Archaeology
7 articles tagged “Archaeology” on Sprinkles of History.
The Rosetta Stone: A Slab That Unlocked a Lost Language
A broken slab unearthed by French soldiers near the Egyptian town of Rosetta gave scholars the key to reading hieroglyphs after fourteen centuries of silence.
Eight Thousand Silent Soldiers Guarding One Emperor
Buried near Xi'an for over two thousand years, the Terracotta Army was created to protect China's first emperor in the afterlife — and every face is different.
Pompeii: A City Frozen in the Middle of an Afternoon
When Mount Vesuvius erupted, ash and pumice buried Pompeii so quickly that everyday objects, and the people who owned them, were preserved almost exactly as they were.
Stonehenge: Moved by Hand, Purpose Still Debated
Some of Stonehenge's bluestones were transported roughly 150 miles from Wales, a feat of Neolithic engineering whose exact purpose, calendar, temple, or gathering place, is still debated.
Cahokia: A Pre-Columbian City Larger Than London
Near modern St. Louis, the city of Cahokia was home to as many people as London at the time, built around massive earthen mounds whose full purpose is still studied.
Machu Picchu: An Inca Estate Hidden in the Clouds
Built high in the Andes and never found by Spanish conquistadors, Machu Picchu remained largely unknown outside the region until it was brought to wider attention in 1911.
The Moai: Nearly a Thousand Statues on a Remote Island
The Rapa Nui people carved and moved hundreds of massive stone figures across Easter Island using methods debated by archaeologists to this day.