Important archaeological discoveries in 2023

3,000 year old sword

The octagonal-bladed sword was still shining brightly when it was found in a grave in June 2023, at a site in Donau-Ries, Bavaria, Germany, along with the remains of three people. The sword is believed to be more than 3,000 years old, requiring further examination by archaeologists.

Ancient sword found in Bavaria

A statement from the researchers later confirmed that this was a genuine weapon, not a ceremonial or decorative one, with "the front of the blade showing that it was made primarily for slashing".

Ancient sandals made over 6,000 years ago

Two sandals discovered by Spanish miners in 1857 have been carbon dated to be about 5,000 years old.

The two oldest flip-flops in the world

But new analysis from the Autonomous University of Barcelona and the University of Alcalá in Spain has dated the sandals to around 6,200 years old. In September 2023, researchers announced that footwear made from plant fibers is, in fact, the oldest known footwear in Europe.

The sandals were preserved in dry conditions in a cave in southern Spain, along with a variety of woven baskets and other goods, according to one of the study's authors.

New revelations about Mona Lisa

French and British scientists have discovered a new fragment from the famous Mona Lisa portrait hidden inside the background layer of Leonardo da Vinci's painting.

Mona Lisa painting

Using X-rays and infrared spectroscopy, the team discovered a mineral compound called Plumbonacrite, which forms when oil and lead oxide mix, helping paint dry faster. Although they knew that later artists (including Rembrandt) used this technique, the team's authors believe Leonardo may have been the first.

"Every time you discover something in his painting process, you realize that Leonardo was clearly ahead of his time," Gilles Wallez, a member of the team, told CNN in October 2023.

Hidden corridor in the pyramid

The Scan Pyramids project - using technology including infrared thermography and photography - has helped to better understand the pyramid's architectural complexities and still-hidden areas. The latest discovery is a 10-meter-long corridor near the main gate.

Flycam helps explore pyramid corridors

According to Mostafa Waziri, head of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, the space may have been built to redistribute weight around the entrance or to provide access to an unknown chamber. A paper published in the scientific journal Nature said further study of the corridor could help scientists better understand how the pyramid was built.

Artwork in the attic

Painting by 17th-century Dutch artist Pieter Brueghel the Younger sells for $850,000

The Dust in the Attic painting is one of the most famous works by the 17th-century Dutch painter Pieter Brueghel the Younger, which later sold for $850,000 at the Daguerre auction house in Paris.

The necklace at the bottom of the ocean

A toothed trinket from a prehistoric shark, Megalodon, has been identified in the wreck of the Titanic by a deep-sea exploration company, Magellan, as part of an ambitious project to create a full-size scan of the ship, which lies at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, some 4,000 metres below the surface, after the 1912 disaster.

Necklace on the Titanic

Richard Parkinson, CEO of Magellan, called the necklace "incredible, beautiful."

The world's oldest toilet

A 2,400-year-old toilet and curved pipes - possibly a status symbol for China's elite at the time - were discovered in the ruins of a palace at the Yueyang archaeological site in Xi'an city, Shaanxi province, according to Chinese media.

Antique toilet for Chinese elite

According to archaeologists, the toilet was probably only used by a small number of people in the ruling class. This design may have required the assistance of servants to pour water for each use.

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