Decorative jewel beetle wings have been discovered on a gilt-bronze crown from a 1,500-year-old tomb in Gyeongju, the ancient royal capital of the Silla Kingdom (57 B.C.-935 A.D.). The wings were inlaid into upside-down heart-shaped perforations on the crown, but could not be immediately identified because most of them had changed from their original iridescent green to a dull brown over the centuries. Conservators were ultimately able to identify a total of 15 wings, seven of them still embedded in the crown. The rest had fallen off and were scattered in the grave.Beetle wings have been found before in Silla tombs of the most elite aristocracy of the kingdom. They decorated accessories like belts and horse tackle. This is the first instance of jewel beetle wings found on a Silla crown.The forewings of several species of the jewel beetle (Buprestidae) family have been used as decorations on clothing and jewelry in traditional Asian art for centuries. In ancient Korea, beetle wings were considered precious because of their emerald-like luster. Actress Ellen Terry wore a gown with 1,000 beetle wings sewn into the knit for her portrayal of Lady Macbeth and it was instantly iconic, captured in an 1889 portrait by John Singer Sargent.The tomb with the crown, Tomb No. 120-2, was unearthed in Hwangnam-dong, Gyeongju, in 2020. The crown was found in situ on the head of the deceased. It is incredibly ornate, with vertical sections shaped like branches and antlers and perforations shaped like small upside-down hearts. Pendants of gold beads and jade hung down the side of the crown. The occupant was buried with a full complement of jewelry: gold earrings with large hoops, a pectoral ornament of blue beads, a silver belt with matching bracelets and rings, a bracelet made of more than 500 miniature yellow beads and gild-bronze shoes.Covering the deceased literally from head to toe, the precious jewelry appears to have been created specifically as funerary regalia, not for daily use or even special events in life. Archaeologists believe they had ritual significance for Silla aristocrats, symbols power, wealth and divine favor to carry forward into the afterlife.The ornate jewelry suggests the deceased was female, and analysis of teeth found in the tomb identified the owner as a girl 12 to 15 years of age. A young child about three years of age was buried next to her. These results have yet to be confirmed via DNA analysis.

It's no secret that Baldur's Gate 3 is among the greatest RPGs ever made. From its sprawling, living world to its cast of lovable yet complex characters, Larian's Dungeons and Dragons epic rightfully deserves its place in the spotlight. In its wake, we've seen a resurgence in narrative-driven RPGs, with Sandfall's Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 being the latest triumph. But with BG3 now being considered the gold standard for RPGs, others will, of course, try to emulate its success. I ask former Dragon Age lead writer David Gaider if that's a good thing. Continue reading Ex Dragon Age writer fears publishers will learn "the wrong lessons" from BG3MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Baldur's Gate 3 builds, BG3 mods, Baldur's Gate 3 classes

By Blessing Nweke At least eight people were killed and over 30 injured in a wave of Russian missile and drone strikes across Ukraine overnight, regional officials reported on Sunday. The attacks come

By Gloria Ogbonna Ukraines capital endured one of the largest and most intense overnight aerial assaults since the onset of Russias full-scale invasion in 2022, with Ukrainian officials reporting

South Korea stands at a critical political crossroads. The impeachment of the pro-American conservative president, Yoon Suk-yeol, has triggered a snap presidential election on June 3, which will decide

How does a political party with overwhelming advantages, including increasing support from the growing bloc of highly educated and affluent voters, almost monopoly support from the press and broadcast

The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan, announced last week that he would temporarily step down amid an ongoing probe over sexual abuse allegations. Behind the scandalous

The new image shows one galaxy piercing another with intense quasar radiation. Astronomers likened the violent galaxy collision to a medieval joust.

The Splitgate 2 beta presents a multiplayer shooter that takes from the best. It's got gunplay to rival Halo 3, movement to challenge Titanfall 2, and portal tech that'll put Valve to shame. Even with all these promising elements rolled into one, however, the launch has been anything but smooth. Server instability and cosmetic problems marred the release, so much so that the game was temporarily taken offline. Splitgate 2 is back now, though, as the team at 1047 Games slowly opens it up and promises to address some of the biggest issues. Continue reading Splitgate 2 beta returns after server woes, but there's still work to be doneMORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best FPS games, Best free PC games, Best multiplayer games

If youre craving more games to fill the gap until Hollow Knight Silksong that deliver intense, side-scrolling action platforming with Metroidvania style exploration and a ton of skill expression, An Amazing Wizard is here to answer the call. After a successful demo, developer Tiny Goblins has launched its new roguelike into early access on Steam, and it stars an intricate spell-fusing system opening up possibilities reminiscent of the myriad combinations of The Binding of Isaac. Continue reading New roguelike An Amazing Wizard is a spell-fusing mix of Hollow Knight and IsaacMORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best roguelikes, Best indie games, Best action games