Archaeology
How Does One Actually Shrink a Head?
How does one take a regular sized human skull and miniaturize it?
March 20, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
Prehistoric Human Skull Shows Signs of Inbreeding
A 100,000-year-old skull has a hole that reflects genetic mutations from inbreeding—likely a common behavior for our ancestors
March 19, 2013 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Black Plague Death Pit Dug Up in London
Dug up during London construction, the bodies of those killed by the black plague
March 18, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
Six Centuries Ago, Chinese Explorers Left This Coin Behind in Africa
Emperor Yongle was perhaps best know for starting the initial construction of Beijing's Forbidden City, but he also sent huge fleets of ships, under the command of admiral Zheng He, out across the ocean to faraway lands
March 15, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Cannibals of the Past Had Plenty of Reasons to Eat People
For a long time cannibalism was a survival technique, a cultural practice, and a legitimate source of protein
March 14, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
Are Babies Bigoted?
An intriguing study involving puppet shows suggests that infants dislike those who are different from themselves
March 13, 2013 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Science Shows Why You’re Smarter Than a Neanderthal
Neanderthal brains had more capacity devoted to vision and body control, with less left over for social interactions and complex cognition
March 12, 2013 |
By Joseph Stromberg
How a Computer Program Can Learn All About You From Just Your Facebook Likes
Your publicly available "likes" can tell others a lot you wouldn't expect—including your political views, sexual orientation and religion
March 11, 2013 |
By Joseph Stromberg
This Photo Gallery Can Help ID All Those Weird Bones the Dog Brings In
Does your dog bring home random bones? Ever wondered what, exactly, is he chewing on?
March 07, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
This 33,000-Year-Old Skull Belonged to One of the World’s First Dogs
A new DNA analysis confirms that an ancient skull found in a Siberian cave was an early ancestor of man's best friend
March 06, 2013 |
By Joseph Stromberg
What Does This Head From the Thirteenth Century Tell Us About Medieval Medicine?
What can a dissection specimen from the 13th century tell us about the Dark Ages?
March 06, 2013 |
By Angela Serratore
2000-Pound Camels Used to Live in the Arctic
Living in the forest alongside bears and beavers, the ancient Canadian Arctic camel
March 06, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
Nitpicking the Lice Genome to Track Humanity’s Past Footsteps
Lice DNA collected around the planet sheds light on the parasite's long history with our ancestors, a new study shows
February 27, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Prehistoric Humans Had Better Teeth Than We Do
We have straighter teeth, whiter teeth, more beautiful, shimmery teeth than our parents. But it turns out that we actually have less healthy teeth than our ancestors
February 25, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
China’s Terracotta Warrior Army Is Deteriorating
If China doesn't take steps to better preserve the relics, they may eventually turn into dust
February 08, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Timbuktu’s Priceless Manuscripts Are Safe After All
Rebels set fire to the library, but the precious documents were already gone
February 04, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
Scientists Think They’ve Found Richard III’s Body Under a Parking Lot
Researchers announced this morning that the bones found beneath a parking lot in England are likely those of King Richard III
February 04, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
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
