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Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara is a coastal, palm-lined city ringed by the Santa Ynez Mountains in central California known for its distinctive architecture, Mediterranean climate, and long-operating Franciscan Mission. It lies at the center of the longest south-facing stretch of the west coast of the contiguous US. Ninety miles north of Los Angeles, the city of 80,000 is host to a concentration of Hollywood celebrities, Google’s Quantum AI lab, and the University of California at Santa Barbara—the origin of six Nobel prize winners. Santa Barbara structures follow a standardized Spanish Colonial Revival style, defined by red clay roof tiles, white stucco walls, arches, courtyards, painted tile, towers, and decorative iron. The style descends from southern Mediterranean cities and Spanish colonies like St. Augustine, Florida.Explore Santa Barbara

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Space archaeology studies space trash in the context of heritage and social meaningSome orbiting objects, such as Elon Musk's Tesla, have symbolic or historical importance, despite being functionally worthless. The oldest human-made object in Earth's orbit is Vanguard 1, a grapefruit-sized satellite launched in 1958. The strangest may be an experimental, inflatable space station containing live cockroaches. Ologies with Alie Ward American archaeology has a complicated legacyMany national parks were discovered through American archaeological expeditions and, consequently, included the looting of Native American cultural sites and artifacts. Women In Archaeology Recreating ancient faces: where art meets archaeologyArtistic renderings and reconstructions of ancient people are one way to bring the past to life, providing viewers with insights into and empathy for those who came before. This article details how modern artists and archaeologists work together to... National Geographic What is glacial archaeology?Melting glaciers continue to reveal archaeological and anthropological evidence previously hidden by solid ice. This article details the newer archaeological field, which was popularized after the 1991 discovery of Ötzi the Iceman. A German couple came across Ötzi as they hiked the Ötzal Alps near the Italy-Austria border. Ötzi was initially believed to be the corpse of an unlucky mountaineer, but further study revealed he had been dead for about 5,300 years. Quartz What's the point of archaeology?Archaeology as a science may seem focused on tangible goods, with its emphasis on material evidence of peoples long passed. But its findings influence how humans interact today (and possibly tomorrow). From understanding and improving on concrete to... University of Oxford How did archaeology come to be?Archaeology, also spelled archeology, is the scientific study of the material remains of past human life and activities. So when did it become an official body of science? Britannica answers this question and more in this article on the history of... Encyclopaedia Britannica The archaeology of human sacrificeHuman sacrifice appears in cultures around the globe. But how do we know that to be true? Scientists can tell the difference between ritual sacrifice and mass graves better explained by war and political instability. Learn how in this article about... Knowable Magazine How lasers have become a go-to in archaeologyArchaeological teams now have another item to pack with their trowels: Lasers. Researchers' approach to unsurveyed land has been transformed by light detection and ranging technology. LiDAR has helped archaeologists break new ground and uncover... National Geographic Get your hands dirty in this archaeology video game that's actually about archaeologyHow many of us have played a video game with an archaeologist protagonist whose main idea of fieldwork involves spying, back flips, and destroying the historic sites they're meant to be preserving? Exactly. Polygon What can we learn from archaeology?By revealing buried civilizations and dating objects of antiquity, archaeology turns hard data into human stories. But what's the use of knowing these stories? Find out for yourself in this interactive resource that can take you to and through historic sites around the globe. CyArk Atlantis and the apocalypse: the world of fringe archaeologyA Netflix series called "Ancient Apocalypse" claims that a thriving civilization was wiped out during the ice age by comets and floods, but left humanity with science and technology. Experts call this “pseudo-archaeology.” This hour-long podcast... CBC What is galactic archaeology?In the same way that archaeologists excavate and analyze artifacts of human civilization, galactic archaeologists observe the light in the universe to glean lessons on its age, evolution, and more. Learn about this niche area of study with this 10-minute podcast. UNSW Centre for Ideas A look at whether the Last Supper was a Passover Seder mealThree of the four Gospels describe the Last Supper as a Passover meal, and scholars have cataloged more than a dozen parallels: wine, broken bread, sung hymns, and reclining at the table. But most historians of early Judaism now note that the formal Passover Seder didn't exist as a codified ritual until after 70 CE, decades after Jesus died. Biblical Archaeology Read the academic article explaining how ancient smells can be dissected and recreatedThis paper explores how biomolecular data on past scents can be teased out and then transformed into olfactory museum experiences, adding another component to our understanding of archaeology. Frontiers in Environmental Archaeology Archaeologists discovered over 11,000 examples of graffiti in ancient PompeiiResidents drew various figures and announcements on homes, temples, and walls, much of it preserved by volcanic ash. While some were clearly intended to be artistic, scholars have noted that the ancient graffiti has more in common with social media than with the tags and murals we associate today with the art form. Smithsonian Magazine Recent research indicates leprosy was present in the Americas before European settlersNew research published in 2025 upended long-held notions that the disease was introduced to the Americas by European colonizers. Evidence of a lesser-known leprosy-causing bacterium was found in ancient human remains that date back 4,000 years. Archaeology News A funeral director lied and claimed he discovered a centuries-old Roman broochAn amateur metal detectorist knowingly deceived thousands into believing he found an 1,800-year-old horse figurine. He received payment for the artifact to be featured in a museum, but he later admitted he bought the brooch online and planted it. BBC News The crew of the ISS creates unique memorials for deceased colleaguesThe continued human occupancy of the International Space Station since 2000 has led to the development of social and cultural elements by crew members, which the ISS Archaeology Project has catalogued. Records of handmade cakes, decorations, and memorabilia highlight the human aspect of living in space. The Conversation Abandoned malls prompt 'liminal' vibes of being stuck in timeA Toronto-area tour of empty malls brings participants face-to-face with the past. Part nostalgia, part archaeology, this meditation on the "liminal" spaces of a bygone era provokes eerie reflections on our relationship to time and place. Hazlitt Early texts claim Jesus was conceived on the same date of his deathThough celebrations of Jesus’ birth weren’t formalized for several hundred years after he lived, it was more common to commemorate his death. Some early Church writers connected the presumed date of his death—March 25—with his conception, implying a birth date of Dec. 25. Biblical Archaeology A joke about mercury in an elevator led to the invention of emoticonsA false message about mercury contamination was posted in response to a physics problem on Carnegie Mellon's discussion board in 1982, which some users took seriously. The need to indicate which messages were jokes led to the creation of facial expressions using special characters. Ars Technica A particle accelerator allowed researchers to noninvasively examine a mummyThe mummy hailed from the Faiyum oasis, where Egyptian and Roman cultures intersected, and was analyzed using the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory. The device used high-energy X-rays to probe the material composition of numerous objects embedded deep inside the mummy without damaging its remains. PBS News Bad Ancient: a site to fact-check claims about the ancient worldPeruse popular questions about ancient Rome, Egypt, Greece, and more, from whether Greek boxers were ripped or to what extent Alexander the Great conquered the world. Bad Ancient Humans were forced to adapt to survive a supervolcano eruption 74,000 years agoThe Toba supereruption ejected 2800 cubic kilometers of ash, resulting in global cooling from blocked sunlight and acid rain. Archaeological sites show that humans developed bow-and-arrow technology to survive in arid conditions by fishing in seasonal waterholes. The Conversation Radioactive elements can generate electricity, sterilize products, and date artifactsSince their discovery in the 1890s, these substances have been incorporated throughout our daily lives, from treating food packaging and improving microbial safety to their presence in smoke detectors and gauges for ice cream aeration. US Nuclear Regulatory Commission Santa Barbara's Channel Islands revealed the oldest skeletal remains in North AmericaIN 1959, archaeologists found a human femur jutting out from a rock face on Santa Rosa Island. Using the then-new technology of radiocarbon dating, they measured the age of the remains at 13,000 years—the oldest in the continent. Teach Channel Islands The Chumash manufactured shell beads for thousands of years, eventually as moneyThe practice was unique to the Chumash among North American Indians. Some researchers have made the case theirs was the first use of money on the continent. Archaeology Magazine Ancient Greek Antikythera shipwreck continues to reveal history Sponge divers first discovered the 2,000-year-old shipwreck near the island of Crete in the Mediterranean in the early 1900s. As diving tech has advanced, researchers have gleaned lessons on ancient culinary techniques, shipbuilding methods, and more from the shipwreck, including the world's oldest known analog computer. Artnet News Why is there a taboo around eating pork?Historical records indicate Bronze Age inhabitants of the Middle East were enthusiastic eaters of pigs, and today, pork is one of the most consumed meats in the world. But roughly 2 billion people, typically members of either Judaism or Islam, are technically prohibited from eating the food, at least to remain in good standing with their faith. This taboo predated the religious codification of the taboo in the Middle East, and today forms a part of certain ethnic identities. Archaeology Gladiators followed a mostly vegetarian, high-calcium dietAnalysis of skeletons from a gladiator cemetery at Ephesus by researchers at the Medical University of Vienna found little meat consumption but unusually high calcium levels—likely from drinking wood ash mixed with water to promote weight gain and protect vital organs. Archaeology Magazine The ancient origins of focaccia Focaccia, the Italian flat oven-baked bread that’s often a canvas for delightful culinary artwork, has been around for thousands of years. Archeologists have recently discovered evidence of flatbreads similar to today’s focaccia dating back to the Late Neolithic period in the Fertile Crescent. Researchers believe that communities from present-day Syria and Turkey made these distinctive loaves for large gatherings. Learn more about the bread’s history in this Archeology News article. Archaeology News See Harvard’s early history through Indigenous voicesFounded in 1636, Harvard University grew alongside English colonization in Wampanoag lands. In this online exhibit, the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology highlights Indigenous voices, interpreting objects such as eel traps and grass baskets. Harvard University Explore the archaeological treasures of PompeiiExcavations revealed stunning finds—a wooden bed, a horse’s saddle, and vivid frescoes—while also suggesting the eruption may have occurred in October, not April. See the discoveries from the EU’s $140M Great Pompeii Project. Smithsonian Magazine Experts reconstruct Pompeii’s daily life—and whether disaster could strike againThis documentary utilizes archaeology, X-rays, and 3D reconstructions to reconstruct what the streets, homes, and rituals of Pompeii looked like before 79 CE. Scientists also use satellite imaging to track landslide risks that could damage the site today. Real History An Egyptologist answers questions from the internetProfessor of Egyptology and Archaeology Laurel Bestock answers your questions about ancient Egypt from X. What did ancient Egyptians sound like? Why is King Tut so enduringly popular? What ancient Egyptian medicine and tools do we still use in modern times? WIRED See ten of the most amazing Mayan ruinsHidden beneath the jungles of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, Maya temples, pyramids, and cities reveal the civilization’s vast construction ambitions. Decades of archaeology have uncovered these sites, which are explored in detail in this guided video tour of 10 significant ruins. Touropia Homer's warrior tales were loosely based on the Mycenaean civilizationThe great eighth-century BCE poet Homer's "Iliad" and "Odyssey" portray a great warrior culture based in large palaces around the Aegean Sea in the Mediterranean. Historians and archaeologists have long believed Homer's stories were based on the Mycenaean civilization, which flourished several centuries before his time. ThoughtCo Why are archaeologists brewing ancient beers?Archaeologists have managed to brew beer from yeast found inside jugs abandoned thousands of years ago. This article explores why scientists are recreating these ancient beverages and what they hope to learn. People have been drinking beer for... SAPIENS The archaeological sites uncovered through London's Crossrail ProjectThe Crossrail Project is an underground train system in London, which saw 26 miles of new tunnels created over more than a decade. The project provided unique access to long-buried layers of London's history, and a massive parallel archaeological excavation took place. Museum of London The archaeological discovery that shifted scientists' understanding of human evolutionIn 2003, archaeologists in Indonesia uncovered the remains of a 3-foot-tall skeleton that appeared to belong to a new type of human. Read this article to learn how the discovery of this 50,000-year-old skeleton upended the idea that human evolution... CNN Archaeologists decode the first known sentence in what may be the oldest written alphabetThis five-minute video details the accidental discovery and subsequent decoding of the first known sentence in what's believed to be the oldest written alphabet. The Canaanite sentence was found on a Bronze Age hair comb unearthed in Tel Lachish, a city of the ancient Biblical Kingdom of Judah, during a dig focused on excavating the kingdom's first Iron Age city. The Canaanite language developed sometime between 3,000 and 1,000 BCE. YouTube Galactic archaeologists trace the evolution of the Milky WayArchaeologists reconstruct the history of previous civilizations. Researchers in the new field of galactic archaeology have even greater ambitions: They intend to reconstruct the history of the whole Milky Way. Broadly speaking, the Milky Way galaxy is roughly 13.6 billion years old, with its first stars very large but short lived. Over time, our galaxy became a mix of young and old stars—studying them provides details into how our universe unfolded. This article explores the work of galactic archaeologists and the tools they use to explore the evolution of the galaxy. AIP Publishing Archaeologists race to record ancient NubiaLong ignored by white archaeologists as a mere footnote, modern scientists are now racing to document what’s left of the African civilization. Evidence of ancient Nubia is at risk of vanishing under environmental, societal, and political pressures. This Undark Magazine article walks you through archaeologists' fight to record ancient Nubia. Undark Magazine How do archaeologists determine how old something is?How old is the item in the photo? According to the MET, it dates back to the 3rd to 5th century. Archaeologists don't just file artifacts under generic time frames such as "ancient" or "super old." They're often able to pinpoint the era or century... SciShow How do archaeologists know where to dig?Archaeologists spend their days slowly uncovering buried artifacts, but how do they know where to look in the first place? New tech and old-fashioned shoe leather. Watch this five-minute video to learn more. History Nebraska Do archaeologists study dinosaurs?If you are up-to-date on your Jurassic Park lore, then you likely already know the answer to this question. But for those of us who didn't delve into the world in dinosaurs, it's easy to assume that professionals who study old stuff likely study the remains of what came before us, right? Find out in this article by the Society for American Archaeology. Society for American Archaeology What do archaeologists actually do?Movies and other media show them digging a bit, maybe fighting off artifact smugglers, but what archaeologists actually do? Using a variety of tools and sciences, archaeologists are able to get a glimpse into humanity's past. This article explains what work is like for everyday archaeologists. SAPIENS How women ascended the ranks in the highstakes world of Maya politicsTwo bloodlines attained near total supremacy of the Maya civilization in contemporary central America: the lords of Tikal and the Kaanul Dynasty. The Kaanul, or snake, dynasty often used marriage to expand their empire, wedding their sorcerer queens to low-ranking rulers of desired lands. Read this Archaeology Magazine article to learn more about these Maya snake queens. Archaeology Magazine Human sacrifice in the Inca EmpireIn the lands ruled by the Incas, mountain deities were well-respected and related summits were often selected as places for making the most important of all offerings — human sacrifices. University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology A Maya creation myth begins with dwarfsIn the Popol Vuh—a foundational Maya creation text from Guatemala—an early age is marked by dwarves gifted with great vision and intellect. Their hubris led to destruction by flood, after which humans were created from corn with deliberately limited sight. University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology

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