Grave robbers in Egypt have unwittingly helped archaeologists discover the tombs of three royal dentists. The thieves were arrested after they began digging by the Step Pyramid at Saqqara, near Cairo, believed to be Egypt's oldest pyramid. Their excavations led archaeologists to the 4,200-year-old tombs, one of which has an inscription warning of a curse.
Archaeologists working in Mexico City have discovered an Aztec monolith, the most important ruins of the ancient civilisation to be found in decades. The monolith and an altar, dating from the 15th Century, were unearthed in the very heart of the busy capital city. The city's mayor described the discovery as the biggest in almost three decades.
Archaeologists in Peru have uncovered the mummified remains of more than 40 dogs buried with blankets and food alongside their human masters. The discovery was made during the excavation of two of the ancient Chiribaya people who lived in southern Peru between AD 900 and AD 1350. Experts say the dogs' treatment in death indicated the belief that the animals had an afterlife.
Ancient civilisations in Mexico developed a writing system as early as 2,000 years ago, new evidence suggests. The discovery in the state of Veracruz of a block inscribed with symbolic shapes has astounded anthropologists. Researchers tell Science magazine that they consider it to be the oldest example of writing in the New World.
