Around 66 million years ago, the reign of the dinosaurs came to a fiery end. An asteroid about 7 miles (12 kilometers) wide, flying at 27,000 mph (43,000 km/h), slammed directly into Earth. The impact triggered a cascade of deadly events that led to the fifth mass extinction that eliminated dinosaurs, with the exception of … Read more
Survivors of the volcanic eruption that destroyed Pompeii in A.D. 79 returned to the ash-covered Roman city in the centuries after the blast and lived on the upper floors of buildings, new excavations confirm. They were likely joined by opportunists and destitute people from nearby towns who came to the ruins in search of valuables … Read more
Scientists have found new evidence that a massive comet trail may have caused climate upheaval on Earth more than 12,000 years ago. Tiny particles detected in ocean sediment cores suggest that dust from a large, disintegrating comet entered Earth’s atmosphere around the beginning of the Younger Dryas event, a period of abrupt cooling that caused … Read more
The Western Roman Empire famously ended in A.D. 476 when its last emperor abdicated the throne. But the city of Rome continued on. So what happened to the “Eternal City” after it was no longer the capital of one of the largest and most enduring empires ever seen? In the century after the empire’s fall, … Read more
The roar of the arena crowd, the bustle of the Roman forum, the grand temples, the Roman army in red with glistening shields and armor — when people imagine ancient Rome, they often think of its sights and sounds. We know less, however, about the scents of ancient Rome. We cannot, of course, go back … Read more
Researchers and artists have created a striking facial reconstruction of a Stone Age woman who lived roughly 10,500 years ago in what is now Belgium. The detailed depiction of the prehistoric hunter-gatherer, known as the “Margaux woman,” is based on various scientific data, including the remains of her skeleton and ancient DNA, according to a … Read more
Ancient DNA from Stone Age burials in Turkey has finally put to rest a decades-long debate about whether the 9,000-year-old proto-city of Çatalhöyük was a matriarchal society. The research finally confirms what experts have long suspected: Women and girls were key figures in this agricultural society. “With Çatalhöyük, we now have the oldest genetically-inferred social … Read more
Nearly two millennia after the height of the Roman Empire, some of its structures are still standing. These marvels have stood the test of time, including the Pantheon in Rome; the Roman aqueducts in Segovia, Spain; and the Roman baths in England. The longevity of these structures can be attributed largely to Roman concrete. But … Read more
A bizarre ancient life-form, considered to be the first giant organism to live on land, may belong to a totally unknown branch of the tree of life, scientists say. These organisms, named Prototaxites, lived around 420 million to 375 million years ago during the Devonian period and resembled branchless, cylindrical tree trunks. These organisms would … Read more
A knight in “shining armor” wielding a sword or lance is an iconic medieval image, but more advanced weapons also appeared in the Middle Ages — including guns that fired bullets. This leads to an interesting question: Could the metal suits worn by knights and other warriors block a bullet? Live Science contacted experts to … Read more
