Interesting Archaeological Finds Reported in January 2026
- Editor OGN Daily
- 25 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Half a dozen remarkable discoveries announced in the first month of 2026.
Bone Box: An "extraordinary" artefact believed to date back to the late Roman period has been unearthed in the Cotswolds, England - recovered from the grave of a young woman - with archaeologists believing the find could offer new insight into the lives, beliefs and craftsmanship of the people who once occupied the north Cotswolds.
Cause And Effect: Archaeologists just discovered the oldest known evidence of poison arrows, which hunters in South Africa used to slow down their prey 60,000 years ago. The revelation pushes the innovation’s timeline tens of thousands of years earlier than was previously known, and it reinforces the idea that early Homo sapiens had the capacity for complex strategic planning.
Hidden Mathematics: New research into some of the world’s oldest known floral pottery suggests that what was once considered to be just a simple decoration may actually be one of the earliest expressions of mathematical thought, quietly embedded in art from more than 8,000 years ago - predating written mathematics by thousands of years.
Madinat al-Zāhira: The location of the legendary magnificent lost palace-city in Spain has intrigued researchers for over a thousand years, now archaeologists believe they may have found it in the Pendolillas Hills on the eastern edge of Córdoba - using ground-penetrating LiDAR technology.
Medieval Ring: An archaeologist has unearthed a rare artifact while excavating in a Norwegian town believed to be the oldest in the country. The gorgeous golden ring is decorated with a gemstone and filigree décor - and is over 800 years old. Scientists are still investigating if the ring’s centre stone is a sapphire or coloured glass.
Medieval Cargo Ship: Discovered off the coast of Denmark, the 600 year old trading vessel is “exceptionally well-preserved” and is the largest of its kind ever found. It's called a cog and experts estimate that its cargo capacity was 300 tons.
