ruins

10 Stories

Deep Beneath Mexico City, a Chilling Find

A tower of Aztec skulls includes the remains of women and children

(Newser) - A chilling find deep under old Mexico City has experts rethinking the Aztec practice of human sacrifice, Reuters reports. Archaeologists who discovered a tower of more than 650 skulls and fragments were stunned to see the crania of women and children. The new find is believed to be part of...

Archaeologists Make Surprise Find Under Mayan Temple

They find water tunnels, maybe in hope of helping ruler reach the underworld

(Newser) - When researchers grew concerned about underground anomalies detected near the Mayan ruins of Palenque in Mexico, they began a dig to figure out whether the pyramid was in danger of collapse. This week, researchers announced that what they found was no anomaly but rather a small canal system, reports the...

Justin Bieber Is Back to Behaving Badly

Singer gets the boot from Mexican ruins

(Newser) - Is Justin Bieber's short-lived redemption tour already over? A Mexican official tells the AP Bieber and his entourage were asked to leave the Mayan archaeological site of Tulum after the singer apparently tried to climb onto the ruins on Thursday. Visitors can climb some pre-Hispanic pyramids in Mexico, but...

ISIS Images Show Destroyed Ancient Temple

It appears the 2K-year-old temple of Baalshamin is no more

(Newser) - ISIS released propaganda images today that purport to show militants laying explosives in and then blowing up the 2,000-year-old temple of Baalshamin in Syria's ancient caravan city of Palmyra. The images, posted on social media by supporters of the group, showed militants carrying barrels of explosives, and laying...

ISIS' Ruin of Palmyra Would Be 'Genocide'
What Humanity Would Lose
If Palmyra Is Destroyed
OPINION
May 22, 2015 10:33 AM CDT

What Humanity Would Lose If Palmyra Is Destroyed

Expert: 3.8K-year-old city is 'mirage out of a fairy tale'

(Newser) - The ancient city of Palmyra, housing a 3,600-foot-long colonnade, marketplace, amphitheater, castle, and numerous tombs, is an archaeological treasure. "It makes Rome blush," says archaeologist Stephennie Mulder. "When you approach the site, it rises out of the desert like some sort of a mirage out of...

'Underwater Pompeii' Discovered Off Greece

Buildings just 6 feet underwater near island of Delos

(Newser) - It was believed that underwater ruins off the Greek island of Delos were simply ancient docks—but now experts are telling a much more exciting story. They've found what's left of several buildings, including a pottery workshop, at the site just six feet below the surface. The ruins...

Old Stone Circles Baffle Archaeologists

"Big Circles" in Jordan date back at least 2K years

(Newser) - Archaeologists have snapped aerial photos of ancient stone circles as part of an ongoing effort to figure out why the structures exist, LiveScience reports. The images (taken in Jordan and viewable here ) show that 10 of the 11 structures are roughly 1,300 feet in diameter, but their purpose...

Ancient Royal Tomb Unearthed in Scotland

(Newser) - A spectacular royal tomb chock full of the personal belongings of a Bronze Age ruler has been discovered in Scotland, reports the Independent. The 4,000-year-old tomb, marked with engravings, lies at the center of a giant circle of 200 timber obelisks in Forteviot, which served as a capital of...

Jewel of Maya Art Unearthed in Guatemala

Rare panels found in jungle city depict ancient legend of creation

(Newser) - Archaeologists reclaiming the Mayans' biggest city from the Guatemalan jungle have uncovered the oldest known depiction of the ancient civilization's creation myth, reports Reuters. The carvings depict the heroic twins of Maya legend emerging from the underworld surrounded by cosmic monsters. They appear on a pair of 26-foot-long panels at...

Archaeologists Unearth Pre-Inca Temple

'Sacred ceremonial nature' of site surprises researchers

(Newser) - Archaeologists have dug up a pre-Incan temple that sheds light on a lost Peruvian culture, the AP reports. Nestled in a mountain region, the sprawling site housed the Killke people as they fended off an encroaching Spanish empire around 1200 AD. Evidence of mummies and idols shows that the Killke...

10 Stories
Most Read on Newser