Articles tagged with Stone Age
A 49,000-year-old milk-and-ochre-based paint has been discovered in South Africa, predating the introduction of domestic cattle. The use of this paint raises questions about its purpose and significance.
A new study reveals that making a Lower Paleolithic hand axe requires complex cognitive control by the prefrontal cortex, including working memory and strategic thinking. The skill of making a hand axe is more complicated than previously thought, involving nuanced technological judgments.
A recent study published in the Journal of Archaeological Science has challenged the long-held idea that a cosmic impact triggered the Younger Dryas cold period. The research found that the scoria droplets believed to be evidence of an impact event were actually formed by heating most likely caused by Stone Age house fires.
A new discovery of thousands of Stone Age tools has provided a major insight into human innovation 325,000 years ago. Researchers found that Levallois technology already existed in Armenia between 325,000 and 335,000 years ago, suggesting local populations developed it independently.
Researchers find that Danes and Americans are similarly inclined to support welfare for those who are unlucky, but not lazy. The study reveals a biological and psychological basis for these attitudes, highlighting the role of reciprocal help and stereotypes in shaping public opinion.
A new study links rapid climate change in South Africa to surges in cultural innovation among early modern humans, with evidence of symbols and personal adornments. The research suggests that population growth fueled cultural changes through increased human interactions.
A Danish researcher found that a universal psychological instinct triggers decisions on deservingness of welfare recipients, regardless of cultural differences. This instinct dates back to the Stone Age, when sharing food was crucial for survival, and influences modern attitudes towards help and support.
A recent study has pushed back the estimated emergence of the Later Stone Age in South Africa to approximately 44,000 to 42,000 years ago. This finding suggests that early humans inhabited the region during this time period, coinciding with the migration of modern humans from Africa to Europe around 45,000 years ago.
The study reveals that Stonehenge was built as a monument to unify the peoples of Britain after a long period of conflict between eastern and western regions. The monument's alignment suggests it was more significant during winter solstice than summer solstice, with evidence pointing to a unified cultural shift around 3,000 BC.
The study found that genetic variation of today's Europeans was strongly affected by immigrant Stone Age farmers, but hunter-gatherer genes still remain. The agricultural revolution is believed to have been driven by people migrating from Southern Europe, who lived alongside hunter-gatherers for thousands of years before interbreeding.
The planned reopening of Spain's Altamira caves is sparking debate over the impact on 20,000-year-old wall paintings. Moisture and human activity are believed to foster bacterial growth that damages the artwork.
A reconstruction based on the skull of Norway's best-preserved Stone Age skeleton, Viste Boy, has been scientifically rebuilt to study features of a boy who lived outside Stavanger 7,500 years ago. The model reveals a strong and muscular individual with scaphocephaly, challenging earlier theories about his health.
A team of scientists found clear evidence of feasting at the ancient Hilazon Tachtit Cave burial site near Karmiel, Israel. The Natufian community members gathered there for special rituals to commemorate the burial of the dead, with feasts being a central element.
A new study by researchers at Uppsala University and Stockholm University found that Stone Age Scandinavians were lactose intolerant. This discovery challenges earlier conclusions about the ancestry of modern Swedes.
A new study suggests Scandinavians are not direct descendants of hunter-gatherers who lived in the region during the Stone Age. The research uses DNA from ancient remains to investigate the spread of agriculture and livestock practices.
Researchers found that passage graves in Denmark are oriented towards the full moon and lunar eclipses, hinting at an ancient astronomical calendar. The study suggests that the Stone Age people may have used these alignments for ritual practices and predicting lunar eclipses.
Researchers uncover evidence of advanced rituals performed by modern humans in Africa for 70,000 years, featuring a python rock with man-made indentations and no signs of normal habitation. The discovery suggests that humans had the capacity for abstract thinking at an earlier point in history than previously assumed.
Scientists have uncovered skeletal fossils of a human ancestor believed to have lived around 4.5 million years ago in northern Ethiopia. The fossils, described in the journal Nature, provide new evidence about the transformation of primitive chimp-like hominids into more human forms.
Archaeologists discovered perforated shells at Blombos Cave, dated to 75,000 years ago, which were likely strung as beads. This finding supports the theory that modern human behavior developed gradually throughout the Middle Stone Age.
Archaeologists discovered ochre pencils, bone artifacts, and ostrich egg shell beads at a site in the Serengeti National Park, indicating early development of modern cultural behavior. The findings suggest that symbolic thinking may have emerged earlier than previously thought, around 280,000 years ago.
Researchers have discovered abstract representations of ochre pieces in a South African cave, dating back to at least 70,000 years ago. The findings indicate that early humans were able to think abstractly and behave as modern humans earlier than previously thought.