World
Was ancient India the world’s forgotten superpower?
In Deja Vu’s latest episode, William Dalrymple explores ancient India’s global influence – and how it was overlooked.
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ancient
World
Israel returns 22 stolen ancient artefacts to Greece
The cultural exchange comes amid strengthening ties between the two countries.
Science
Scientists uncover the 2.3-billion-year-old secret that helped keep Earth habitable
Scientists may have solved a 2.3-billion-year-old mystery about how Earth maintained enough oxygen to support life. Ancient rocks reveal that phosphorus recycling in the oceans created a self-sustaining cycle that helped keep oxygen levels high, even as the planet underwent dramatic environmental changes. The discovery challenges assumptions about Earth's early atmosphere and raises new questions about why complex life took so long to emerge.
Science
Archaeologists may have finally solved a 100-year-old Florida mystery
Ancient pottery from Tampa Bay appears to have been made by migrant craftspeople who brought specialized Mississippian pottery-making knowledge hundreds of miles south. Remarkably, they even incorporated crushed fragments of older homeland pottery into new vessels, preserving a physical link to their past across generations.
Science
These medieval graves looked like family burials. DNA told a different story
Ancient DNA shows that adults and children buried together in medieval Sweden were often not members of the same immediate family, suggesting that burial choices reflected more than biological kinship. The research also revealed early gender-based burial customs and uncovered the remarkable story of a young woman who may have completed a pilgrimage across Europe.
Science
Ancient meteorites reveal a powerful force that helped build the Solar System
Ancient grains inside one of the oldest known meteorites reveal that a surprisingly strong magnetic field existed during the solar system’s first 200,000 years. The discovery suggests magnetism worked alongside gravity to help transform a vast cloud of gas and dust into the sun and planetary disk.
World
Discovery of ancient wall could confirm origins of Paris
An ancient wall discovered in central Paris was hailed as a "major breakthrough" on Wednesday, as the archaeological find may have settled a long-standing debate about the location of the city's original settlement. A roughly 20-metre (66-foot) wall dating from the Gallo-Roman period was discovered in Paris this summer beneath a hospital on the Ile de la Cite, a stone's throw from Notre Dame Cathedral, the French culture ministry said.
Science
The Solar System chose fire over ice from the very beginning
Ancient iron meteorites reveal that some of the Solar System’s first solid bodies were built mostly from tiny heat-forged rock beads called chondrules, while water-rich dust was largely excluded. The finding pushes this selective planet-building process back to within the Solar System’s first million years.
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Health
Ancient DNA reveals how plague kept returning for 400 years after the Black Death
Ancient DNA reveals that plague repeatedly returned to Europe for more than 400 years after the Black Death, evolving into new lineages and spreading through trade, migration, and war. Researchers also developed a method to date ancient plague genomes more precisely, linking many of them to specific outbreaks recorded in historical sources.
World
Ukrainian children learn ancient warrior skills amid modern war
Ukrainian children are learning the skills of 17th-century Cossack warriors – the communities that played a central role in Ukraine history, known for their military skills and horsemanship. But for these students, it is more than a history lesson. It is a chance to escape the reality of growing up during war. Story by Charlotte Lam.