Kristina Killgrove

Joined: Apr 7, 2016

Kristina Killgrove is a semi-retired anthropologist and writes for outlets such as Forbes, Mental Floss, and Smithsonian Magazine,

Don't be afraid to throw around a curse or two!

7 Ancient Roman Curses You Can Work into Modern Life

Oblique cuts in the bottom third of the legs of a medieval skeleton found in Portugal.

Archaeologists Make Rare, Gruesome Find in Portugal

6 Archaeological Finds Made by Badgers

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

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.

15 Mummies You Can See Around the World

This list is for the more macabre among you.

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

Medicine and fashion may have collided in this tuberculosis treatment.

A monument stands near where Ötzi the Iceman was discovered in 1991.

13 Cool Facts About Ötzi the Iceman

Nicknamed Ötzi the Iceman, the mummified man was around 40–50 years old when he died in the Copper Age. Here are 13 surprising facts about Ötzi.

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.

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.

The Antikythera Mechanism is in the collection of the National Archaeological Museum in Athens, Greece.

15 Intriguing Facts About the Antikythera Mechanism

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

13 Offbeat Ancient Recipes from Around the World

Porpoise porridge, anyone?

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.

Reproduction of woodcut, 1483. Wikimedia Commons // CC BY 4.0

Just How Old Is C-Section Birth?

And when did women and babies start surviving it?

Chloe Effron, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 2.5

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.

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.