Although Pythagoras is best known for developing the theorem that bears his name, his influence and significance go far beyond his contributions in mathematics. He was not only a mathematician but ...

Scientists at MIT have found compelling chemical evidence that Earth’s earliest animals were likely ancient sea sponges.

Archaeologists in Spain have uncovered an elephant bone from 2,200 years ago, and they believe it belonged to an animal that served as a “war machine” in an army sent to invade the Roman Republic.

Identifying signs of life in ancient rocks is hard. It is not enough to find organic molecules—rocks of all sorts contain them but “organic” just means the molecules contain chains of carbon atoms.

Scientists have found traces of ancient opiates in the residue lining an Egyptian alabaster vase, indicating that opiate use was woven into the fabric of the culture. And the Egyptians didn’t just ...

Twice a year at dawn, a shaft of sunlight cuts through Abu Simbel’s Great Temple to light three statues—and in doing so turns a tourist spectacle into evidence of ancient astronomical engineering ...

Researchers have recreated the world's oldest synthetic pigment, called Egyptian blue, which was used in ancient Egypt about 5,000 years ago. A team of Washington State University-led researchers has ...

More than 2,000 years ago, Greek artisans built a compact machine of interlocking gears that could track the heavens with a precision that still unsettles modern engineers. The corroded fragments of ...