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Statue of Akhenaten (Reigned c. 1351-1334 BC). 18th Dynasty. One of a series of colossal statues that once lined a colonnade in the Precinct of the Aten at Karnak.
29 lost burials archaeologists have yet to find (and 1 they did) The burials of famous people provide enduring archaeological mysteries. Here are 30 of the most acclaimed "lost" tombs.
A fragmented wooden tablet with Latin writing on it in charcoal ink on display against a neutral background
2,000-year-old RSVP: A birthday invitation from the Roman frontier that has the earliest known Latin written by a woman This wafer-thin wooden tablet from a first-century Roman fort in the U.K. includes a heartfelt birthday party invitation.
Two people look at an ancient wooden lyre on display at a museum
Queen Puabi's lyre: A bull-headed music maker played for Mesopotamian royalty 4,500 years ago A lyre in a treasure-laden royal tomb discovered in Mesopotamia is the earliest stringed instrument ever found.

Latest about Archaeology

On the left, a human jaw is shown in occlusal (chewing) view; only three molars remain in the back. On the right, a fragment of a left human scapula is shown within a white outline of the bone; there appears to be a label stuck to it.

Ancient Europeans ate the brains of their dead enemies 18,000 years ago, researchers discover

By Kristina Killgrove published

A study of skeletons from a cave in Poland has revealed widespread evidence of cut marks and fractures suggestive of cannibalism.

Archaeology
Skulls of two Australopithecus africanus specimens are highlighted against a black background. The left-hand skull is that of a young child with round eye orbits and smooth skull, while the right-hand skull is that of an adult, with wide orbits, a projecting jaw, and a rough skull.

In a 1st, ancient proteins reveal sex of human relative from 3.5 million years ago

By Kristina Killgrove published

Researchers have extracted ancient proteins from australopithecine fossils and determined whether they were male or female — a first for human evolution studies.

Archaeology
Two people standing in front of a cliff, looking at the different colored lines of soil running horizontally

11,000-year-old settlement in Canada could rewrite history of Indigenous civilizations in North America

By Kristina Killgrove published

The discovery of an 11,000-year-old village in Saskatchewan could rewrite Indigenous history in central Canada.

Archaeology
A photograph of the Herculaneum scroll, PHerc. 172, which was buried by Mount Vesuvius' eruption 2,000 years

'Incredible moment in history:' Particle accelerator and AI offer first peek inside 2,000-year-old Herculaneum scroll

By Patrick Pester published

A 2,000-year-old Herculaneum scroll buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius is filled with lost words that scholars can now decipher thanks to AI and a particle accelerator.

Romans
A researcher points to a fissure in the ceiling of a cave in Spain that held a Roman coin.

1,900-year-old Roman sanctuary and coin found in flooded Spanish cave

By Sascha Pare published

Archaeologists discovered ancient Roman inscriptions and a 1,900-year-old coin wedged between rock formations while exploring a cave called the Cova de les Dones in eastern Spain.

Romans
A set of off-white disk-shaped shell beads sits on a black reflective desktop

World's largest-ever bead stash found in 5,000-year-old 'Ivory Lady' tomb in Spain

By Kristina Killgrove published

More than a quarter million beads found in a tomb with female skeletons were used to decorate the women's ceremonial dresses, suggesting they were powerful leaders five millennia ago.

Archaeology
A general aerial view of a frost covering Stonehenge on January 3,2025 in Wiltshire, England.

Stonehenge quiz: What do you know about the ancient monument?

By Kristina Killgrove published

Is your knowledge of Stonehenge rock-solid or on shaky ground?

Archaeology
A photo of a fossilized human-like jaw

1.4 million-year-old jaw that was 'a bit weird for Homo' turns out to be from never-before-seen human relative

By Charles Choi published

The newfound species belongs to the genus Paranthropus, whose nickname is "nutcracker man."

Archaeology
Two X-ray scans of metal objects that came from a Roman-era helmet. Both are irregularly shaped, and one has incised lines and shapes on it as decoration.

'Exceptionally rare' 1,500-year-old Roman helmet found in chief's burial in Denmark

By Kristina Killgrove last updated

Archaeologists in Denmark have recovered dozens of lances, spears, swords, knives, chain mail and a Roman helmet from an Iron Age chieftain's house.

Archaeology
Ivory portrait head of a Stone Age woman against a black background

Dolní Věstonice Portrait Head: The oldest known human portrait in the world

By Kristina Killgrove published

A tiny head carved from mammoth ivory looks back at us from the Stone Age.

Archaeology
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