Kristina Killgrove

15 Intriguing Facts About the Antikythera Mechanism

The mysterious Antikythera mechanism—sometimes called 'the world's first computer'—has fascinated scholars for decades.... READ ON

7 Ancient Roman Curses You Can Work into Modern Life

"Never do better than the mime."... READ ON

Archaeologists Make Rare, Gruesome Find in Portugal

A team recently excavated three graves located at the edge of a medieval cemetery.... READ ON

6 Archaeological Finds Made by Badgers

Archaeology badger don’t care if it's mucking up our knowledge of the ancient past.... READ ON

Are These the Skeletons of the First European Colonists in the U.S.?

Unearthed in St. Augustine, Florida, the remains may date back to the Spanish settlement of the city in the mid 16th century.... READ ON

How the Global Bird-Poop Trade Created a Traveling Mummy Craze

Bird poop has been a favored fertilizer for centuries—and, it turns out, is an excellent preserver of human flesh.... READ ON

15 Mummies You Can See Around the World

This list is for the more macabre among you.... READ ON

Skeleton of a 19th-Century British Man Reveals He Wore a Corset

Medicine and fashion may have collided in this tuberculosis treatment.... READ ON

13 Cool Facts About Ötzi the Iceman

Nicknamed Ötzi, the Iceman, and Frozen Fritz, the body of a man who was around 40–50 years old when he died in the Copper Age. In honor of the 25th anniversary of his discovery, here are 13 surprising facts about Ötzi.... READ ON

Irish Teeth Reveal the Chemical Signature of the Great Famine

Researchers analyzed 20 sets of human remains from one of the many workhouses where entire families were institutionalized—and made to work long hours—as a "remedy" to poverty.... READ ON

A Brief History of Bog Bodies (and Butter)

The combination of cool climate and anoxic water in these northern bogs makes conditions right for long-term preservation.... READ ON

13 Offbeat Ancient Recipes from Around the World

Porpoise porridge, anyone?... READ ON

Matchsticks Once Sickened and Deformed Women and Children

The ravages of "phossy jaw"—necrosis of the jaw bone caused by phosphorus poisoning—may have been discovered in a young teenager's remains.... READ ON

Just How Old Is C-Section Birth?

And when did women and babies start surviving it?... READ ON

6 Practical Ways Romans Used Human Urine and Feces in Daily Life

The emperor Vespasian reportedly defended his tax on urine by saying "pecunia non olet"—money doesn’t stink.... READ ON

Teeth and Bones from Ancient Rome Hold Clues to Migration and Slavery

Bioarchaeologist Kristina Killgrove writes for mental_floss about her research on skeletons from Rome, just published today.... READ ON

Popular on Mentalfloss