More than 1,500 victims of 15th- and 16th-century bubonic plague have been found in mass graves on an island near Venice.

More than 1,500 victims of the bubonic plague have been found on what may have been the world's first disease-quarantine colony.

Pictures: Mass Graves off Venice

A recent UN report says that Afghanistan now accounts for 93 percent of the world's production of opium, the raw material for heroin.

Firefighters have beat back the flames that threatened Olympia, birthplace of the Olympic Games, but dozens more wildfires are raging throughout Greece.

See a roundup of this week's news: New neutron star discovered, German police test gyrocopter, Egyptians seek sand treatment, and more.

Pushed to their limits most of the year, Indian temple elephants are treated to an end-of-summer regimen of massage, rest, and health food.

The discovery of manioc, or cassava, at an ancient Maya farm may solve the mystery of how the culture produced enough energy rich-food to fuel its vast empire.

Exclusive: Last month's gorilla "executions" are the result of a burgeoning illicit charcoal trade that includes government officials, wildlife rangers allege.

HRP-2 can lie down, serve tea, and help lift loads. Now researchers are hoping the graceful automaton can help preserve traditional dances as human performers fade away. With video

Groundbreaking new images have revealed the surprising sprawl of Cambodia's iconic imperial city.

The kingdom of Angkor was the world's largest preindustrial settlement, but sprawl and environmental degradation hastened its downfall, a new study hints.

Photos: Angkor's Ancient Sprawl

A possible chamber under a stone carving of a fearsome goddess could be the first Aztec tomb ever to be discovered, archaeologists announced.

Three Mexican students beat teams from Canada and the United States to take the gold at the eighth National Geographic World Championship.

Estimated at 16 feet (5 meters) tall, the giant marble likeness of Hadrian is among the most exquisite ever found, archaeologists say.

England's gene pool has shrunk considerably since the days of the Vikings, possibly due to two deadly, centuries-old plagues that wiped out large parts of its population.