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

82 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 23h ago

Inca storehouse complex with ancient ventilation system discovered in Peru’s northern Andes

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heritagedaily.com
256 Upvotes

r/Archaeology 1d ago

Scythian Complete Suit of Scale Armor, 5th c. BC

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133 Upvotes

r/Archaeology 1d ago

The 3,000-year-old golden sandals and toe sheaths discovered in Tutankhamun's tomb

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173 Upvotes

r/Archaeology 1d ago

Rare 16th Century Paraphrases of Erasmus book stolen from church

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bbc.co.uk
226 Upvotes

r/Archaeology 1d ago

Ancient Egyptian official’s tomb and 100+ ushabti figures found at Saqqara.

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archaeologymag.com
57 Upvotes

An ancient tomb, a network of burial shafts, and hundreds of funerary objects have been found at Saqqara, Egypt, during the first excavation season in a new area west of the Bubastion necropolis.

The Egyptian archaeological mission working in Sector A has uncovered the Old Kingdom tomb of Sekhentiu-Ptah. The tomb stands alongside a linked group of burial shafts containing human burials and objects from later periods. The finds point to long use of the cemetery, with people returning to the site for burial across different stages of Egyptian history.

The tomb’s funerary chapel still holds its false door in its original position. In front of the door, archaeologists found a complete set of alabaster objects used in burial rites. The group includes an offering table, an offering disk, a purification basin, a jug, and a basin.

Archaeologists recovered many human burials, large amounts of painted funerary cartonnage, and more than 100 faience ushabti figures. Three stone coffins were also found sealed in their original condition.


r/Archaeology 2d ago

Cacao in the Mississippian World: Archaeogenomic evidence for T. cacao consumption at the Etowah Site, Georgia

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journals.plos.org
37 Upvotes

r/Archaeology 3d ago

Ancient DNA reveals cacao was consumed in present-day Georgia 1,000 years ago

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phys.org
910 Upvotes

r/Archaeology 3d ago

The wooden relic that survived the sack of Jerusalem and fascinates archaeologists.

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en.as.com
319 Upvotes

 A team of researchers has recently uncovered charred remains dating to the Iron Age, from the time of the destruction of Jerusalem’s First Temple in 586 B.C. The discovery was made during recent excavations in the area known as the Givati Parking Lot.

The thick beams that were discovered were made of sycamore wood and, according to experts, once formed part of the roof of an interior courtyard. The big question is how they managed to survive for so long.


r/Archaeology 3d ago

Front face of a stela: A 1,300-year-old carving of a powerful Maya 'Lady Supreme Warlord' that weighs over 1 ton

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livescience.com
79 Upvotes

r/Archaeology 3d ago

3,800-year-old serpent artefacts reveal how Caral society responded to climate change

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heritagedaily.com
44 Upvotes

r/Archaeology 3d ago

Ancient Maya Art School in Belize - Archaeology Magazine

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archaeology.org
26 Upvotes

r/Archaeology 3d ago

The Mai Fangzun 麥方尊 and the Practice of Visiting the Zhou 周 King as a Regional Ruler

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8 Upvotes

r/Archaeology 4d ago

Villena Treasure, unique Bronze Age gold artifacts, stolen in Spain in four minutes — the only such in the world

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nashaniva.com
830 Upvotes

r/Archaeology 4d ago

[Human Remains] Eroding coastlines unearth and destroy slave graves in French Caribbean

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rfi.fr
123 Upvotes

r/Archaeology 4d ago

[Human Remains] Tombs found in Türkiye may belong to Alexander's soldiers

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turkiyetoday.com
471 Upvotes

r/Archaeology 3d ago

Sponge divers sheltering from a storm off Greece found a corroded lump of bronze. It turned out to contain 30 precision gears made over 2,000 years ago.

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thehistoricalinsights.page
0 Upvotes

r/Archaeology 4d ago

Archaeologists discover cemetery of high-ranking Xia Dynasty noble in Shanxi's Xiyang county

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global.chinadaily.com.cn
77 Upvotes

r/Archaeology 5d ago

Archaeologists’ most exciting finds: The stone circles were not made for sacrifices to the gods. They were traces of children at play

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sciencenorway.no
135 Upvotes

Excerpt:

“These were imitations of the adults’ work with reindeer herding,” explains Thomassen. "They were incredibly fascinating constructions."

Some of the fences were so elaborate that it was possible to see how the enclosures were designed to separate females, males, and calves. Small pieces of quartz or rock crystal inside the ‘fences’ represented reindeer calves, cows, and bulls.


r/Archaeology 5d ago

Bronze Age hoard with three gold necklaces discovered in May 2026, Romania

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346 Upvotes

r/Archaeology 5d ago

[Human Remains] Archaeologists uncover high-status medieval cemetery beside Naumburg Cathedral

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heritagedaily.com
99 Upvotes

Contains graves rich with grave goods


r/Archaeology 4d ago

If a USAjobs posting doesn't specifically mention requiring a cover letter, should I still write one?

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9 Upvotes

r/Archaeology 5d ago

How do archaeologists choose a specialization, and can you work with multiple civilizations?

46 Upvotes

Hi everyone! I’m curious about how archaeologists decide which civilization or culture they want to work with.

When you’re studying archaeology, how do you actually decide something like “I want to specialize in Inca archaeology” or “I want to work with Ancient Egypt”? Is it mainly based on personal interest, or do things like university courses, professors, research opportunities, location, languages, or job opportunities influence the decision?

And once you choose a civilization, are you expected to focus mainly on that one? For example, if someone specializes in the Incas, can they also study/work with the Maya or Ancient Egyptians, or is it more common to stay within one civilization or region?

I’d really like to hear how people here chose the civilization they work with and whether it’s possible to have more than one area of specialization.


r/Archaeology 5d ago

Recommend books to me

2 Upvotes

Any recommendations on books discussing identity in relation to Bronze or Iron Age political structures and relationships in Mesopotamia or the broader Near East?