Science / discoveries Shipwreck Oddity: 5 Most Incredible Discoveries of the Week Including an imperfection at one of the world's great wonders By Newser Editors, Newser Staff Posted Jun 25, 2016 5:11 AM CDT Copied A previous dive at the site of the Antikythera wreck off the island of Antikythera in southern Greece. (AP Photo/ARGO via Greek Culture Ministry, Brett Seymour) An intriguing discovery about sperm whales and another about the most famous pyramid of all make the list: Among Antikythera Shipwreck Finds, an Odd Item: The Antikythera shipwreck is a gift that keeps on giving. The ancient shipwreck off the Greek island of Antikythera in the Aegean Sea has yielded another 60 artifacts, including a gold ring, luxury glassware, and one particularly unusual item called a "dolphin." Turns out, it's a surprisingly simple defense weapon. (It doesn't beat the wreck's most famous item, however.) Today's Sperm Whales Descended From One 'Eve': Researchers have stumbled upon a surprising discovery: All of today's sperm whales appear to have descended from the same female. They've named her Eve and say she lived between 10,000 and 80,000 years ago. One puzzle: how this happened, given what we know about sperm whale behavior. One of the World's Seven Wonders Stands a Bit Askew: Scientists scanning and mapping the Giza pyramids say they've discovered that the Great Pyramid of Giza, the oldest of the world's Seven Wonders, is a bit lopsided. And really, just a bit. In fact, the near perfection helps fuel a working hypothesis on how the pyramids were designed. Naval Bases Found That Once Guarded World's First Democracy: Archaeologists have discovered massive naval bases that once enabled Athens to fight off the Persian Empire—and develop the world's first democracy. For that, they've got an old fisherman to thank. Asteroid That Killed Dinosaurs Wiped Out Most Mammals, Too: The asteroid that took out the dinosaurs nearly claimed the planet's mammals, too. Only about 7% of mammals survived, far fewer than thought, and that's causing a reassessment of how mammals rebounded. Click to read about more discoveries, including a "singing" sand dune. (More discoveries stories.) Report an error