A new theory proposes Chaco Canyon's powerful political system kept other Pueblo peoples under its thumb from 1000 to 1125. The city's elite ruled a region containing tens of thousands of people, with influence stretching hundreds of miles.
A new classification system for Mycenaean pottery is being developed to better understand the civilization's culture and influence. The system, which considers shapes, colors, decorations, and clay materials, challenges previous assumptions about Minoan influence on Mycenaean art.
Nancy Bowers, a Scripps Institution of Oceanography doctoral student, has been awarded the 2002 Chrysalis Scholarship from the Association for Women Geoscientists. Her research focuses on analyzing high-frequency fluctuations in Earth's magnetic field as observed in oceanic crust data.
A new excavation at Teotihuacan's Pyramid of the Moon reveals a distinctive Mayan-style burial with jade artifacts, suggesting a direct connection between Teotihuacan rulers and the Maya royal families. The discovery sheds new light on the government of Teotihuacan and its potential influence on Mayan politics.
The Big Ten university consortium is enhancing its research and training reactors to improve nuclear education and infrastructure. The four universities will share $1.97 million in funding to design the next generation of nuclear research facilities.
A Canadian-led team will excavate the Strongholds of Cameroon, a group of ancient stone-built structures in northern Cameroon. The four-month project aims to uncover information on how to excavate the larger sites without jeopardizing their structural integrity.
A team of scientists excavated a chimpanzee nut-cracking site in West Africa, uncovering new facets and confirming existing knowledge about chimpanzee tool behavior. The study suggests that some Oldowan sites may be re-interpreted as nut-cracking sites, providing new insights into human evolution.
The excavation of a chimpanzee stone tool site in the Ivory Coast reveals new insights into the behavior of our closest living relatives. The site, discovered using archaeological methods, shows that chimpanzees collected rocks from various sources and brought them to nut-cracking sites, creating large refuse accumulations.
Researchers have discovered the remains of seven types of edible nuts and stone tools used to crack them open at the Gesher Benot Ya'aqov site. The findings suggest that hominins in the region had a diverse diet, including nuts with high nutritional value.
Researchers found a shift in diet and personal ornamentation, such as beads, around 40-50 thousand years ago, which may indicate increased human population density. This change occurred simultaneously in Africa, Asia, and Europe, suggesting that modern humans did not expand from a single geographic location.
Paleoanthropologist Geoffrey Clark questions the clear evidence for human 'replacement', suggesting that archaeological findings reveal a more complex mosaic pattern. He proposes an alternative cause for cultural and technological changes, linking them to population density and critical selection pressures.
An ivory statuette of a lion-tamer may be part of the throne given to Apollo by King Midas, according to Dr. Keith DeVries. The statuette's style and date match Phrygian art from Turkey, supporting a strong case for its association with the king's throne.
Researchers from Cornell University and the University of Reading have given a new kind of precision to the timeline of the Bronze and Iron Ages in the Aegean and Near East. The study, published in Science, dates certain artifacts from around 740 B.C., placing an early appearance of the alphabet outside Phoenicia at this time.
Researchers found evidence of advanced stone tool technology and symbolic thinking in Africa, challenging the long-held assumption that modern human behavior emerged later. The discovery of 28 bone tools at Blombos Cave suggests that 'behavioral modernity' first evolved in Africa around 35,000 years ago.
A new study by Yale anthropologist Harvey Weiss suggests that abrupt climate changes played a significant role in past societal collapses. The research analyzed recent archaeological and paleoclimatological data to understand the impact of natural climate events on human societies.
A University of Cincinnati doctoral student and her team have found conclusive evidence of burnt animal sacrifice in Bronze Age Greece, supporting details in Homer's 'The Odyssey'. The Pylos bones date back to the 13th century B.C. and provide historical credence to the practice.
Emmett Bennett Jr, a renowned scholar and UC alumnus, has been awarded the Gold Medal for Distinquished Archaeological Achievement by the Archaeological Institute of America. His groundbreaking work on Linear B script led to its decipherment, revolutionizing the study of ancient Greek writing systems.
Researchers use geophysical surveys and underwater explorers to discover two long-lost cities off the Egyptian coast. The cities are believed to have sunk due to earthquakes, with some evidence suggesting land subsidence or tsunamis as contributing factors.
A team of archaeologists led by Dr. Clark Erickson discovered a unique landscape-scale fishery operated by pre-Columbian native peoples in the Baures region of Bolivia. The ancient earthworks, built around 300 years ago, provided intensive aquaculture allowing for sustainable food production.
Researchers are surveying and identifying underwater wreckage off Utah and Omaha beaches in search of missing WWII soldiers. They've already found six to eight Sherman tanks and over two dozen wrecks.
A group of Puebloans from the Mesa Verde region is believed to have settled in three ruins on the west side of the Rio Grande River, exhibiting characteristics of the Mesa Verde culture. The site, Pinnacle Ruin, was inhabited by a large group who made a 250-mile journey south after Four Corners collapsed.
The Foundation for Exploration and Research on Cultural Origins (FERCO) has funded eight research projects on ancient civilizations in Asia, North America and Europe. These projects include studies of early maritime adaptations, trade networks and the distribution of obsidian, among others.
A new study has identified biochemical remains of human tissue in a coprolite, providing definitive evidence for sporadic cannibalism in the Southwest. The analysis suggests that at least seven people were systematically cut up and consumed by residents of an Anasazi site around 1150.
An international team is investigating archaeological sites in the Kuril Islands, searching for clues about early human migration to the Americas. The research aims to determine if seafaring people from the islands connected with Alaska's Aleutian Islands, potentially providing insights into the peopling of the continent.
Researchers have uncovered six complete bone flutes at a 9,000-year-old Neolithic site in China, which may be the earliest complete, playable, and tightly-dated musical instruments. The flutes, made from red-crowned crane wing bones, have been analyzed and played, revealing a tone scale similar to the Western eight-note scale.
Recent feminism has brought deeper changes to specific sciences like medicine, anthropology, archaeology, biology, physics, and mathematics. Medicine has seen increased funding for women's health, such as osteoporosis and heart disease research.
USGS scientists will present research on rare plants, including soft-leaved Indian paintbrush and island jepsonia, and the effects of invasive species like feral pigs. The symposium aims to inform conservation strategies for California Channel Islands National Park.
The Bluff site, a Pueblo great house in the Four Corners region, shows signs of occupation well after the Chaco culture collapsed. The discovery suggests possible religious revival and potential movement of people from Chaco Canyon to the Aztec site.
The symposium brings together experts to present on recent findings in the science of emotion, including how environment impacts brain development and can affect emotional health. Researchers will also share insights into the effects of early nurturing and experiences on emotional memory and trauma.
The University of Illinois has created a 2,500 square meter prehistoric domestic compound to teach students how to conduct non-invasive archeogeophysical testing. The site, called CATS, features various archaeological features typical of Eastern and Midwestern Native American cultures of 600 to 2,000 years ago.
Researchers uncover evidence of complex behaviors, symbolic thinking, and problem-solving among early humans in southern China. Large mammal remains show signs of human intervention, such as burning and cutting marks, suggesting a deliberate process of collection and use.
Researchers discovered a vast collection of ancient stone tools and fragments in the Sahara Desert, revealing clues about the seasonal inhabitants. The stone artifacts suggest that the nomads moved in specific patterns through the desert, possibly using cattle to transport heavy sandstone boulders.
Researchers use high-tech Ground Penetrating Radar to uncover ancient shell middens, revealing Native American cooking practices and sea-level changes in the area. The technique allows for non-invasive exploration of saltwater marshes, providing new insights into the region's history.
A team of archaeologists has discovered a previously unknown mound complex in Louisiana built between 5,000 and 5,400 years ago. The site, Watson Break, consists of 11 mounds that predate other known complexes by 1,900 years and provide clues about the planned engineering behind their construction.
The Bluff Great House in Utah has yielded new insights into the Chaco culture, with CU-Boulder students playing a key role in excavations. The site, linked to the mighty Chaco culture, features a great kiva and prehistoric roads.
Researchers analyzed obsidian blades from workshops in Mexico, finding that the number and type of mistakes made can indicate a craftsman's level of skill. By ranking workshops according to their aggregate skill, archaeologists can better understand the economic complexity of ancient societies.
The ancient port of Berenike continued to operate for centuries longer than previously thought, with entrepreneurs keeping costs low to maximize profits. Traders brought in luxury goods like elephants, gold, and red coral, while also exporting essential items like frankincense and Indian pepper.
The University of Alaska Museum repatriates 386 ancestral remains to Siberian Yup'ik villages on St. Lawrence Island, following the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). The return marks a significant partnership between the museum and Alaska Native communities.
A team of researchers at Cornell University has identified the exact year logs were cut from ancient tombs in Turkey, dating back to 718 B.C. This finding pushes back the Aegean Late Bronze Age by as much as a century, providing new insights into ancient civilizations such as the Minoans and Mycenaeans.
Researchers have discovered a new Paleoindian culture in Brazil, challenging traditional views of early human migration and settlement. The site, Caverna da Pedra Pintada, dates back to between 11,200 and 10,000 years ago and reveals a more diverse range of habitats for human adaptation.