Popular Archeology

Before Kings and Temples
by James Kensington
Ancient landscapes in present-day Israel have revealed astonishing evidence of early human occupation.
The Archaeology of the Invisible and the Fall of Rome
by Kyle Harper
Silent killers can help bring down civilizations. Author Kyle Harper relates how the Roman Empire of Late Antiquity was severely crippled by an unseen enemy.
The Archaeological Watchlist
by Dan McLerran
Popular Archaeology suggests a select group of sites and projects that readers can follow as archaeologists and other scientists uncover more tantalizing finds bearing on the human past.
Tunneling Through a Sacred Underworld
by Brian Fagan
Archaeologists are piecing together an ancient sacred view of the cosmos at Teotihuacan, where creation, gods, and mortals intersected to legitimize the power of rulers.
A Decade of Discovery: The Tandy Excavations at Tel Gezer
by Steven Ortiz and Samuel Wolff
A preliminary summary report of the excavations of a city that, according to the biblical account, was fortified by King Solomon during the time of the United Monarchy of ancient Israel.
Uncovering the Secrets of an Island Paradise
by Cristina Bravo, Irene Riudavets, and Montserrat Anglada
Excavations continue to reveal a unique prehistoric monumental sanctuary in Menorca.
Using LiDAR at El Pilar
by Anabel Ford, Thomas Crimmel, Claudia Knudson, Sherman Horn, and Keith Clarke
Well before the recent media reports about the amazing discoveries of ancient Maya remains in Guatemala using laser technology, another team of pioneering scientists had already made equivalent discoveries in Belize.

Popular Archaeology is a quarterly online magazine exploring the human past, from prehistoric beginnings to the present day. See About Us for more details. Regular subscriptions are FREE. Access to all premium level content (our best articles, including all back-issue premium articles) is only $9.00 annually.

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Cover Stories

Humans have been driving a global reduction in mammal size for thousands of years

Study Sheds New Light on Neanderthal Anatomy

Surviving climate change, then and now

Unusual climate during Roman times plunged Eurasia into hunger and disease

Humans may have occupied Indonesian site earlier than previously thought

Researchers return to the site of Leang Burung 2 after 30 years to uncover new artifacts and revise early dating estimates.

Early modern human migration out of Africa more geographically widespread than previously thought

The first Homo sapiens fossil discovery from Saudi Arabia dates to nearly 90,000 years ago during a time when the region's deserts were replaced by grasslands.

Genetics of the modern heirs of the Incas sheds new light about their origins and lineages

The first study on families of documented Inca nobility ancestry shows at least two patrilineal clusters and their origins linked to the lake Titicaca and Southern Cusco region.

Smithsonian reports first evidence of live-traded dogs for Maya ceremonies

Spread of agriculture into central Anatolia

Scientists discover evidence of early human innovation, pushing back evolutionary timeline

Evidence of innovation dates to a period when humans faced an unpredictable and uncertain environment, according to three new studies.

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A wooden toe: Swiss Egyptologists study 3,000-year-old prosthesis

Multispectral imaging reveals ancient Hebrew inscription undetected for over 50 years

Military correspondence from the First Temple period discovered on reverse side of well-studied artifact at The Israel Museum, Tel Aviv University researchers say.

New research reveals earliest directly dated rock paintings from southern Africa

Scientists have pioneered a technique to directly date prehistoric rock paintings in southern Africa, which revealed dates much older than previously thought.