The tomb of the legendary founder of Rome was discovered under the Curia Julia, or the Senate House in Rome, Italy. Inside the tomb was a sarcophagus, but it was found to be empty.
The tomb is made of volcanic stone, and the sarcophagus itself is only about 4.5 feet long. The tomb of Romulus is an on-going excavation, with archaeologists using a 3-D laser scanning method to better understand the site. Further excavations hope to reveal more about the site and perhaps more about the Roman legend.
Assur Wall
The UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Assure Wall is located in the Al-Shirqat District in Iraq of today. The remains of this sacred place lie on the banks of the Tigris river, and it goes back to ancient biblical days. This place was once the capital of the Assyrian Empire.
In 2003 it was listed on the list of world heritage places that are in danger as it was threatened and still is, by riots and war. Since 2017 the grounds of the Assure Wall have been undisturbed however still unapproachable for archeologists to further explore.
Ice Age Art in the Amazon
In Colombia, archaeologists discovered an eight-mile mural of drawings dating back anywhere from 11,800 to 12,600 years. The art was created using ocher, a natural clay.
The images found on the mural were human handprints along with depictions of alligators, tapirs, monkeys, giant sloths, mastodons, and other creatures that are now extinct. It is thought that the drawings were made by some of the very first people to reach the Amazon as the Ice Age was ending.
Assyrian Rock Panels
A set of very rare, Assyrian panels depicting Assyrian deities were discovered at a canal in northern Iraq. The archaeological project was a joint effort between Italian and Kurdish researchers.
The canal, located near Mosul, is estimated to be more than 2,700 years old. It’s thought that the ancient canal may have been planned by the Assyrian King Sargon, who reigned between 720 - 705 B.C. The uncovering of both the canal and the panels is most likely just the beginning of more discoveries in the area.
Mammoth Labyrinth
A structure made from the remains of 60 mammoths was found in Russia. The structure was also made from the bones of foxes, reindeer, bears, horses, and wolves. The bone “labyrinth” is 36 feet in diameter and is estimated to have been created over 20,000 years ago, during the Ice Age.
Curiously enough, it is believed the bones may have still had meat on them when they were used for the structure. It’s unclear why the builders created the structure, leaving the only guesses for archaeologists to be for ritual or food storage purposes.