Europe’s Megalithic Monuments Originated in France and Spread by Sea Routes, New Study Suggests
The ancient burial structures, strikingly similar all across Europe and the mediterranean, have puzzled scientists and historians for centuries
Artificial Intelligence Study of Human Genome Finds Unknown Human Ancestor
The genetic footprint of a “ghost population” may match that of a Neanderthal and Denisovan hybrid fossil found in Siberia
How Scientific Chance and a Little Luck Helped Usher in the Nuclear Age
Accidental experiments and chance encounters helped Enrico Fermi produce the first nuclear reactor
The Statistician Who Debunked Sexist Myths About Skull Size and Intelligence
Though she laid bare the false claim of women’s intellectual inferiority, Alice Lee failed to apply the same logic to race
Skulls With ‘Surfer’s Ear’ Suggest Ancient Pearl Divers in Panama
Thought to occur mainly in cold-water environments, a new study shows “surfer’s ear” bone spurs can grow even in the tropics
What We Learned About Our Human Origins in 2018
From an upper jaw to red ocher paintings, two Smithsonian scholars note the significant discoveries in human evolution this trip around the sun
The First Female Student at MIT Started an All-Women Chemistry Lab and Fought for Food Safety
Ellen Swallow Richards applied chemistry to the home to advocate for consumer safety and women’s education
The Ill-Fated Expedition of a 19th-Century Scientist to Explore the California Wilderness
Even facing exposure and starvation, Josiah Gregg insisted on stopping to take measurements and observations, much to his companions’ distress
Why Did Humans Lose Their Fur?
We are the naked apes of the world, having shed most of our body hair long ago
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 Traditional Wooden Halibut Hook That’s Still Snagging Fish Off Alaska
An Indigenous method of catching halibut on the northwest coast of North America mixes expert craftsmanship with spirituality—and the fish are biting
Prehistoric Wine Reveals Missing Pieces of Ancient Sicilian Culture
In a 5,000 year-old jar, archaeologists discovered the remnants of wine
Ancient Proteins From Unwashed Dishes Reveal the Diets of a Lost Civilization
Material pulled from ceramic sherds reveals the favored foodstuffs in the 8,000-year-old city of Çatalhöyük in Turkey
Viking Chess Pieces May Reveal Early Whale Hunts in Northern Europe
The board game hnefatafl, commonly called Viking chess, pits an attacking player against another trying to defend the king
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