Arab Silver Coins in Russia Highlight Medieval Trade Links

In Stary Ladoga, Russia’s Leningrad region, the City Museum announced the discovery of 23 silver coins dating to the Arab Caliphate period (697–816 CE) along the right bank of the Volkhov River.

The museum highlighted the scientific significance of the find, noting that Arab silver coins were key to international trade between the 8th and 11th centuries. This collection offers material evidence of robust trade activity along the Volga trade route, also known as the “route from the Varangians to the Arabs.”

The coins will become part of the museum’s holdings, contributing to research on monetary circulation, refining understanding of early medieval trade networks, and clarifying Stary Ladoga’s role in broader economic processes.

Stary Ladoga, one of Russia’s oldest settlements, founded no later than the mid-7th century, is historically significant as the first capital of ancient Rus, with around 160 historical monuments, including a fortress, churches, and monasteries.

In a separate Russian discovery, Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova announced the finding of ~20,000 silver coins hidden in a 17th-century merchant’s mansion in Moscow, described as one of the most important recent archaeological finds.

This discovery, alongside the Ladoga coins, underscores the vital role of early medieval trade and coin circulation in Russia.

Appeal launched to keep Bronze Age treasure in Staffordshire

The Potteries Museum and Art Gallery is fundraising to hold on to a nationally significant Bronze Age treasure trove

The Potteries Museum and Art Gallery has launched an appeal to raise £150,000 to acquire a rare Bronze Age gold artefact discovered in Ellastone, Staffordshire, in 2023.

The treasure is a 3,000-year-old dress fastener, expertly worked from a single piece of gold. Only 20 similar objects are known in the UK, and this is the first found in Staffordshire.

Joe Perry, the museum’s curator of local history, described it as “the most significant item of treasure” offered to the museum in the past decade. He emphasized that keeping the artefact locally would allow the public to access a nationally important object and enrich understanding of the region during the Bronze Age.

If the appeal is successful, the dress fastener would join Staffordshire’s other major treasures, including:

• The Staffordshire Hoard – over 4,000 Anglo-Saxon gold and silver items discovered near Lichfield in 2009.

• The Leekfrith Torcs – three Iron Age gold neck torcs and a smaller bracelet, discovered in 2016, likely belonging to high-status individuals.

Sir Peter Luff, Chair of the National Heritage Memorial Fund, described the Leekfrith Torcs as “absolutely exquisite”, highlighting the significance of Staffordshire’s archaeological heritage.

This new find promises to transform understanding of the Bronze Age in Staffordshire and strengthen the county’s nationally important collection.

The Potteries Museum and Art Gallery is actively fundraising to acquire the rare Bronze Age gold dress fastener found in Ellastone, Staffordshire, in 2023, with the museum temporarily closed for renovations and set to reopen in spring 2026.

The museum’s renovation—a £5 million reimagining project funded by Arts Council England—aims to modernize exhibits and enhance visitor experiences. Council cabinet member Sarah Hill said acquiring the fastener would strengthen the museum’s offering and give visitors “yet more reason to come and explore our area’s history.”

Fundraising is already showing promising progress:

• £60,000 pledged by Art Fund, conditional on the remainder being raised.

• Friends of the Potteries Museum are aiming to raise £15,000 through public donations.

• Additional bids will be submitted to other external funding bodies.

Peter Wilson, Chair of the Friends group, highlighted the significance of the artefact as “a very special example of our local history” that will complement the museum’s rich archaeological collections, joining Staffordshire’s other major treasures like the Staffordshire Hoard and Leekfrith Torcs.

If fully funded, this acquisition would cement Staffordshire’s status as home to some of the UK’s most important gold treasures, further enhancing the museum’s national profile.

Discover Bucks Museum new exhibition brings Saxons to life

A major new exhibition is set to immerse visitors in early medieval Buckinghamshire. The SAXONS: Three lives. Three burial sites. Three extraordinary stories opens on March 28, 2026, at Discover Bucks Museum in Aylesbury, running until November 1, 2026.

The showcase explores the region’s Saxon past through three remarkable burial sites:

• Taplow princely grave – featuring high-status objects including a gold-and-garnet belt buckle and bone gaming pieces on loan from the British Museum.

• Warlord of Marlow – a military burial highlighting weaponry and personal items.

• Wendover Saxon Cemetery – 122 graves unearthed during HS2 construction, with previously unseen finds such as a window urn incorporating Roman glass, possibly a family heirloom.

Visitors will gain insight into 7th–8th century life through artefacts ranging from jewellery and ceremonial objects to everyday personal belongings. Many pieces are being displayed together for the first time, thanks to collaborations with the British Museum, HS2’s post-excavation consortium Access+, and the museum’s own collection.

The exhibition is supported by funding from HS2’s Community & Environment Fund, the Weston Loan Programme with Art Fund, and EKFB Construction. Opening day will feature reenactors, storytelling, and hands-on crafts, offering an interactive journey into Buckinghamshire’s Saxon heritage.

Sam Mason, CEO of Discover Bucks Museum, emphasized the scale of the experience: “It is incredibly exciting to be putting on this Saxon experience – and on a larger scale than we have ever done so before.”

This is a rare opportunity to explore high-status and everyday Saxon life through extraordinary objects and immersive storytelling.

The surprising origins of Britain's Bronze Age immigrants revealed

About 4600 years ago, the population of Britain was replaced by a people who brought Bell Beaker pottery with them. Now, ancient DNA has uncovered the murky story of where these people came from

Around 2400 BC, a new group arrived in Britain, quickly replacing most of the local population who had built Stonehenge. Ancient DNA analysis links them to the Bell Beaker culture, a widespread early Bronze Age phenomenon known for its distinctive pottery.

While the Bell Beaker culture likely originated in Iberia (modern Portugal or Spain), the study shows that the British newcomers specifically came from the river deltas of the Low Countries (modern Netherlands and Belgium). These migrants carried a surprising amount of hunter-gatherer ancestry, suggesting that some communities in western Europe had maintained traditional lifestyles even after farming populations had spread across much of the continent.

This genetic evidence highlights how migration, cultural exchange, and survival of older ways of life shaped Britain’s population and contributed to the dramatic demographic shifts of the Bronze Age.

Medieval Burial Sites in Denmark Show Illness Didn’t Erase Social Status

In medieval Denmark, burial location often reflected wealth and status: graves closer to church walls—or even inside the church—cost more and signaled prestige. But how were the sick treated, especially those with visible diseases like leprosy or tuberculosis? A new study in Frontiers in Environmental Archaeology shows the answer is more nuanced than expected.

Researchers examined 939 adult skeletons from five Danish cemeteries, including three urban sites and two rural ones, looking for skeletal evidence of leprosy (which affects the face, hands, and feet) and tuberculosis (which can impact bones near the lungs and joints, sometimes without obvious outward signs).

Surprisingly, illness did not consistently lead to exclusion from high-status burial areas. Many individuals with leprosy or tuberculosis were buried alongside their neighbors near churches and monasteries, just like healthy individuals. In several urban cemeteries, a large proportion of tuberculosis cases were found in prestigious plots. At one site, over half of those in high-status graves showed signs of tuberculosis.

The only exception was the town of Ribe, where fewer sick individuals were found in church or monastery plots. Researchers suggest this may reflect differences in exposure and survival: wealthier individuals could afford better housing and nutrition, which may have allowed them to live long enough for tuberculosis to leave detectable marks on their bones, ironically making them more visible in the archaeological record.

“Medieval communities were variable in their responses,” said Saige Kelmelis, lead author of the study. “For several communities, those who were sick were buried alongside their neighbors and given the same treatment as anyone else.”

The study challenges the stereotype of medieval society as uniformly harsh toward the ill. While wealth could influence burial location, illness alone did not automatically erase status, even in death. Kelmelis notes that genomic analyses could reveal more about disease prevalence, but for now, Danish cemeteries suggest a more inclusive approach to the sick than previously assumed.

Rules of mysterious ancient board game decoded by AI, scientists say

A polished white stone from the Roman period discovered in the Netherlands has puzzled experts for years. Now, researchers believe they have solved the mystery with the help of artificial intelligence: the object appears to be an ancient board game, and they have even proposed how it was played.

The circular limestone slab is marked with both straight and diagonal incised lines. Through 3D scans produced by the restoration studio Restaura, researchers observed that some lines were more deeply worn than others—evidence that pieces were likely slid along certain paths more frequently.

“We can see wear along the grooves exactly where a game piece would have moved,” said Walter Crist, an archaeologist at Leiden University who specializes in ancient games. “Combined with the stone’s overall appearance, this strongly indicates it functioned as a game board.”

To explore how the game may have worked, scholars at Maastricht University turned to an artificial intelligence program called Ludii, designed to reconstruct rules of ancient games. The AI was trained using the rules of around 100 historical games from the same broader region and time frame as the Roman artefact.

The system generated dozens of possible rule combinations and then simulated matches against itself, narrowing the results to versions that were both playable and engaging for humans. Researchers compared these rule sets with the wear patterns on the stone to determine which version best matched the physical evidence.

Still, Dennis Soemers of Maastricht University cautioned that AI results must be interpreted carefully. “If you give Ludii a pattern of lines like this, it will always produce a playable rule set,” he explained. “That doesn’t guarantee the Romans followed those exact rules.”

According to the team, the reconstructed game appears to have been a strategic contest in which players aimed to capture and trap their opponent’s pieces in as few moves as possible. The pieces themselves were likely made of glass, bone, or pottery.

The findings and proposed rules were published in the journal Antiquity, which also shared a video explaining the game. Karen Jeneson, curator of The Roman Museum in Heerlen, noted that researchers considered alternative explanations—such as decorative architectural use—but found none that matched the wear patterns. “The rules we identified align with the marks on the stone and with comparable games from the same cultural period,” she said. “All evidence points to it being a board game.”

In a related discovery, archaeologists in 2015 uncovered gaming pieces, including dice, at a Roman settlement in a German town along the Rhine River, further highlighting the popularity of board games in Roman society.

Archaeologists make incredible discovery near city of Nis in Serbia

The Institute reports that the Novosel archaeological site dates back to the Neolithic period. It likely emerged after the use of circular enclosures, known as rondels, at the nearby Ornicje site and is closely connected to developments at the related sites of Bubanj and Velika Humska Cuka.

Based on initial findings, the settlement is believed to belong to the Cernavoda III cultural group, according to the Institute.

Further details are expected once the protective excavations are completed. These investigations are currently underway at Novosel, covering roughly 15,000 square meters and stretching about 500 meters along the planned Railway Bypass route.

Although the archaeological site extends both north and south of the railway path, excavations are being conducted specifically along the bypass corridor. The Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments in Niš previously carried out full protective excavations at the Ornicje K.O. Malča site, which featured an unusual layout of concentric circular earthworks and palisades typical of a rondel-type settlement.

The current protective excavations are being conducted in partnership with the Belgrade Archaeological Institute and the National Museum in Niš.

The Institute emphasized the need for thorough archaeological investigations along the Railway Bypass route to enable construction to proceed. Work is being carried out according to construction priorities and under challenging conditions due to heavy rainfall.

These excavations rank among the largest organized by the Institute since its founding. More than 25 archaeologists are involved, and the total area examined now exceeds 17,000 square meters.

A 5,300-year-old ‘bow drill’ rewrites the story of ancient Egyptian tools

A new study has reinterpreted a small copper-alloy object from Predynastic Egypt, identifying it as the earliest securely documented rotary metal drill in the Nile Valley. Dating to the late fourth millennium BC (around 3300–3000 BC), the artefact predates Egypt’s political unification and the rise of the pharaonic state.

The piece was originally excavated in the early 1900s from Grave 3932 at the Badari cemetery in Upper Egypt. Now kept at the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology (catalogue no. 1924.948 A), it measures 63 mm long and weighs about 1.5 grams. When first reported in the 1920s, it was simply described as “a little awl of copper, with some leather thong wound round it,” a brief assessment that led to decades of limited scholarly attention.

An interdisciplinary reanalysis by researchers from Newcastle University and the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna has challenged that earlier identification. Microscopic examination revealed clear use-wear traces—fine circular striations, smoothed edges, and a slight curve at the tip—indicating prolonged rotary motion rather than straightforward piercing. These features strongly support its interpretation as a drill bit instead of an awl.

The team also reassessed six tightly coiled strands of extremely fragile leather wrapped around the shaft. They argue that these represent the remains of a bowstring, offering rare organic evidence for the use of a bow drill. In this mechanism, a cord is looped around a vertical shaft and driven back and forth with a bow, creating rapid rotation and greatly increasing efficiency and precision compared to hand-twisting.

Lead author Martin Odler, a Visiting Fellow at Newcastle University’s School of History, Classics and Archaeology, notes that while grand monuments and elite artefacts often dominate discussions of ancient Egypt, the technological systems that supported everyday craft production are less frequently examined. Drilling tools were essential for woodworking, bead-making, and stone carving—industries vital to both domestic life and elite craftsmanship.

Identifying this object as part of a bow drill suggests that Egyptian artisans had mastered mechanically assisted rotary drilling more than two thousand years before the better-preserved drill kits of the New Kingdom (mid–late second millennium BC). Bow drills are well documented in later periods, including tomb scenes in the Theban necropolis near Luxor that depict craftsmen drilling beads and wooden items.

Portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) analysis revealed that the artefact is made not only of copper but also contains arsenic and nickel, along with detectable amounts of lead and silver. This mixture would have produced a harder and potentially more visually striking metal than pure copper. The inclusion of lead and silver may indicate intentional alloying practices and points to participation in wider eastern Mediterranean exchange networks during the fourth millennium BC.

Beyond its technological significance, the study highlights the untapped value of long-held museum collections. An artefact briefly described a century ago has now provided important evidence of early metallurgical expertise and preserved rare organic remains that shed light on the working mechanics of Predynastic tools.

Rebuilding the Ancient Lighthouse of Alexandria

In recent years, the Pharos Project, headed by archaeologist Isabelle Erie, has aimed to produce a full digital “twin” of the ancient lighthouse.

The Lighthouse of Alexandria—one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World—stood for almost 1,600 years before being devastated by an earthquake and tsunami in 1303, with a later tremor finishing its destruction. In the 15th century, Sultan Qaitbay repurposed its surviving stones to construct the fortress that remains on the site today, enabling the monument to live on in a different form.

Advances in underwater archaeology have greatly expanded knowledge of the lighthouse. Since the 1990s, researchers have uncovered massive stone blocks, statues, sphinxes, and architectural remnants associated with the Pharos scattered across the seabed.

In Egypt, archaeologists have lifted stone blocks weighing as much as 80 tons, highlighting the immense size and engineering skill behind the original structure. Recently, the Pharos Project, directed by archaeologist Isabelle Erie, has worked toward creating a full digital “twin” of the lighthouse.

Through photogrammetry and 3D modeling, thousands of fragments are carefully documented and virtually pieced back together, enabling scholars to reconstruct the lighthouse’s design without physically altering the remains.

The findings indicate that the lighthouse was constructed with highly advanced stone-joining methods, which help explain both how quickly it was built and how it endured for centuries. The research also suggests that sea levels have risen considerably since the Hellenistic era, leaving large portions of the ancient city submerged.

Although the project is still in progress, one finding is undeniable: the Lighthouse of Alexandria was not simply a legend exaggerated over time, but a true feat of engineering and symbolic power—fully deserving its place among the wonders of the ancient world.

After more than twenty years of research, scholars can now offer well-founded historical interpretations of the site and even begin partial reconstructions of the structures that once stood there. These advances are essential for gaining a deeper understanding of both the lighthouse’s architectural design and its cultural importance.

The initiative is backed by the French National Center for Scientific Research and the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, highlighting strong international cooperation in shedding light on one of history’s most celebrated monuments.

Hunter-gatherers took refuge in European 'water world' for millennia

A western European “water world” served as a refuge for hunter-gatherer communities for thousands of years.

The ancient populations of the Rhine–Meuse river delta—covering the wetlands, rivers, and coastal regions of what are now the Netherlands, Belgium, and western Germany—retained a strong hunter-gatherer genetic heritage. This ancestry endured long after much of Europe had shifted to farming and livestock herding בעקבות waves of migration from the east beginning around 9,000 years ago. These findings were reported in a study published in Nature on 11 February.

“It’s essentially an island of continuity and resistance to outside genetic influence,” says David Reich, a population geneticist at Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts, and co-leader of the study.

Cultural integration

Over the past twenty years, ancient DNA research—including work from Reich’s lab—has outlined Europe’s population history over the last 10 millennia in broad terms. The research revealed that indigenous hunter-gatherers were gradually and unevenly replaced by farmers from the Middle East, who were later overtaken by pastoralist groups with roots in the Eurasian steppe.

However, researchers have long understood that closer regional analyses would provide more detail and uncover exceptions to this overarching narrative—something archaeologists in particular have anticipated.

Archaeological evidence from the Rhine–Meuse region had already indicated that hunter-gatherer ways of life continued there for a long time. However, the appearance of certain farming techniques, along with distinctive pottery and burial customs, pointed to at least some level of cultural contact with early farming communities and groups linked to steppe ancestry.

When Reich and his team examined ancient DNA from 112 individuals who lived between 8500 BC and 1700 BC—including newly analyzed remains from the region—they discovered that local populations preserved a strong hunter-gatherer genetic profile for thousands of years after it had largely vanished in nearby areas such as France, Germany, and Britain. The area’s landscape—made up of wetlands, wooded river dunes, and coastal zones—may have limited the spread of agriculture while fostering connections among water-oriented communities within the Rhine–Meuse delta.

The researchers also identified a gender imbalance in interactions between Rhine–Meuse hunter-gatherers and incoming groups. Analysis of genetic variation on the X and Y chromosomes suggested that ancestry linked to early European farmers was introduced mainly through women.

“We believe that elements of the farming lifestyle adopted by these hunter-gatherer communities were brought in through these women,” said co-author Eveline Altena, an archaeogeneticist at Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands.

Bradford-led project to explore Roman Empire’s northern edge

Archaeologists from the University of Bradford will carry out cutting-edge work at Scotland’s biggest Roman complex after being selected as a pilot for a national funding scheme.

The University’s project, “Romans at the Tweed: Returning to Trimontium to examine a crossing point at the northern edge of the Roman Empire,” is one of five initiatives selected under the Research Infrastructure for Conservation and Heritage Science (RICHeS) Access Fund Catalyst Projects.

This spring, scientific investigations will take place at Trimontium, an important Roman frontier site. Using advanced survey methods, the team aims to deepen understanding of how the Romans managed movement across the River Tweed at the empire’s northern boundary. The project is being carried out in collaboration with the Trimontium Trust and AOC Archaeology.

Dr Kayt Armstrong, Facility Manager of the RICHeS-supported mobile laboratory “From Land to Sea”—a University of Bradford facility focused on prospection, landscapes, and communities—said she was pleased that their partnership with AOC Archaeology and the Trimontium Trust had been chosen for the Access Fund Catalyst Project. She explained that this opportunity will allow the team to apply state-of-the-art geophysical technology to investigate key questions about the fortifications at Trimontium and the connections between the Romans, local populations, and the River Tweed.

More on Romans at the Tweed

In 2022, the Trimontium Trust and AOC Archaeology introduced ground-penetrating radar (GPR) at the fort for the first time, training volunteers and reviving on-site research.

That survey used a high-resolution Mala MIRA system—the first deployed at a Roman fort in Scotland. However, the equipment is no longer available in the UK, leaving sections of the site unexplored. To move the research forward, the University of Bradford will use its compact Mala MIRA unit along with new RICHeS-funded technology, including drone-mounted GPR, to finish surveying the fort and locate the Roman crossing point along the River Tweed.

Conducted as part of the Uncovering the Tweed project, the initiative unites technical experts, archaeologists, and volunteers. It places strong emphasis on community involvement in frontier research while ensuring that newly gathered data is openly shared.

More on Trimontium

Situated in the Scottish Borders, Trimontium is Scotland’s largest Roman fort and settlement and holds one of the UK’s richest collections of Roman military artifacts.

Spanning 370 acres, the site includes a combined military and civilian complex featuring a fort, a bridge over the River Tweed, roads, shrines, and a cemetery. It is also home to the northernmost amphitheatre in the Roman Empire.

Heritage science support

Five projects have recently secured funding through the RICHeS Access Fund Catalyst scheme to examine how heritage science can enhance research, conservation, and public engagement throughout the UK.

These initiatives aim to improve access to advanced facilities and expertise, supporting the preservation of nationally significant heritage sites.

Running until March 2026, the Catalyst Projects represent the first phase of the RICHeS Access Fund. Beginning 28 January 2026, the program will offer researchers and eligible users access to specialized equipment, collections, and expert support.

This initiative aligns with the University of Bradford’s strategy by highlighting innovation, partnership, and social impact. By combining advanced heritage science technologies with meaningful public participation, the project contributes to safeguarding and understanding an important historical landscape.

Through collaboration with national organizations and local volunteers, the University reinforces its commitment to generating knowledge that benefits communities and strengthens cultural heritage—supporting its mission to create positive change both locally and globally.

Roman altars acquired for nation to go on show for first time

Two “remarkable” stone altars recently discovered at a Roman fort near Edinburgh—and now part of the national collection—are set to be displayed for the first time in a new exhibition.

The altars were originally the focal point of what is believed to be the northernmost temple dedicated to the god Mithras in the Roman Empire, vividly illustrating the spiritual life on the Roman frontier. Experts describe the Mithras cult as a secretive, male-only religion that celebrated the victory of good over evil and light over darkness.

Excavated at Inveresk in East Lothian, the altars date to around 140 AD, during the reoccupation of southern Scotland under Emperor Antoninus Pius. Curators note that they provide fresh insight into the religious practices and daily lives of soldiers stationed on the empire’s northern edge.

Acquired by National Museums Scotland in 2016, the altars have undergone extensive conservation and will be displayed for the first time this November in the exhibition Roman Scotland: Life On The Edge Of Empire. Dr Fraser Hunter, principal curator of prehistory and Roman archaeology at NMS, commented: “These stunning altars really bring the beliefs of the Roman frontier to life.”

One of the altars depicts the sun god Sol

“The fine craftsmanship, remnants of paint, and use of dramatic lighting suggest these were impressive and costly monuments.

“The Mithras cult symbolized the triumph of good over evil, giving soldiers a sense of purpose in life and belief in an afterlife. I’m confident visitors will be captivated when they see the altars up close in our new exhibition, Roman Scotland: Life On The Edge Of Empire.”

One altar portrays the sun god Sol, with carvings representing the four seasons as female deities. Curators note it would have been backlit, so in the dim temple light, Sol’s eyes, mouth, and rays would have glowed.

The other altar honors Mithras and features motifs associated with Apollo, another deity of light, including a lyre, griffin, plectrum, and two ravens—symbols commonly seen in Mithraic art.

Both altars were dedicated by a legionary centurion, likely Gaius Cassius Flavianus, whose name appears abbreviated as G CAS FLA. He is thought to have commanded the fort garrison at the time.

Excavated in 2010, the altars had broken into fragments during their centuries underground. Conservation work has since reconstructed them for display, revealing traces of paint that indicate they were originally brightly colored.

Archaeologists Discovered Hidden Messages in the Likely Room of Jesus’s Last Supper

Archaeologists have discovered hidden inscriptions and graffiti left by medieval pilgrims on the walls of the Cenacle, traditionally considered the site of Jesus’s Last Supper in Jerusalem. These markings, carved centuries ago, offer unique insights into the spiritual practices and journeys of Christian pilgrims visiting this sacred location. Using advanced imaging techniques, researchers were able to reveal the texts, highlighting the Cenacle’s historical and religious significance.

The Last Supper holds a central place in Christian tradition. Recorded in all three Synoptic Gospels—Mark, Luke, and Matthew—as well as in John, this meal is where Jesus is said to have foretold Judas Iscariot’s betrayal and instituted the Eucharist, symbolically offering bread and wine as his body and blood (1 Corinthians 11:23-25).

While the Gospels do not specify an exact location, describing only a “large upper room furnished and ready” (Mark 14:13-15), later tradition identifies the event as taking place on Mount Zion, just outside Jerusalem’s Old City.

Researchers crack the rules of unknown board game from the Roman period

Researchers have employed AI to decipher the rules of a board game etched into a stone discovered in Heerlen, the Netherlands, revealing that this type of game was played several centuries earlier than previously believed.

Archaeologist Walter Crist first came across the limestone slab in 2020 while studying the collection of the Thermenmuseum, now called the Roman Museum. Measuring 21 by 14.5 centimetres, the stone was originally uncovered in Heerlen in the late 19th or early 20th century. Heerlen was formerly the Roman settlement of Coriovallum. Specializing in ancient games, Crist was immediately intrigued. “The stone’s appearance, together with the wear patterns, strongly suggested a game, but I didn’t recognize the pattern from other ancient games I know,” he said. The slab features a rectangle with four diagonal lines and one straight line.

To investigate further, Crist examined the stone under a microscope and observed wear precisely along the lines where playing pieces would have been moved. He collaborated with researchers from Heerlen and Maastricht, and the Restaura restoration studio in Heerlen created high-resolution 3D scans. “The scans make the traces on the stone much clearer,” Crist explains. “Some marks are just a fraction of a millimeter deeper, indicating heavier use. The neatly finished edges suggest this was a completed product, not a work in progress.” The slab is estimated to date back 1,500 to 1,700 years.

An international team of researchers from the Netherlands, Belgium, and Australia used AI to reconstruct the rules of the game and published their results in Antiquity. Employing Ludii, an AI-based game system developed at Maastricht University, the team had two AI agents simulate matches on the stone board, guided by known rules of ancient European games. Their analysis suggests that the wear patterns on the stone correspond to so-called blocking games, in which players aim to obstruct their opponent’s movements.

Blocking games were previously only documented from the Middle Ages, making this Roman-era example particularly remarkable. “The study shows that the stone was used as a board game in Roman times and played several centuries earlier than previously thought,” Crist notes.

New research methods

The study also introduces innovative ways to investigate ancient games. “This is the first time AI-driven simulated play has been combined with archaeological methods to identify a board game,” says Crist. “It gives archaeologists powerful new tools to uncover how games were played in ancient cultures.”

12,000-year-old woven items found in Oregon cave may be among oldest clothing ever found

An archaeologist says a woven artifact uncovered in an Oregon cave and dated to roughly 12,000 years ago could represent one of the world’s earliest known examples of clothing or footwear.

During an interview with FOX 12 Now, archaeologist Richard Rosencrance explained that radiocarbon testing places the item in the late Pleistocene period. The object was crafted using a technique called twining, a weaving method also found in ancient baskets and mats from the region.

Although researchers cannot definitively confirm that the piece was worn as clothing, Rosencrance noted it may have formed part of a garment or footwear, such as a moccasin. The artifact was discovered at Cougar Mountain Cave in south-central Oregon, an area that includes other significant archaeological sites like Paisley and Connley Caves.

Scraps of woven materials, possibly part of clothing or footwear, found in in Oregon cave have been dated to 12,000-years-old.

“We can’t be completely certain that it’s clothing,” Rosencrance said. “However, it’s most likely either a garment or some type of footwear.”

He explained that the cave’s dry environment played a crucial role in preserving the fragile plant fibers. These conditions allowed researchers to directly radiocarbon-date the material—an uncommon opportunity when studying ancient textiles, which rarely survive intact.

Cougar Mountain Cave in couth-central Oregon where scraps of woven material dating to 12,000 years ago was found.

Rosencrance explained that although the cave was first excavated by an amateur in the 1950s, many of the recovered materials were not accessible for detailed scientific study until recently.

He noted that the artifact may be the earliest surviving physical evidence of clothing yet found in North America.

According to Rosencrance, the find further supports evidence that ancient communities in the Great Basin possessed sophisticated weaving techniques and were well equipped to endure severe winter climates thousands of years ago.

Rules of mysterious ancient Roman board game decoded by AI

In the summer of 2020, researcher Walter Crist was exploring a Dutch museum focused on the Roman Empire’s presence in the Netherlands when one artifact caught his attention. Crist, who specializes in ancient board games, noticed a small stone game board from the late Roman period. About eight inches wide, it featured angular lines forming an oblong octagon within a rectangle—an unfamiliar design he had never encountered in academic literature.

Neither the game’s name nor its rules were known. Curious, Crist reached out to museum curators for closer access. He and his colleagues have since proposed a solution in a groundbreaking study that combined traditional archaeological analysis with artificial intelligence. Their findings suggest the board was used for a “blocking game,” in which one player attempts to prevent the other from making moves—similar in concept to tic-tac-toe. The study was published Monday in the journal Antiquity.

Now a guest lecturer at Leiden University, Crist explained that the team initially had limited information. The board had been discovered in the late 19th or early 20th century in Heerlen, in the southeastern Netherlands—known as Coriovallum during Roman times. It was carved from limestone imported from France. Researchers believe the game was likely played informally and may not have been especially prominent, as no written records from the period mention it.

Results of the AI simulation showing nine possible game boards. In these games, the player with more pieces attempts to block the player with fewer pieces.

Crist believes the findings could assist scholars in interpreting other ancient board games. He notes that such games create a meaningful link between the past and present, as their core mechanics have remained remarkably consistent over time. For instance, the ancient Egyptian game Senet may not have been entirely unlike modern games such as Sorry!. Chess is widely believed to have originated in ancient India, while the exact origins of backgammon remain uncertain.

By reconstructing how these early games were played, Crist says researchers can gain fresh perspectives on leisure, strategy, and everyday life in the ancient world.

New Research Confirms Location of Lost City Founded by Alexander the Great

JEBEL KHAYYABER, IRAQ — Ancient texts state that after returning from the Indus Valley around 324 B.C., Alexander the Great established a key port city in Mesopotamia called Alexandria on the Tigris. For centuries, however, archaeologists were unable to pinpoint its exact location.

According to La Brújula Verde, recent research has now identified the long-lost site and revealed new insights into its scale and design. An international team led by Stefan Hauser of the University of Konstanz used aerial photography, drone surveys, and ground investigations to confirm the city’s location at Jebel Khayyaber in modern-day Iraq.

Geophysical scans uncovered a carefully planned urban layout, including streets, defensive walls, canals, and insulae—large residential blocks that rank among the biggest known from the ancient world. The imagery also revealed expansive temple complexes and industrial zones. Hauser noted that the scale of the settlement rivaled that of Alexandria in Egypt.

Between 300 B.C. and A.D. 300, the city—later renamed Charax Spasinou—developed into a thriving commercial hub linking trade routes across Mesopotamia, India, Afghanistan, and China. However, by the third century A.D., shifts in the course of the Tigris River gradually distanced the waterway from the city, contributing to its eventual decline.

Archaeologists Finally Decoded a 4,000-Year-Old Tablet—and It Warns, ‘A King Will Die’

More than a century after their discovery, scholars have finally decoded inscriptions on a set of 4,000-year-old tablets. The texts contain ominous predictions warning of disasters such as famine, disease, invasions—and even the death of a king.

In ancient Mesopotamia, lunar eclipses were often interpreted as signs of impending misfortune. One chilling inscription bluntly states, “A king will die”—hardly reassuring news for a superstitious ruler.

In a study published in the Journal of Cuneiform Studies, researchers translated 73 cuneiform omens from ancient Babylonia. Cuneiform, a logo-syllabic script in which symbols represent words or sounds, was widely used across the Ancient Near East, a region corresponding broadly to today’s Middle East.

Deer Skull Headdress Highlights Neolithic Community Exchange

EILSLEBEN, GERMANY — According to Live Science, excavations at an early farming settlement near Eilsleben in northern Germany have revealed new insights into contact between local hunter-gatherers and some of Europe’s first farmers.

Archaeologists think the site functioned as a frontier settlement for early Neolithic farmers who migrated from Anatolia into central Europe around 5375 B.C. and established the village. Recent digs have uncovered houses, graves, pits, and artifacts linked to the Linear Pottery culture (LBK), one of the earliest farming cultures in the region.

Unexpectedly, researchers also discovered clearly Mesolithic items, including a deer skull headdress similar to those found at hunter-gatherer sites across Europe. In addition, they unearthed antler tools—materials not typically associated with LBK farming communities.

Laura Dietrich of Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg noted that finding both Mesolithic and Neolithic objects together at one location is unusual. She proposes that the settlement may have been a meeting point where incoming farmers and indigenous hunter-gatherers interacted, sharing goods, knowledge, and technologies.

The full study appears in the journal Antiquity.