Scraping inside clay jars recovered from a 2,400-year-old shipwreck, two researchers found DNA fragments that revealed the jars' long-disappeared probable cargo: oregano, olive oil, and wine.

The genetic technique, developed by Maria Hansson and Brendan Foley, offers a new window into ancient civilizations. Two-handled earthenware jars, called amphorae, were commonly used to store and transport goods in the ancient world, especially by sea. But sunken amphorae usually come up empty, leaving archaeologists with little to go on.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

"Imagine if you were asked to analyze the American economy just by looking at the empty shells of 40-foot ...

Related newspaper, magazine, and journal articles:

;

See all results. Or, try our Advanced Search.

We're searching over:

• 60 million articles
• 3,500 publications