Archaeology: Facts, Trivia, Quizzes, Brain Teasers & More

The great buckle was excavated from the Sutton Hoo ship burial.

One of the most important archaeological discoveries in British history, the Sutton Hoo ship burial contained a hoard of Anglo-Saxon artifacts that transformed our understanding of the "Dark Ages."

A piece of the Titanic's hull on display in San Francisco.

More than 5500 artifacts have been brought up since the first salvage trip to the 'Titanic' wreckage in 1987.

A shadowy serpent appears at Chichen Itza on the equinox.

From massive shadow serpents to spectacular sunrises, here are some mesmerizing sites that align with the vernal equinox and herald the first day of spring.

The still-intact wheel of Shackleton's ill-fated vessel.

Ernest Shackleton’s ill-fated ‘Endurance’ sunk 107 years ago near Antarctica, kicking off one of the most thrilling survival stories of all time.

Roughly 1500 years ago, someone in Sicily suffered from intestinal worms. Here’s why researchers are excited about that.

One of the beheaded skeletons in Fleet Marston.

Were they all executed criminals, or were some decapitated after death (possibly to prevent haunting)? Researchers aren’t sure.

The Panagyurishte Treasure's gold phiale is on display in a Bulgarian museum.

Stuffed with gold, silver, and precious jewels, these fabulous hoards were buried by people who forgot to retrieve them.

Matayang (pool), Bun_Visit (arm)/iStock via Getty Images Plus

From Universal Orlando's wild (and usually inoperable) 'Jaws' ride of the '90s to the very real—and very captive—tiger shark that threw up a human arm and sparked a 1935 murder investigation, the Mental Floss team is sharing some of our favorite stories f

This hand contains one of Saint Nicholas’s fingers.

Over the centuries, relic fragments of what are said to be St. Nick’s bones have been acquired by an impressive number of churches around the world.

From those famous horned helmets to the vaunted fiery funerals, we're busting your favorite Viking misconceptions.

A small fort along Hadrian's Wall in northern England.

Stonehenge is there, of course. So are Iron Age farms, Bronze Age burial mounds, Industrial Age coal mines, and more.

Workers sift for treasure at Sutton Hoo in 1939.

The Sutton Hoo ship burial excavation was meticulously captured by two amateur photographers. Now, you can see their work online.

A photo of the skeleton taken when it was originally excavated from the burial site.

The skeleton, unearthed at an archaeological site near Japan’s Seto Inland Sea, had almost 800 injuries.

Egypt’s famous Luxor Temple is one of the world’s oldest temples.

Humans have been building temples for over 10,000 years. Luckily for history lovers, many of those ancient, sacred sites still exist.

A photograph of Harriet Tubman taken by Harvey B. Lindsley in the 1870s.

The Underground Railroad conductor honed her wilderness skills around the cabin her father built in the 1840s.

The ruins of the Temple of Bacchus and the Temple of Jupiter at Baalbek.

The free Baalbek Reborn app transports armchair travelers to the year 215 CE to see some of the Roman Empire’s most ambitious buildings.

The Staffordshire Hoard contains the one of the richest collections of Anglo-Saxon gold ever found.

Scientists and historians have made incredible finds—from the oldest human-made art to long-lost shipwrecks—in the 20 years since Mental Floss began.

The Great Sphinx with the Pyramids of Giza in the distance.

The Great Pyramid, the Great Sphinx, and the rest of the Giza Plateau’s many wonders are a few clicks away.

Nicola White discovered this antique gold and sapphire ring while mudlarking on the River Thames.

London's mudlarks hunt for treasures in the River Thames's tidal sands, finding everything from Roman pottery to human bones.

People have long believed that a 1954 cemetery relocation process in Clearwater, Florida, was incomplete. They were right.

The massive brewery uncovered in the ancient Egyptian city of Abydos was capable of producing 5900 gallons of beer at a time.

This magnificent Iron Age cauldron is just one of many amazing items found in a bog.

Bogs have an almost magical power to preserve organic material. From butter to bodies, here are 11 of the most amazing things archaeologists have recovered from bogs.

A gold figurine unearthed by a metal detectorist in England turned out to be the centerpiece of King Henry VIII's long-lost crown.

New research suggests that the real-life inspiration for Ghost from 'Game of Thrones' wasn’t a wolf species.

ARCHAEOLOGY

12 Incredible Facts About the Sutton Hoo Ship Burial Treasure

12 Artifacts Brought Up From the 'Titanic'

10 Enchanting Places That Align with the Spring Equinox

Sir Ernest Shackleton’s 'Endurance' Shipwreck Has Been Found After More Than a Century

Intestinal Worms Just Helped Researchers Identify an Ancient Roman Chamber Pot

Archaeologists Just Unearthed Dozens of Ancient Beheaded Skeletons in a Tiny British Village

11 of the Most Dazzling Hoards Ever Discovered

Our 40 Favorite Stories of 2021

7 Places You Can See St. Nicholas's Bones

6 Misconceptions About the Vikings

New Interactive Tool Lets You Explore England's Hidden Archaeological Wonders From the Comfort of Home

Explore the Sutton Hoo Ship Burial Through These Newly Digitized Photos From the Dig

3000-Year-Old Remains in Japan Belong to the World’s Oldest Known Shark Attack Victim, Study Finds

10 of the World's Oldest Temples

Archaeologists Have Located the Site of Harriet Tubman’s Family Home in Maryland

Take a Virtual Tour of Lebanon's Ancient Roman Ruins, Restored

20 Amazing Historical Discoveries in the Last 20 Years

Visit the Pyramids of Giza Without Even Leaving Your Couch

Extreme Mudlarking: How London Fortune Hunters Unearth Thames Treasures

Researchers Uncover 29 Graves at the Original Site of a Razed Black Cemetery in Clearwater, Florida

Ruins of Industrial Brewery Unearthed in Ancient Egypt City

11 Incredible Things Found in Bogs

Amateur Treasure Hunter Discovers Henry VIII’s Missing Crown Ornament

Game of Thrones’s Dire Wolves Existed—But a New Study Suggests They Weren’t Really Wolves