The Delicious, Ancient History of Chocolate and Vanilla
Archaeologists are discovering that two of the world’s most prized flavors have a much richer history than we thought
Ancient DNA Sheds New Light on the Biblical Philistines
A team of scientists sequenced genomes from people who lived in a port city on the Mediterranean coast of Israel between the 12th and 8th centuries B.C.
Ancient Grape DNA Tells the Prolific History of Wine
Grape seeds dating back to medieval and Roman periods share many similarities with the wine grapes we enjoy today
Archaeologists Discover Some of the Amazon’s Oldest Human Burials
As early as 10,000 years ago, humans created settlements on elevated forest mounds in parts of southwestern Amazonia
What Do We Really Know About Neanderthals?
Revolutionary discoveries in archaeology show that the species long maligned as knuckle-dragging brutes deserve a new place in the human story
Cave Markings Tell of Cherokee Life in the Years Before Indian Removal
Written in the language formalized by Sequoyah, these newly translated inscriptions describe religious practices, including the sport of stickball
Before the Inca Ruled South America, the Tiwanaku Left Their Mark on the Andes
Artifacts including gold medallions and sacrificial llama bones reveal the ritual pilgrimages taken around Lake Titicaca
Testing the DNA in Museum Artifacts Can Unlock New Natural History, but Is it Worth the Potential Damage?
Museums house a wealth of rare animal specimens, such as arctic clothing, medieval parchment and Viking drinking horns, but DNA testing can be destructive
The Complex Legacy of America’s Lawrence of Arabia
Archaeologist Wendell Phillips traveled throughout Yemen in the 1950s, where he found ancient treasures and controversy
The New Archaeology of Iraq and Afghanistan
The once-fortified outposts that protected U.S. troops are relics of our ambitions abroad
Our Top 11 Stories of 2018
From a 50-year-old political scandal to swarms of genetically engineered mosquitos, here are Smithsonian.com’s most-read stories
Thousand-Year-Old Rock Art Likely Served as a Gathering Point for Llama Caravans Crossing the Andes
Trade caravans, whether supported by mules, camels or llamas, have helped archaeologists piece together the past in many corners of the world
Stone Tools at Arabian “Crossroads” Present Mysteries of Ancient Human Migration
Hominins made stone tools in central Arabia 190,000 years ago, and the hand axe technology raises questions about just who they were
North America’s Earliest Smokers May Have Helped Launch the Agricultural Revolution
As archaeologists push back the dates for the spread of tobacco use, new questions are emerging about trade networks and agriculture
A Fresh Look at These Stone Tools Reveals a New Chapter of Ancient Chinese History
Archaeologists thought these ancient tools, 80,000 years old at least, were brought to China by migrants—but now it appears they were invented locally
World’s Oldest Known Figurative Paintings Discovered in Borneo Cave
Dated to at least 40,000 years old, the depiction of a cattle-like animal has striking similarities to ancient rock art found in other parts of the world
The Archaeologist Who Helped Mexico Find Glory in Its Indigenous Past
Disrupting a stereotype of Mesoamerican savagery, Zelia Nuttall brought the ingenuity of Aztec civilization to the fore
Ritual Cemeteries—For Cows and Then Humans—Plot Pastoralist Expansion Across Africa
As early herders spread across northern and then eastern Africa, the communities erected monumental graves which may have served as social gathering points
The Science Behind Decorative Gourd Season
Gourds are the runts of their family of fruits, too tough and bitter to eat, but they remain one of the most popular crops of fall
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