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From blood-red lakes to blacked-out islands, some of these Google Earth discoveries have mystified scientists—while others have clearer explanations.

It turns out vultures are excellent, accidental collectors of history.
CaLea Johnson|
Tired of your local trails? Plan a hiking trip to one of these incredible ancient sites.
Lorna Wallace|
We’ve been preserving human bodies since the Stone Age.
Nick Keppler|
Sometimes deliberately, often unintentionally, countless artifacts have been buried—and then rediscovered—under parking lots.
Allison C Meier|
The bronze sculpture has lorded over Venice for centuries, but its origins have remained a mystery. Science may have finally figured it out.
Jake Rossen|
Archaeologists have studied some of the world’s most important historic sites with the help of climate change—but those changes also threaten their survival.
Autumn Spanne|
From the mysterious human-made structures at Bolivia’s Tiwanaku Archaeological Site to the prehistoric megaliths at Carnac in France, these rock formations inspire awe and curiosity.
Editorial Staff|
According to a new archaeological study of human bones showing evidence of violent “overkill,” war was hell even in the late Stone Age.
Nick Keppler|
From big stone spheres to an actual mummy, amazing archaeological finds have been unearthed by people just minding their own business.
Livius Drusus|
The replica boat ‘Orca II’ was the unsung star of 1975's ‘Jaws.’ But what happened after filming ended was worse than any shark attack.
Jake Rossen|
Forget Atlantis (which probably doesn’t exist)—we’re taking a trip to 10 real cities that ended up underwater.
Erin McCarthy|
‘The Goonies’ turns 40 this year—and to make the film, director Steven Spielberg may have drawn inspiration from a real-life shipwreck that occurred off Oregon’s coast. It’s known as the Beeswax Wreck.
AJ DiCosimo|
A sunken ship near Florida holds clues to the early history of cats in the U.S.
CaLea Johnson|
The ceramic pot was left in a garden for years. It was a genuine work of art hiding in plain sight.
Jake Rossen|
A digital double promises fresh insight into the tragedy of the ‘Titanic.’
Jake Rossen|
These underrated World Heritage Sites offer history, beauty, and adventure away from the crowds.
CaLea Johnson|
Peer into Harriet Tubman‘s father’s home via the Maryland Department of Transportation‘s new virtual museum.
CaLea Johnson|
Some of the world’s oldest roadways are only memories now—but many have been preserved as historic monuments or improved to handle today’s traffic.
Claire Cock-Starkey|
The Herculaneum resident, killed by the volcanic eruption in 79 CE, presents the only known vitrified brain on Earth. Now, researchers have a theory for how it happened.
Nick Keppler|
Chaco Canyon was once the vibrant religious center of a Native American culture whose collapse long remained a mystery—until pack rat middens revealed an important clue. 
Jackie Mead|

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