritual bath discovered near Rome is the 'oldest discovery of its kind in the world'
By Kristina Killgrove published
A Jewish ritual bath known as a mikvah discovered in Ostia Antica is more than 1,500 years old.

Most ancient Europeans had dark skin, eyes and hair up until 3,000 years ago, new research finds
By Tom Metcalfe published
A new study charts the genetics of skin, hair and eye color in Europe over 45,000 years.

Human ancestors arrived in Western Europe much earlier than previously thought, fossil face fragments reveal
By Kristina Killgrove published
Fragments of the left side of the skull of a human relative have been discovered in Spain, revealing the face of the oldest human ancestor ever discovered in Western Europe.

2,200-year-old grave in China contains 'Red Princess of the Silk Road' whose teeth were painted with a toxic substance
By Soumya Sagar published
Archaeologists in China have discovered a unique burial of a woman whose teeth had been painted with cinnabar, with a toxic red substance that contains mercury.

'Find of a lifetime': 15th-century gold and silver coins discovered by amateur metal detectorists in Scotland
By Jess Thomson published
A collection of over 30 gold and silver English and Scottish coins from throughout the 1400s were discovered near the Scotland border by hobbyist metal detectorists.

Onfim's doodle: A 13th-century kid's self-portrait on horseback, slaying an enemy
By Kristina Killgrove published
More than 800 years ago, a Russian boy named Onfim sketched himself on his schoolwork.

Pet cats arrived in China via the Silk Road 1,400 years ago, ancient DNA study finds
By Sascha Pare published
How and when domestic cats arrived in China has been a mystery. A new analysis of cat DNA suggests traders and diplomats likely carried the pets with them along the Silk Road 1,400 years ago.

Northwestern Morocco was inhabited long before the Phoenicians arrived, 4,200-year-old settlement reveals
By Owen Jarus published
An archaeological site in the area dates back about 4,200 years.

Was medieval armor bulletproof?
By Owen Jarus published
The metal suits worn by knights during the Middle Ages were originally designed to protect against weapons such as swords. But could medieval armor also stop bullets?

28,000-year-old Neanderthal-and-human 'Lapedo child' lived tens of thousands of years after our closest relatives went extinct
By Kristina Killgrove published
Researchers used a novel method of radiocarbon dating to figure out the age of the Lapedo child, who had both Neanderthal and human traits.
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