
Owen Jarus
Owen Jarus is a regular contributor to Live Science who writes about archaeology and humans' past. He has also written for The Independent (UK), The Canadian Press (CP) and The Associated Press (AP), among others. Owen has a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Toronto and a journalism degree from Ryerson University.
Latest articles by Owen Jarus

188 medieval figurines that held Christian saints' bones unearthed in Berlin's oldest town square
By Owen Jarus published
Archaeologists have found 188 medieval reliquaries during excavations at a square in Berlin. Some of them still contain human bones of people considered to be saints or holy.

'Truly extraordinary' ancient offerings, including statues of snakes and a child priest, found submerged in 'healing' spring in Italy
By Owen Jarus published
The remains of ancient bronze statues, including sculpted snakes up to 35 inches long, have been found within a hot spring in Italy.

13 ancient Egyptian mummies found with gold tongues to help them talk in the afterlife
By Owen Jarus published
More than a dozen ancient gold tongues have been discovered in a cemetery at the site of Oxyrhynchus in Egypt.

Oldest firearms ever found in US were abandoned by Spanish in 16th-century battle against Native Americans
By Owen Jarus published
Two cannons found at a site dating to 1541 in Arizona may be the oldest surviving firearms in the U.S. They were abandoned by the Spanish after they were defeated in battle.

Possible bust of Cleopatra VII found at ancient Egyptian temple
By Owen Jarus published
A small statue of a woman wearing a royal crown may depict Cleopatra VII, an archaeologist claims. Other archaeologists think it is likely someone else.

2,100-year-old temple from ancient Egypt discovered hidden in cliff face
By Owen Jarus published
The temple is located close to Luxor and was possibly dedicated to the lion-headed goddess Repit.

'Stunning' discovery reveals how the Maya rose up 4,000 years ago
By Owen Jarus published
The discovery of complex fish trapping networks from 4,000 years ago hint at how the Maya rose up as a civilization in Central America and what is now southern Mexico.

Ancient Egypt quiz: Test your smarts about pyramids, hieroglyphs and King Tut
By Owen Jarus published
Quiz For over 3,000 years, ancient Egypt was one of the most powerful civilizations on Earth, with an empire stretching across half a dozen modern-day countries. How much do you know about this iconic culture? Take our quiz to find out.

2,600-year-old inscription in Turkey finally deciphered — and it mentions goddess known 'simply as the Mother'
By Owen Jarus published
An ancient inscription decorated with lions and sphinxes is finally deciphered, and it involves the "mother of the gods."

Evidence of 2,200-year-old hallucinogenic ritual found in Egyptian vase depicting dwarf god
By Owen Jarus published
An analysis of ancient residues left on a vase depicting the Egyptian deity Bes reveals it may have been used to reenact a myth.

12,000-year-old, doughnut-shaped pebbles may be early evidence of the wheel
By Owen Jarus published
The wheel was likely invented around 6,000 years ago, but a new analysis of curious rocks from Israel suggests that wheel-like technologies existed even earlier.

'Purple tunic' from royal tomb belonged to Alexander the Great, scholar claims — but not everyone agrees
By Owen Jarus published
A fragment of cloth found in a royal tomb in Greece decades ago might be the remains of a tunic once worn by Alexander the Great, a new study claims.

Rare tomb from Egypt's Middle Kingdom holds a wealth of jewelry and several generations of the same family
By Owen Jarus published
A rare discovery of a tomb from ancient Egypt's Middle Kingdom near Luxor may hold several generations from a single family.

'Unique' gold offering to god of war discovered at Roman fortress in Georgia
By Owen Jarus published
An excavation at a Roman fortress in the country of Georgia has revealed a gold offering to a god of war, a colorful mosaic and other artifacts.

Archaeologists discover 4,000-year-old Bronze Age settlement hidden in Saudi Arabian oasis
By Owen Jarus published
A Bronze Age settlement hidden on the Arabian Peninsula reveals secrets about the slow growth of urbanization in the region.

1,300-year-old throne room of powerful Moche queen discovered in Peru
By Owen Jarus published
Archaeologists in Peru have unearthed the throne room of a powerful queen from the Moche culture, and detailed murals of the female ruler decorate its walls.

Keeping time: The history, origin and meanings of B.C. and A.D.
By Robert Coolman, Owen Jarus last updated
The use of "anno domini" and "before Christ" to mark time began in the early days of Christianity, when clerics needed to know when Easter would fall.

Why didn't the Vikings colonize North America?
By Owen Jarus published
The Vikings landed in what is now Newfoundland, Canada around the year A.D. 1000. So why didn't they colonize the region like other Europeans did centuries later?

2,000-year-old tomb holding 12 skeletons found at Petra where 'Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade' was filmed
By Owen Jarus published
Archaeologists have discovered a 2,000-year-old tomb containing the remains of 12 individuals at Petra in Jordan.

5,000-year-old jade 'dragon' unearthed in tomb in China
By Owen Jarus published
Archaeologists have found the largest ever jade "dragon" made by the Neolithic Hongshan culture on record.

5,000-year-old cemetery in Spain has twice as many females as males, and nobody knows why
By Owen Jarus published
There are more than twice as many females as males buried in an ancient cemetery in Spain, a new study finds — but no one knows why.

Evidence of Assyrians' conquest of Holy Land discovered in Jerusalem
By Owen Jarus published
The discovery of a building that the Assyrians likely tore down in the eighth century B.C. reveals the political dynamics of that age in Jerusalem.

'Extraordinary' burial of ancient Egyptian governor's daughter discovered in a coffin within another coffin
By Owen Jarus published
Archaeologists have discovered a 4,000-year-old tomb that belonged to an ancient Egyptian governor's daughter.
Sign up for the Live Science daily newsletter now
Get the world’s most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox.