Anthropology
What Was Life Like for a Girl in the Bronze Age?
Analysis of a 3,400-year-old burial traces the life story of a Bronze Age female
Ancient Carnivores Had a Taste for Neanderthal Meat
Researchers link bite marks on a Neanderthal skull to the fangs of an ancient big cat
Vikings Didn't Just Raid, They Traded Too
Reindeer artifacts found at Medieval market sites suggest the famed raiders tried the merchant thing first
The Oldest Stone Tools Yet Discovered Are Unearthed in Kenya
3.3 million-year-old artifacts predate the human genus
Protecting the World's Last Isolated Communities From Above
Advances in satellite technology mean that untouched villages can remain that way
People Ate Pork in the Middle East Until 1,000 B.C.—What Changed?
A new study investigates the historical factors leading up to the emergence of pork prohibition
Neanderthals Divvied Up Chores by Sex
New research on Neanderthal teeth shows differing gender roles
Before Agriculture, Human Jaws Were a Perfect Fit for Human Teeth
The emergence of agricultural practices initiated major changes to the jaw structure of ancient humans, leading to dental problems we still experience
Scientists Try Out 2,300-Year-Old Brain Surgery Techniques
Experiments conducted by a Siberian research team shed light on the neurosurgical methods evident in three Iron Age skulls
How Sticks and Shell Charts Became a Sophisticated System for Navigation
Sailors navigating with sextant, compass and maps found in the Marshall Islands that curved sticks and cowry shells were far more sophisticated
Poison Hath Been This Italian Mummy's Untimely End
A lethal helping of foxglove seems to have triggered the downfall of a warlord of Verona
Our Top Stories of 2014
From weird red waterfalls to the pleasures of small-town America, these were the most read articles on Smithsonian.com this year
Switching to Farming Made Human Joint Bones Lighter
A more fragile skeleton evolved about 12,000 years ago, probably driven by a shift from hunting to agriculture
Rescuing Jorge Prelorán’s Films From Storage And Time
The Smithsonian’s Film Archives is reintroducing the world to the influential work of the Argentine-American filmmaker
Zigzags on a Shell From Java Are the Oldest Human Engravings
The early human <em>Homo erectus</em> also made the oldest known shell tools half a million years ago
Why Do Humans Have Thumbs?
There’s a never-ending stream of theories about Homo sapiens’ most important digit
Why Some Mammals Kill Babies of Their Own Kind
Male mammals that commit infanticide developed the behavior in response to their species' mating style
Ice Age Babies Surrounded by Weapon Parts Found in Alaska
Unearthed at an ancient hunting camp in Alaska, the infant remains are offering clues to the burial rites of early Americans
Ten Years On, the Flores “Hobbit” Remains an Evolutionary Puzzle
Why was the 2004 unveiling of a small hominin dubbed <em>Homo floresiensis</em> such a big deal?
Rock (Art) of Ages: Indonesian Cave Paintings Are 40,000 Years Old
Cave paintings of animals and hand stencils in Sulawesi, Indonesia, seem to be as old as similar cave art in Europe
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