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Bring Out Your Dead: Creepy Necropolis Uncovered in Rome

Man, Italy gets all the cool history. As if Rome didn't have enough ancient wonders already, workers renovating a rugby stadium recently unearthed what appears to be a vast city of the dead. The collection of tombs mimics the layout of a city, an attempt, perhaps, to give the dearly departed all the luxuries afforded by the Roman empire at the time. While researchers are still figuring out what happened here, some evidence suggests that after several hundred years of people dying to get in during the Roman period, actual living people moved in to the necropolis during the Dark Ages. I guess urban real estate was tight even then.

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Placido Domingo's Smooth Moves Calm Chichen Itza Kerfuffle

A concert by Spanish tenor Placido Domingo went off without a hitch last night at Mexico's Chichen Itza archaeological site, silencing for the moment a controversy about whether the ancient Mayan ruins are an appropriate venue for such a modern spectacle. Prior to the event, a union of archaeologists pressed prosecutors to file criminal charges against the concert's organizers, saying that the event violated a law that states the ruins must be preserved for educational purposes.

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Archaeological Travel: Peruvian Pyramid Discovered Using Satellite Data

Sometimes it's nice to be reminded that there's still lots of cool stuff we haven't yet discovered in this world. Italian researchers announced on Friday that they had found an ancient adobe pyramid along the river Nazca, near Peru's Cahuachi Desert, along with two other structures that have yet to be identified. The three structures were likely built by the Nazca civilization, who occupied the area from about 100 B.C. to 500 A.D., when a series of disasters forced them to abandon what appears to be the world's largest mud city.

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Night-Vision Dogs and Underwater Pyramids: Bad-Ass Archaeologists Discover Portal to Maya Underworld

Even though real archaeology isn't remotely like the way it's portrayed in the movies, it still sounds like a pretty cool way to make a living. What adventure-loving soul wouldn't have enjoyed working alongside Guillermo de Anda as he found fourteen caves filled with temples and pyramids in Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula? National Geographic (of course) brings us the news of de Anda's recent discovery, which reveals much about what the Mayan people believed about death and the afterlife.

The underground complex is located in the village of Tahtzibichen, and it seems to represent the journey that Mayans believed the deceased had to take in order to reach the underworld of Xibalba. The extensive labyrinth includes a 90-meter road that leads to a column standing in front of water, as well as vessels, earthenware, ceramics, and human remains. Parts of the complex were actually built underwater, necessitating early Mayans to hold their breath to create underwater pyramids brick-by-brick, and people like de Anda to don scuba gear in one of the coolest parts of their jobs.

As thrilling (and movie-worthy) as this discovery is, the legend might be even better. Maya lore states that "the souls of the dead had to follow a dog with night vision on a horrific and watery path and endure myriad challenges before they could rest in the afterlife." Better still, the journey involved "oozing blood, bats, and spiders." Man, you really earned your afterlife back in those days.

[Photo: National Geographic]

Related Stories:
· Portal to Maya Underworld Found in Mexico? [National Geographic]
· Archaeology Coverage [Jaunted]

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Hiking Israel: Hezekiah Tunnel

Israel's most claustrophobic hiking trail, Hezekiah's Tunnel is an ancient narrow path below the City of David in Jerusalem. Built in 701 BC, the tunnel was constructed as an aqueduct to bring water to Jerusalem residents while the city was under siege by the Assyrians.

Today, visitors can hike through the S-shaped tunnel, also called Warren's Shaft, after explorer Charles Warren, who discovered the tunnel in 1867.

Crouching below the stone ceiling while wading through the water in the complete dark, it's hard to imagine how the 1,750-foot tunnel was even completed 2,700 years ago, let alone used as a functioning aqueduct. You can bring a flashlight, but it's more fun to use your hands as a guide and do it in the dark.

Related Stories:
· City of David [Official Site]
· Israel Travel coverage [Jaunted]