The most remarkable archaeological discoveries of 2024

From discovering cities hidden in dense forests to reading ancient scrolls with AI, the combination of modern and traditional techniques is shaping the future of archaeology.

Many important archaeological discoveries come from applying new techniques to already discovered artifacts: details of a Bronze Age disaster, for example, or the culprit in a mysterious murder in ancient Egypt.

In 2024, modern methods such as DNA analysis and remote sensing technology have revealed new evidence of past cultures, techniques, and social structures.

1. Technology to find hidden cities

Lidar (short for Light Detection and Ranging—a term similar to radar and sonar) is a technology that scans the terrain with thousands of laser pulses of light per second. While the technology has been around for decades, its ability to detect large structures beneath layers of vegetation and map changes in the landscape has recently revolutionized the field of archaeology.

By mounting Lidar equipment on a small aircraft, archaeologists can scan large areas, and the technique is particularly useful for searching beneath the dense jungles of Central and South America.

Thanks to this technology, in 2024, archaeologists discovered Mayan settlements in Campeche in southern Mexico, gardens and paths in the Amazon rainforest of Ecuador, ancient ruins on the Pacific island of Tonga, and the ruins of two ancient cities along the Silk Road in Uzbekistan.

2. Tombs and amulets in Egypt

Egyptian artifacts helped inspire the development of modern archaeology and such discoveries continue.

This summer, archaeologists excavated 33 tombs in southern Egypt and 63 in the Nile Delta, along with gold amulets, coins and pottery.

Dating back some 2,000 years, archaeologists hope the new artifacts will reveal more about burial practices and ancient societies at the time.

Researchers also discovered a long-lost branch of the Nile River, now dry, that was used thousands of years ago to transport stones to build the pyramids at Giza.

3. Desert tombs in Petra

One of the most notable discoveries in 2024 was the discovery of 12 ancient skeletons in a tomb beneath the Treasure Trove at Petra, a desert archaeological site in Jordan famous for its intricate architecture carved into red sandstone cliffs.

Archaeologists believe that the Nabatean nomads - an early branch of the Arabs - began burying their dead at Petra in the fourth century BC.

 The architecture carved into the stone wall at the Petra Treasures site was built about 2,000 years ago. (Source: National Geographic)

In the second century BC, Petra became the capital of the Nabateans with an elaborate system of cisterns supplying water to the city.

The carved stone pillars of the Treasury, or Al-Khazneh in Arabic, form Petra's most iconic structure.

Archaeologists say the tomb beneath Al-Khazneh is a priceless discovery that will help them learn more about these lost people.

4. Reading ancient scrolls through artificial intelligence

In February, researchers announced they had used an artificial intelligence (AI) system to read parts of a 2,000-year-old scroll burned during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.

The scroll is one of about 1,800 papyrus scrolls discovered in the 18th century among the ruins of Herculaneum, an ancient Roman town about 10 miles from Pompeii that archaeologists believe was destroyed by a volcanic eruption.

The eruption turned the scrolls into unreadable charred lumps.

Scientists scanned one of the burned scrolls with X-rays and used AI to decipher the contents of the scroll. Scientists initially determined that the scroll contained 15 columns of text and more than 2,000 characters about how to enjoy life, possibly written by a follower of the Greek philosopher Epicurus.

5. The oldest saddle ever discovered

This 2,700-year-old saddle was discovered in a woman's tomb at the Yanghai cemetery on the edge of the Taklamakan Desert in northwestern China.

Although humans domesticated horses thousands of years ago, ancient carvings show riders riding without saddles or with only a rug or blanket.

The saddle was an advancement that allowed riders to travel longer distances without hurting or injuring themselves.

Researchers believe that horse riding was introduced to China from the northern regions of Central Asia, but the Yanghai saddle is the earliest saddle discovered by archaeologists to date.

It was made from pieces of leather sewn together and stuffed with straw and animal hair. These organic materials would normally decompose quickly, but the dry desert environment helped preserve them.

6. Jade mask in Mayan tomb

An ornate jade mask made from interlocking jade pieces with seashells for eyes and teeth, has been discovered in the tomb of a Mayan king at Chochkitam in Guatemala.

 The jade mask depicts a Mayan storm god. (Source: National Geographic).

Radiocarbon dating revealed the mask dates from around 350 AD and is believed to depict a Mayan storm god.

Such masks were often made for the burial of Mayan royalty, and carvings made with knives or chisels from obsidian volcanic glass also decorated the tomb of this king.

7. The origin of Stonehenge

The Neolithic monument Stonehenge in southwest England first became famous in the Middle Ages, but new techniques are revealing more details about its construction.

In August, researchers discovered that the altar stone near the center of the structure was made from sandstone sourced from Scotland, hundreds of miles away from Salisbury Plain.

 Stonehenge Stone Circle. (Source: National Geographic).

Transporting a 6-ton stone block over such a long distance would have been a difficult task some 4,600 years ago, when people did not yet know how to use wheels to move heavy objects.

Previous studies have shown that the giant vertical sarsen stones in the main circle were cut from locally sourced sandstone, but the smaller bluestones inside were brought from south-west Wales, more than 100 miles away.

The earliest parts of Stonehenge date back to around 5,000 years ago; researchers believe it was originally a burial site but was expanded over the next thousand years into a Neolithic religious monument.