Recent research has overturned long-held assumptions about the genetic diversity of modern Eurasian sheep and shed new light on the early stages of sheep domestication. A study published in the journal Science Advances presents compelling evidence from complete mitogenomes recovered from the ancient domestication site of Asıklı Höyük in central Anatolia, challenging previous notions of … Read more
The recent archaeological examination of a remarkable animal cemetery unearthed in London nearly three decades ago offers a fascinating glimpse into the extensive horse trading network that flourished among the elites of late medieval and Tudor England. Unlike typical equine burial sites, this discovery sheds light on the international dimensions of horse procurement during the … Read more
Amidst the rugged terrain of modern Iraqi Kurdistan lies the enigmatic mountain settlement of Rabana-Merquly, a site steeped in both military fortitude and spiritual intrigue. Recent excavations led by Dr. Michael Brown from Heidelberg University suggest that beyond its strategic military significance, Rabana-Merquly may have served as a sacred sanctuary devoted to the revered Persian … Read more
Archaeologists have analyzed chemical residues from ceramic vases at the city of Cotzumalhuapa, Guatemala, revealing physical evidence of tobacco use in Mesoamerica, likely for ritual and therapeutic purposes. Cotzumalhuapa was one of Mesoamerica’s greatest cities during the Late Classic Period (AD 650–950). Its artistic style spread widely across the Pacific coast and highlands of Guatemala, … Read more
A fascinating glimpse into prehistoric life emerges from the study of Vittrup Man, an enigmatic figure from the Stone Age whose story unfolds along the windswept Scandinavian coast and the fertile plains of Denmark. The moniker “Vittrup Man” is bestowed upon a skeletal remnant unearthed from a peat bog in Northwest Denmark, dating back to … Read more
The 1 million-square-mile Tibetan Plateau—often called the “roof of the world”—is the highest landmass in the world, averaging 14,000 feet in altitude. Despite the extreme environment, humans have been permanent inhabitants there since prehistoric times. Farming and herding play major roles in the economy of the Tibetan Plateau today—as they have throughout history. To make … Read more
Researchers have linked the travels of a 14,000-year-old wooly mammoth with the oldest known human settlements in Alaska, providing clues about the relationship between the iconic species and some of the earliest people to travel across the Bering Land Bridge. Scientists made those connections by using isotope analysis to study the life of a female … Read more
The “Out of Africa” theory, also known as the recent African origin of modern humans, is a widely accepted model explaining the migration and dispersal of Homo sapiens from Africa to populate the rest of the world. This theory posits that anatomically modern humans originated in Africa and then migrated and replaced archaic human populations … Read more
Genetic studies play a pivotal role in unraveling the mysteries of human origins, providing valuable insights into the evolutionary journey of Homo sapiens. By analyzing the genetic material of modern and ancient populations, researchers can trace ancestral lineages, identify migration patterns, and uncover the intricate web of relationships among different human groups. These studies contribute … Read more
Stone tools, once wielded by Neanderthals, left a distinct mark on the bones found in the Troisième cavern in Goyet, Belgium. Asier Gómez-Olivencia, an Ikerbasque researcher at UPV/EHU-University of the Basque Country, collaborated on a study led by Dr Hélène Rougier, revealing the largest cache of Neanderthal remains in northern Europe. These remains, representing five … Read more
The transition from hunting and gathering to farming, a pivotal juncture in human history, is often perceived as a clear divide between two distinct groups: hunter-gatherers and farmers. However, recent ancient DNA evidence reported in Current Biology on May 25 challenges this dichotomy, revealing that in what is now Romania, these groups coexisted, intermingled, and … Read more
Two prominent South African archaeological sites, Sibudu and Blombos, have unveiled intriguing insights into Middle Stone Age groups that inhabited these areas over 71,000 years ago. While both regions demonstrated the use of similar types of stone tools during this period, a nuanced difference emerged in the ways these tools were crafted. Professor Lyn Wadley, … Read more
A groundbreaking genomic analysis of ancient human remains from KwaZulu-Natal has unveiled southern Africa’s pivotal role in shaping the history of humankind. Published in the early online issue of Science on September 28th, the research, conducted by a collaborative team from Uppsala University in Sweden and the Universities of Johannesburg and Witwatersrand in South Africa, … Read more
In a study published on July 27, 2017, by Daniel Bradley, Rui Martiniano of Trinity College Dublin, and Ana Maria Silva of the University of Coimbra, Portugal, it was revealed that the genomes of individuals from the Bronze Age in the Iberian Peninsula showed minor genetic influence from Steppe invaders. This suggests that migrations from … Read more
Prehistoric men hunted; prehistoric women gathered. At least this is the standard narrative written by and about men to the exclusion of women. The idea of “Man the Hunter” runs deep within anthropology, convincing people that hunting made us human, only men did the hunting, and therefore evolutionary forces must only have acted upon men. … Read more
Researchers from the Universities of Granada and Cambridge, in collaboration with the Government of Catalonia, has made a groundbreaking discovery by identifying the oldest Baltic amber pieces ever found on the Iberian Peninsula. This ancient amber, known for its use in jewelry and crafts, sheds light on early importation of this luxurious material over 5,000 … Read more
Seaweed has gained fame as a superfood with health benefits and sustainability, but European ancestors were already consuming it for thousands of years. Researchers have found clear archaeological evidence that seaweeds and freshwater plants were part of the diet from the Mesolithic era to the Early Middle Ages, challenging the belief that these resources only … Read more
A recent publication in the Annals of Botany sheds light on the discovery of unaltered agave plant species cultivated by various early cultures, including the Hohokam people, a significant Native American group in the Southwest that thrived from 300 to 1500 CE. For over 9,000 years, agave plants have held substantial economic and social significance … Read more
Early Modern Humans, also known as anatomically modern humans (AMH), are the species Homo sapiens that evolved anatomically similar to modern humans. They first appeared in Africa around 300,000 years ago and gradually spread to other parts of the world. Early Modern Humans are characterized by their high forehead, rounded skull, smaller face, and reduced … Read more
The mystery surrounding the origin of the tin used in the Bronze Age has baffled archaeometallurgists for over a century. Bronze, a crucial alloy made from copper and tin, was the material of choice for crafting a wide array of items during this era, including swords, helmets, bracelets, plates, and pitchers. Unraveling the source of … Read more