archaeologist
How a hobbyist's hunch uncovered hidden Roman military camps
Science Archaeology How a hobbyist's hunch uncovered hidden Roman military camps The finds are forcing historians to reconsider the extent of the Roman military's advance in Germany. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. An amateur archaeologist armed only with satellite imagery and a hunch helped uncover evidence that's reshaping how historians understand the Roman Empire's advance into present-day Germany in the third century CE. In 2020, hobbyist Michael Barkowski was combing through aerial imagery available online, when he spotted an unusual formation near the town of Aken, in the state of Saxony-Anhalt in northwestern Germany. Barkowski suspected that the large rectangular outlines and apparent ditches he was seeing could be signs of marching camps that were commonly deployed by Roman legions .
- Europe > Germany > Saxony-Anhalt (0.25)
- Europe > United Kingdom (0.05)
- North America > United States > New York (0.05)
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- Government > Military (0.33)
- Health & Medicine > Therapeutic Area (0.30)
Secret warehouse guards lost world of treasures found on HS2 route
Treasures unearthed by hundreds of archaeologists so far during work on the controversial planned HS2 train line have been shown exclusively to the BBC. The 450,000 objects, which are being held in a secret warehouse, include a possible Roman gladiator's tag, a hand axe that may be more than 40,000 years old and 19th Century gold dentures. It is an unprecedented amount and array of items, which will yield new insights into Britain's past, says the Centre for British Archaeology. Major building developments in the UK need land to be assessed by archaeologists as part of the planning process, to protect heritage sites. Since 2018 around 1,000 archaeologists have been involved in 60 digs along the route HS2 is set to take between London to Birmingham.
- North America > United States (0.15)
- North America > Central America (0.14)
- Europe > United Kingdom > England > Northamptonshire (0.06)
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Ornate medieval ring discovered in Norway's oldest town
Ornate medieval ring discovered in Norway's oldest town Scientists are still investigating if the ring's center stone is a sapphire or colored glass. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. Last summer, Linda Åsheim found a ring so beautiful it looks like it could have been made yesterday. But Åsheim is an archaeologist, and she found the rare artifact while excavating in a Norwegian town believed to be the oldest in the country. The gorgeous golden ring is decorated with a gemstone and filigree décor--and is over 800 years old.
- Europe > Norway > Eastern Norway > Vestfold > Tønsberg (0.06)
- Europe > Switzerland (0.05)
- Asia > Indonesia (0.05)
Re-assembling the past: The RePAIR dataset and benchmark for real world 2D and 3D puzzle solving
This paper proposes the RePAIR dataset that represents a challenging benchmark to test modern computational and data driven methods for puzzle-solving and reassembly tasks. Our dataset has unique properties that are uncommon to current benchmarks for 2D and 3D puzzle solving. The fragments and fractures are realistic, caused by a collapse of a fresco during a World War II bombing at the Pompeii archaeological park. The fragments are also eroded and have missing pieces with irregular shapes and different dimensions, challenging further the reassembly algorithms. The dataset is multi-modal providing high resolution images with characteristic pictorial elements, detailed 3D scans of the fragments and meta-data annotated by the archaeologists. Ground truth has been generated through several years of unceasing fieldwork, including the excavation and cleaning of each fragment, followed by manual puzzle solving by archaeologists of a subset of approx.
Man with metal detector stumbles on perplexing Viking Age grave
The team found the deceased with scallop shelves partly covering the mouth. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. It's been a good year for metal detectorists. And now there's yet another discovery to add to the list. Archaeologists in Norway have excavated a Viking Age grave of an individual bedecked in costume and jewelry, as reported by, an outlet that publishes research news from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and the Scandinavian research group SINTEF.
- Retail (0.50)
- Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods (0.36)
Hiker stumbles on massive medieval reindeer traps in Norway
The 1,500-year-old site was hidden beneath the dark, damp ice. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. In the fall of 2024, a hiker named Helge Titland was trekking through Aurlandsfjellet, a mountainous region and plateau in Norway and got a little more than just some time with nature. Titland found some strange wooden stakes peaking out of melting snow. He wisely reported it to local archaeologists, but snow returned before the team could investigate.
18th century lead ammo found in Scottish Highlands
Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. Archaeologists in Scotland have excavated over 100 weapon projectiles, including cannon shot and lead musket balls from one of the country's most famous battlefields . With these new finds, experts say they can better contextualize the Battle of Culloden, as well as highlight some of the conflict's lesser known participants. In July 1745, Charles Stuart arrived in Scotland seeking to return his father to the British throne. For the next nine months, Stuart proceeded to lead thousands of supporters, militiamen, and conscripted soldiers in a military campaign now known as the Jacobite rising of 1745 .
- Europe > United Kingdom > Scotland (0.47)
- Oceania > Australia (0.05)
- North America > United States (0.05)
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Mystery Mayan ruler was no king
Ix Ch'ak Ch'een was one of at least four women who oversaw the city of Cobá. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. Ongoing analysis of an ancient monument among the Mayan ruins at Cobá has revealed the identity of one of the sprawling city's previously unknown rulers. According to archaeologists with Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), the king referenced multiple times in the historical accounts described on the city's Foundation Rock wasn't a king at all. She was a queen named Ix Ch'ak Ch'een.
- North America > United States (0.05)
- North America > Mexico > Yucatán (0.05)
- North America > Mexico > Quintana Roo (0.05)
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Forgotten rival of Ancient Rome featured an impressive water basin
Gabii was a once powerful city, but was largely abandoned by 50 CE. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. The city of Rome has been inhabited continuously for 14,000 years --long before it became known by its current name. While this makes the Italian capital city a world capital in terms of archaeology and ancient history, the centuries and centuries of construction make it difficult to study the city's ancient beginnings . Enter Gabii, an ancient Roman city 11 miles east of Rome you've probably never heard of unless you're an expert in the field.
- Europe > Italy (0.25)
- South America (0.05)
- North America > United States > Missouri (0.05)
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- Asia > Japan > Honshū > Chūbu > Toyama Prefecture > Toyama (0.04)
- North America > Canada > Ontario > National Capital Region > Ottawa (0.04)
- Europe > Switzerland > Vaud > Lausanne (0.04)
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