All Stories by Bruce Bower
- Archaeology
An Egyptian mummy’s silent ‘scream’ hints at her violent death
A rare muscle stiffening known as a cadaveric spasm might explain the mummy’s open-mouthed expression.
- Tech
Did builders of Egypt’s first pyramid use a water-powered elevator?
A controversial study suggests that ancient people might have used one to hoist the stones used to assemble into King Djoser’s pyramid.
- Archaeology
A tattoo experiment hints at how Ötzi the Iceman got his ink
The findings challenge a common idea about how the mummified man got marked with dark lines.
- Archaeology
Iron Age grave in England points to a possible woman warrior
The grave holds a sword. It hints the buried woman fought or helped plan raids some 2,000 years ago in what’s now southwest England.
- Archaeology
American democracy arrived long before Columbus did
Indigenous peoples of the Americas developed self-rule long before the pilgrims arrived or the U.S. Constitution was written.
- Archaeology
King Tut’s tomb still holds secrets 100 years after its discovery
New details of Tut’s story are still coming to light. Here are three things to know on the 100th anniversary of his tomb’s discovery.
- Humans
Long-lost ‘smellscapes’ are wafting from artifacts and old texts
By studying and reviving old scents, archaeologists are finding new clues about how ancient Egyptians experienced their world through smell.
- Humans
The earliest known pants are surprisingly modern — and comfy
This 3,000-year-old garment was not only stylish but also functional. By recreating it, scientists also unraveled its complex and multicultural origins.
- Archaeology
Our species may have reached Europe while Neandertals were there
Archaeological finds from an ancient French rock-shelter show periodic settlements by both populations, just not at the same time.
- Archaeology
Vikings were in North America 1,000 years ago
Wooden objects provide the most precise dating yet for a Viking settlement on the coast of Newfoundland in Canada.
- Archaeology
A medieval grave may have held a powerful nonbinary person
A 1,000-year-old grave in Finland, once thought to hold a respected woman warrior, may belong to someone who didn’t have a strictly male or female identity.
- Archaeology
Skeletons point to world’s oldest known shark attacks
The newfound remains came from people who had lived thousands of years ago in Peru and Japan, half a world apart.
