As 2025 comes to an end, we look at some of the most incredible archaeological discoveries this year
We bring you five of the most exciting archaeological finds from over the past 12 months.
- Treasure trove uncovered amid home upgrade
In Senon, north-eastern France, a homeowner’s renovation plans were interrupted when diggers unearthed the remains of a Gallo-Roman settlement dating back to around 100 to 350 B.C. The most striking discovery was a cache of coins nearly 40,000 coins packed inside three amphorae.
Read the full article: Thousands of ancient coins are discovered in a garden and are immediately claimed by the government.
- Millennia-old murder mystery
In Vietnam, researchers have uncovered a human skull that dates back to around 12,000 years ago - and shows signs that its owner died by foul play. The individual, estimated to be around 35 years old, had injuries that suggest a traumatic wound, possibly caused by a quartz artifact, scientists wrote in a study in Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.
Read the full article: A mysterious 12,000-year-old murder: this skeleton found in an excavation has a fatal wound.
- Fortress find
After centuries hidden beneath dense forest vegetation, an ancient fortress dating back almost 5,000 years was rediscovered in Romania. The forgotten settlement was found using LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technology - equipment that can build a three-dimensional map of a location by harnessing the power of laser beams.
Read the full article: Lost to time: Nearly 5,000-year-old fort emerges from the forest.
- British boy’s dino discovery
In Derbyshire, U.K., a young boy gathered up some seemingly ordinary rocks - and found that they contained fossils of spiral-shaped mollusks. Experts say the fossils are between 140 million and 180 million years old. “When I look at one of my fossils, it makes me really interested and I think, how many more dinosaurs can I find?” seven-year-old Elliott told the BBC.
Read the full article: A 7-year-old boy digs in the yard of his new home and stumbles upon 140-million-year-old Jurassic fossils.
- Legendary shipwreck finally found?
This summer, researchers from the U.S. said they may have identified the wreckage of an 18th-century treasure ship that fell victim to one of history’s most famous pirate takeovers. A Portuguese warship-turned-cargo vessel, the Nossa Senhora do Cabo was seized in the Indian Ocean in 1721, as it transported a sizeable cargo of valuables including gold, silver and gemstones.
Read the full article: 300-year-old shipwreck discovered near Madagascar: It held treasure for the Portuguese crown.
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