Archaeology News - SciTechDaily

Ancient DNA Analysis Reveals True Appearance of “Exotic” 6th-Century Chinese Emperor

Cell Press — Wed, 22 May 2024 05:46:41 +0000

Researchers reconstructed the face of Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou using DNA from his remains, revealing his typical East Asian features and suggesting his premature...

Ancient Egypt’s Engineering Marvel: Archaeologists Uncover Hidden River Beneath the Desert

Scientific Reports — Mon, 20 May 2024 08:18:11 +0000

A study reveals that 31 Egyptian pyramids were built along a now-buried Nile branch, explaining their desert location and emphasizing the river’s historical importance. 31...

Challenging Views on Ancient Human Networks: Groundbreaking Stone Artifacts Unearthed in Tibet

Tue, 14 May 2024 19:12:49 +0000

The Tibetan Plateau, known as the highest and largest plateau in the world, presents significant challenges to its inhabitants due to its harsh climate. A...

Murder and Mayhem: Archaeologists Uncover Brutal Reality of Andean Societal Change

São Paulo Research Foundation — Sat, 11 May 2024 19:34:55 +0000

Examination of skeletons unearthed from a graveyard dating back to 500-400 BCE, just after the Chavín culture’s decline, showed fatal wounds on men, women, and...

Reconstructed Realities: Bringing a Crushed 75,000-Year-Old Neanderthal Skull to Life

University of Cambridge — Sat, 11 May 2024 14:47:15 +0000

A new Netflix documentary, “Secrets of the Neanderthals,” has reconstructed the face of a 75,000-year Neanderthal Woman, providing new insights into the life and burial...

Ancient Toolmakers and Elephant Trails: Scientists Solve Mystery of Paleolithic Quarry Sites

Tel-Aviv University — Wed, 08 May 2024 19:22:55 +0000

Researchers at Tel Aviv University have solved the puzzle of why Homo erectus returned to specific Paleolithic stone quarrying and tool-making sites repeatedly over hundreds...

Evidence of Ancient Human Activities Discovered in Lava Tube Caves

Griffith University — Tue, 07 May 2024 09:43:12 +0000

Recent advancements in interdisciplinary archaeological research in Arabia have revealed new insights on the development and historical progression of regional human populations. This research has...

Ancient Maya Rituals Discovered Beneath Mexico’s Ballcourts

University of Cincinnati — Sun, 05 May 2024 12:58:13 +0000

Researchers have discovered evidence of ceremonial offerings beneath a ballcourt in Mexico. For sports fans, places like Fenway Park, Wembley Stadium or Wimbledon’s Centre Court...

Scientists Shed New Light on the Ancient “Forgotten” City of Anqa

University of Chicago Press Journals — Wed, 01 May 2024 17:03:53 +0000

The Dura-Europos site in modern-day Syria is famous for its exceptional state of preservation. Like Pompeii, this ancient city has yielded many great discoveries, and...

New Research Offers a Totally New Viewpoint on the Ancient Avar Society That Dominated Eastern Central Europe

Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology — Mon, 29 Apr 2024 02:59:12 +0000

Exploring the kinship, social customs, and transformations of early medieval steppe communities in Europe through ancient DNA and archaeological evidence. The Avars, originating from Eastern...

New Findings Unearth 7 Millennia of Human History in Northern Arabia’s Lava Tubes

PLOS — Sun, 28 Apr 2024 20:53:21 +0000

Bones and artifacts indicate a timeline of herding and agriculture in northern Arabia. A study recently published in the open-access journal PLOS ONE, reveals that...

Challenging Historical Interpretations: Scientists Shed New Light on the Mysterious Cerne Giant

University of Chicago Press Journals — Mon, 22 Apr 2024 22:04:54 +0000

For hundreds of years, the Cerne Giant—a monumental hillside engraving in Dorset of a naked man wielding a club and spanning 180 feet—has captivated both...

The Lost Secrets of Hazor: Researchers Explore Israel’s Forgotten Mega City

University of Oldenburg — Thu, 18 Apr 2024 08:18:12 +0000

New research project investigates the resettlement history of the Iron-Age city of Hazor in Israel A new research initiative at the University of Oldenburg in...

Scientists Have Discovered the First Evidence of Microplastic Contamination in Archaeological Soil Samples

University of York — Mon, 15 Apr 2024 10:41:47 +0000

For the first time, evidence of microplastic pollution has been identified in archaeological soil samples by researchers. The team discovered tiny microplastic particles in deposits...

7,200 Years Ago: How Neolithic Shepherds Navigated the Complexities of Early Agriculture

Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona — Sat, 13 Apr 2024 23:21:43 +0000

At the dawn of the Neolithic era, herding communities in the Southern Iberian Peninsula adopted various livestock management tactics, altering breeding, feeding, and migration practices...

From the Depths of Italy: Ancient Mysteries Unearthed in an Etruscan Bronze Lamp

De Gruyter — Sat, 13 Apr 2024 08:04:52 +0000

A reassessment of the ancient bronze lamp has determined that it is a ritual artifact linked to the secretive worship of Dionysus. A recent study...

Scientists Solve the Origin Mystery of Charlemagne’s Mysterious Silver Coins

University of Cambridge — Wed, 10 Apr 2024 21:43:35 +0000

Byzantine bullion fuelled Europe’s revolutionary adoption of silver coins in the mid-7th century, only to be overtaken by silver from a mine in Charlemagne’s Francia...

What Came First the Chicken or the Egg? Discovery of Ancient Eggshells Rewrites Chicken History

Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology — Mon, 08 Apr 2024 13:41:50 +0000

New research shows that chickens were extensively bred throughout southern Central Asia from 400 BCE to the medieval era, and their spread was probably facilitated...

300,000 Years Ago, Humanity Knew Craftsmanship: “Extraordinary” Schöningen Spears Unveil Early Human Ingenuity

University of Göttingen — Sun, 07 Apr 2024 10:15:44 +0000

In 1994, archaeological digs at the Schöningen open-cast coal mine unveiled humanity’s oldest known hunting tools in an extraordinary state of preservation, sparking worldwide excitement....

New Analysis of Biblical Home of Goliath Sheds Unprecedented Light on Philistine Ritual Practices

Bar-Ilan University — Sat, 06 Apr 2024 11:49:47 +0000

The mysterious Philistine civilization, thriving in the Iron Age (around 1200-604 BCE), significantly influenced the cultural heritage, farming practices, and eating habits of the southern...

Redefining Human Origins: New Study Reveals Persian Plateau as Key to Human Migration Puzzle

Griffith University — Fri, 05 Apr 2024 12:03:58 +0000

A new study combining genetic, palaeoecological, and archaeological evidence has unveiled the Persian Plateau as a pivotal geographic location serving as a hub for Homo...

Archaeological Study Exposes Secrets of Medieval Horse Trading

University of Exeter — Tue, 02 Apr 2024 00:36:41 +0000

Archaeological analysis of a near unique animal cemetery discovered in London nearly 30 years ago has revealed the international scale of horse trading by the...

Unprecedented Discovery: Archive of Ancient Human Brains Challenges History

University of Oxford — Wed, 27 Mar 2024 03:06:44 +0000

Soft tissue preservation in the geological record is relatively rare, and, except where deliberate intervention halts the process of decay (like embalming or freezing), the...

Becoming Human: What Ancient DNA Tells Us About Who We Are

Chinese Academy of Sciences — Mon, 25 Mar 2024 06:23:00 +0000

Writing a commentary in the 50th-anniversary issue of Cell, Fu Qiaomei and E. Andrew Bennett, both of the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP)...