Ancient human genomes shed new light on East Asia’s history (Nature 05/14/20)
First large-scale ancient genome analyses from China chart migrations of early farmers.
Oldest Homo sapiens in Europe—and a cave bear pendant—suggest cultural link to Neanderthals (Science 05/11/20)
During a warm spell about 46,000 years ago, a small band of people took shelter in a cave on the northern slope of the Balkan Mountains in what is now Bulgaria.
Ancient Neandertals were picky when choosing animal bone in making tools (HeritageDaily 05/11/20)
A research team has suggested that Neandertals from Europe and Asia around 40,000 years ago chose to use bones from specific animals to make a tool for specific purposes: working hides into leather.
Biological study of Tell es-Sin the Byzantine necropolis (HeritageDaily 05/05/20)
A study published in the journal Bioarcheology of the Near East reveals the characteristics of the population that was buried in the Tell es-Sin necropolis, a Byzantine site dated between the 5th and 7th centuries that is located in Syria, on the left bank from the Euphrates River.
We May Finally Know Why Early Humans Kept These Mysterious Stone Balls Around ( Science Alert 04/17/20)
Ancient archaeological sites across the Northern Hemisphere have been littered with a mystery. Where there were hominins, there too could often be found roughly rounded spheres of stone. Some have been dated back to over 2 million years ago, with marks suggesting that the balls had been deliberately shaped.
Where and When Did Humans Domesticate Horses? (RealClearScience 05/05/20)
From the trade routes of the Silk Road or the great Mongol Empire to the equestrian nations of the American Great Plains, horses were the engines of the ancient world.
Cemetery of Deformed Skulls Reveals Chaos After the Fall of Rome (Ancient Origins 05/02/20)
Researchers studying deformed skulls from an ancient cemetery in Hungary tell of a multicultural transition between locals and migrant Romans.
New discoveries and studies from mummification workshop complex at Saqqara (Ahram Online 05/03/20)
A new burial chamber has been discovered at the mummification workshop complex of the 26th Dynasty at Saqqara.
A study places the origin of a group of trees growing in Africa 50 million years ago (HeritageDaily 04/29/20)
In the Eocene, some of the world’s most important mountain ranges emerged and large climate changes took place that affected the future of the planet.
These are the Decade’s Biggest Discoveries in Human Evolution ( Smithsonianmag 04/28/20)
Human evolution is one of the most vibrant areas of scientific investigation. In the past decade we’ve seen many discoveries that add to our understanding of our origins. To mark the 10th anniversary of the Smithsonian’s “David H. Koch Hall of Human Origins,” here are some of the biggest discoveries in human evolution from the…
Israeli Archaeologists Find Hidden Pattern at ‘World’s Oldest Temple’ Göbekli Tepe (Haaretz 04/27/20)
Neolithic hunter-gatherers who erected massive monoliths in central Turkey 11,500 years ago had command of geometry and a much more complex society than previously thought, archaeologists say.