Our Enduring Fascination With Ancient Roman Baths

What could be better in antiquity — and today — than relaxing at the Roman baths? From saunas to hot rooms to cold plunges, both public and private thermae catered to the populace of most Roman cities. But baths were more than just a space to get clean. Much like...

Severe Drought in Iraq Reveals 2000-Year-Old Tombs

Low water levels resulting from a severe drought that has caused a humanitarian crisis in parts of Iraq have exposed a series of ancient tombs in the country’s north. Archaeologists have discovered approximately 40 tombs, believed to be around 2,300 years old,...

Ancient Sculptures Recovered From Sunken City Off Alexandria 

Pieces of limestone buildings, marble and granite royal statues, and the remains of a merchant ship are among the relics of an ancient sunken city retrieved by Egyptian authorities off the shores of Alexandria. Dating back more than 2,000 years, the artifacts were...

Ancient Egyptian Coffin Paintings Suggest Awareness of Milky Way 

The sky has been a source of inspiration for artists since time immemorial. But our collective understanding of just how far into the past artistic representations of this expanse may reach — and how faithfully they reflect actual cosmology — is an ever-changing...