History

Scientists have recreated the “voice” of a 3,000 year-old mummy by scanning the shape of his vocal tract, 3D printing a replica of it, then hooking it up to an electronic larynx. The resulting sound is a single vowel that's quite eerie.

Could the German Luftwaffe have won the Battle of Britain in 1940? A team of mathematicians at the University of York used a statistical technique to determine if Germany could have defeated Britain if different decisions had been made.

Scientists have extracted a complete human genome from a 5,700-year-old piece of "chewing gum." It was discovered that the chewer was an ancient female – now named Lola – with dark skin, blue eyes, and most likely a taste for duck and hazelnuts.

Fossilized shells have now revealed that Earth’s systems were already stressed before the asteroid impact that killed the dinosaurs, as volcanic eruptions may have heated the oceans and raised mercury levels to dangerous heights.

From lost cities, civilizations and stone circles to a startlingly well-preserved dinosaur, here’s a look back at five of the most significant archaeological finds and breakthroughs of the last decade.

Scientists have confirmed that facial deformities among the House of Habsburg were caused by inbreeding, according to a newly-published study. The twist: they reached their findings by studying paintings. The influential Austrian royal line produced European rulers between the 14th and 20th centuries.

Whenever computer scientist Sir Tim Berners-Lee makes the headlines, a significant minority of outlets inevitably, and wholly incorrectly, refer to him as “the inventor of the internet.” Here’s why they’re wrong.

In its third year, the Historic Photographer of the Year contest has become one of the most captivating photo competitions on the calendar, presenting everything from ancient stone circles in the UK to beautiful Islamic architecture in Pakistan.

"Alligator," Jerry Garcia's guitar of choice from early 1971 until late 1973, will auction at Bonhams in Los Angeles in December, closing a year that has seen four guitars sell for more than a million apiece.

The skeletal remains of some 14 woolly mammoths have been discovered in Mexico. More than 800 mammoth bones were distributed in two round pits – apparently traps used to house the mammoths. The remains were found north of Mexico City.

Misadventure in Little Lon is a location-based, augmented reality mobile game that asks players to help solve a century-old crime by walking the real-world streets of Melbourne, Australia, and talking to virtual characters. New Atlas goes hands-on.

The latest update to the human migration story comes from the Greek island of Naxos, where new archaeological finds show that humans and Neanderthals have occupied the site for around 200,000 years – far earlier than previously believed.