Top 20 Archeological Discoveries of The Century (So Far)

When the Dead Sea scrolls were discovered between 1946 and 1956, it transformed our understanding of Jewish religious thought in the first centuries CE. Found in the Qumran Caves in the Judaean Desert, the manuscripts included the oldest surviving versions of books that eventually became part of various biblical canons. In March 2021, archaeologists discovered more scroll fragments in one of the caves, nicknamed the Cave of Horror for the skeletons also found within. These new fragments belong to the “Book of the Twelve” in the Hebrew Bible and Christian Old Testament, and contain intriguing differences from the versions commonly accepted today.

#19: Medieval Cities in Cambodia

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New technologies have revolutionized how researchers conduct archaeological surveys. In 2015, lasers fired from helicopters - a technology known as lidar - captured valuable data about what lies beneath the thick jungle around temple complex Angkor Wat in Cambodia. While the researchers had anticipated evidence for a lost settlement in the area, their actual findings were far grander than they’d foreseen - revealing a whole network of medieval temple-cities. Knowledge of these ancient metropolises gives historians a much better understanding of the everyday life and culture of the Khmer Empire. We now know that at its height, this would have been the biggest empire of the 12th century!

We really hope that gladiator and wild animal fights stay in the past. But it is fascinating to learn more about them. In the summer of 2020, archaeologists used 200-year old records from visitors to locate a 1,800 year old Roman amphitheater in the ancient ruins of Mastaura, Turkey. The ruins had been obscured by trees and shrubs. When they were cleared away, it was found that much of the underground section of the structure was intact– along with some seats and parts of the walls. In its heyday, it seated between 15,000 and 20,000 people.

#17: The 3000-Year-Old City

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On a search to uncover King Tut’s mortuary temple, archeologists were surprised to find an ancient Egyptian city instead! During their dig in Luxor in 2021, everyday living spaces and artifacts were discovered in excellent condition. This town is estimated to have been set up in the Eighteenth dynasty of Egypt, under the rule of the pharaoh Amenhotep III. Because of this discovery, Egyptologists have a clearer sense of what life was like for the people living in this fascinating time period. Some have called this dig the greatest revelation since the uncovering of King Tut’s tomb!

#16: Pyramid Builder Tombs

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Make no bones about it– this was a great discovery. Tombs belonging to the workers who built the pyramids were first stumbled upon in 1990, but another set was found two decades later near that first site. The culmination of these findings gives archeologists the ability to bust the myth that the builders of the pyramids were slaves. Their bones help fill in these gaps in the story– it’s evident that the builders ate meat, that they worked three month shifts in rotations, and that for their service, they were honored with mud brick tombs near the pyramids. There is also evidence of their strenuous work, as the uncovered bones showed proof of arthritis.

#15: Roman Shipwreck

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In 2021, a shipwreck was discovered off the coast of Sicily, filled with ancient Roman amphorae. The vessel itself is thought to have been a cargo ship, and the jars were used to carry wine across the Mediterranean. According to archeologists, this undersea finding helps expand the breadth of understanding about trade routes and patterns in the region. But how did they find the seacraft? Robots, of course! The research team responsible for this mission utilized a remote controlled submarine robot to uncover the wreck.

This god really got around! While Zeus is famously the king of the Greek gods, his influence spread to many other countries. In the desert region of Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, ruins of a temple were uncovered by Egyptologist Hisham Hussein and his team in 2022. It is dedicated to Zeus Kasios, a hybrid deity combining the traditional thunder god with the name of a sacred mountain. Carved into the rubble of the site were inscriptions that revealed the influence of the Roman emperor Hadrian, who ruled from 117 to 138 AD and apparently renovated the temple.

#13: Japanese Settlement in British Columbia

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This Japanese logging camp from around 1920 was possibly a secret … that is, until it was excavated in 2004. After archaeologist Robert Muckle was told about scattered goods in the forests 12 miles northeast of Vancouver, British Columbia, he and his students started excavating the site. They uncovered a settlement that consisted of 14 houses, a shrine, and a bathhouse, along with everyday items such as rice bowls and sake bottles. There are signs that the camp was hastily abandoned, and Muckle speculates the inhabitants were rounded up into internment camps during World War II.

In the 1970s, a burial mound known as Arzhan was discovered in Siberia, filled with remains and artifacts from a nomadic group called the Scythians. In the late 1990s, a second site, Arzhan 2, was found and excavated, and in 2003 archaeologists discovered the skeleton of a slain warrior. His death hadn’t been pretty. He’d been shot with an arrow below the eye, and his companions had apparently tried to dig it out, to no avail. Human remains weren’t the only discoveries made in this mass grave– there were also horses and thousands of gold objects. Studying these skeletons and keepsakes was an essential step in learning more about Scythian culture.

Arguably one of the most tragic losses of ancient times was the decline and destruction of the Great Library of Alexandria in Egypt. Many volumes of human thought and knowledge were lost forever. While the information that was stored there cannot be recovered, a team of Egyptian and Polish researchers claimed to have discovered the ruins of the library itself in 2004. During the excavation, they uncovered enormous lecture halls with the capacity for about five thousand people. Before this incredible discovery, there had been no physical evidence of the famous Greek library!

If there’s anything we know for certain about ancient Egyptian royalty, it’s that they loved their palaces! A team from New York University had been conducting archaeological work in a temple at the ancient Egyptian site of Abydos in 2019, when they saw a stone walkway that led them to a previously unknown palace. The literal writing on the wall revealed that these buildings belonged to Ramesses the Great, one of the most celebrated pharaohs of Egypt. You may know him as Ozymandias– yes, the one that the Percy Shelley poem is about!

#9: The Lost Leaders of Jamestown

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This discovery has much to teach us about early English settlement in the United States. Jamestown in Virginia– which was originally inhabited by the native Algonquian people– was the very first permanent English settlement. In 2010, four bodies were found at the site of an Anglican church. Five years later, they were identified as prominent figures in the colony– Captain Gabriel Archer, Reverend Robert Hunt, Captain William West, and Sir Ferdinando Wainman. While much of their skeletons have deteriorated, scientists were able to analyze the state of their bones to understand how the settlers’ change in diet and newly encountered diseases impacted their overall health and lifespan.

We’ve unearthed a wealth of information about our evolutionary relatives and ancestors. But we’ve still got a lot more to learn. In 2003, researchers discovered the remains of a small archaic human on Flores, Indonesia, whose species survived until the arrival of modern humans 50,000 years ago. Due to their stature, they were nicknamed “Hobbits” by researchers. Another apparently diminutive species was found this century, but in the Philippines, and classified in 2019 as Homo luzonensis. Who knows how many more there are out there, waiting for us to find them.

#7: The Million-Year-Old Mammoth

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In the right conditions, DNA can endure for a surprisingly long time. The oldest DNA on record belongs to a mammoth in eastern Siberia whose remains are up to 1.6 million years old. The DNA comes from the animal’s teeth, which were collected by Russian palaeontologist Andrei Sher in the 70s. Research into the DNA revealed in 2021 that the mammoth belonged to a new species with unique adaptations to the climate and landscape. In the grander scheme of things, the ability to sequence this million year old DNA also opens the door for so much more testing and exploration in the future!

#6: Female Rule in Spain

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When we think of the Bronze Age, we don’t immediately think of women in charge. But in a grave called La Almoloya in Spain, excavated in 2014, remains and artifacts were uncovered that reveal more to us about Spanish rule in antiquity. A husband and wife were buried together, but the woman was the one draped in fine goods and treasures. She was found wearing a silver diadem, suggesting royal status. These remains raise questions about the power dynamics of the Bronze Age, and this mysterious influential female figure.

King Richard III ruled England from 1483 to 1485, dying in the Battle of Bosworth Field during the War of the Roses. However, there was a massive mystery surrounding him posthumously – where was his body? The Richard III Society– which aims to change the public’s perception of the ruler– was dedicated to solving this mystery, and eventually played a role in doing so. In 2012, his body was found and excavated in Greyfriars, Leicester, and was later reburied in a more honorable manner.

#4: Human Footprints in Canada

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On the shores of Calvert Island in British Columbia, Canada, archeologists have uncovered a trail of human footprints that are thought to be 13,000 years old. There were three sets of feet– two adults and a child– who collectively left 29 prints in the clay. Archeologist Duncan McLaren notes that footprints tend to be difficult to excavate– meaning that this was a major discovery. Now, we have a slightly clearer idea of the travels of prehistoric people during the Ice Age.

If you don’t own a metal detector, this story may make you want to go out and buy one! A man named Terry Herbert was using his metal detector around the town of Hammerwich in Staffordshire, England in 2009, when he stumbled on numerous gold objects. This gold turned out to belong to a massive hoard of Anglo-Saxon goods Its worth was estimated at over three million pounds sterling. As much as the hoard is worth monetarily, it is just as valuable in terms of historical significance. The collection now resides in the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, and has been toured around the world in various displays.

#2: The Lost City of Tenea

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This ancient city in Greece has been written about throughout history, having been reportedly founded by prisoners of the Trojan War. For quite some time, little physical proof existed of Tenea. But slowly, small indications began to piece together a picture of the Lost City. Enough artifacts came to light that an excavation was organized, and it uncovered walls, floors, and ancient coins. Together, this was considered proof of the existence of an ancient city on that spot.

Storytelling through art is truly a medium that transcends time! For as long as humans have been around, we have found unique ways to communicate and share experiences with one another. Prehistorically, figurative cave paintings were a primary means of expression. In 2017, a painting was discovered in a cave in Sulawesi, Indonesia, that dates back to between 35,100 to 43,900 years ago– making it the oldest art ever found. The piece depicts scenes of hybrid human-animal creatures, which may have told the story of a prehistoric myth! Who knows– maybe this will be the next big Netflix adaptation one day.