The ancient Egyptians practiced human sacrifice around 5,000 years ago, a new study finds.

An elaborate 4,000-year-old defensive wall was discovered in Morocco, and it once protected a thriving farming hub, archaeologists say.

A tomb dating back to the time the Romans controlled Egypt contains a funerary poem in ancient Greek.

An ancient Egyptian woman named Meretneith had a lavish tomb, and on it her name was written the same way as a pharaoh.

The newly described dinosaur is only the third nodosaurid fossil found in Asia. Researchers say its ancestors may have migrated from North America.

More than 900 Roman silver coins from the time of the Emperor Hadrian were found in Germany by a metal detectorist.

Some children have blond hair that darkens as they grow up. What causes this change?

The idea of Vikings using fire arrows to set funeral boats ablaze is seen frequently in popular culture. But did it really happen?

The South American tiger cat is not one species but five distinct species, a new study finds.

Despite being farther from the sun, Venus is the hottest planet in the solar system, and the reason has little to do with proximity to a star.

Cats lick each other for multiple reasons, and some are more mysterious than others.

The largest Viking Age silver hoard ever found in Finland was unearthed by a metal detectorist north of Helsinki.

Hunter-gatherers from the last ice age sucked on betel nuts to soothe their toothaches, a new study reveals.

The tomb of a pyramid-age official has been found at Saqqara in Egypt.

"Uncontacted" and "isolated" peoples live in roughly 10 countries around the world, including one group that erases their footprints so they cannot easily be found.

Following guidelines for when babies receive vaccines is critical for building immunity in young bodies.

Here are the main differences between yams and sweet potatoes and how to tell them apart.

Here's why 'leg whiskers' are useful to cats and other animals.

Go beyond the headlines to read the latest in-depth science features, op-eds, book excerpts and more.

The Celts were highly regarded as warriors in the ancient world, but were all fighters men, or did Celtic women also fight in battle?

Thousands of skeletal human remains have been discovered with their brain tissue unexpectedly intact. Now, a team of scientists may have finally figured out why.

Researchers found the remains of a Roman camp from 39 B.C. that was ambushed by locals in what's now Catalonia, Spain.

Ancient DNA from Chilean mummies is the first ever molecular evidence that European colonizers brought smallpox to the Americas, decimating Indigenous populations.

Given the "quasi" in quasiparticles, do scientists consider them to be real particles?

Redheads are rare and the trait carries an increased risk of melanoma. Does that mean ginger locks might one day go extinct?

There are a few contenders for the world's oldest weapon, and one is over 400,000 years old.

Get ready to geek out with these fascinating bits of trivia.

A unique policy in Japan encourages doctors to improve their antibiotic use and thus reduce their contribution to antibiotic resistance. Should the U.S. be taking notes?

If you push two metal plates together on Earth, nothing happens. In space, they can fuse into one. Here's why.

From the Andes to the steppes of Central Asia, great empires have waxed and waned. Can you match each territory to the culture that once ruled it?

The long-held idea that rainforests held a minor role in our species' evolution is changing — and our ability to adapt to these tropical areas may give insight about 'what it means to be uniquely huma...

A cutting-edge analysis of the teeth from Homo naledi skeletons in a South African cave system found no males within the group. Experts are unsure what to make of the finding.

The remains of a Japanese "hellship" that was torpedoed in 1944 and sank with more than 1,000 POWs on board has been found off the coast of the Philippines island of Luzon.

The silver in a Viking Age hoard found in Denmark was from melted-down coins from the faraway Islamic world, a new study finds.

Test your scientific smarts with these online quizzes for kids and adults: featuring trivia questions about science, technology, space and archaeology.

Daddy longlegs have been observed eating frogs in South America, suggesting that these arachnids may be predators of vertebrates.

An adolescent owl that was found stuck in a concrete mixer in southwestern Utah is finally on the mend, flying free and maybe a bit wiser from the ordeal.

A burial of an elite Roman-era woman who appears to have been buried with exotic resins has been discovered in Colchester.

Hitchhiker fish known as remoras have a very unexpected hiding place: the rear ends of manta rays.

Thursday, May 7, 2026: The latest news and updates on the hantavirus cluster associated with the MV Hondius. The cruise ship is on course to arrive in Spain on Saturday while health authorities trace ...

Stunning clothes from medieval Christian Nubia have been re-created and put on models, whose performance brought onlookers to tears.

Can you identify these millennia- to centuries-old weapons from the smallest clues? Test your eye for history by matching carved details and close-up images to the legendary tools of war they once for...

Daily discoveries, groundbreaking research and fascinating science breakthroughs that impact you and the wider world, reported by our expert journalists.

In a new book, paleontologist Steve Brustatte tells the wild story of how birds evolved during the Jurassic and took to the skies, surviving the asteroid strike that killed their fellow dinosaurs.

Cats often flick their heads back and forth as if they've been possessed. This strange reflex has a simple explanation.

Do you know Earth's highest peak, deepest point, and more? Test your knowledge about our planet in this quiz.