Discovery Vocabulary
Famous Archaeological Discoveries
Grammar in Use — Talking About the Past
History Trivia
Archaeology Trivia
100

Which word means "a physical sign or mark left behind that shows something existed"?

trace

100

Which discovery includes ancient manuscripts largely written in Hebrew, dating from the third century BC to the first century CE?

the Dead Sea Scrolls

100

Until now, the general thinking was that people in the Amazon ___ (live) nomadically."

had lived

100

Which European explorer is credited with leading the first expedition to circumnavigate the globe, though he died before completing the journey?

Ferdinand Magellan

100

Which UNESCO World Heritage site in England consists of a circle of massive standing stones, believed to date back over 4,000 years?

Stonehenge

200

Which verb means "to make something known publicly for the first time," often with ceremony?

unveil

200

Which discovery is the largest collection of Anglo-Saxon gold and silver metalwork ever found, discovered by a metal detectorist in an English field?

the Staffordshire Hoard

200

"It's been reported that archaeologists ___ (stumble) upon the remains of a huge city."

have stumbled

200

Which ancient wonder of the world was a massive lighthouse located in the harbour of Alexandria, Egypt?

the Lighthouse of Alexandria

200

Which underwater archaeological site off the coast of Turkey is famous for a Bronze Age shipwreck containing one of the oldest known cargoes of trade goods?

the Uluburun shipwreck

300

Which word describes the process of carefully digging to search for archaeological remains?

excavation

300

Which cave in Northern Spain contains prehistoric paintings of mammals and human hands?

the Cave of Altamira

300

"These lucky teenagers ___ (feast) on a rich diet of venison and trout."

were feasting

300

Which medieval trade route connected China to the Mediterranean, carrying goods like silk and spices?

the Silk Road

300

Which vast ancient city in Mexico was one of the largest in the ancient world, built by a civilization whose name for themselves remains unknown?

Teotihuacan

400

Which verb phrase means "to work out an explanation by connecting separate clues"?

piece together

400

Which massive stone statues, built by the Rapa Nui people, are found on a remote Pacific island?

the Moai statues

400

"So, are we saying the ancient Romans ___ (invent) the pizza?

might have invented

400

Which 18th-century political revolution led to the end of the monarchy in France?

the French Revolution

400

What is the nickname given to the famous 3.2-million-year-old hominid fossil discovered in Ethiopia's Awash Valley in 1974?

Lucy

500

Using the un- prefix, what word means "not yet found or known about"?

undiscovered

500

Which ancient city, preserved almost perfectly by volcanic ash, allows archaeologists to study everyday Roman life in extraordinary detail?

Pompeii

500

"___ this been discovered earlier, our history books ___ (write) very differently."

Had / would have been written

500

Which ancient Mesopotamian king is famous for one of the earliest written legal codes?

Hammurabi

500

Which network of ancient underground tunnels beneath Paris contains the remains of millions of people, moved there in the 18th century?

the Catacombs of Paris

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