Across southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and Honduras, ancient Maya cities lie scattered like puzzle pieces waiting to be discovered and explored. Rather than polished museum exhibits, these cities are living, breathing remnants of an extraordinary civilization that built massive temples, carved their history into stone, and figured out the stars long before Galilei turned a perspective glass to the heavens. Some are world-famous. Others sit quietly in the jungle. They all offer a tantalizing glimpse into how the mighty Maya once lived and the priceless relics they left behind.   Who Were the Maya? A Civilization in Focus   The Maya weren’t an empire in the classic sense. There was no single ruler or capital but a network of independent city-states connected by trade, alliances, wars, and shared culture. They lived across what’s now southeastern Mexico, all of Guatemala and Belize, and parts of Honduras and El Salvador. While they traded with each other and shared religious beliefs and traditions, rivalry and conflict were also a constant thread. Their civilization developed in stages and reached its peak between 250 and 900 CE, during what we now call the Classic Period. Over roughly 3,000 years, the Maya achieved remarkable things. They created a full written language, mapped the movements of stars and planets with impressive precision, and built monumental cities in places many would have considered impossible. This was a society deeply invested in astronomy, mathematics, and ritual, with kings who were seen as divine mediators between the human and spirit worlds. The Maya also left behind stone inscriptions, detailed records of rulers, battles, and ceremonies that have given archaeologists a rich archive to decode. Aztec Stone of the sun. Photo via Flickr The Maya created precise calendars and observatories that tracked solar and lunar cycles. Their understanding of astronomy was so advanced they could predict eclipses centuries in advance.   By the end of the 9th century, many of the great cities had been abandoned. Scholars still debate the reasons: drought, warfare, political upheaval. Most likely, it was a mix of all three, each compounding the others. But while many of the cities crumbled, the people did not vanish. Maya descendants still live across the region, keeping their languages, customs, and traditions alive and evolving.   Why Did the Maya Build Such Spectacular Cities?   Maya cities were built to impress, to display power, and to bring their understanding of the cosmos down to earth. Each had a ceremonial heart where tall pyramids reached skyward, ballcourts hosted sacred games, and palaces rose over broad plazas filled with people during rituals and political gatherings. Every part of these spaces helped to reinforce the rulers’ authority and the community’s connection to the gods.   The Maya shaped the land to match their vision. They transformed natural hills into stepped platforms and built their pyramids higher still, creating sweeping views that placed rulers above the world they governed. Every stairway, altar, and façade was designed with purpose. Even the orientation of a building mattered, often aligned with celestial events or key points on the horizon.   Over the centuries, many of these once-busy cities were slowly swallowed by forest. Trees, vines, and thick layers of soil covered the stones, hiding entire cityscapes from view. In recent years, lidar scans—laser technology that can map what’s hidden beneath the trees—have uncovered vast networks of roads, terraces, and canals. These discoveries show just how extensive and carefully planned the Maya world really was. Photo of an ancient Maya “white” road by Mal B via Flickr Many Maya cities were connected by raised stone roads called sacbeob, some stretching for dozens of miles through thick jungle, evidence of their impressive infrastructure.   Tikal: Guatemala’s Towering Legacy Photo of Tikal by chensiyuan via Wikimedia Temple I at Tikal rises about 150 feet (47 meters). Its steep stairway leads to the tomb of Jasaw Chan K’awiil I, a ruler whose reign marked Tikal’s revival after a long decline.   Tikal stands as one of the most powerful and thoroughly studied Maya cities, hidden deep in the Guatemalan jungle. Its skyline is unforgettable, with temples pushing above the canopy, some rising over 230 feet (70 meters). Temple I, known as the Temple of the Great Jaguar, towers at the edge of the Great Plaza, the heart of political and ceremonial life.   The city thrived between 300 and 850 CE and maintained connections with distant centers of power such as Teotihuacan in central Mexico. Rulers were laid to rest in richly decorated tombs, and carved stone monuments still stand around the site, telling stories of dynasties that ruled here for centuries.   A visit to Tikal is raw and immersive. Howler monkeys roar from the treetops, and parrots flash through the branches. You can climb some of the temples, with Temple IV offering sweeping views across the forest from about 230 feet (70 meters) up. Exploring with a guide opens up even more, helping you spot altars, carvings, and hidden corners that might otherwise be overlooked. The site is vast and rewarding, and it is best experienced early in the day when the air is cooler and the paths are quieter.   Chichen Itza: The Icon of the Maya World Photo of Chichen Itza by Daniel Schwen via Wikimedia El Castillo at Chichen Itza is designed with 365 steps—one for each day of the year. Its shadow-play during equinoxes reflects the Maya’s deep astronomical knowledge.   Chichen Itza is one of the most instantly recognizable of all Mayan ancient sites. Set in Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, it is best known for El Castillo, the stepped pyramid that draws huge crowds during the spring and autumn equinoxes. On those days, sunlight and shadow create the illusion of a serpent slithering down the staircase, a striking tribute to the feathered serpent god Kukulkan.   The site offers much more than a single pyramid, though. The Great Ballcourt is enormous, measuring 545 feet (166 meters) long, and was built with precise acoustics so that even a whisper carries from one end to the other. Other highlights include the Temple of the Warriors and the circular observatory, El Caracol, which is believed to have tracked the movements of Venus.   Chichen Itza’s layout reflects a fascinating blend of Maya and Toltec styles, a result of shifting power and cultural exchange. The site is no secret, and tour buses arrive early in the day. Planning ahead makes all the difference. Arriving at opening time, or staying overnight in Valladolid for an early start, offers the best chance to explore in relative peace.   Palenque: Mysteries Wrapped in the Chiapas Jungle Photo of Palenque by Dennis G. Jarvis via Wikimedia Palenque’s architects mastered water engineering. The site includes a complex system of aqueducts, some of which were built underground, making it one of the best-planned Maya cities.   Palenque feels smaller and more intimate than Tikal or Chichen Itza, but its artistry is extraordinary. Set in the lush hills of Chiapas, the site is known for its elegant temples, detailed roof combs, and some of the finest carvings in the Maya world.   One of its most remarkable stories centers on Pakal the Great, whose tomb was uncovered inside the Temple of the Inscriptions. His stone sarcophagus lid, carved with rich cosmological imagery, is now one of the best-known pieces of Maya art.   The site sits within a thick jungle, where waterfalls and greenery add to the sense of mystery. The town of Palenque, located nearby, makes a convenient base, with buses and guides available to help you explore. For those looking to extend the adventure, the Misol-Ha and Agua Azul waterfalls are close enough for an easy and spectacular side trip.   Uxmal: The Magic of the Puuc Hills Photo of Uxmal by Grand Velas Riviera Maya via Flickr Uxmal was built without nearby water sources. The Maya relied entirely on cisterns and carefully designed catchment systems, with Chaac, the rain god, featured heavily in their art.   Uxmal is one of the best-preserved Maya sites in the Puuc region of Yucatán, celebrated for its smooth limestone façades and beautifully detailed patterns. The Pyramid of the Magician stands out with its unusual oval shape and steep sides, a design that has fueled local legend. According to the story, the pyramid was built overnight by a dwarf with magical powers.   Set in open terrain, Uxmal’s layout is easy to take in at a glance, and its structures are especially photogenic. The Nunnery Quadrangle, decorated with intricate latticework and masks of the rain god Chaac, is a highlight that shows off the distinct Puuc architectural style.   Uxmal tends to be much quieter than Chichen Itza, offering a more peaceful experience. From Mérida, it’s an easy trip, whether you drive or catch a local bus. If you can time your visit for late afternoon, the low sun casts a golden glow across the stonework, bringing out every carved detail in a way that feels almost magical.   Calakmul: Deep in the Biosphere Reserve Photo of Calakmul by PashiX via Wikimedia The emblem glyph of Calakmul translates to “Kingdom of the Snake,” reflecting its role as a dominant force in Maya politics, often battling Tikal for regional control.   Calakmul is one of the most remote and rewarding Maya sites in Mexico. Tucked deep in the forests of Campeche, inside a vast UNESCO-listed biosphere reserve, it feels wild and untamed. Monkeys swing through the trees, toucans dart between branches, and sharp observers might spot jaguar prints in the undergrowth. At its height, Calakmul rivaled Tikal in both size and influence.   The two tallest pyramids are open for climbing, and from the top, the view stretches out across an unbroken sea of green. Standing there, it becomes clear just how much still lies hidden beneath the forest canopy, waiting to be unearthed.   Reaching Calakmul takes some planning. The site sits about two hours down a narrow jungle road from the town of Xpujil, and there are no facilities once you arrive. Bringing water, snacks, and plenty of time turns it into a full and unforgettable day of exploring. The quiet, the space, and its sheer scale all make Calakmul feel like a truly lost city.   Copán: The Rosetta Stone of the Maya World Tribute relief of ruling dynasties in Copán. Photo by Arian Zwegers via Flickr Copán’s rulers commissioned lifelike statues of themselves and carved reliefs of their lineage.   Set in the hills of western Honduras, Copán is not the largest Maya site, but it holds some of the richest clues to understanding Maya writing and history. Its stelae, tall stone monuments carved with portraits and glyphs, are among the most detailed ever uncovered. The Hieroglyphic Stairway is a standout feature, with more than 2,000 glyphs climbing its 63 steps.   Copán was a city of scribes and artists, and its inscriptions have allowed archaeologists to trace dynasties and unlock the complexities of the Maya script. This deep well of information is why Copán is often called the Maya world’s Rosetta Stone.   The site itself is shaded, walkable, and beautifully preserved, with a well-curated museum that helps bring the carvings and stories to life. The nearby town of Copán Ruinas makes a great base, offering plenty of places to stay and eat. For those coming from Guatemala, the border crossing is simple and smooth, making Copán an easy addition to a wider trip.   Smaller Gems: Coba and Ek’ Balam Photo of Coba’s ancient road by Keith Walbolt via Wikimedia Coba’s sacbeob includes the longest known Maya road, running over 60 miles (100 km) to the coast. Ek’ Balam’s name means “Black Jaguar,” a powerful symbol in Maya mythology.   Two lesser-known but rewarding sites in the Yucatán are Coba and Ek’ Balam, each offering a different window into the Maya world.   Coba stretches deep into the jungle, linked by ancient white stone roads called sacbeob that once connected distant parts of the city. Renting a bike or hopping into a tricycle taxi is the easiest way to explore its wide, leafy paths. The main attraction is Nohoch Mul, a towering pyramid that remains open for climbing, with sweeping views across the forest from the top.   Ek’ Balam, near Valladolid, feels quieter and more compact. Its acropolis is beautifully preserved, featuring detailed stucco figures, including a winged figure that has inspired plenty of theories and curiosity.   Both sites make easy day trips, especially if you are exploring the region by car, and they offer a welcome break from the busier crowds at places like Chichen Itza.   The Real Value of Maya Ruins Today   Above all else, Maya ruins tell a story of people who learned, adapted, and passed their knowledge through generations. These cities show how the Maya built a life closely tied to the land and the stars, with farming, rituals, and astronomy woven into everything they did. They managed to thrive for centuries in places that weren’t always easy to live in.   The ruins also remind us that no society stays the same forever. The Maya faced droughts, power struggles, and big challenges that pushed them to change and evolve. Even though many of their cities were eventually left behind, their culture didn’t disappear. It shifted, grew, and is still very much alive today through the millions of Maya people who keep their traditions going.

  The term “Celtic” often serves as an umbrella term for the “barbarian” people of Europe living outside the Greco-Roman cultural sphere. The Celts varied ethnically but have historically been grouped together based on similarities in language and customs. Much of what we now know about the Celtics comes from observations made by ancient Roman authors about their neighbors. Consequently, Roman perspectives influence our modern understanding of the Celts. So, what did the Romans think about the Celts, and how trustworthy are their accounts?   Celts and Romans: Not So Neighborly Neighbors Battle Sarcophagus, Roman, c. 190 CE. Source: Google Arts and Culture   The Roman imperial project involved a steady expansion process over the course of a few centuries. Eventually, the Roman Empire stretched from the Italian peninsula up into Britain, down into North Africa, and extended into the Middle East. These lands were not empty and ready for the taking. People lived there and often fought the Romans for control of their lands.   The term “Celtic,” or in Latin “Celtae” from the Greek word “Keltoi,” was utilized by classical authors to refer to the people living in these lands. Occasionally, they would use “Galli” or “Gallia” as similar catch-all terms. The peoples denoted as “Celtic” included the Gauls in modern-day France, the Celtiberians and Gallaeci on the Iberian Peninsula, peoples living in modern-day Germany, northern Italy, the Balkans, and the Alps, and the various Celtic tribes on the island of Britain. Many of these people would be incorporated into the Roman Empire.   The constant push of Roman imperial expansion created tension not just between the Romans and Celts but also between the different Celtic people as they competed for resources. Celtic tribes launched invasions against Rome at their outposts in Northern Italy, and in 387 BCE, a Celtic warlord named Brennus sacked and pillaged Rome with his warriors, “sealing” the “barbaric reputation” of the Celts in Roman eyes. It could be argued, however, that the Romans were always prepared to characterize anyone outside of their cultural sphere as barbaric.   War Between the Celts and Romans Map Depicting the Timeline of Caesar’s Gallic Wars. Source: Department of History, United States Military Academy   Various minor scuffles and major battles occurred between Roman forces and the various Celtic people they encountered. The 387 BCE sack of Rome took place after the Battle of Allia, fought at the confluence of the Tiber and Allia rivers. Though the Senonii, the Celts responsible for this attack on Rome, were successful in breaching the city, they were unable to capture the center of the city at Campidoglio. In 225 BCE, an alliance of Celtic tribes comprised of the Boii, Insubres, and Gaesatae mobilized against Rome after the Romans partitioned the formerly Celtic territory of Picenum in the years prior. The battle was fought at Telamon, on the Italian peninsula, and the Celts lost. The loss solidified Roman control of the Italian peninsula.   A series of conflicts broke out on the Iberian Peninsula after the Romans defeated the Carthaginians at the Battle of Ilipa in 206 BCE during the Second Punic War. This led to the Romans taking Carthaginian territories in southern Hispania. These conflicts, known as the Celtiberian Wars, included the First Celtiberian War (181-179 BCE), the Second Celtiberian War (154-151 BCE), and the Numantine War (143-133 BCE). The wars ended after the siege of Numantia, a Celtiberian city and stronghold. The Numantines attempted to hold off the Romans for as long as they could, refusing to surrender. Eventually, some of the population starved to death, and the remaining population surrendered to Rome only after setting the city on fire. This effectively marked the end of the dispute over Roman control of the Iberian Peninsula.   Numancia, by Alejo Vera y Estaca, 1881. Source: Museo del Prado, Madrid   Another significant set of battles between Celts and Romans were the Gallic Wars (58-50 BCE), which were a series of campaigns launched by Julius Caesar to conquer Gaul. Caesar’s written account of these campaigns, De Bello Gallico (“On the Gallic War”), provides a comprehensive view of the Roman perspective on the Celtic world. Caesar’s campaigns came after a series of battles fought between the Romans and the Cisalpine and Transalpine Celts. Caesar’s armies then slowly worked their way across Gaul, earning their biggest triumph in 52 BCE against the Gallic army led by the chieftain Vercingetorix. Vercingetorix was the chieftain of the Averni and mounted a rebellion against Caesar’s presence in Gaul before the Romans defeated him and his troops.   Boudica’s Revolt, 60/61 CE Boudica, Queen of the Iceni, by R. Havell, 1815. Source: British Library   Another significant conflict between Romans and Celts was marked by the rebellion mounted by Boudica, queen of the Iceni tribe in Britain. The conflict began after Boudica’s husband, King Prasutagus, who had surrendered to Rome after Emperor Claudius launched an invasion of Britain in 43 CE, died. Prasutagus had left his kingdom to both his daughters and the Roman emperor in his will, but the imperial procurator Decanius Catus seized his entire estate. Boudica and her daughters were then lashed and violated, and the upper class and nobility of the Iceni were disenfranchised.   Boadicea’s attack upon Camulodunum in 60 AD, By Henry A. Payne, 1922. Source: Roman-Britain.co.uk   In response, Boudica began to mobilize a rebellion against the Roman troops in Britain. The Iceni joined forces with the nearby Trinovantes and attacked the provincial capital of Roman Britain at Camulodunum. Boudica’s forces then moved to Londinium, burning the city to the ground. They again defeated the Roman provincial governor, Gaius Suetonius Paulinus, and his forces at Verulamium. Suetonius eventually managed to rally troops to defeat Boudica’s army. Nevertheless, the force of her rebellion forced the new Roman Emperor Nero to contemplate ending the Roman occupation of Britain altogether. Accounts are mixed on how Boudica eventually passed away, but after her rebellion was squashed, Rome went on to secure southern Britain and held it until the Anglo-Saxon invasions.   References to the Celts in Roman Texts Frontispiece from a 1783 publication of Caesar’s Gallic Wars. Source: Wikimedia Commons   Much of what historians commonly accept to be true about the ancient Celts has come from Greek and Roman travel narratives describing their encounters with Celtic peoples. These authors wrote about a few different aspects of Celtic life and society: their appearance, what kinds of clothing and jewelry they wore, their cultural practices, and their belief systems.   Caesar wrote of Celtic men in his De Bello Gallico:   “The most civilized of all these nations are they who inhabit Kent, which is entirely a maritime district, nor do they differ much from the Gallic customs. Most of the inland inhabitants do not sow corn, but live on milk and flesh, and are clad with skins. All the Britons, indeed, dye themselves with woad, which occasions a bluish color, and thereby have a more terrible appearance in fight. They wear their hair long, and have every part of their body shaved except their head and upper lip. Ten and even twelve have wives common to them, and particularly brothers among brothers, and parents among their children; but if there be any issue with these wives, they are reputed to be the children of those by whom respectively each was first espoused when a virgin.”   In this passage, Caesar addresses several points about Celtic Britons: what they ate, what they wore, body decoration, how they fashioned their hair, and their marital affairs.   Cassius Dio wrote of Boudica in his Roman History:   “In stature, she was very tall, in appearance most terrifying, in the glance of her eye most fierce, and her voice was harsh; a great mass of the tawniest hair fell to her hips; around her neck was a large golden necklace; and she wore a tunic of diverse colors over which a thick mantle was fastened with a brooch. This was her invariable attire.”   Though Dio speaks here of an individual rather than a collective, he uses tactics similar to Caesar’s in “othering” Boudica from her Roman contemporaries. While the Celtic subjects of Caesar’s writings are othered in terms of their customs, Boudica is othered because of her fierceness and attire.   Celtic Head, Romano-British, Northern England, c. 100-300 CE. Source: Cleveland Museum of Art   Roman writers were further captivated by the Celtic practice of headhunting. Their writings indicate that Roman soldiers were subject to beheadings by Celts on the battlefield. Polybius, a Greek historian residing in Rome, wrote in his The Histories about the rise of the Roman Republic. Of the Celts at the Battle of Ticinus in 218 BCE, he said:   “They killed or wounded many, and finally, cutting off the heads of the slain, went over to the Carthaginians, being in number about two thousand foot and rather less than two hundred horse.”   Livy, expanding further on what the Celts would do with the heads that they hunted, wrote in his Ab Urbe Condita:   “Spoils taken from his body and the severed head of the general were carried in triumph by the Boians to the temple which is most revered in their land. Then after cleaning the head, they adorned the skull with gold, according to their custom. And it served them as a sacred vessel from which to pour libations at festivals and at the same time as a drinking cup for the priests and the keepers of the temple.”   Though there is sufficient archeological evidence supporting the existence of a Celtic cult of the head, it is unclear how much these accounts exaggerate headhunting practices. They do, however, serve to further categorize the Celts as barbarians and “other” for a Roman readership.   Roman Depictions of Celts The Dying Gaul, Roman copy of Greek original, c. 1st century BCE. Source: Musei Capitolini, Rome   There are several examples of extant works of Roman art depicting the ancient Celts. One of the most famous, The Dying Gaul, is believed to be a Roman marble copy of a bronze Greek original. The Dying Gaul depicts a nude Gallic warrior, wounded and defeated, surrounded by his shield and weaponry. He is depicted in a manner similar to how Roman writers described the Celts, with thick, lime-washed hair, a mustache, and a torc around his neck. Though he is certainly made to look less dignified than a Roman warrior, his athletic form portrays him as a worthy foe. The sculpture effectively depicts him as a “barbarian,” but uplifts the Roman imperial expansion project by suggesting that their wins were hard-earned.   Ludovisi Gaul and his wife, Roman copy of Greek original, c. 220 BCE. Source: Museo nazionale Romano di Palazzo Altemps, Italy   Another well-known example of a larger Roman sculpture depicting a Celt is the Ludovisi Gaul (or The Galatian Suicide), a copy of the bronze original by Epigonus, showing a Gallic man on the brink of driving a sword into his chest as he holds up his dying wife’s body in his other arm. It is suggested that the man intended to kill his wife and himself to avoid capture by the Romans.   Smaller-scale images of Celts appear as decorative elements adorning Roman architecture, such as on a frieze from Civitalba, Marche, Italy, or as figurative elements on Roman funerary art, such as the Amendola Sarcophagus. These images function in a similar way to The Dying Gaul, highlighting the Roman conquest of Celtic peoples and the superiority of Roman soldiers.   Celts as Barbarians: How History Remembers Welwyn Bucket Fitting, Hertfordshire, England, c. 50-20 BCE. Source: British Museum   The adage that “history is written by the victors,” often attributed to Winston Churchill, though with no concrete evidence to support that claim, rings true regarding the ancient Celts. With very few extant written sources from Celtic peoples themselves, aside from some early inscriptions in Lepontic and Celtiberian scripts, the only complete texts that historians can consult on Celts come from outside of their immediate culture.   Roman textual accounts and depictions of Celts articulate a specific narrative of Roman imperial prowess and expansion. In doing so, they justify the conquest of Celtic lands and the subjugation of Celtic peoples by “othering” them and focusing on what was “barbarian and inferior” about them. We now know that the Celts had complex societies, languages, and belief systems, though the popular imagination, informed by Roman perspectives, still holds that the Celts were barbarians.

A set of 15 stonemason’s tools from the pre-Roman Iron Age have been discovered in an ancient limestone quarry at Măgura Călanului, Romania. The discovery of the toolkit in a quarry that bears the marks of how such tools were used lends new insight into Dacian stone working and architecture. The cache of tools was discovered by a local villager in the summer of 2022 at the foot of a tree near the main quarry face. They had been dug up recently and left at the spot, possibly by looters whose nefarious plans were foiled by the 25-pound of the toolkit. The finder turned them in to the Corvin Castle Museum in Hunedoara. Deracinated from their original context, the tools are difficult to date with precision, but there are tool types in the kit that were exclusively used during the Dacian kingdom (2nd century B.C. – 106 A.D.), and quarrying of stone blocks stopped completely when the Romans left in the middle of the 3rd century. The tools include five double-headed picks, two with a rare toothed edge, five splitting wedges of varying sizes used to break large stones apart, a whetting hammer and field anvil used to sharpen chisels, one flat chisel and one point for fine finishing work. It’s a mix of different categories of tools: direct percussion (the double-headed picks), indirect percussion (the chisel and point), cold sharpening (the hammer and anvil) and stone-splitting (the wedges). The picks with the toothed edges are specifically Dacian in design with no known parallels from Greece or Rome. The toothed sides were used to finish the prismatic blocks for the luxurious ashlar architecture characteristic of the Dacian period. Splitting wedges have been found at ancient construction and quarry sites all over the Greek and Roman world, and while the simple design is basically the same, their weight and dimensions vary widely. You need a much larger, heavier wedge to split marble and large blocks. The wedges in this kit are small, weighing between 150 and 400 grams, and were intended for use on small blocks or soft limestone that require less force to create the fissures and split the stone. The wedges were not used on a single block. There are stones at the quarry site that were never quite broken apart, but still retain their splitting sockets from the attempt. The sockets are uniform in size and depth. It’s possible that this toolkit belonged to a master mason who had one wedge of each size, made the choice of the appropriate wedge for each stone, then delegated work teams to do the splitting with the matching wedges. Alternatively, the toolkit may be incomplete. The mason may have buried only a selection of his tools, or some of them may have been scattered or lost in the shady circumstances of their recent excavation. The whetting hammer was widely used to sharped agricultural implements, typically scythes, and examples have found on farm sites in Romania. The field anvil is much more rare, with the only comparable examples known from Roman Britain and Gaul. There too it was used for scythe sharpening. This is the first time a whetting hammer and field anvil have been found in a quarry context, which suggests the set was used to keep the stonemason’s tools sharp as he cut the stone, an essential task as the chisels and points dulled quickly. Having these tools on hand in quarry operations allowed masons to keep working without having to take their kit to a blacksmith over and over. Most of the tools are small and designed for finishing work, which in a quarry context would consist of splitting small blocks and refining the rough surfaces for construction or decorative features. The discovery at Măgura Călanului deepens our understanding of stonemasonry in Dacia, challenging previous assumptions about construction and quarrying in this region. It also prompts questions regarding the origins of these tools and the circumstances leading to their preservation in such a complete state. Future research may reveal a connection between these tools and the tool marks on quarry faces and stones, potentially confirming their use at the site and providing insights into the specific techniques employed in Dacian stoneworking. Metallographic, microstructural analyses, and studies of use-wear (such as scanning electron microscopy, mass spectrometry, or wear trace analysis) could provide valuable information regarding the manufacturing techniques and usage of these iron tools, offering a more detailed understanding of how they were crafted and employed by Dacian craftsmen.

The piece of cedar wood is one of only three items that were removed from the Great Pyramid during a 19th-century excavation. The post A 5,000-Year-Old Artifact From Egypt’s Great Pyramid Was Just Found In A Cigar Box In Scotland appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Known as The Virgin and Child with Saints Louis and Margaret, this bizarre depiction of Jesus and Mary was painted by an anonymous artist and is believed to have been created circa 1510 in either the Netherlands or Belgium. The post London Museum Purchases Bizarre Renaissance Painting That Features A Drooling Dragon-Dog For $22 Million appeared first on All That's Interesting.