Articles tagged with Archaeological Sites
A new study reveals that children and adults worked together to create miniature figures, with ancient fingerprints offering rare evidence of hands-on learning across generations. The discovery of 154 clay artifacts dating back to 15,000 years challenges the belief that symbolic expression emerged during the end of the Paleolithic period.
A study published in PLOS One reveals that the Trafalgar necropolis in Spain continued to be used for massive burials until the 2nd millennium BC, defying the trend of smaller individual burials during the Bronze Age. The discovery sheds new light on Iberian burial practices during this period and suggests that new monumental burial sp...
Researchers at Tel Aviv University propose that early humans collected objects as personal keepsakes, influencing the evolution of autobiographical memory and self-awareness. Archaeological findings suggest that objects like colorful stones and fossils have been associated with memories for hundreds of thousands of years, supporting th...
A 7,000-year-old piece of leather from southern Spain has revealed that Neolithic people used domestic goats, not wild ibex, to make leather. The analysis also showed a close genetic link between the ancient goats and modern-day Bermeya breeds.
Researchers used palaeoproteomics to analyze ancient proteins in sediments from a 60,000-year-old archeological site in South Africa, revealing the presence of collagen from the common eland. The findings provide new insights into the complex technical and symbolic behaviors of early Homo sapiens.
The Roman skeleton found in Westminster Abbey's sarcophagus may belong to high-ranking medieval monk Aelfwig or his successor Wulnoth, according to new analysis. The bones were dated to between 987 and 1052 AD, and the skeleton was found to be around 5ft 9ins in height.
New discoveries at Murujuga, Western Australia, reveal significant Aboriginal cultural heritage on the seabed, showcasing how First Peoples lived, transported goods, and used different places within a vast cultural landscape. The findings provide insights into a world that existed before rising seas reshaped Australia's coastline.
A recent study revealed that corn cultivation played a crucial role in the subsistence and development of large villages in the Brazilian savanna. The research, which analyzed minute chemical variations in human bones and teeth, provided a record of diet throughout life. Corn consumption was comparable to that of Mayan and Andean popul...
Researchers uncover the origins and human impact of Britain's largest medieval lead industry by analyzing ancient teeth, revealing high childhood lead exposure in mining communities. The study shows that lead pollution was widespread in the region, affecting both men and women, with women experiencing higher rates of premature death. T...
Researchers discovered 20 coins, including a rare halfpenny, indicating a thriving Anglo-Saxon community in Rome's 'Little England' with special treatment from the Pope. The coins suggest a bustling hub of craft and trade, contradicting a long-held assumption that foreign currency was forbidden in the city.
Researchers found decorated pottery with high-quality clay, temper, and production method, indicating a secretive community of artisans with access to specialized knowledge and resources. This discovery sheds light on the connection between the Safety Harbor culture in Tampa Bay and the Mississippian heartland.
Researchers found 16 mummified individuals, a dog, and disturbed deposits in Theban Tomb 209, indicating a spatial logic in reuse and a kind of funerary memory. The study suggests that cultural rites were reconfigured, but not lost, as the tomb was repeatedly reactivated over time.
Researchers argue that policymakers in Colombia can adopt a similar cooperative strategy to solve the country's current water management crisis. The pre-Hispanic field systems of La Mojana cover an astonishing 500,000 hectares and were likely built by local communities in a short period of time through cooperation.
A new study documents fossil footprints of eight adult Paranthropus boisei individuals, indicating human-like body sizes and complex social structures. The discovery provides a rare snapshot of 'fossil behavior' from an ancient hominin group in northern Kenya.
Researchers analyzed ancient burial records to understand why some societies practiced residential burials and how this practice changed over time. They found that residential burials were more common in older societies than expected, suggesting that cultural practices can shift significantly over centuries.
A new study reveals widespread damage to Syria's archaeological sites due to looting and bulldozing, particularly in areas occupied by the Turkish military. The researchers used satellite imagery to analyze 200 sites across Syria, finding that 59% were affected since 2015.
A new digital mapping project has created a comprehensive dataset to safeguard UNESCO World Heritage sites along coastlines at risk of flooding and erosion. The Global Coastal Heritage (Glo-CoH) dataset includes 1250 individual heritage sites, spanning over 235 million hectares across the globe.
Researchers discovered evidence of cultural exchange between Neanderthals and modern humans at Üçağızlı II Cave, including shared use of non-utilitarian materials like marine seashells. The findings suggest a deep level of interaction between the two species.
Researchers at Flinders University have found evidence of 7000 years of Aboriginal mining at Sugarloaf Hill in South Australia's Riverland region. The study sheds light on the traditional practices and trade networks of Aboriginal people in the area.
Researchers have found evidence of ancient human DNA on cave walls, even where bones or artifacts are absent. The discovery opens up new possibilities for studying prehistoric human behavior without disturbing archaeological deposits.
The Dutch trading ship "Dom van Keulen" has been identified as the centuries-old shipwreck discovered off the south coast of England holding 400 gold coins. The cargo included African gold, gum arabic, and saltpetre, providing important context for 17th-century maritime trade.
Researchers found well-preserved bacterial communities in ancient middens, including species from human feces and animal hosts. The study suggests that these communities provide a unique glimpse into the daily life of Paleo-Inuit and old Norse, including their farming, seal hunts, and toilets.
Research suggests fish and shellfish harvests played a key role in the economic system of the Canary Islands. Archaeologists found specialized fishing tools, thousands of fish scales, and evidence of early food preservation techniques.
Researchers at UCF-led excavation in Kurdistan region of Iraq discover substantial group of cuneiform administrative tablets and evidence of large-scale destruction, mass graves, and citywide fortifications. The findings provide a clear archaeological record of siege warfare and urban life during the Middle Bronze Age.
A study published in PLOS One reveals that early bovines, such as Parabos tigneresi, inhabited a humid environment and weighed up to half a ton 4 million years ago. The discovery of well-preserved fossils at the Camp de Ninots site has shed new light on the evolution of large-bodied buffalo and cattle.
A study published in PLOS One analyzed microbial communities in well-preserved and degraded bones from medieval cemeteries in Norway. The researchers found distinct microbial communities associated with different levels of degradation, suggesting that microbes play a role in bone preservation and decay.
Researchers found significant erosion damage to graves in a 17th-century whaling site in Svalbard, with textiles nearly completely degraded over 30 years. The study reveals the physical cost of climate change on Arctic cultural heritage sites and the need for revised policies.
Bronze Age people in southern Levant adopted more efficient metal tools for butchering marked the beginning of significant technological advancements. SEM analysis of ancient bones at Tell Aphek provided key evidence for this transition.
For at least 1,000 years, early herders in eastern Africa continued to fish, hunt, and gather alongside livestock, revealing a diverse diet that varied greatly from person to person. This strategy likely helped them adapt to a changing environment and ensured survival.
A millennium-old dingo was deliberately buried by Barkindji ancestors with great care, suggesting an ongoing relationship between local people and dingoes. The discovery provides new insights into ancestral dingo burial practices extending beyond southeastern Australia.
A study published in PLOS One reveals that prehistoric Danes maintained fishing practices despite the introduction of agriculture around 4000 BCE. Fish remains from various eras show consistent evidence of sustained fishing activities.
A Neanderthal tooth from Chagyrskaya Cave in Russia shows evidence of intentional pulp removal and antemortem wear, suggesting the individual kept using the tooth while alive. The discovery provides the oldest known example of successful dental treatment, dating back over 60,000 years.
A new study published in the Journal of Anthropological Archaeology provides physical evidence of Peruvian hairless dogs from the Wari Empire site of Castillo de Huarmey. The site, located on the Pacific coast of northern Peru, yielded dog skeletal remains that were analyzed using standard zooarchaeological methods and isotopic analysis.
Researchers found ancient Chinese water buffalo feather decorations contained multiple bird species, including hoopoe, black-headed grosbeak, and yellow-bellied whistler. They also identified the adhesive as water buffalo glue, providing insights into cultural connections and species origins.
The discovery of complex stone tools at the Lingjing archaeological site in China suggests that ancient humans were capable of advanced technological thinking and creativity. The tools, crafted by Homo juluensis, show a high level of organization and planning, indicating a deep understanding of stone properties and fracture mechanics.
Researchers from the University of Waterloo have identified four more members of Sir John Franklin's 1845 expedition using DNA samples extracted from skeletal remains. The new discoveries bring the total number of identified sailors to six, providing previously unavailable details about the circumstances and locations of their deaths.
Researchers uncover evidence of recurrent high-mountain occupation and systematic exploitation of copper-rich minerals in Cova 338. The site provides new insights into the role of high mountain environments in Pyrenean prehistoric societies.
Researchers used LiDAR surveys to analyze medieval mountain castles' topography, distinguishing between human-made and natural landscapes. The study found that castle sites exhibit greater variability in slope compared to unmodified natural ridges, with high slope variability linked to landslide traces within the castle boundaries.
The study reconstructs the genetic profile of a small group of Neanderthals from Stajnia Cave, Poland, providing a coherent genetic picture of Neanderthals in this part of Europe. The discovery sheds light on the distribution of a particular Neanderthal maternal lineage in western Eurasia.
Researchers use ancient DNA and burial practices to show that family ties can be more than just blood-related. This challenges traditional views of kinship, highlighting the importance of cultural and anthropological perspectives in understanding family dynamics.
Researchers found cut marks on turtle shell fragments suggesting Neanderthals carefully butchered and cleaned the shells, which may have been reused as small containers or scoop-like implements. The study sheds new light on Neanderthal ecological flexibility and survival strategies.
Researchers have discovered a remarkably well-preserved iron-smelting workshop in eastern Senegal that dates back to the 4th century BCE. The site, which was used for nearly eight centuries, provides new insights into late prehistoric metallurgical practices in Africa.
Researchers using satellite imagery and remote sensing technology have discovered at least 28 large stone circles in the Golan Heights, surrounding Rujm el-Hiri. These findings suggest a widespread architectural tradition integrated into social and economic systems of the proto-historic Levant.
A new deep learning model classifies Japanese Sue ware from 3D scans with high accuracy, using three-dimensional point clouds directly. The model achieved an overall accuracy of 93.2%, performing almost perfectly on visually distinct categories, while focusing on regions that may correspond to expert archaeologists' considerations.
A team of archaeologists used uranium–thorium dating to establish precise construction timelines for houses built out of coral in French Polynesia. The findings reveal previously hidden patterns of architectural development and cultural life in Pacific societies, challenging earlier theories about coral reuse.
The 'leaky pipeline' metaphor oversimplifies the systemic barriers faced by women and marginalized scholars in archaeology. New research highlights multiple forms of inequity that diminish productivity, limit collaborations, and reduce future generations of archaeologists.
The Monte Verde archaeological site in southern Chile is now believed to be 4,200-8,200 years old, rather than 14,500 years old as previously thought. This new age estimate supports an initial interior migration into continental North America as a viable colonization hypothesis.
Researchers reconstructed diets of prehistoric communities in north-central Poland, shedding light on how people adapted to changing environments and social landscapes. The study found that Corded Ware communities herded animals in forests and that millet consumption varied among groups, reflecting identity and group boundaries.
A new study reveals that seabird guano was a driving force behind the Chincha Kingdom's sociopolitical expansion on Peru's coast. The nutrient-rich bird droppings boosted corn yields and supercharged agriculture, fueling the kingdom's economy, trade, population growth, and regional influence.
Researchers found that bison hunters stopped using a kill site in central Montana around 1,100 years ago due to severe droughts. The team's study suggests that environmental stressors, social and economic pressures, and the need for larger hunting operations drove the abandonment of the site.
A newly uncovered Roman sanctuary in Frankfurt's Nida district will be studied for its significance in Roman Germania. The site features 11 stone buildings, 70 shafts, and 10 pits used for ritual depositions, yielding ceramic vessels and animal remains.
A new study refines radiocarbon dating of marine remains in the Cantabrian region of Spain, improving precision for reconstructing human past during the Magdalenian period. The research provides new correction values to accurately interpret site chronology and fine-tune the 'clock' used to reconstruct Palaeolithic human populations.
Researchers analyzed stone tools from 14 archaeological sites and found starch granules from the Four Corners Potato, supporting early domestication. The study reveals that Indigenous people intentionally cultivated and transported the tuber across the Colorado Plateau.
New research reveals that Indigenous communities in southern Brazil hunted large whales 5,000 years ago, long before previously thought. The study provides strong evidence of active hunting and sheds light on the economies, technologies, and lifeways of postglacial societies along the Atlantic coast of South America.
Researchers found early medieval migrants came from the Mediterranean and Arctic Circle, with a significant spike in male migration and female mobility in the 7th-8th centuries. The study provides new evidence on the nature and scale of early medieval migration, showing that population movement was a consistent feature throughout England.
A new study found that Roman soldiers at Vindolanda fort near Hadrian's Wall were infected with intestinal parasites, including roundworms, whipworms, and Giardia duodenalis. This suggests inadequate sanitation and hygiene practices, potentially leading to malnutrition and chronic infections.
Researchers discovered that stone tool production in the African rainforest during the Late Stone Age remained relatively constant over a period of 5,000 years. The findings from Pahon Cave in modern-day Gabon indicate that there were no specific cultural associations with this practice.
A severe drought around 61,000 years ago may have driven the decline and eventual extinction of Homo floresiensis, also known as Hobbits. The species abandoned their cave in Liang Bua due to prolonged drought and competition for resources.
A study published in PLOS One reports over 16,000 dinosaur footprints discovered at the Carreras Pampas tracksite in Bolivia. The footprints indicate that dinosaurs walked, ran, swam, and even performed sharp turns along an ancient shoreline.
Archaeologists uncover vast planned settlement Semiyarka, dating back to 1600 BC, which challenges current understanding of steppe societies and reveals complex bronze production systems. The site provides insight into a period of history when nomadic communities transitioned into permanent settlements.