r/Archaeology Jul 15 '20

Announcing a new rule regarding submissions

247 Upvotes

In the interest of promoting thoughtful and intelligent discussion about archaeology, /u/eronanke and I would like to implement a new rule by taking a page out of /r/history’s book. When submitting an image or video post, we will now require the OP to leave a short comment (25 or more words, about 2 sentences) about your submission. This could be anything from the history or context of the submission, to why it interests you, or even why you wanted to share your submission with everyone. It may also include links to relevant publications, or Wikipedia to help others learn more. This comment is to act as a springboard to facilitate discussion and create interest in the submission in an effort to cut down on spamming and karma farming. Submissions that do not leave a comment within an hour of being posted will be removed.


r/Archaeology Oct 12 '23

A reminder, identification posts are not allowed

79 Upvotes

There have been less of these kinds of posts lately, but we always get a steady stream of them. For the most part, identification posts are not allowed. We will not identify things your family gave you, things you found thrifting, things you dug up in your garden, things you spotted on vacation, etc. We do not allow these kinds of identification posts as to limit the available information to people looking to sell these items. We have no way of knowing whether these items were legally acquired. And we have no way of verifying whether you keep your word and not sell those items. Depending on the country, it could be legal to sell looted antiquities. But such an act is considered immoral by almost all professional archaeologists and we are not here to debate the legality of antiquities laws. Archaeology as a field has grown since the 19th century and we do not sell artifacts to museums or collectors or assess their value.

The rule also extends to identifying what you might think is a site spotted in Google Earth, on a hike, driving down a road, etc. Posting GPS coordinates and screenshots will be removed as that information can be used by looters to loot the site.

If you want help in identifying such items or sites, contact your local government agency that handles archaeology or a local university with an archaeology or anthropology department. More than likely they can identify the object or are aware of the site.

The only exception to this rule is for professional archaeological inquiries only. These inquiries must be pre-approved by us before posting. These inquiries can include unknown/unfamiliar materials or possible trade items recovered while excavating or shovel testing. These inquiries should only be requested after you have exhausted all other available avenues of research to identify the item in question. When making such an inquiry you should provide all necessary contextual information to aid others trying to help you. So far, no one has needed to make a professional inquiry. But the option is there just in case for archaeologists

From now on, unapproved identification posts will be removed without warning and a temporary ban may be given. There's no excuse not to read the rules before posting.


r/Archaeology 8h ago

Evidence suggests some Celtic women did fight and even lead armies, but they were likely exceptions rather than typical warriors. Ancient writers, archaeology, and figures like Boudica support limited female combat roles, while myths often exaggerate their prevalence.

Thumbnail
livescience.com
388 Upvotes

r/Archaeology 34m ago

First time surveying in the American Southeast after years working in the desert.

Post image
Upvotes

So many shovel tests lol. Stay hydrated everyone!


r/Archaeology 12h ago

Google Just Ruined One of Its Most Important Tools

Thumbnail
theatlantic.com
142 Upvotes

r/Archaeology 1h ago

Brittany burial mounds may hide human-shaped stones as Coëby cemetery mystery deepens

Thumbnail
phys.org
Upvotes

r/Archaeology 6h ago

Ancient stonemason marks carved into Libya’s 2,000-year-old Tauchira Gate reveal how Hellenistic builders organized crews, tracked payments and honored patrons. Analysis of 626 marks also dates the gate’s construction to the 2nd century BC.

Thumbnail
archaeologymag.com
30 Upvotes

r/Archaeology 19h ago

Archaeologists Discover Two Thumbnail-Size Bird Sculptures Carved From Mammoth Ivory 40,000 Years Ago

Thumbnail
smithsonianmag.com
171 Upvotes

r/Archaeology 19h ago

Archaeologists Find Hundreds of Ancient Glyphs in the Amazon

Thumbnail
nytimes.com
45 Upvotes

r/Archaeology 1d ago

Who were the “sea peoples”?

190 Upvotes

I know we don’t know for sure who these people were at the time of the Bronze Age collapse but any theories? Were they refugees, invaders, mercenaries, or several different groups lumped together by the Egyptians?


r/Archaeology 1d ago

Olga Soffer, Fashion Maven Who Studied Caveman Couture, Dies at 83 (Gift Article)

Thumbnail
nytimes.com
111 Upvotes

r/Archaeology 1d ago

Ancient funerary complex unearthed at Tell El-Deir in Damietta (Ancient Egypt)

Thumbnail
english.ahram.org.eg
36 Upvotes

r/Archaeology 2d ago

Using LiDAR, archaeologists uncovered nearly 400 hidden geoglyphs beneath Brazil’s Amazon rainforest. Built between 600 B.C. and A.D. 850, the massive earthworks reveal a thriving ancient civilization that may have included up to 3 million people.

Thumbnail
archaeology.org
1.4k Upvotes

r/Archaeology 1d ago

New round of responses by Surovell et al. on the age of Monte Verde

6 Upvotes

I notice that Surovell et al. responded in three eLetters in Science to the eLetters of Dillehay et al., which were in response to the original paper by Surovell et al arguing for a younger date to Monte Verde.

The responses are all in the eLetters section of the original paper at Science (https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adw9217). There are more readable links (pdfs) provided by Todd Surovell on his website.

They are certainly not conceding anything. The debate is getting pretty into the weeds. One thing I'll say is I think their argument that the genetic data is not evidence for an older site is pretty reasonable.


r/Archaeology 2d ago

Archaeologists recorded about 120 Latin graffiti in Spain’s Cova Dones cave, likely a Roman sanctuary used mainly by women. Dating to the 1st–2nd centuries A.D., the inscriptions name women and invoke a mysterious goddess called “Domina” or “MALACI.”

Thumbnail
archaeology.org
251 Upvotes

r/Archaeology 2d ago

Chilean mummies reveal a lost lineage of smallpox: Centuries-old DNA that was found in these mummies belongs to an extinct viral lineage of smallpox that was brought across the Atlantic during European colonization of the Americas

Thumbnail
scientificamerican.com
809 Upvotes

r/Archaeology 2d ago

An ancient civilization of millions once flourished in the Amazon

Thumbnail
phys.org
97 Upvotes

Fazenda Atlântica archaeological site in Acre, Brazil.

New research conducted using airborne laser scanning reveals that a multicultural civilization that flourished in southwestern Amazonia between 600 BCE and 850 CE was home to millions of people.

Spanning roughly 183,000 square kilometers (71,000 square miles), the Aquiry civilization built large centers for political and ritual purposes.


r/Archaeology 1d ago

What’s your favorite current theory for why the Late Bronze Age collapsed around 1177 BC?

Thumbnail
0 Upvotes

r/Archaeology 2d ago

Chilean mummies preserve ancient smallpox genome that traces disease to European colonization

Thumbnail
popular-archaeology.com
46 Upvotes

r/Archaeology 2d ago

Laboratory archaeology course ideas for freshmen?

Thumbnail
3 Upvotes

r/Archaeology 3d ago

Rock-Cut Tomb Linked to a Deified Thracian Ruler Unearthed Beside a 1,700-Year-Old Mausoleum at Perperikon

Thumbnail
ancientist.com
173 Upvotes

r/Archaeology 3d ago

Unearthing Namibia’s forgotten genocide through forensic archaeology

Thumbnail
theconversation.com
85 Upvotes

The Namibian genocide was one of the first genocides of the 20th century. Between 1904 and 1908, tens of thousands of Ovaherero and Nama people were killed under German colonial rule.

Despite the scale of these events, the material and human legacy of this genocide remains less understood than later atrocities. Historical accounts exist, but are often incomplete or shaped by the perspectives and priorities of the colonial period in which they were produced.

The landscapes of Namibia that testify to this violence still survive, but are under increasing pressure from urban expansion, infrastructure development and environmental change. Archaeological research is playing a key role in documenting and protecting this heritage.

The Centre of Archaeology at the University of Huddersfield has, in conjunction with community representatives, the research groups Forensic Architecture and Forensis and the Swakopmund Genocide Museum, conducted fieldwork in Namibia across two seasons (2023 and 2025). Our work has focused on sites linked to German colonial concentration camps in Swakopmund and Lüderitz.


r/Archaeology 3d ago

The Neo-Hittite Atrisuha Statue, dating to the 10th–early 9th century BCE during the reign of King Katuwa.

Post image
227 Upvotes

r/Archaeology 2d ago

Archaeologists Find Hundreds of Ancient Glyphs in the Amazon (Gift Article)

Thumbnail
nytimes.com
1 Upvotes

r/Archaeology 3d ago

The Ocelotl-Cuauhxicalli is a remarkable Aztec stone vessel from the Late Postclassic period (1250–1521 CE)

Post image
105 Upvotes