Every year we’re fortunate to glean new insights about the history of the world’s people through archaeologists. These experts dig up new finds—and thus, new findings—which shakeup what is known about entire groups of people and cultural exchanges between them, but also the interactions and misfortunes of individuals.
Below we highlight some of the most compelling archaeological discoveries of the year, and as a bonus, some of the most interesting findings in human genomics and paleoanthropology. These discoveries are not ranked, but feel free to let us know in the comments which finding you thought was the most interesting.
Human sketches near dinosaur footprints
In March, a team announced the discovery of human petroglyphs found near dinosaur trackways in Brazil. Some of the artwork is abstract, though other petroglyphs seem to mimic the shape of the prints, which were left by sauropods, theropods, and ornithopods. Though the team did not directly date the etchings or the trackways, its research—published in Scientific Reports—indicated that ancient humans in the area ascribed some meaning to the prints. Birds notwithstanding, humans missed dinosaurs by about 65 million years. But the ancient animals clearly meant something to people in what is now Brazil, even if they didn’t know what left the tracks. Though the team did not date the artworks, one nearby site—Pedra do Alexandre—has burials spanning from 9,400 years old to 2,620 years old, offering a potential reference point for the glyphs.
Space jewelry and possible weapon found in 3,000-year-old treasure hoard
In February, researchers concluded that a bracelet and a possible sword pommel in Spain’s 3,000-year-old Treasure of Villena are made of meteoritic iron, making them space jewelry and weaponry, respectively. The treasure was hidden away before widespread knowledge of iron metallurgy, indicating that the metal had to have come from a meteorite. It’s not the first time a discovery like this has been made; in February 2022, a team concluded that a dagger found in the tomb of the pharaoh Tutankhamun was made from meteoritic iron, and was potentially gifted to the Boy King’s grandfather, Amenhotep III, as a wedding gift.
A ‘special ritual deposit’ by a ball court
In April, a team of researchers described a bundle of medicinal and hallucinogenic plants found buried under a ball court in the Maya city of Yaxnohcah. Environmental DNA analysis revealed that two of the plants were linked to ceremonial purposes, while the other two were associated with divination rituals. It’s a reminder that even ancient sports fans and players were more than a little ‘stitious.
Gladiator doodles in Pompeii
In May, the Pompeii Archaeological Park revealed the latest archaeological findings from the once-lost Roman town. Chief among them were the above doodles, apparently of gladiators and a hunting scene. The exact age of the doodles was not stated, but they were most certainly made before 79 CE—the year of Vesuvius’ fateful eruption—offering a surreal window into the past.
Shackleton’s last ship found off Canada
In June, the Royal Canadian Geographic Society announced the discovery of Quest, the last ship used by Ernest Shackleton, off Canada’s east coast. Shackleton’s more famous ship, Endurance, was found at the bottom of the Weddell Sea in 2022, at a depth of 9,800 feet (2,987 meters). Shackleton bought Quest for a little under $650,000 in today’s currency and outfitted it as an expedition vessel. The famous explorer went to South Georgia Island on the ship, but suffered a heart attack and died before he finished his trip. Quest ultimately sank in 1962, over 40 years after Shackleton’s death.
700,000-year-old human ‘Hobbit’ fossils
In August, anthropologists announced the discovery of the smallest-yet-known Homo floresiensis individual, even smaller and more ancient than previously discovered members of the species. First identified in 2004, H. floresiensis went extinct around 50,000 years ago, and only grew to about three feet and 7 inches (109 centimeters) as adults.
This summer’s paper dated the presence of H. floresiensis back to 700,000 years ago. The team estimated that the individual—an adult—was just 3.28 feet (one meter) tall. The team further suggested that H. floresiensis descended from Homo erectus, based on the similar teeth between the two species.
Archaeological Surveys…in Space?!
In August, a team of researchers published an archaeological survey unlike all others. How’s that? It was done about 254 miles (408 kilometers) above our planet, on the International Space Station.
The team investigated how spaces aboard the station were used. “We showed that it’s possible to do good, productive archaeology in space, even if the investigators are on the ground,” one study author told Gizmodo. “Second, we definitely showed that places in the space station are used in unexpected ways, which is a very human thing to do.”
The team’s findings are useful in developing future space infrastructure that will need to be built to optimize astronauts’ ability to get things done. And hey—space archaeology has a really cool ring to it.
The disintegration of RMS Titanic
In news much closer to home—in fact, well below sea level—the company with exclusive salvage rights to the Titanic released photos showing that the ship’s slow disintegration at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean was ongoing. Sometime between 2022 and this summer, the storied sealiner’s bow railing snapped under the immense pressure at 12,500 feet (3,810 meters) below the surface.
The recent survey team also rediscovered Diana of Versailles, a bronze statue that sat in the ship’s first class lounge. The statue was knocked out of place when Titanic hit an iceberg on April 15, 1912, and was found in the ship’s debris field when the wreck was discovered in 1986. But the statue’s exact location in the field was lost until now—nearly 40 years after it was found, and 112 years since the disaster.
Mystery group of Neanderthals
In September, a team of researchers described the genome of a 45,000-year-old Neanderthal. Dubbed Thorin—after a Tolkien character—the Neanderthal’s remains showed that the population Thorin belonged to had no genetic exchange with other Neanderthals for tens of thousands of years. It’s a reminder that even in proximity with one another, early human groups didn’t necessarily interact. The research also showed off the remarkable amount of information researchers can extract from ancient genomic data.
AI restores lost temple relief
Last month, a group of computer scientists used artificial intelligence to make 3D reconstructions of relief panels at a UNESCO World Heritage Site. But here’s the rub: The panels were covered up over a century ago, and all the researchers had to work with was a black-and-white photo of the relief taken in 1890. Turns out, the team’s AI-driven method was able to discern the curves and overall depth of the relief from the old photo. The research showcased how AI can lend itself to archaeological research and preservation.
Lost Maya city found—complete with pyramids
In late October, a team of archaeologists used an old map of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula to reveal a lost Maya city. Encompassing thousands of buildings, including pyramids, the sprawling site was revealed thanks to a lidar (light detection and ranging) survey that cut through the dense overgrowth through aerial sweeps to reveal the structures hidden below. Other structures revealed in the survey included a ballcourt, terraces, and a dam.
800-year-old story about guy thrown in well proven true
This one’s my personal favorite. A team of archaeologists in Norway revisited the skeleton of a man found at the bottom of a medieval well in 1938. Turns out—as the team revealed—the man tossed down the well 827 years ago is the exact man mentioned in the Sverris Saga, an 800-year-old text about a military raid in 1197.
The team is unsure of the man’s identity. As one study author told Gizmodo, “literally nothing was known about him from the text except that he was a man and that he was dead.” In the study, the team studied the man’s DNA, which revealed details of his complexion and hair color. The DNA also indicated the man’s diet and ancestry; though they’re still not exactly sure who he was, they know he is the same man mentioned in historical sagas.
AI survey doubles known Nazca lines
A team of researchers trained a convolutional neural network on the Nazca lines, and then had the AI model sift through aerial images of Peru where the lines are found. The result: the number of known geoglyphs in the area doubled in just six months. Until this study, there were about 430 known geoglyphs in Nazca, Peru. Thanks to the team’s findings, there are now 303 more known figurative geoglyphs and 42 newly identified geometric glyphs. The work is a fantastic example of how AI is changing the field of archaeology.
Outsiders found at Europe’s oldest battlefield
An archaeological site in Germany dating to the 13th century BCE is considered the oldest battlefield in Europe due to the number of individuals found at the site (over 2,000) who evidently were warring with one another when they died. Analysis of arrowheads found on the site revealed that some of the individuals on the site came from far away, shaking up ideas about the groups that were fighting in the area at the time, and why.
AI and the Roman Empire’s lost scrolls
The carbonized scrolls at Herculaneum are nothing new, but AI models are getting better at reading the scrolls without prying them open by hand. In August, Gizmodo spoke to members of the Vesuvius Challenge—launched in March 2023—who are working to decipher the scrolls, at least some of which are writings of the Greek philosopher Philodemus of Gadara. If you don’t know a lot of about AI—or the circumstances that lost Herculaneum and Pompeii to time for over 1,500 years—you’re in for a wild ride.
The world’s oldest cheese
If an artifact is preceded with the superlative “oldest,” you can bet it’ll end up on an archaeological year-in-review. In this case, archaeologists found that a strange yellow-white paste smeared on the foreheads of 3,600-year-old mummies in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region was actually cheese. Kefir cheese, to be specific, which is made using yeast and probiotic bacteria to separate curds and whey. The team’s analysis of the mystery cheese puts questions of the cheese’s nature to bed—though it raises the question of what made that cheese important enough to smear on loved ones.
Nailing down the timeline of humans and Neanderthals nailing each other
Research into 50,000-year-old genomes published earlier this month made multiple insights into the secret lives of early modern humans and Neanderthals (Homo neanderthalensis), our nearest relatives. Chief among those findings—which were simultaneously published in Nature and Science—was the specific window of time when our two groups genetically mixed (read: procreated), yielding the Neanderthal DNA that exists in our species today. The ancient interaction occurred about 45,000 years ago, the team found. They also determined that early modern humans who lived outside Africa more than 50,000 years ago were part of distinct populations that are not directly related to present-day humans.