An Artist Creates a Detailed Replica of Ötzi, the 5,300-Year-Old “Iceman”
Museum artist Gary Staab discusses the art and science of constructing exhibition pieces
Scientists Discover 9,000-Year-Old Case of Decapitation in the Americas
Off with their head and hands
What Makes a Fossil a Member of the Human Family Tree?
The surprising new species Homo naledi raises more questions than answers—for now
Scientists Just Identified a Pinkie That’s Almost 2 Million Years Old
And it could be a major evolutionary breakthrough
A DNA Search for the First Americans Links Amazon Groups to Indigenous Australians
The new genetic analysis takes aim at the theory that just one founding group settled the Americas
In Some Ways, Human Hands Are More Primitive Than Chimp Hands
Study suggests our common ancestor had humanlike hands
Genome Analysis Links Kennewick Man to Native Americans
Ancient DNA sequenced from the skeleton adds to the controversy over the individual’s ancestry
How to Build the Perfect Campfire
Science confirms that the best way to build a campfire really is the best way to build a campfire
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
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