History

A mummified body discovered over a century ago has been digitally unwrapped using CT technology, revealing the body of a teenage boy decorated with nearly 50 amulets highlighting a variety of different ancient Egyptian burial rituals.

Over the past 150 years, researchers have seen the average human body temperature drop by more than half a degree Fahrenheit (0.3 °C). Now, researchers are speculating microbiome changes could be driving these long-term body temperature variations.

Trees can provide scientists with a way to look back into the past. Now, researchers have used tree-ring data to determine that a massive drought could have spurred incursions by Hunnic hordes into the eastern Roman Empire in the 430-450s CE.

These little-known machines have to rank as some of the greatest sandpit toys in history. Walking spider excavators offer an extraordinary range of capabilities through their articulating, extending legs, stabilizers, tilting wheels, and buckets.

History is full of artifacts that later turn out to be fakes, but occasionally the opposite can happen. New analysis of ancient Roman coins long dismissed as forgeries has found they seem to be authentic, revealing a previously unknown Roman emperor.

Scientists have sequenced the genomes of two ancient skeletons and found the oldest human DNA in the British isles. The data reveals the story of two separate migrations of early humans into what is now the UK, and how these different cultures lived.

Extraordinary research has presented a new hypothesis as to how cancer develops, inspired by a forgotten study from 75 years ago. The research showed how pre-existing mutations in healthy tissue can be prompted into tumorous proliferation by air pollution.

Archeologists have discovered the oldest evidence of a surgical procedure in humans. A Stone Age hunter-gatherer, who lived more than 30,000 years ago, had a carefully amputated leg, making it the earliest known surgery by tens of thousands of years.

Research has found two genetic variants inherited by some people from our Neanderthal relatives that can affect how well drugs are metabolized. It is hypothesized these ancient genes may account for differences in drug activity from person to person.

Boston Dynamics’ robot dog Spot has been tasked with a new job - patrolling the ancient ruins of Pompeii. The robot will be used to inspect the site for safety issues and record structural changes over time to better manage the historic ruins.

To aid research into the history of human writing, DeepMind has now turned its AI technology to the task of restoring incomplete ancient texts, where it has performed with an impressive degree of accuracy.

The wreck of one of the most famous exploration ships in history has been located. Using a robotic submersible, the Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust has found Sir Ernest Shackleton's Endurance, which was crushed in the Antarctic pack ice in 1915.