OLD WORLD
Why Every 2,300-Year-Old Dogū Was Broken
Why were thousands of these 2,300-year-old clay figures intentionally shattered? A forensic look at the Shakōki-dogū.
Arc
Old World
Eurasia and Africa: early monuments, artifacts, and ancient transitions.
Latest Case Files
Recent write-ups in this arc.
OLD WORLD
51,200-Year-Old Cave Painting Challenges Narrative
A 51,200-year-old cave painting in Indonesia is now the oldest known narrative art. A forensic look at how laser dating is rewriting history.
OLD WORLD
9,000-Year-Old City Found Buried — Why Are There No Doors?
At Çatalhöyük in central Turkey, a Neolithic settlement dating to 7,000 BC had no ground-level doors. Houses were entered through roof openings using ladders. The dead were buried beneath the floors. The architecture itself tells the story.
OLD WORLD
6,500 Maya Structures Found Beside an Active Highway
LiDAR reanalysis of 2013 airborne data revealed a major Maya center called Valeriana—6,500+ detected features including plazas, causeways, and a ball court. The site was never lost. We just weren't looking the right way.
OLD WORLD
The Caergwrle Bowl — Boat, Eyes, and Bronze Age Symbolism
A deep analysis of the Caergwrle Bowl: its black shale material, boat-shaped design, protective eyes, and what it may have represented in Bronze Age Britain.