Archeology

June 23, 2026

1,800-Year-Old Egyptian Kohl Bottle Discovered in England Sheds New Light on Roman-Era Travel

It’s not every day that a small eyeliner bottle changes our understanding of Roman-era travel. But that’s exactly what happened when archeologist Hillary Cool identified an Egyptian glass kohl bottle in York, England. The bottle was discovered during excavations by the York Archaeological Trust at Tanner Row, an excavation site which was a dumping ground during the late 2nd century. First uncovered in 1983, it was believed to be a perfume flask distorted by age.

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June 1, 2026

800-Year-Old Notebook Found in Shockingly Good Condition in a Medieval Toilet

A small notebook made of wood, wax, and leather, and its accompanying ivory stylus, were unearthed from a latrine, or medieval toilet. The book was unearthed in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. While performing excavation for a construction project in a historically important part of Paderborn, workers discovered five latrines. The notebook and stylus were found in one of them, among other objects like remnants of barrels, pottery, and fabric.

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April 7, 2026

Archaeologists Discover 43,000 Ancient Egyptian “To-Do” Lists Offering a Rare Glimpse of Daily Life

Archaeologists recovered more than 43,000 inscribed pottery fragments, called ostraca, at Athribis, an ancient city near modern Sohag in Upper Egypt. The fragments date from the 3rd century BCE to the 11th century CE, making this the largest collection of everyday written material from ancient Egypt. The University of Tübingen led the excavation with Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. The team had been working at the site since 2005.

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March 17, 2026

Coin Used for Bus Fare Turns Out To Be 2,000-Year-Old Carthaginian Artifact

When transit workers in Leeds, England, sorted through the day’s bus fares in the 1950s, one coin in the pile looked noticeably different. Decades later, researchers have finally confirmed the surprising reason why: the coin had been minted more than 2,000 years ago. This small bronze coin recently made its way to the collection of Leeds Museums and Galleries after its unusual history was uncovered.

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