Ancient World

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Using astronomy and archaeology, it's possible to calculate the exact day the ancient Egyptians started building the Great Pyramid of Giza, according to controversial new research.

September 21, 2009
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Gilded masks, llama bones, and ceramic bowls are among the treasures found in a tomb that may have belonged to an elite male of the pre-Inca Moche culture of Peru, archaeologists announced.

September 18, 2009
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Clutching a rattle and surrounded by early "smoke machines," the male was found in a supposedly female burial complex—offering new insights on Peru's ancient Moche culture.

September 18, 2009
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Dozens of whales mysteriously come ashore in Argentina, one of the world's oldest synagogues is found in Israel, and protesters clash with water cannons in Germany in this week's best news photos.

September 17, 2009
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Move over, T. rex, there's something leaner. A newfound dinosaur is nearly identical to the king of the Cretaceous—but a hundred times lighter and 40 million years older.

September 17, 2009
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No heavier than a small man, Raptorex was Mini-Me to T. rex's dinosaur Dr. Evil. But in this case, the tiny gave rise to the titanic.

September 17, 2009
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Why does Hierakonpolis, ancient Egypt's earliest city, contain tombs for baboons, elephants, cows, dogs, and cats? Archaeologists are uncovering answers.

September 16, 2009
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In a discovery worthy of a Dan Brown novel, archaeologists in Jerusalem say they've found an ancient ritual cup with an intentionally cryptic message.

September 9, 2009
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New genetic analysis bolsters the theory that wolves were first domesticated in East Asia, a new study says—and it's possible the canines were tamed to be livestock, not pets.

September 4, 2009
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Living apart from the natives, the first farmers in Europe were skilled immigrants from far-off farming cultures, a new study says.

September 3, 2009
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Just like modern-day starlings, some 40-million-year-old birds had glossy black feathers, according to the first fossil discovery of feather iridescence.

August 26, 2009
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In underground passageways that snake underneath the French capital, nearly six million people who died of disease in the Middle Ages share a final resting place.

August 25, 2009
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A long-legged mammal, a sharp-toothed rodent, and an iridescent beetle are among the more than 6,500 fossils recently unearthed in Germany's Messel Pit, where creatures trapped in 47-million-year-old shale have been helping scientists better understand life during the Eocene epoch.

August 21, 2009
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Caught in the act in the dinosaur age, pterosaur feet left behind footprints that show a hopping, birdlike landing, say discoverers of the first known pterosaur landing tracks.

August 19, 2009
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An ancient timber structure dug up near the River Thames might have helped people keep their feet dry as they ventured across soggy marshes in search of food, archaeologists say.

August 17, 2009

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50 Drives of a Lifetime

National Geographic Traveler has scoured the globe for the world's most beautiful, interesting, and off-beat road trips. Dive in to get drive directions, quizzes, photos, and more.