ANKARA / ISTANBUL

Behind the daily stream of geopolitical tensions and conflicts, 2025 also offered new perspectives of humanity’s connection with the world through archaeological discoveries.

Below, Anadolu runs down some of the most interesting and groundbreaking archaeological excavations made during 2025.

Scientists discovered 16,600 dinosaur footprints and 1,378 swimming tracks in Carreras Pampa in Bolivia's Torotoro National Park.

Researchers examined an area of ​​approximately 7,485 square meters (80,567 square feet) and said the fossil tracks represent the highest number of dinosaur footprints ever detected in a single area.

The tracks belonged to the theropods, bipedal three-toed dinosaurs which are believed to have lived between 145 and 66 million years ago, according to Live Science.

The longest footprint, which was 30 centimeters (12 inches), could belong to medium-sized theropod dinosaurs such as Dilophosaurus or Allosaurus, scientists said.

The details of the research were published in the journal Plos One.

Conscious use of fire dates back 400,000 years in England

British scientists announced the discovery of the world's oldest direct evidence of deliberate fire-making dating approximately 400,000 years ago at the Barnham archaeological site in Suffolk, eastern England.

The research team, led by the British Museum, found fragments of baked clay, hand axes cracked by intense heat and pieces of iron pyrite mineral that produced sparks when struck against flint.

Prior to this discovery, the oldest confirmed evidence for human fire-making was from Neanderthal sites in northern France, dated to approximately 50,000 years ago.

The research was published in the Nature journal.

20,000-year-old tools made from whale bones in Spain

An international team of scientists confirmed the discovery of 20,000-year-old tools made from whale bones in Spain.

According to Phys.org, a leading web-based news service focused on science, research and technology, scientists from Barcelona, France and Britain conducted research examining early human-marine mammal interactions and the marine ecology of the period.

During the study, 83 bone tools were found in coastal areas around the Bay of Biscay in Spain and 90 bone tools in the Santa Catalina Cave in the Basque Country were analyzed using mass spectrometry and radiocarbon dating to determine the species and age of the samples.

The coastal archaeological sites are vulnerable to rising sea levels, making it difficult to trace the origins of human-whale interactions.

The new discovery is expected to improve understanding and knowledge of early human-marine mammal interactions and the marine ecology of the period.

Archaeological excavations in India

Archaeological excavations in the village of Keeladi in India's southern Tamil Nadu state, described as the first large and observable ancient urban settlement in southern India, have sparked new debates about ancient civilizations in the subcontinent.

More than 15,000 artifacts have been unearthed in 10 archaeological excavations conducted in Keeladi since 2014, including 2,000-2,500-year-old coins, beads and terracotta pipes.

Experts said the discovery of brick-built structures and water management systems in the village indicates an urban settlement dating back thousands of years and suggests the presence of a literate society.

The findings also disprove the belief that the Ashokan Brahmi script, found on historical artifacts in northern and central India, is the ancestor of most writing systems in South and Southeast Asia, according to the scientists.

They explained that traces of the Ashokan Brahmi script date back to the 3rd century BC, while the discovery of the Tamil Brahmi script in Keeladi village dates back to the 6th century BC.

Researchers believe that these two writing systems developed independently.

In Italy, the people of Pompei lived among the ruins after the eruption

In Italy, archaeologists found new evidence that the ancient city of Pompeii’s inhabitants returned and began living among the ruins after the volcanic eruption that destroyed the city in 79 AD.

The study revealed that eruption survivors lived among the ruins of the city because they did not have the opportunity to start new lives elsewhere, according to a statement on the official website of the Pompeii Archaeological Site.

The returning inhabitants of Pompeii were joined by other people who were looking for places to settle in nearby cities and hoping to find valuable items among the ruins, the study showed.

Scientists revealed that those who returned to the city lived without the infrastructure and services common in ancient Roman settlements, with some staying on the upper floors of buildings to avoid exposure to the ash from the volcano, while the lower floors were used as cellars.

Relationship between cats and humans began later than thought

Scientists have determined that the relationship between cats and humans began much later than previously thought.

Researchers examined DNA samples taken from cat bones found in archaeological sites in Europe, North Africa and Anatolia and determined that the relationship between cats and humans began not 10,000 years ago as previously believed but between 3,500 and 4,000 years ago.

The study’s findings reportedly corroborate the knowledge that cats were highly revered in Ancient Egypt, immortalized in art, and even preserved through mummification.

The research states that cats were used to combat rats on ships as they began to be domesticated, reaching Europe only 2,000 years ago and then spreading to China via the Silk Road.

The study also found traces of another cat species identified as the leopard cat that lived alongside humans in China before domesticated cats for approximately 3,500 years.

The research was published in the Cell Genomics journal.

26-million-year-old sharp-toothed whale species discovered in Australia

Scientists discovered a species of sharp-toothed whale that hunted in the seas approximately 26 million years ago off the coast of Australia.

The whale fossil was found in 2019 by someone walking along the Australian coast. Realizing the scientific significance of the fossil, the person donated the fragments to the Victoria Museum.

Research revealed that this species, named Janjucetus dullardi, was a predatory marine mammal with sharp teeth, unlike today's toothless whales.

The whale fossil, which was determined to be young, as it was approximately 2 meters (6.5 feet) long, was identified as one of the best-preserved examples of an extinct whale family discovered, including fragments of its skull, ear bones and teeth.

Oldest example of human mummification found in Vietnam

The oldest example of human mummification, dating back 14,000 years, has been discovered in Vietnam.

Previously, the oldest examples of mummification were found in the Chinchorro culture in Northern Chile, dating back approximately 7,000 years, and in ancient Egypt, some 4,500 years ago.

Thousands of years ago, people kept their dead in a crouched position over the smoke of a low-temperature fire, allowing them to dry, and then transported the mummified body to a burial site. It is known that this method of “smoking” the dead is still used in Papua New Guinea.

Research found traces of smoking in bones taken from nine regions, with the oldest example found in an arm bone from Northern Vietnam showing signs of burning, dating back approximately 14,000 years.

Most other similar examples have been found in tombs dating back 12,000 to 4,000 years ago.