Uluburun Shipwreck (Late Bronze Age trading vessel) Uluburun Late Bronze Age shipwreck discovered off southwest Turkey (1982). Uluburun's cargo reveals extensive Mediterranean trade c. 14th century BCE and supplies key evidence about Bronze…
Upper Palaeolithic (Late Stone Age) Upper Palaeolithic The Upper Palaeolithic marks the final phase of the Palaeolithic, when anatomically modern humans expanded, developed advanced tools, art and burial practices across Europe, Asia a…
Ur - Early Sumerian city-state and archaeological site in southern Mesopotamia Ur Ur, an early Sumerian city-state in southern Mesopotamia, was a major urban, religious and administrative center from the 4th millennium BCE; excavations reveal temples, tombs and…
Urartian language Overview of the Urartian language: classification, scripts, corpus, history of scholarship, linguistic features, and debates such as the proposed hieroglyphic system.
Uruk: cradle of Mesopotamian urban civilization Uruk Uruk was a major ancient city in southern Mesopotamia that pioneered urban life, state administration and early writing during the 4th–3rd millennia BC; its ruins lie in present-da…
Venus figurines: Paleolithic female statuettes and their interpretations Venus figurine Small prehistoric female statuettes from the Upper Paleolithic and earlier, known as Venus figurines, found across Eurasia; materials, dates, debates on meaning, and notable exampl…
Venus of Berekhat Ram A small modified pebble found on the Golan Heights in 1981, argued by some researchers to be an early example of a human-modified figurine and by others to be a non-figurative arti…
Vere Gordon Childe — Archaeologist and Theorist of Prehistoric Change Vere Gordon Childe Australian-born archaeologist Vere Gordon Childe (1892–1957) combined fieldwork and broad theory, excavating Skara Brae and introducing the concepts of the Neolithic and Urban Revo…
Vézère Valley — prehistoric caves and archaeological heritage in Dordogne, France Vézère Valley The Vézère Valley in Dordogne, France, contains an exceptional cluster of Upper Paleolithic caves, rock shelters and deposits with cave paintings, artifacts and human remains, list…
Vinča culture — Neolithic society of the Central Balkans Vinča culture A Neolithic archaeological culture (c. 5400–4600 BC) of the Central Balkans known for large tell settlements, pottery, anthropomorphic figurines and debated symbolic signs.
Wat's Dyke: an early medieval earthwork on the Welsh–English frontier Wat's Dyke Wat's Dyke, a linear earthwork running near the Wales–England border, predates Offa's Dyke and served as a territorial frontier; its date and purpose remain debated after recent ar…
Whatcheeria — an early Mississippian tetrapod genus Whatcheeria Whatcheeria is an extinct genus of early tetrapod from the early Mississippian (~340 Ma) known from fossils in a limestone quarry at Delta, Iowa; it helps illuminate the water-to-l…
Yao Qian Shu — the Chinese "money tree" Yao Qian Shu Yao qian shu (摇钱树), the Chinese "money tree", is a mythic and archaeological object: a bronze funerary sculpture from the Han era and a lasting folk symbol of wealth and good fortu…
Yoram Tsafrir — Israeli archaeologist and scholar of Byzantine Palestine Yoram Tsafrir Israeli archaeologist Yoram Tsafrir (1938–2015) specialized in Byzantine Palestine, ancient synagogues, and historical demography. Professor at the Hebrew University and member of…
Younger Futhark — the Viking Age runic alphabet Younger Futhark Younger Futhark is the reduced runic alphabet used in Viking Age Scandinavia. It evolved from Elder Futhark and was carved on stone, wood and metal for inscriptions, memorials and…
Zapotec civilisation: Monte Albán and the Valley of Oaxaca Zapotec civilisation The Zapotec civilisation flourished in the Valley of Oaxaca in southern Mesoamerica. Known for Monte Albán, early writing, monumental architecture and tombs, it shaped Oaxaca's pre…
Zhoukoudian (Choukoutien) — the Peking Man cave complex near Beijing Zhoukoudian Zhoukoudian is a limestone cave system near Beijing known for Peking Man (Homo erectus) fossils and other Paleolithic finds; a key paleoanthropological and UNESCO World Heritage si…
Zhucheng fossil site: major Late Cretaceous dinosaur bonebed in Shandong, China Zhucheng fossil site Zhucheng in Shandong Province contains one of the richest Late Cretaceous dinosaur bonebeds, notable for mass accumulations of hadrosaurs, ceratopsians, ankylosaurs, extensive muse…
