Ancient
Mystery of England’s: The strange, ancient tunnels to nowhere
More than a dozen tunnels have been found beneath Cornwall’s countryside, dating back some 2,400 years. But why do they exist? “How do you like spiders?” asked James Gossip, an archaeologist, British prehistory expert and my guide to this subterranean world – one, apparently, that’s already...
Olympic torch for Rio games lit at ancient Greek site
The flame for the Olympic Games in Brazil has been lit in southern Greece. An actor performing the role of high priestess lit the torch by using the sun's rays. The torch will be taken by various runners on an international relay that will culminate at the opening ceremony in Rio de Janeiro on 5 August. The ritual was...
Ancient fossil was ‘nearly a spider’
Scientists say a 305 million-year-old fossil is the closest relative to "true spiders" ever discovered — but is not itself a spider. Easily pre-dating the dinosaurs, the 1.5cm creature lived alongside the oldest known ancestors of modern spiders but its lineage is now extinct. The specimen was dug up decades ago...