Interesting Archaeological Finds Reported in February 2026
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A handful of remarkable discoveries announced during the month.
16th Century Heart: A “once in a lifetime - no, once in 30 lifetimes” - discovery. The Tudor Heart found in central England is a 24-carat gold pendant from the early 16th century and the only surviving piece of jewelry linked to Henry VIII’s marriage to his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. It has a gold chain and a clasp in the shape of a hand, and features a red and white Tudor rose, a pomegranate bush, and the initials “H” and “K.” Red letters spell out tousiors, an old French word for “always,” on a golden banner that stretches across the artifact.
Zapotecs of Mexico: Described as a significant archaeological discovery, an exquisitely preserved and decorated tomb dating back 1,400 years has been found in the jungle. Mexico’s culture secretary says the tomb is an “exceptional discovery” for what it tells us about Zapotec culture and “its social organization, funerial rituals and belief system, preserved by the architecture and the murals.”
Funerary Portrait: Remarkably lifelike 2,000-year-old mummy portrait - featuring a strikingly modern-looking man with piercing hazel eyes and greying hair - predates Renaissance realism by 1,200 years.
2,000 Year Old Coins: History professor with a love of metal detecting has found a hoard of 18 Iron Age gold coins. The coins are the largest known find from the reign of Iron Age king Dubnovellaunos, who ruled the Trinovantes tribe in England in what is now mostly Essex and Suffolk, between 25BC and AD10.
Symbolic Writing: Earliest-known human writings have been found and are 35,000 years older than other discoveries. Previously, the earliest-known writing was from ancient Mesopotamia, from around 3,000 B.C.
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