Rare sacred text may yield details about Etruscan worship
Archaeologists in Italy have discovered what may be a rare sacred text in the Etruscan language that is likely to yield rich details about Etruscan worship of a god or goddess.
Neolithic quarry proves human impact on landscape
Archaeologists from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem uncovered in central Israel the earliest known Neolithic quarry in the southern Levant, dating back 11,000 years.
Unravelling a geological mystery using lasers … from space
Thanks to new technology researchers may be one step closer to understanding the origins of an archetypal landform: the drumlin hill.
Ecological collapse circumscribes traditional women’s work
As the land at the heart of the cradle of civilization dries out, an ancient culture is being lost with the unique ecosystem that sustains it.
The first 3-D atlas of the extinct dodo
For the first time since its extinction, a 3-D atlas of the skeletal anatomy of the dodo has been created.
An ancient killer: Ancestral malarial organisms traced to age of dinosaurs
A new analysis of the prehistoric origin of malaria suggests that it evolved in insects at least 100 million years ago.
More ancient viruses lurk in our DNA than we thought
One whole endogenous retrovirus genome—and bits of 17 others—were spotted in a study of 2,500 human genomes.
Unique Stone Age findings at Abu Dhabi Marawah Island
Archaeologists on Marawah Island, Abu Dhabi, have discovered a skeleton in what they believe was "a house for the dead".
Australopithecus fossils found east of the Great Rift Valley
New fossils from Kenya suggest that an early hominid species —Australopithecus afarensis— lived far eastward beyond the Great Rift Valley and much farther than previously thought.
Human ancestors explored ‘out of Africa’ despite impaired nasal faculties
This study highlights the importance of compensating human evolution, as well as adaptive evolution.
Thomas Hope: Drawings of Ottoman Istanbul
The exhibition presents 60 drawings from Istanbul by Thomas Hope.
What’s that fossil? An app has answers
Fossil hunters now have a mobile app to help them identify specimens in the field.
Human impact forms ‘striking new pattern’ in Earth’s global energy flow
University of Leicester researchers lead Anthropocene study into planet’s biological production and consumption.
From Pulp to Fiction: our love affair with paper
If we do become a paperless society, we will be terminating a relationship with one of the most successful technologies of all time? A new project is mapping the story of paper in England.
From Stonehenge to Nefertiti
A recent discovery could radically change our views of one of the world’s most famous archaeological sites, Tutankhamun’s tomb.
Lao Plain of Jars new findings may help solve the mystery
A set of human remains has been unearthed in Laos, at the Plain of Jars, possibly from the Iron Age. Scientists hope the information retrieved will help them decipher the mystery of the Plain of Jars, a site in central Laos puzzling archaeologists.
Carved Palaeolithic bear bone proves human existence in Ireland
A remarkable archaeological discovery in a Co. Clare cave has pushed back the date of human existence in Ireland by 2,500 years.
Sunken town found off Mamallapuram, India
An ancient town has been discovered underwater near Mamallapuram, India, where archaeologists have found ruins of a temple, stairs, a wall and other evidence.
Production of butter from shea trees in West Africa pushed back 1,000 years
University of Oregon anthropologists explore layers of households built atop of each other for 1,600 years and find shea nuts have been used since A.D. 100.
Metallic ink revealed in Herculaneum papyri
An international team of scientists has discovered the presence of metal in the ink of two Herculaneum papyrus fragments proving that metals were used in ink several centuries earlier than previously believed.
Why did we invent pottery?
Archaeologists at the University of York, leading a large international team, have revealed surprising new insights into why pottery production increased significantly at the end of the last Ice Age.
Archaeologists create 3-D interactive digital reconstruction of King Richard III
On first year anniversary of the week in which King Richard III was reinterred, Leicester archaeologists use sophisticated photogrammetry software to create fully rotatable computer model which shows the king's remains in-situ.
A buckle from the British Isles was found in Denmark
A buckle found in Denmark, at a Viking grave, had probably come from Scotland or Ireland, archaeologists say.
Research project on Polish elite cemetery
A research project at a Polish elite cemetery of the Bronze Age will provide further insight into elite community's daily life.