History

November 26, 2020

Archeologists Discover an Advanced Water Filtration System in an Ancient Mayan City

As the first cities emerged in Mesopotamia thousands of years ago, water systems became critical in order to continually supply growing urban populations. Ancient Romans built giant aqueducts; the Greeks developed pressurized plumbing. Perhaps most famous for their stepped-pyramids, the Mayans were also among the ancient civilizations to develop a sophisticated use of water.

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November 13, 2020

Marine Chronometers: The Clocks That Changed the Course of Globalization

Traveling across time zones can be disorienting—watches, clocks, and even your sleep schedule need adjusting to a new longitude. This problem faced by modern travelers had more serious implications in the 18th century—a time of fierce imperial competition on the high seas. As ships traveled east and west through different longitudes, their clocks were not able to maintain accurate time.

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October 26, 2020

Dublin Grocery Store Installs Glass Floor for Shoppers to View Viking History Just Below

Most grocery stores look similar—colorful displays of fruits, a butcher's counter, and checkout lines are normal features. However, shoppers in one new Lidl grocery store in Dublin will have a unique experience as they pick up their weekly supplies. Opened in mid-October, the store was built directly over an 11th-century archeological site.

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September 22, 2020

Archaeologists Unearth Dozens of 2,500-Year-Old Coffins in Egypt

Egyptian archeologists have unearthed another treasure trove of ancient coffins, this time near the iconic Step Pyramid of Djoser in Saqqara. This site served as the necropolis for Memphis, the ancient capital of Egypt, and has some of the oldest stone buildings in history. After discovering a burial shaft leading to a tomb, they were able to recover 27 well-preserved coffins. The unopened sarcophagi are believed to have been buried 2,500 years ago.

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My Modern Met

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