Lost cities, baffling pyramids, and ancient graveyards are just some of the mysteries covered in National Geographic News's most viewed archaeology stories of 2008. One the stories is about a Maya underground labyrinth filled with stone temples and pyramids, found in August in Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula.

New Census Shows Massive Gorilla Population in Northern Republic of Congo! This is great news for gorillas—new figures double all previous estimates. The world’s population of critically endangered western lowland gorillas received a huge boost today when the Wildlife Conservation Society released a census showing massive numbers of these secretive great apes alive and well in the Republic of Congo.

Xexplorersweb reported 3rd August 2008 about a terrible accident took place on K2 this weekend. Later it was confirmed that 11 climbers have died in an avalanche. It`s the worst accident on K2 in over 20 years. One of them who perished was the Norwegian Rolf Bae. His wife Cecilie Skog survived and is safe in the Base Camp.

has been rediscovered after being buried for generations. The so-called Headless Pyramid was reported in the early 19th century by a German archaeologist, but its exact location was subsequently lost. Then it disappeared in the sands of Saqqara, a sprawling royal burial complex near current-day Cairo.

Some people really glorify the Sherpas as pure, natural and mystical gods of the nature. Others view them as low-cast inhabitants of the third world. According to ExplorersWeb, the truth is of course that the Sherpas are just like the rest of us; some are good, some are bad, and most are somewhere in between.

A team of researchers led by Danish professor Eske Willerslev shows that the ancestors of the North American Indians who came from Asia were the first people in America, and that they were of neither European nor African descent. It also shows that immigration to North America took place approximately 1,000 years earlier than assumed. These findings change our understanding of the early immigration route to the American continent.

The movie is called Sweet Swan Of Avon - A Movie About the Greatest Mystery in Global Literature. It`s based on the Norwegian Petter Amundsen’s discovery of ciphers in literature, mainly in the first edition of Shakespeare’s collected works, also known as the First Folio (FF), which was published in 1623. The documentary is by internationally acclaimed Jørgen Friberg - Jorgen Friberg. By cracking codes in books Petter points out the place where Shakespeare`s original manuscripts are believed to be hidden.

In 1975 the Cambodian born US journalist Dith Pran became arrested by the Khmer Rouge. Fortunately he manage to escape after a while in an incredible way. His story shocked the world, and he became later the subject of the famous film, The Killing Fields. Dith Pran died recently after combating cancer through almost three months. His memory will live forever!

Result from a new genetic study claims that humans reached America at least 30,000 years ago - around the same time that people were colonising Europe, and that the Indians were the first.

In Peru there are continuously big discoveries of ancient sites. It`s now believed that ruins recently discovered in southern Peru could be the ancient lost city of Paititi.

The tour operator Coex Amazon, Lima, Peru, offers trekking in the Maranon valley to the lost but very idyllic mountain town of Chachapoyas. Here you can admire one of Peru`s biggest ancient wonders, the 2000 year old town fortress of Kuelap. On the way you will get in touch with Indians living in their traditional way. This tour is for genuine adventurers who want to experience something special. Are you ready for the off beaten tracks in Peru?

The dramatic ascent the Italian Franco Mount Franco D'Astassi did was incredible. He knew that Mount Kenya – Mt. Kenya is the second highest peak in Africa after Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, but that didn’t stop him. The mountain is located in the central highlands a couple of hundred kilometres north of the equator. It is here where the Kikuyu god ngai resides. The name of the country Kenya has been known to have been derived from Mount Kenya which was formerly known as Mount Kirinyaga.

The world famous website for expedition news, ExplorersWeb, has covered nearly thousand expeditions in 2007. The staff write on its website: it's difficult to choose the best, as they all contributed in their own way, sharing their story - their very soul in fact - with us and the world.

Archaeologists have discovered what they believe to be the first Viking ship ever discovered in Britain, buried beneath a pub car park. The vessel lies beneath 6-10 feet (2-3 metres) of clay by the Railway Inn in Meols, Wirral, where Vikings are known to have settled.

On a 3-days tour on a bike in Laos in February 2007 Chris from US encountered many challenges, especially trouble with his motorcycle. Anyway driving around on a motorcycle in Laos is a wonderful way to experience the landlocked country. As Lonely Planet describes the country on its website: Snaking rivers, lush jungle, hectic markets and the UNESCO-listed Plain of Jars. Lonely Planet considers Laos as the highlight of Southeast Asia.