Owen Jarus

Owen Jarus

Live Science Contributor

Owen Jarus is a regular contributor to Live Science who writes about archaeology and humans' past. He has also written for The Independent (UK), The Canadian Press (CP) and The Associated Press (AP), among others. Owen has a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Toronto and a journalism degree from Ryerson University. 

Articles by: Owen Jarus

Two wooden staffs with carvings depicting people wearing headgear.

73 pre-Incan mummies, some with 'false heads,' unearthed from Wari Empire in Peru

By Owen Jarus published

Several dozen burials from the Wari culture, which prospered in the region before the Inca took over, were unearthed in Peru.

Fragment of ancient Roman Alexander mosaic.

Why didn't Alexander the Great invade Rome?

By Owen Jarus published

If Alexander the Great had invaded Rome, would he have won?

Photograph of stacks of bundled Japanese coins atop a straw woven mat upon a white tabletop.

Hoard of 100,000 centuries-old coins discovered in Japan

By Owen Jarus published

A hoard of more than 100,000 coins found in Japan might have been buried by warriors centuries ago.

The anthropomorphic sculpture of the Maya warrior.

Maya warrior statue with serpent helmet discovered at Chichén Itzá

By Owen Jarus published

During survey work ahead of a new railway, archaeologists found the statue of a Maya warrior wearing a serpent on his head.

Photo of an ancient Egyptian sarcophagus with the engraving of the Egyptian god Banebjedet.

Ancient Egyptian tomb was filled with magical spells to ward off snake bites

By Owen Jarus published

An ancient Egyptian tomb just south of Cairo was filled with magical spells intended to protect the dead from snake bites.

We see an orange sphinx-like mound with orange "erosion" lines going around it.

Sphinx may have been built from a natural rock feature eroded by wind, study claims

By Owen Jarus published

It's possible that wind erosion made a rock feature in ancient Egypt look something like a sphinx, and then the Egyptians further refined it into the iconic monument.

This rare gold coin was minted in the time between Julius Caesar's unsuccessful invasions and Roman emperor Claudius' successful invasion of Britain.

Rare 2,100-year-old gold coin bears name of obscure ruler from pre-Roman Britain

By Owen Jarus published

A rare gold coin found by a metal detectorist and recently auctioned off was minted by a little-known ruler in pre-Roman Britain.

The remains of the mummy within the coffin are seen here.

Ancient Egyptian cemetery holds rare 'Book of the Dead' papyrus and mummies

By Owen Jarus published

Archaeologists in Egypt have discovered an ancient cemetery that has stone sarcophagi, coptic jars and even a "Book of the Dead" scroll.

Photos and a digital illustration of the tattoos of the Chi-Rho and Greek letters alpha and omega found on the body at Ghazali.

'Christ' tattoo discovered on 1,300-year-old body in Sudan

By Owen Jarus published

A tattoo referencing Christ was found on the 1,300-year-old body of an individual in what is now Sudan.

We see the head of the snake. The entire serpent was placed in a humidity chamber to preserve its colors.

Earthquake reveals giant Aztec snakehead beneath Mexico City university

By Owen Jarus published

Researchers are conserving a rare snakehead from the Aztecs that still retains its painted colors from hundreds of years ago.

Restored ceiling in ancient Egyptian temple. Image displays iconography of the gods Orion, Sothis/Sirius and Anukis, above them the sky goddess Nut swallows the evening sun.

Ancient New Year's scene from Egypt uncovered on roof of 2,200-year-old temple

By Owen Jarus published

Researchers restored an ancient painting of the gods depicted at New Year's during restoration work at the Temple of Esna in Egypt.

A view of 2.3-meter high human statue, which is a candidate for one of the most impressive examples of prehistoric art with a realistic facial expression, was found fixed to the ground on a bench during excavations in Karahantepe site in Sanliurfa, Turkiye on October 01, 2023.

11,000-year-old statue of giant man clutching penis unearthed in Turkey

By Owen Jarus published

A 7.5-foot-tall statue of a man clutching his penis was unearthed at one of the oldest temple sites in Turkey.

Photo of Stonehenge as the sun is peaking between the stone arches.

Where is Stonehenge, who built the prehistoric monument, and how?

By Owen Jarus last updated

The prehistoric monument Stonehenge was built up to 5,000 years ago on Salisbury Plain in England, but its ultimate purpose remains a tantalizing mystery.

An ancient silver coin with stamp that depicts a seated Jesus.

700-year-old coin depicting Jesus and medieval king discovered in Bulgaria

By Owen Jarus published

Archaeologists in Bulgaria have discovered a medieval silver coin that features a Serbian king and a saint on one side and Jesus on the other.

This inscription of part of a psalm was found on a stone on the floor of the monastery.

An incorrect version of 'Prayer of David' discovered at 'Little Castle' in West Bank

By Owen Jarus published

A 1,500-year-old text recording a section of Psalm 86 — also known as "A prayer of David" — has been discovered in what was a monastery in the West Bank.

An aerial view of the hexagonal-shaped pyramid in Kazakhstan. Notice how the inner stone walls form a maze-like path that leads toward the burial site at its center.

Bronze Age hexagonal 'pyramid' not like anything 'found before in the Eurasian steppe'

By Owen Jarus published

Archaeologists in Kazakhstan have discovered a hexagonal pyramid that served as a burial site in the Bronze Age.

The foreground of an unearthed palace-like Mayan building.

Palatial 1,500-year-old Maya structure unearthed in Mexico

By Owen Jarus published

Archaeologists discovered the palace-like building ahead of railway construction in Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula.

We see a grayish head and torso of an "alien" in a pillow-like box

'This is complete nonsense': Scientists rail against 'alien' bodies shown before Mexican congress

By Owen Jarus published

Scientists blast claims of two 'alien' bodies that a journalist presented to Mexico's congress.

Photographs of animal horns from a variety of animals, including cattle and caprines, or animals in the goat family, discovered at at the mustatil archaeological site.

7,000-year-old animal bones, human remains found in enigmatic stone structure in Arabia

By Owen Jarus published

Researchers have discovered human bones and animal remains dating to around 7,000 years ago in Arabian stone structures known as mustatils.

An aerial view of an ancient temple with square rooms and stone walls.

2,800-year-old figurines unearthed at Greek temple may be offerings to Poseidon

By Owen Jarus published

Excavation of an ancient Greek temple has yielded a variety of figurines, possibly offerings to Poseidon.

Archaeologists excavate the remain of a priest or shaman who lived about 3,000 years ago in Peru.

3,000-year-old tomb of shaman who may have mediated 'between spiritual and earthly worlds' found in Peru

By Owen Jarus published

Archaeologists have unearthed the tomb and grave goods of a shaman who lived 3,000 years ago in what is now Peru.

The Pyramids of Giza, seen here with the Milky Way in the background, are not Egypt's oldest pyramids.

How old are the Egyptian pyramids?

By Owen Jarus published

And why did the ancient Egyptians build pyramids in the first place?

Here we see the entrance to at ancient Egyptian temple at Abu Simbel. There are four giant seated pharaohs, two on either side of the entrance.

Did the ancient Egyptians really marry their siblings and children?

By Owen Jarus published

Ramesses II married his daughter and Cleopatra VII married her brother, but how common was marriage within royal and commoner families?

Remains of five of the 13 individuals found at Structure 18 at the Moral-Reforma Archaeological Zone.

Deformed skulls and ritual beheadings found at Maya pyramid in Mexico

By Owen Jarus published

Archaeologists announced that some individuals buried at a Maya pyramid more than 1,000 years ago had deformed skulls and had been killed in ritual beheadings.

The excavation site of the mausoleum of Emperor Wendi of the Han Dynasty.

2,200-year-old remains of sacrificed giant panda and tapir discovered near Chinese emperor's tomb

By Owen Jarus published

The discovery of an ancient tapir's skeletal remains near an emperor's tomb indicates that these animals once roamed China.