A stunning Roman mosaic featuring colourful flowers and geometric patterns has been discovered near the Shard, archaeologists have revealed.
The mosaic, which is the largest of its kind found in London for more than 50 years, was once the floor of a Roman dining room, according to the experts.
The dining room might have been part of a Roman ‘mansio’ – an upmarket ‘motel’ offering accommodation, stabling, and dining facilities for state couriers and officials travelling to and from London.
Astronomers have discovered dozens of previously unknown exoplanets orbiting distant stars, including hot Jupiter planets and ‘Super Earths’.
Among the worlds discovered this year are a huge exoplanet in orbit around one of the most massive and hottest two-star system ever seen.
Researchers also found multiple rocky worlds within the habitable zone of star systems, where it could be possible life has evolved.
MailOnline compiled a selection of some of the most interesting, strange and unexpected exoplanet discoveries of the
Fiery sea stars, a blue-spotted guitarfish and a well-camouflaged pygmy pipehorse are among the 70 species discovered by the California Academy of Sciences in 2021.
The freshly described flora and fauna hail from as far and wide as the lowland forests of Madagascar to the coral reefs around Easter Island and the treetops of Mexico.
The discoveries, the academy said, not only enrich our understanding of the vast tree of life, but also strengthen our ability to make informed conservation
Dozens of species of dinosaurs were described by scientists in 2021, ranging from the terrifying Ulughbegsaurus uzbekistanensis with teeth like a Great White Shark, through to the 140ft long Supersaurus.
Scientists also made new discoveries about existing creatures from our ancient past, including finding out an early ancestor of the triceratops, known as Sierraceratops turneri, had five horns on its head.
While 2021 was no more plentiful in terms of dinosaur discoveries than average, there were still some remarkable finds,
A Russian fisherman has discovered an ocean creature that bears a striking resemblance to a cheeseburger.
Roman Fedortsov, 39, scours for cod, haddock and mackerel on commercial trawlers and sometimes fishes up to 3,000ft below the surface.
In doing so, the Murmansk-based fisherman reels in a variety of bizarre-looking sea creatures, the latest of which has been dubbed the ‘cheeseburger with teeth’ by people online who were stunned by its unique appearance.
The main course was even accompanied by a
A massive wine factory, dating 1,500 years, has been discovered in Israel, and is the largest known winery ever discovered from the Byzantine period.
The sophisticated facility, unearthed in Yavne, could produce up to two million litres of wine per year, according to the Israel Antiquities Authority.
For comparison, the UK as a whole now produces just short of eight million litres per year.
It would have been a world wine powerhouse, a huge and well-designed industrial estate from the
A newlywed who discovered her breast cancer while on honeymoon has spoken of her upset after Covid rules meant she had to attend dozens of appointments alone – including her mastectomy surgery.
Charlotte Dudeney-Tucker, 27, from Hornchurch, east London, says she owes her life to the NHS but argues that some rules felt too strict considering the seriousness of her illness.
She had to have fertility-preserving IVF treatment – including an egg collection – on her own and even had
