The cast-iron coffins were “fashioned after an Egyptian sarcophagus
Two cast-iron coffins containing 150-year old mummies were excavated in New Jersey, during archaeological explorations in advance of...
New Orleans' first burial ground rediscovered
When New Orleans was founded in 1718, planners and builders had to come up with creative ways to deal with the extremely low setting of...
Antikythera shipwreck yields human remains
This Roman-era shipwreck was discovered by divers off the Greek island of Antikythera in 1900. Since then, numerous expeditions have...
"Macabre and peculiar undertaking"
Louisiana is known for its bayous that interlace the state, and as a results its historic cemeteries have burials situated above ground...
The cause of the last great epidemic of the bubonic plague
The Great Plague of 1665-66 killed an estimated 100,000 people in London, representing a fourth of the city’s population. Archaeologists...
The Temple of Hathor—“a complex astrological chart of the heavens and zodiac signs”
The burials of ancient Egypt are largely known for the well-preserved mummies of Egyptian Pharaohs and the burial offerings left behind...
Reading strontium isotopes as fingerprints at Cahokia
Cahokia Mounds in Illinois is both a state historic site, a National Historic Landmark, and a World Heritage site. As the largest...
“Entirely broken down”—a Smithsonian scientist’s last, tragic, expedition
Robert Kennicott (born 1835) demonstrated early interest in science at his father’s home in Illinois. As a sickly child, Robert spent a...
“Not an ordinary funeral”
Archaeologists studying this 12,000-year-old grave site in northern Israel have identified six stages of the funerary ritual. The burial...
“Buried upright” in ancient Europe
This Mesolithic site near Berlin contains several unique burials, including that of a 20-year-old man who was buried in an upright...