Particularly striking are its well-preserved colors – light yellows, rich blues and a reddish-brown skin tone. Officials announced the discovery Saturday at the site in Saqqara, outside of Cairo.
A U.S.-funded conservation project is shoring up the brick walls of the ancient city. The hope is that Babylon will qualify for UNESCO World Heritage status.
The 3,000-year-old relief fetched more than $28 million at Christie's, more than any other similar work. But some archaeologists worry the high price could trigger looting of other ancient artifacts.
The vessel dates back 2,400 years to the days of ancient Greece. "This will change our understanding of shipbuilding and seafaring in the ancient world," says archaeologist Jon Adams.
The synagogue is "very important," says an archaeologist, "not only for Jews but all people living in Lithuania." Just 3,000 Jews are left in the capital, compared to some 70,000 before World War II.
Breadcrumbs found at an excavation in Jordan reveal that humans were baking thousands of years earlier than previously believed. It may have even prompted them to settle down and plant cereals.
Construction on a new subway line has uncovered marble busts, frescoes, mosaics, even ancient peach pits, dating back nearly 2,000 years. Archaeologists have also found an ancient military barracks.
The adult male survived the initial eruption but was, like many victims, caught in the subsequent cloud of gases and rocks. Unlike most victims, he was also pinned down by a "formidable stone block."
Historic sites around the world face mounting threats: war, climate change, natural disaster. There's a rush to use 3D scans for preservation. But experts have questions about how the scans are used.