All Archaeology articles
-
ResearchSnuff tube residues push back date of oldest hallucinogen use in Peruvian Andes
Chemical analysis reveals traces of a number of psychoactive compounds thought to have been used to secure leaders’ status
-
ResearchIron from single meteorite found in ancient Polish artefacts
Discoveries indicate meteoritic iron was falling out of fashion in the late iron age
-
NewsUK launches £37m programme to uncover cultural heritage through chemistry
Funding will aid analysis of archaeological materials and preservation of artwork
-
ResearchStonehenge Altar stone likely came from Scotland, not Wales
Mineral analysis matches sandstones from over 750km away
-
NewsArchaeological dig at Tycho Brahe’s island lab reveals some of his alchemical secrets
Analysis of what appears to be laboratory vessels shows elements Danish astronomer was working with
-
ResearchPioneering preservative removal from ancient Greek ship allows accurate dating
Extraction of polyethylene glycol from ship’s wood enables radiocarbon recalibration
-
NewsColourant chemistry identifies ancient Greek workshop for Tyrian purple
Dye favoured by royalty was produced at site 3600 years ago
-
ResearchChemical analysis reveals origins of early English silver coins
Byzantine silver plates were melted down to make many of the first Anglo-Saxon coins
-
ResearchStriking reptilian fossil discovered in 1931 found to be fake
280-million-year-old lizard ‘fossil’ was mostly painted on
-
FeatureThe archaeologists saving Africa’s ironworking heritage
The fires of traditional African iron smelters burned out a century ago and now the researchers dedicated to uncovering their stories are disappearing from the continent too, writes Hayley Bennett
-
ResearchPeptide analysis reveals truth of Seville’s ‘Ivory Lady’
Ancient human remains entombed with an array of treasures, originally believed to be a young male, revealed to be those of a woman
-
ResearchBenin bronzes are made of German brass
Discovery casts new light on the west African artworks, which Nigeria has asked colonial countries to return
-
ResearchResidues from embalming vessels cast new light on ancient Egyptian mummification
Chemists reveal the compounds and sources of embalming treatments
-
FeatureThe smell of history
Nina Notman sniffs out chemistry’s role in uncovering, documenting and recreating the scents of the past
-
OpinionThe incredible legacy of Tutankhamun
Three-thousand-year-old treasures can still enthral and inspire
-
FeatureUnwrapping ancient Egyptian chemistry
From mummification to metallurgy, Rachel Brazil looks at the impressive chemistry used by this ancient civilisation
-
NewsSequencing of genomes of ancient human relatives takes medicine Nobel prize
Svante Pääbo’s team sequenced the Neanderthal genome and discovered a previously unknown hominin
-
ResearchControversy over ancient Chinese bronze chemistry
Study suggests bronze was made from alloys rather than pure metals, but experts remain unconvinced
-
FeatureThe curious case of the ancient brain
A 2000 year old decapitated Yorkshire man and the ancient proteins in his preserved brain might provide clues to modern diseases, as Hayley Bennett discovers
-
ResearchArchaeometric study confirms ancient Greeks used gypsum in white Attic vases
Analysis of the Perseus crater from Agrigento identifies key constituents used in its decoration