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Archaeology news
Study reveals evidence of violence at a time of crisis in ancient Peru
The transition from the fifth to the fourth century BCE (Before the Common Era) seems to have been a critical period for the Central Andes, a region now part of Peru. Researchers have found evidence of turbulence during the ...
Archaeology
15 hours ago
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How Spanish conquistadors, and a tiny cactus-dwelling insect, gave the world the color red
When you think about a red object, you might picture a red carpet, or the massive ruby in the Queen's crown. Indeed, Western monarchies and marketing from brands such as Christian Louboutin have cemented our association of ...
Archaeology
16 hours ago
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A eucharist of sourdough or wafer? What a thousand-year-old religious quarrel tells us about fermentation
A nasty quarrel arose in the 11th century over what kind of bread should be used in holy communion.
Archaeology
16 hours ago
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Ancient DNA reveals the appearance of a 6th century Chinese emperor
What did an ancient Chinese emperor from 1,500 years ago look like? A team of researchers reconstructed the face of Chinese Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou using DNA extracted from his remains.
Archaeology
19 hours ago
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DNA study IDs descendants of George Washington from unmarked remains
New DNA sequencing technologies have identified the historical remains of George Washington's grandnephews, Samuel Walter Washington and George Steptoe Washington Jr., and their mother, Lucy Payne Washington, from unmarked, ...
Archaeology
19 hours ago
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44
Why did modern humans replace the Neanderthals? The key might lie in our social structures
Why did humans take over the world while our closest relatives, the Neanderthals, became extinct? It's possible we were just smarter, but there's surprisingly little evidence that's true.
Archaeology
Mar 27, 2024
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154
Elephant hunting by early humans may explain proximity between extensive Paleolithic stone quarries and water sources
Archaeologists from Tel Aviv University have uncovered the mystery surrounding extensive Paleolithic stone quarrying and tool-making sites: Why did Homo erectus repeatedly revisit the very same locations for hundreds of thousands ...
Archaeology
Mar 26, 2024
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328
We have revealed a unique time capsule of Australia's first coastal people from 50,000 years ago
Barrow Island, located 60 kilometers off the Pilbara in Western Australia, was once a hill overlooking an expansive coast. This was the northwestern shelf of the Australian continent, now permanently submerged by the ocean.
Archaeology
Mar 25, 2024
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102
Dig site findings suggests ancient artists may have been inspired by preserved dinosaur footprints
A team of archaeologists and paleontologists affiliated with several institutions in Brazil has found evidence that ancient artists living in what is now Brazil may have created petroglyphs that were inspired by preserved ...
Persian plateau unveiled as crucial hub for early human migration out of Africa
A new study combining genetic, paleoecological, and archaeological evidence has unveiled the Persian Plateau as a pivotal geographic location serving as a hub for Homo sapiens during the early stages of their migration out ...
Archaeology
Mar 25, 2024
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Tudor era horse cemetery in Westminster revealed as likely resting place for elite imported animals
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 elites of late medieval and Tudor England.
Archaeology
Mar 22, 2024
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812
Researcher uses machine learning to help digitize ancient texts from Indus civilization
The civilization of Indus River Valley is considered one of the three earliest civilizations in world history, along with Mesopotamia and Egypt. Bigger geographically than those two as it unfolded starting in 3300 BCE across ...
Archaeology
Mar 22, 2024
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Scientists uncover evidence that microplastics are contaminating archaeological remains
Researchers have for the first time discovered evidence of microplastic contamination in archaeological soil samples.
Archaeology
Mar 22, 2024
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432
Shakespeare's sister: Digital archives reveal hidden insights into world-famous playwright's unknown sibling
By analyzing digital copies of an incredibly rare and obscure 17th-century Italian religious text, a University of Bristol academic has revealed that a long-lost document previously thought to have been written by William ...
Archaeology
Mar 21, 2024
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291
Plant material on obsidian blades on Rapa Nui suggests settlers there visited South America and returned
A team of archaeologists affiliated with several institutions in Chile reports evidence that early settlers on the island of Rapa Nui sailed to South America, interacted with people living there and then returned. In their ...
Vessel off Florida Keys identified as British warship that sank in the 18th century
A wrecked seagoing vessel discovered decades ago off the Florida Keys has recently been identified as a British warship that sank in the 18th century.
Archaeology
Mar 20, 2024
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44
Neolithic boats excavated in the Mediterranean reveal advanced nautical technology
More than 7,000 years ago, people navigated the Mediterranean Sea using technologically sophisticated boats, according to a study published March 20, 2024, in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Juan F. Gibaja of the Spanish ...
Archaeology
Mar 20, 2024
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Toba supereruption may have facilitated dispersal of modern humans out of Africa
Modern humans dispersed from Africa multiple times, but the event that led to global expansion occurred less than 100,000 years ago. Some researchers hypothesize that dispersals were restricted to "green corridors" formed ...
Archaeology
Mar 20, 2024
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New archive of ancient human brains challenges misconceptions of soft tissue preservation
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 survival of entire organs is particularly unusual. ...
Archaeology
Mar 19, 2024
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44
Study reveals 'cozy domesticity' of prehistoric stilt-house dwellers in England's ancient marshland
A major report on the remains of a stilt village that was engulfed in flames almost 3,000 years ago reveals in unprecedented detail the daily lives of England's prehistoric fenlanders.
Archaeology
Mar 19, 2024
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