A bronze buckle and metal bead found in Alaska are the first hard evidence of trade between Asia and the North American Arctic, centuries before contact with Europeans.
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Bones of Exotic Macaws Reveal Early Rise of Trade, Hierarchy in Chaco Canyon
A new look at some unusual remains found at New Mexico’s Chaco Canyon may change our understanding of when, and how, the culture of the Ancestral Puebloans felt the first…
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Hundreds of Dice, Game Pieces Found in Utah Cave Shed Light on Prehistoric Gambling
A cave on the shore of Utah’s Great Salt Lake is giving archaeologists a rare glimpse into a seldom-studied aspect of life in the ancient West — prehistoric gambling. Researchers…
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At 50, Ring-Tab Beer Cans Are Now Officially Historic Artifacts
[Editor’s Note: This is just one of Western Digs’ top stories of 2015: Discover the other surprising, enlightening, and sometimes disturbing finds that were the Top 5 Archaeology Discoveries in the American…
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Over 1,000 Ancient Stone Tools, Left by Great Basin Hunters, Found in Utah Desert
An array of stone tools discovered in northern Utah — including the largest instrument of its kind ever recorded — may change what we know about the ancient inhabitants of…
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10,000-Year-Old Stone Tool Site Discovered in Suburban Seattle
Archaeologists surveying the waterways of suburban Seattle have made a discovery that’s likely the first of its kind in the region — an ancient tool-making site dating back more than…
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2,500-Year-Old Bison-Kill Site Offers New Clues Into Ancient Culture of Northern Plains
A massive and rather cunning bison kill carried out some 2,500 years ago among the sand dunes of southern Alberta left behind a wealth of artifacts that are offering new insights…
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Stone Tool Unearthed in Oregon ‘Hints’ at Oldest Human Occupation in Western U.S.
A colorful hand tool discovered in Oregon, and described as an “ancient Swiss army knife,” may be the oldest artifact yet found in western North America, archaeologists say. The simple…
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Butchered Bones Found in Yukon Cave Bear Marks of Early Americans, Study Finds
They’re probably about half as old as scientists once thought they were. But a pair of butchered bones found in a cave near the Alaska-Yukon border are “definite” evidence of…
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Prehistoric Temples on Maui Reveal Origins of Island’s First Kingdom
The remains of small sea creatures are providing fresh insights into one of the most important periods in the history of pre-contact Hawaii, archaeologists say. A new study of indigenous temples,…
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‘Mysterious’ Winchester Rifle From 1882 Found Leaning Against Tree in Nevada National Park
Archaeologists surveying the remote reaches of Nevada‘s Great Basin National Park came upon a tantalizing find from the Old West — a weathered, 132-year-old Winchester repeating rifle, discovered propped up against a juniper tree, just…
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Mesoamerican ‘Fool’s Gold’ Mirrors Found in Arizona Reveal Ties to Ancient Mexico
Archaeologists exploring the ties between ancient cultures in the Southwestern U.S. and central Mexico have turned their attention to some unusual artifacts excavated in Arizona: more than 50 mirrors encrusted…
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Hundreds of 19th-Century Wickiups Recorded in Colorado Mountains
In the mountain forests of western Colorado, archaeologists and tribal members have recorded scores of sites that contain the remains of hundreds of wickiups, cone-shaped wooden structures built by the Ute, or Nuche, people more than…
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Sunken WWII Ship, Famed for Pearl Harbor Rescue Mission, Discovered Off Hawaii Coast
Archaeologists exploring the ocean depths just off the coast of Oahu have discovered, intact, the sunken vessel that carried out a gripping rescue mission on December 7, 1941 — sailing…
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Utah Cave Full of Children’s Moccasins Sheds Light on Little-Known Ancient Culture
Archaeologists on the trail of a little-known ancient culture have found a cache of clues that may help unlock its secrets: a cave containing hundreds of children’s moccasins. The cave,…
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‘Twin’ Ice Age Infants Discovered in 11,500-Year-Old Alaska Grave
A tenderly decorated grave discovered in Alaska holds the remains of two infants dating back 11,500 years, the youngest Ice Age humans yet found in the Western Hemisphere, archaeologists say….
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