archaeology

Recent research challenges the traditional view of early human diets in the Andes, suggesting a shift from “hunter-gatherers” to “gatherer-hunters.” The study, analyzing remains from the Wilamaya Patjxa and Soro Mik’aya Patjxa sites in Peru, reveals an 80 percent plant-based and 20 percent meat diet among early Andeans. This finding, based on isotope chemistry and statistical modeling, contradicts previous beliefs and influences current perceptions of diets such as the Paleodiet. It also indicates a need to reassess…

Divers working off the coast of Rostock, Germany, have found the broken-up remains of a wall on the bottom of the Baltic Sea. Researchers believe the Stone Age construction is over 10,000 years old, potentially making it the oldest human megastructure in Europe, and was likely used to herd prey during hunts.The wall dates to a time when the local sea level was lower. Around 8,500 years ago, the sea levels rose and swallowed the structure, which now sits at a depth of 69 feet (21 meters). As the team notes in their paper…

On top an X-ray examination, and X-ray image which reveals carious lesions on posterior molars. In the middle, a row of teeth showing diligent use of toothpicks, and filed front teeth. On the bottom a filed hole from the crown of the tooth into the pulp – a procedure that reduces toothache and infection. Credit: Carolina Bertilsson and Henrik LundExtensive tooth decay and pain, alongside evidence of dental procedures and the filing of front teeth, reveal the Viking Age inhabitants of Varnhem had access to surprisingly…

New research led by a University of California, Davis, anthropologist reveals that archery technology in the Andes dates back to approximately 5,000 years ago. This earlier emergence aligns with societal shifts towards village life and expanded trade networks. The study suggests that the adoption of bow-and-arrow technology may have been instrumental in establishing new social norms and institutions. Credit: SciTechDaily.comWhen did archery arise in the Americas? And what were the effects of this technology on…

Digital reconstruction of the rampart network from the northern section of the Khaybar walled oasis 4,000 years ago. Credit: Khaybar Longue Durée Archaeological Project, M. Bussy & G. CharlouxSedentary communities lived in the oases of the North Arabian Desert during the 4th and 3rd millennia BCE. Scientists from CNRS and the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) recently uncovered a fortification surrounding the Khaybar Oasis, marking it as one of the oldest known structures of its kind from this era.This new walled oasis…

Caves and rock shelters dot the mountains in the northwestern highlands of Thailand. Over 40 in Mae Hong Son province contain wooden coffins on stilts, dating back 1,000 – 2,300 years. Credit: © Selina CarlhoffAncient DNA helps researchers elucidate the structure of a prehistoric community from Southeast Asia.A mortuary practice known as Log Coffin culture characterizes the Iron Age of highland Pang Mapha in northwestern Thailand. Between 2,300 and 1,000 years ago, individuals were buried in large wooden coffins on…

Scientists uncovered a elegantly carved saddle made from several pieces of birch wood from an ancient cave in Mongolia. Credit: William Taylor/ CU BoulderIn April 2015, an ancient cave burial at Urd Ulaan Uneet, located in the high Altai Mountains of western Mongolia, was plundered by thieves. Upon their arrest, police discovered various artifacts, including a finely crafted saddle composed of multiple birch wood pieces.Now, in a new study, researchers from Mongolia collaborating with University of Colorado Boulder…

A recent study challenges previous claims that Homo naledi, a species dating back to between 335-241,000 years ago, deliberately buried their dead and created rock art in Rising Star Cave, South Africa. Experts in various fields argue that the evidence is not strong enough to support these assertions, citing a need for more rigorous scientific analysis and documentation.Recent research challenges the assertions that Homo naledi, an ancient human relative with a smaller brain dating back to 335-241,000 years ago,…

The remains of numerous individuals unearthed on the former site of the Hospital of St. John the Evangelist, taken during the 2010 excavation. Credit: Cambridge Archaeological Unit/St John’s CollegeA major research project has produced a collection of ‘bone biographies’ that narrate the lives of individuals from medieval Cambridge, as interpreted from their skeletal remains. These biographies shed light on the daily experiences of people during the period of the Black Death and its aftermath.The work is published…

By Washington University in St. Louis February 2, 2024Simulated “mobility highways” of farmer-herder interactions overlaid with the geolocated archaeological sites dated between ca. 3600 and 2200 before present. Credit: Xinzhou ChenThrough advanced geospatial modeling, new research uncovers the ancient “mobility highways” that connected communities across the Tibetan Plateau, shedding light on the role of environmental adaptability in shaping human social relationships and cultural identity.The 1 million-square-mile…