State-run Inca food storage facilities, or colcas, were sometimes located at high elevations where chilly mountain air helped preserve perishable provisions. Twelve circular colcas dating to 500 years ago were recently uncovered at the site of Wancasanga, which sits at 11,000 feet above sea level overlooking the Condebamba Valley. Archaeologists excavated a nearby building equipped with innovative stone ventilation shafts that circulated cool air through the storehouses to help regulate conditions inside.

Tantalizing new evidence from Tell Abu Saifi has strengthened the case for the site’s association with an important long-lost Egyptian city. A recently uncovered sandstone lintel is inscribed with titles belonging to the pharaoh Ramesses II (reigned ca. 1279–1213 b.c.) as well as a reference to the god Horus as the Lord of Mesen. The city of Mesen is mentioned in ancient sources and was located along the Way of Horus, a key coastal military and trade route, but its exact whereabouts have never been confirmed.

A 4,000-year-old painted stone plaque found in Wetar Island’s Huknaur rock shelter is the first of its kind ever discovered in Indonesia. The artifact’s red concentric circles and radiating sunray motif are characteristic of the Austronesian Painting Tradition, which has been identified around the western Pacific. These paintings are typically found on cave walls, but the recently unearthed artifact is the only known portable artwork executed in this style. The plaque was likely carried by an intrepid seafarer for protection or as a symbol of community identity.