In north-central Mongolia, archaeologists have unearthed two lavish tombs built for nobles of the Xiongnu Empire. A nomadic people who dominated the eastern Eurasian steppes from the third century B.C. to the first century A.D., the Xiongnu frequently waged war against China’s Han Dynasty (206 B.C.– A.D. 220). To defend against these incursions, the Han built fortifications that eventually became part of the Great Wall. Both of the Xiongnu tombs, which were excavated by a team from Ulaanbaatar University and the Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology, contained sumptuous grave goods. In the larger tomb, researchers found wooden boxes that held silver rings, jade belt hooks, and a pair of gilded silver dragons that may once have served as handles on a vessel. The smaller tomb contained the remains of a man buried with a horse-drawn carriage, 15 horse heads, and 19 silver equestrian ornaments, each depicting a unicorn deity. The team also recovered part of a jade-decorated sword from this grave, the first to be found in a Xiongnu tomb.

Some 40 years ago, a Buddhist monk uncovered a mandible in Baishiya Karst Cave, more than 10,000 feet above sea level on the Tibetan Plateau. The specimen has now been dated to 160,000 years ago, and analysis of proteins from its teeth indicates that it belonged to a member of the hominin species known as Denisovans. These elusive ancient humans were previously known only through fragmentary remains of several individuals, all of which were found in southern Siberia’s Denisova Cave, which is just 2,300 feet above sea level and almost 1,750 miles northwest of Baishiya Karst Cave. “This mandible reveals that Denisovans were geographically distributed much more widely and at higher altitude than we previously thought,” says archaeologist Dongju Zhang of Lanzhou University.

Earlier studies of Denisovan genetic material had detected a mutation that fosters survival in low-oxygen environments found in extremely high-altitude locations such as the Tibetan Plateau. This same mutation has been identified in present-day Tibetans, and the discovery that Denisovans once inhabited the region may explain how they obtained this life-preserving adaptation.

On October 14, 1066, William the Conqueror (r. 1066–1087) defeated the last Anglo-Saxon king of England, Harold Godwinson (r. 1066), at the Battle of Hastings, ushering in Norman rule. According to British Museum researchers, the discovery in southwest England’s Chew Valley of a cache of more than 2,500 silver pennies from the reigns of both kings underscores the political uncertainty of the years surrounding the Norman Conquest.

Most of the 1,236 coins in the hoard that feature Harold’s face were minted in southeast England, which indicates steadfast allegiance to him in the region despite the coming threat of William’s invasion. By contrast, all 1,310 coins featuring William were issued after his Christmas Day coronation, suggesting that by that point his claim to the throne was generally recognized. One coin minter seems to have taken advantage of the tumultuous period following Harold’s death. Two “mule” coins, struck with Harold’s visage on one side and William’s on the other, represent this sneaky minter’s attempt to avoid the expense of purchasing fresh dies to produce new coinage, as was required every few years. All together, the hoard’s coins—some cut into quarters or halves to make smaller denominations—would have been more than sufficient to purchase at least 500 sheep.