Laura Geggel

Laura Geggel

Editor

Laura is the archaeology and Life's Little Mysteries editor at Live Science. She also reports on general science, including paleontology. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Scholastic, Popular Science and Spectrum, a site on autism research. She has won multiple awards from the Society of Professional Journalists and the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association for her reporting at a weekly newspaper near Seattle. Laura holds a bachelor's degree in English literature and psychology from Washington University in St. Louis and a master's degree in science writing from NYU.

Articles by: Laura Geggel

Excavation tent in the foreground at Cham-Äbnetwald, with green countryside and mountains in the distance.

Ancient Roman walls discovered in Swiss Alps are an 'archaeological sensation'

By Laura Geggel published

Archaeologists have unearthed ancient Roman walls in the foothills of the Swiss Alps.

We see a skeleton face down in a dirt grave. The ankles are very close together, indicating that they were once bound.

Medieval girl buried face down with bound ankles, likely so she couldn't 'return' from the grave

By Laura Geggel published

The medieval remains of a 15-year-old girl reveal that she was buried face down and with bound ankles at the edge of a settlement.

We see a pieced together animal carving against a black background. It has a long neck, a curved back and legs on either side.

Missing 'body' of ice age animal carving finally found — but nobody knows what the animal is

By Laura Geggel published

The long-lost 'body' of mysterious ice age animal carving was discovered in German cave, but archaeologists aren't sure if it's a cave lion or cave bear.

Here we see the ugly face of Medusa with thick facial features and wings coming out of her forehead in a mosaic. She is surrounded by an octagon, geometric patterns and a peacock.

'Exceptional' winged Medusa discovered in Roman-era mosaic in Spain

By Laura Geggel published

The 1,800-year-old Medusa mosaic was discovered in the remains of lavish Roman-era house in western Spain.

We see the reconstruction of a woman's face and upper torso. She has pale skin, blonde hair and a solemn expression. She wears a tall bright red hat, a gray jacket and a white blouse with a collar.

Woman who died in deadly Vasa warship's wreck 400 years ago reconstructed in lifelike detail

By Laura Geggel published

At first, researchers thought a 17th-century shipwreck skeleton was male. But a new reconstruction reveals her as female, based on results from a genetic analysis done earlier this year.

A 1-inch-long reddish clay stone has a carving of an incomplete Viking ship. The stone is photographed against a rock background.

1,200-year-old 'Viking graffiti' is the oldest drawing ever discovered in Iceland

By Laura Geggel published

Viking boat graffiti like this record-setting carving are usually "extremely poorly done."

We see a circle-shaped silver disc with the face of medusa in the middle. A person wearing a blue glove is holding it.

Silver medal featuring winged Medusa discovered at Roman fort near Hadrian's Wall

By Laura Geggel published

The snake-covered head of Medusa was found on a silver military decoration at a Roman auxiliary fort in England.

We see an illustration of a shaman in the background on a earthen mound holding up their hands. There are wooden poles with animal skulls making a path to the foreground.

4,500-year-old 'Stonehenge' sanctuary discovered in the Netherlands

By Laura Geggel published

Archaeologists have discovered a 4,500-year-old sanctuary in the Netherlands that marks the solstices and equinoxes, and was also used as a burial ground.

We see a sword with a green handle in the mud.

'Octagonal' sword from Bronze Age burial in Germany is so well preserved, it shines

By Laura Geggel published

Archaeologists in Germany have unearthed a sword in a three-person burial dating to the late 14th century B.C.

A man in a red shirt holds a scanner with a green light. He is scanning the concrete-like remains of a human burial that sits in a white container against a wall.

'Liquid gypsum' burial from Roman Britain scanned in 3D, revealing 1,700-year-old secrets

By Hannah Kate Simon published

About 1,700 years ago, liquid gypsum was poured over the remains of an elite family in Roman Britain.

We see a triangular gray stone slab sitting that is inscribed with Hebrew against a black background.

2,000-year-old stone receipt discovered in Jerusalem

By Laura Geggel published

An ancient financial transaction from Jerusalem that was "set in stone" dates to the Early Roman period.

We see an illustration of a long-necked titanosaur dinosaur standing in front of four trees. The photo is gray and reddish.

Humongous, 100-foot-long dinosaur from Argentina is so big its fossils broke the road during transport

By Laura Geggel published

About 90 million years ago, a ginormous long-necked dinosaur measuring nearly 100 feet (30 meters) long lumbered through what is now Patagonia, Argentina.

A young girl in light pinkish parka with the furry hood on her head stands near some large rocks by a concrete road where she found the dagger.

8-year-old girl unearths Stone Age dagger by her school in Norway

By Laura Geggel published

An 8-year-old girl discovered a Stone Age dagger when she was playing outside her school in Norway.

Bill Nye, an author, science educator, inventor, engineer, comedian and Emmy Award-winning television presenter, talks about his new series "The End is Nye" at Meridian Hall on March 29, 2023 in Toronto, Ontario.

Fusion power key to Earth's survival, says Bill Nye in exclusive interview

By Laura Geggel published

Bill Nye the Science Guy talks about what he would get our planet for Earth Day and "evidence-based optimism" in light of his latest show, "The End is Nye."

The Great Pyramids of Giza - Khufu's on the right and Cheops's on the left, Giza Plataeu, Egypt

Archaeology news, features and articles

By Laura Geggel last updated

From human evolution, ancient history and the latest technology helping us dig up the past, discover the latest archaeology news, articles and features from the experts at Live Science.

The damaged Chernobyl nuclear power plant: a group of ruined and damaged gray, green and white buildings

Chernobyl: The world's worst nuclear disaster

By Marc Lallanilla published

The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant explosion resulted in the most horrific nuclear disaster in the world.

Here we see 11 bird eggs of different colors and sizes against a cream background.

6 incredible egg facts, just in time for Easter

By Laura Geggel published

Bird eggs are so diverse, so which are the largest and smallest, and how do they get their colors?

An illustration of the sauropod Mamenchisaurus sinocanadorum, which had a 49.5-foot-long (15.1 meters) neck, about 10 feet longer than a regular school bus.

Longest dinosaur neck ever stretched further than a school bus at 49 feet long

By Laura Geggel published

By comparing the few known bones of the sauropod Mamenchisaurus sinocanadorum with its relatives, experts have extrapolated its tremendous neck length.

A moai statue at Tongariki with the Ahu Tongariki moai in the background on Easter Island. The newfound moai (not pictured here) was found buried at a dried up lake bed.

New Moai statue that 'deified ancestors' found on Easter Island

By Laura Geggel published

A newly discovered Moai statue on Easter Island has been found buried in a dried up lake bed.

Patient couple having doctor or psychologist consulting on marriage, fertility treatment for infertility

Ovarian cancer: Symptoms, diagnosis and treatment

By Laura Geggel last updated

Ovarian cancer occurs when abnormal cells in the ovaries or fallopian tubes grow and multiply out of control.

Here we see a gif of a skull that gets muscles, eyes and finally hair and coloring added to it in 10 steps.

Stunning reconstruction reveals 'lonely boy' with deformed skull who died in cave in Norway 8,300 years ago

By Laura Geggel published

A new reconstruction of one of Norway's oldest known skeletons shows a teenager with an unusual skull who may have died alone in a cave.

A grey bird with a long neck and long legs bends over backward in a mating dance on a yellow-grassy plain.

Strange love: 13 animals with truly weird courtship rituals

By Mindy Weisberger published

For Valentine's Day, Live Science gathers together some of the more extravagant and outlandish courtship rituals in the animal kingdom.

The bog skull, known as Porsmose Man, dates from the Neolithic of Denmark. He met a violent death, according to bone arrowheads found embedded in his skull and sternum.

Who were Europe's 'bog bodies'? Deep look uncovers the secrets of this mysterious practice.

By Laura Geggel published

A deep dive into "bog bodies" reveals that this practice started in southern Scandinavia during the Neolithic and spread throughout Northern Europe.

The newfound Roman coin in Hungary features a bearded Emperor Volusianus on one side and Libertas, the personification of freedom, on the other.

10 dazzling gold and silver treasures dug up in 2022

By Laura Geggel published

Here are 10 stunning gold and silver treasures, dating from millennia to centuries ago, that came to light in 2022.

Two explorers holding a kerosene lamp inside a massive, million-year-old dark cave.

10 amazing things we learned about our human ancestors in 2022

By Laura Geggel published

From when our ancient relatives began walking on two feet to the first known medical amputation on Homo sapiens, here's what we learned in 2022 about our human ancestors.