Anthropology
New Research Disproves Prehistoric Killer-Comet Theory (Again)
Maybe the problem here is that other prevailing theories of the Clovis’ decline are just super boring by comparison
January 31, 2013 |
By Lauren Kirchner
People Have Been Eating Curry for 4,500 Years
Thanks to new research methods and a pile of (very old) dirty dishes, archaeologists have discovered the very ancient origins of a globally popular cuisine.
January 30, 2013 |
By Lauren Kirchner
Here’s What Three Mummies Might Have Looked Like While Alive
For the first time in over 2,000 years, these three mummies' faces now stare back at viewers, much as they might have appeared just before their deaths
January 30, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Library Full of Precious Manuscripts Burned in Timbuktu
The main library in Timbuktu is full of cultural relics, manuscripts that have survived since the 1200's hidden in wooden trunks, buried in the sand, and finally housed in the small library. But recent reports from the country say that rebels might have burned that history to the ground
January 28, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
Geneticist Does Not Seek Woman to Give Birth to Cloned Caveman Baby
Geneticist George Church says he's already extracted enough DNA from Neanderthal fossils to create an embryo, but lacking a uterus himself he needs to find the right lady
January 22, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
In Ancient Rome, Children’s Shoes Were a Status Symbol
From a trove of ancient Roman footwear, a rethinking of military life
January 21, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
Hair and Eye Color Can Now Be Determined for Ancient Human Skeletons
A new method based on DNA forensics can tell us about the appearances of those who lived long ago
January 15, 2013 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Flores Hobbits Were Sort of Like Humans, Sort of Like Chimps, Sort of Like Tolkien’s Fantasy Beings
Archaeologists are slowly bringing "the Hobbit Human" to light as new bones turn up
January 11, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
In Ancient Egypt, People Paid to Become Temple Servants
Rather than face forced labor, some ancient Egyptians gave up their futures and their coin to become temple servants
January 09, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
What’s Inside a 2,000-Year-Old, Shipwreck-Preserved Roman Pill?
Ancient Roman pills, preserved in sealed tin containers on the seafloor, may have been used as eye medicine
January 07, 2013 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Bonobos Offer Banana Bribes for Friendship
Chimpanzees will sooner kill than share food, but bonobos will sacrifice some of their own goods for the pleasure of interacting with strangers
January 02, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Why Time is a Social Construct
Psychologists and anthropologists debate how different cultures answer the question, “What time is it?”
January 2013 |
By Joshua Keating
Remember These Titans of Science Who Died in 2012
From the inventor of the barcode to the discoverer of how cancer spreads, we take a look at the brilliant minds who shaped our culture and modern way of life
December 29, 2012 |
By Mohi Kumar
A History of Sequins from King Tut to the King of Pop
As you don your sparkly holiday fashions, think of the trend's start in an Egyptian tomb
December 28, 2012 |
By Emily Spivack
The Dead Sea Scrolls Just Went Digital
Written between 200 BC and the middle of the first century AD, the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered again 1947
December 19, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
One of the World’s Oldest Bibles Is Now Online
An ancient Greek Bible is now available online
December 17, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
Even Mummy Doctors Forgot Tools in Their Patients Sometimes
Researchers examining the brains of mummies have found a small tool that was used during embalming, left behind after the procedure
December 17, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
The Legend of the Christmas Stocking
What's behind the holiday tradition of hanging hosiery on the fireplace?
December 14, 2012 |
By Emily Spivack
New Discovery of 7000-Year-Old Cheese Puts Your Trader Joe’s Aged Gouda to Shame
Previously traced to ancient Egypt, prehistoric pottery indicates that cheese was invented thousands of years earlier
December 12, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Can Tattoos Be Medicinal?
In his travels around the world, anthropologist Lars Krutak has seen many tribal tattoos, including some applied to relieve specific ailments
December 10, 2012 |
By Megan Gambino
