Kristina Killgrove

Joined: Apr 7, 2016

Kristina Killgrove is a semi-retired anthropologist and writes for outlets such as Forbes, Mental Floss, and Smithsonian Magazine,

A “vampire” skeleton found in Sozopol, Bulgaria.

8 Historical Methods for Keeping the Dead in their Graves

A reconstruction of Ötzi the Iceman at the South Tyrol Archaeological Museum in Italy.

13 Cool Facts About Ötzi the Iceman

Don't be afraid to throw around a curse or two!

7 Ancient Roman Curses You Can Work into Modern Life

Oblique cuts in the bottom third of the legs of a medieval skeleton found in Portugal.

Archaeologists Make Rare, Gruesome Find in Portugal

6 Archaeological Finds Made by Badgers

Archaeology badger don’t care if it's mucking up our knowledge of the ancient past.

Are These the Skeletons of the First European Colonists in the U.S.?

Unearthed in St. Augustine, Florida, the remains may date back to the Spanish settlement of the city in the mid 16th century.

How the Global Bird-Poop Trade Created a Traveling Mummy Craze

Bird poop has been a favored fertilizer for centuries—and, it turns out, is an excellent preserver of human flesh.

15 Mummies You Can See Around the World

This list is for the more macabre among you.

Skeleton of 19th-Century British Man Reveals He Wore a Corset

Medicine and fashion may have collided in this tuberculosis treatment.

Irish Teeth Reveal the Chemical Signature of the Great Famine

Researchers analyzed 20 sets of human remains from one of the many workhouses where entire families were institutionalized—and made to work long hours—as a "remedy" to poverty.

A Brief History of Bog Bodies (and Butter)

The combination of cool climate and anoxic water in these northern bogs makes conditions right for long-term preservation.

The Antikythera Mechanism is in the collection of the National Archaeological Museum in Athens, Greece.

15 Intriguing Facts About the Antikythera Mechanism

The mysterious Antikythera mechanism—sometimes called 'the world's first computer'—has fascinated scholars for decades.

13 Offbeat Ancient Recipes from Around the World

Porpoise porridge, anyone?

Matchsticks Once Sickened and Deformed Women and Children

The ravages of "phossy jaw"—necrosis of the jaw bone caused by phosphorus poisoning—may have been discovered in a young teenager's remains.

Reproduction of woodcut, 1483. Wikimedia Commons // CC BY 4.0

Just How Old Is C-Section Birth?

And when did women and babies start surviving it?

Chloe Effron, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 2.5

6 Practical Ways Romans Used Human Urine and Feces in Daily Life

The emperor Vespasian reportedly defended his tax on urine by saying "pecunia non olet"—money doesn’t stink.