Europe Ancient

Ancient DNA reveals how women helped transform prehistoric Europe

Ancient DNA reveals how women helped transform prehistoric Europe Ancient DNA reveals a surprisingly dynamic Europe, where marriage, migration, and cultural exchange reshaped populations long before recorded history. - Date: - May 30, 2026 - Source: - The Conversation - Summary: - New DNA evidence shows that Europe’s hunter-gatherers and early farmers interacted far more closely than previously thought, with women likely playing a crucial role in spreading farming across northwestern Europe....

Inside Europe's largest Copper Age tomb, children's bones expose an ancient health crisis hidden for 5,000 years

May 30, 2026 feature Inside Europe's largest Copper Age tomb, children's bones expose an ancient health crisis hidden for 5,000 years Sandee Oster Author Sadie Harley Scientific Editor Robert Egan Associate Editor Nearly 5,000 years ago, respiratory infections, possibly including tuberculosis, were ravaging the children buried at Camino del Molino (CMOL), Spain. The massive circular burial cave carved into rock is Europe's largest Copper Age mass burial, containing over 1,300 individuals,...

Some ancient microbes frozen with Ötzi the Iceman are still growing

Ötzi the Iceman, Europe’s most famous mummy, is crawling with microbes, some long dead, some still eking out a living after thousands of years, and some very modern. After he died in the Ötztal Alps, the Copper Age man now known as Ötzi lay alone and forgotten for 5,300 years, until a group of hikers stumbled on his freeze-dried remains in 1991. Since then, he’s received a lot of attention from scientists, who have sequenced his DNA, pored over his last meal and the remains of his gut...

Some ancient microbes frozen with Ötzi the Iceman are still growing

Ötzi the Iceman, Europe’s most famous mummy, is crawling with microbes, some long dead, some still eking out a living after thousands of years, and some very modern. After he died in the Ötztal Alps, the Copper Age man now known as Ötzi lay alone and forgotten for 5,300 years, until a group of hikers stumbled on his freeze-dried remains in 1991. Since then, he’s received a lot of attention from scientists, who have sequenced his DNA, pored over his last meal and the remains of his gut...

Bayeux Tapestry set to go on show at the British Museum

The medieval masterpiece will go on show at the London museum from September 2026 to July 2027, marking the 1,000th anniversary of William the Conqueror. The Bayeux Tapestry is preparing to leave France. A medieval masterpiece, this embroidery, which stretches for 70 metres and recounts the Norman conquest of England, will go on display at the British Museum in London from September 2026 to July 2027, to mark the 1,000th anniversary of William the Conqueror.

We’re going on a Bosnian bear hunt … in Europe’s oldest forest

Bayeux Tapestry set to go on display at British Museum

The medieval work will be exhibited at the London museum from September 2026 to July 2027 to mark the 1,000th anniversary of William the Conqueror. The Bayeux Tapestry is preparing to leave France. This medieval masterpiece, a 70-metre-long embroidery depicting the Norman conquest of England, will be exhibited at the British Museum in London from September 2026 to July 2027, to mark the 1,000th anniversary of William the Conqueror.

Stonehenge's most mysterious stone traveled 700 kilometers across Britain

Stonehenge's most mysterious stone traveled 700 kilometers across Britain - Date: - June 9, 2026 - Source: - Curtin University - Summary: - Scientists have uncovered new evidence that Stonehenge’s six-ton Altar Stone was deliberately transported hundreds of kilometers from Scotland by ancient people. The feat would have required extraordinary planning, teamwork, and determination, revealing a surprisingly sophisticated level of organization thousands of years ago. A new study led by...

17,000-year-old stripes of red in a Welsh cave are the oldest rock art in the UK, study finds

17,000-year-old stripes of red in a Welsh cave are the oldest rock art in the UK, study finds Over a century after a red-lined cave wall was discovered, scientists have determined that it represents the U.K.'s oldest rock art. For a century, experts dismissed a series of parallel red lines discovered in a Welsh cave as a phenomenon of nature rather than human-made rock art. But a new study shows the lines are a rare example of Paleolithic art — and at 17,000 years old, they're the earliest...

Gessel gold hoard: A 3,300-year-old stash of gleaming treasures that's one of the largest Bronze Age hoards from Europe

Gessel gold hoard: A 3,300-year-old stash of gleaming treasures that's one of the largest Bronze Age hoards from Europe The Gessel gold hoard is among the largest treasures ever discovered in prehistoric Europe but has only three pieces of jewelry in it. Name: Gessel gold hoard What it is: 117 gold objects Where it is from: Syke, northern Germany When it was made: Circa 1300 B.C. In April 2011, excavators working on a natural gas pipeline in northern Germany unearthed one of the largest gold...