Tom Metcalfe

The 'Java Man' fossil found in Indonesia in 1891 revealed an ancestor who walked upright, but wasn't quite human.

Billions of years before humans—or even dinosaurs—existed, Earth created a natural nuclear reactor.

Scientists are uncovering the mystery of this legendary sword metal.

Built in the third century B.C., the towering structure was among the seven wonders of the ancient world.

Hippocrates described what sounds a lot like influenza in the fifth century B.C.

New discoveries show that Giza's ancient pyramids are still full of surprises.

A smoked mummy, a Pompeiian banquet room and a Neanderthal fingerprint are among the year's most intriguing finds.

In 1960, Joe Kittinger ascended more than 19 miles above Earth—then leapt.

Was it meant to mimic sounds of sacred winds or screams?

Prehistoric humans around the world figured out how to funnel game for easier kills.

The 19th-century Leviathan of Parsonstown allowed astronomers to zero-in on distant spiral objects.

Before the introduction of domestic sheep in the Americas, some Indigenous people already had a source of their own "wool."

Some writers have struggled to rationalize the Trojans' gullibility.

The Plague of Justinian peaked in the year 542 and lasted for two centuries, contributing to the fall of the Roman Empire.

Silk has been made around the world since prehistory, but its trade flourished in ancient China.

The famous Roman writer was also a military commander who sailed across the Bay of Naples during the disaster.

Did human ancestors use fire to cook their meat? Some argue it served another, more valuable purpose.

The dramatic interlocking stone walls at Machu Picchu have proven to be highly earthquake-resistant.

Knowledge of how to make the bright purple dye was a valuable trade secret to the Phoenicians.