Recent discoveries in the realm of botanical history have shed new light on the ancient journey of the cacao tree, Theobroma cacao, whose luscious beans have long tantalized the taste buds of chocolate enthusiasts worldwide. A groundbreaking study published in Scientific Reports unveils a narrative of trade routes and cultural exchanges that facilitated the dissemination … Read more
Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University embarked on a journey to unravel the secrets of Stone Age tools and the activities that shaped their edges. Through meticulous craftsmanship and experimental trials, they uncovered a wealth of insights into the utilization of stone tools in prehistoric times, shedding light on the evolution of woodworking technology among early … Read more
A multidisciplinary study has reconstructed the genomic history of the Balkan Peninsula during the first millennium of the common era, a time and place of profound demographic, cultural and linguistic change. The team has recovered and analyzed whole genome data from 146 ancient people excavated primarily from Serbia and Croatia—more than a third of which … Read more
Scientists from the Francis Crick Institute, Durham University, and MOLA Headland Infrastructure unveiled the remarkable origins of an individual who lived during the Roman period, shedding light on ancient migrations and societal connections. The man, referred to as Offord Cluny 203645, was unearthed in 2017 near Offord Cluny village in Cambridgeshire, within the scope of … Read more
Archery’s emergence in the Americas and its societal impacts have long intrigued anthropologists and archaeologists. Shedding new light on this debate, a study led by a University of California, Davis anthropologist, recently published in Quaternary International, offers fresh insights. Concentrating on the Lake Titicaca Basin nestled in the Andes, researchers analyzed 1,179 projectile points, pinpointing … Read more
An exploration of ancient culinary practices in the Taihu Lake region of eastern China has shed light on the dietary habits and subsistence strategies of people during the late Neolithic era, circa 4th millennium BCE. Conducted by a collaborative team of researchers from the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS), the Institute of Vertebrate … Read more
A special find has been made in the Alkmaar Regional Archive: A number of 17th-century book bindings contained pieces of parchment from a manuscript from the 11th century. The original manuscript may have belonged to a princess who fled England after the Norman Conquest. Many books were printed and bound in the 16th and 17th … Read more
Douglas Boin, Ph.D., a professor of history at Saint Louis University, made a major announcement at the annual meeting of the Archaeological Institute of America, revealing he and his team discovered an ancient Roman temple that adds significant insights into the social change from pagan gods to Christianity within the Roman Empire. “We found three … Read more
A team of international researchers has made a groundbreaking discovery, unearthing evidence of an exceptionally rare genetic condition that bestows men with an additional X chromosome. This remarkable finding, representing the oldest clinical case of Klinefelter syndrome documented to date, stems from an analysis of a 1,000-year-old skeleton found in Portugal. Led by Dr. João … Read more
Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute, working with University of Oxford, University of York and Oxford Archaeology, have developed a new technique to measure the number of chromosomes in ancient genomes more precisely, using it to identify the first prehistoric person with mosaic Turner syndrome (characterized by one X chromosome instead of two [XX]), who … Read more
In exploring social mobility across different epochs and civilizations, researchers often encounter challenges in accessing relevant data. While contemporary studies rely on robust datasets from organizations like the World Economic Forum or national surveys such as the General Social Survey in the United States, investigating historical trends poses a formidable task due to the scarcity … Read more
New findings unveiled by a recent study shed light on the pervasive issue of vitamin D deficiency during childhood in industrialized England, as illuminated by evidence gleaned from teeth. Published in the open-access journal PLOS ONE on January 31, 2024, the research, led by Anne Marie Snoddy from the University of Otago, New Zealand, and … Read more
Archaeology Professor Todd Surovell, from the University of Wyoming, and his team of collaborators have unearthed a significant discovery at the La Prele Mammoth site in Converse County. This remarkable find, detailed in the publication “Use of hare bone for the manufacture of a Clovis bead” in Scientific Reports, unveils a tube-shaped bead crafted from … Read more
In ancient times, nestled within the picturesque landscapes of what is now northern Italy, a peculiar burial site named Seminario Vescovile harbors mysteries of human-animal interment. Unearthed from the third to the first century BCE, the resting place of 161 individuals reveals a striking connection between humans and animals, shrouded in enigmatic rituals and beliefs. … Read more
The mysterious Philistine culture, thriving during the Iron Age (around 1200–604 BCE), exerted a profound influence on the cultural tapestry, agriculture, and dietary habits of the southern Levant. Over a span of more than twenty-five years, meticulous excavations at Tell es-Safi/Gath in central Israel, identified as the biblical Gath of the Philistines and the legendary … Read more
Neanderthals, renowned for their resourcefulness and adaptability, have once again surprised researchers with their ingenuity. Recent findings unveiled by a collaborative team of scientists from New York University, the University of Tübingen, and the National Museums in Berlin shed new light on the cognitive prowess and cultural sophistication of our ancient predecessors. The discovery, published … Read more