Research shows how ancient Angkor experienced the same challenges as modern urban networks. As we move further into a period characterised by extreme weather events, the resilience of our urban infrastructure will be tested. Will our cities go down like Angkor did? By Dan Penny.

They've been discovered at Roman-era sites, but no one knows what they're for. By Tom Metcalfe.

Wall carvings were found in what was once a fishing city of the Caral civilization, the oldest in the Americas. The relief is thought to symbolize a period of drought and famine brought on by climate change.

Emperor Honorius had run away from Rome, settling in Ravenna, with ships ready to take him to safety in Byzantium if things were to get really bad. By Ugo Bardi.

The shoes, known as hipposandals, were found by a volunteer at Vindolanda.

Diogenes Laertius compiled the sole extant work from antiquity that gives anything like a comprehensive picture of Greek and Hellenistic philosophy. He may have been a flaming mediocrity. He may have been credulous and intellectually shallow. He may have produced a scissors-and-paste job cribbed from other ancient sources. But those other sources are lost, which makes what Diogenes Laertius left behind, to quote the Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy, “truly priceless.” By Jim Holt.

Aztec moral philosophy has profound differences from the Greek tradition, not least its acceptance that nobody is perfect. By Sebastian Purcell.

The Pythia offered practical counsel that could shape future actions, just as political risk analysts do today – though we’d use modern jargon and call it ‘policy’ in the public sphere, and ‘corporate strategy’ in the business world. By John C. Hulsman.

The infamous Gorgon has evolved across millennia. In ancient Greece, Medusa had dragon’s scales; in 2016, she became an anti-Hillary Clinton meme. By Abigail Cain.

Despite the current political landscape of the US, we can look to antiquity to see that the red cap was actually once a symbol of citizenship and welcome to the foreigner.

Nomadic horse riders likely opened a “steppe bridge” between Europe and Asia, but recent genetic data raise more questions. By Roni Jacobson.

Astronomers build on the Drake Equation to probe the chance that humans will find existing aliens. The answer: Not likely. By Lisa Grossman.

In ancient Greek mythology, there is a dearth of stories centred on female heroines. An important exception is the fearless Atalanta. By Josho Brouwers.

From striking coffin portraits to boldly erotic statues, the art of the Romans and Greeks tells us compelling stories about how they lived, died, and loved. By Mary Beard.

The story we have been telling ourselves about our origins is wrong, and perpetuates the idea of inevitable social inequality. David Graeber and David Wengrow ask why the myth of 'agricultural revolution' remains so persistent, and argue that there is a whole lot more we can learn from our ancestors.

In 2012, a remarkable artifact appeared on eBay — and my research into its origins raised troubling questions.

Priests survived because they were taller than their animal sacrifices

In ancient times, the gates seemed to respond to supernatural powers, but it's actually all about science. By Julissa Treviño.

Long ignored by white archaeologists as a mere footnote, modern scientists are now racing to document what's left of the ancient African civilization. By Amy Maxmen.

Ancient “doctors” mixed magic and medicine to heal patients. By Bo Christensen.