Archaeology

More Stories in Archaeology

  1. An artistic portrayal of a southeastern European hunter-gatherer from the Gravettian culture. The man has dark skin and dark hair. He is wearing a skull cap, necklace and a fur shawl.
    Archaeology

    Ancient DNA unveils disparate fates of Ice Age hunter-gatherers in Europe

    Ancient DNA unveils two regional populations that lived in what is now Europe and made similar tools but met different fates.

    By Bruce Bower
  2. A closeup photo of a small semi-transparent stone in the shape of an arrowhead held between a person's index finger and thumb.
    Archaeology

    Homo sapiens may have brought archery to Europe about 54,000 years ago

    Small stone points found in a French rock-shelter could have felled prey only as tips of arrows shot from bows, scientists say.

    By Bruce Bower
  3. composite image of stone tool artifacts on a black background
    Anthropology

    Hominids used stone tool kits to butcher animals earlier than once thought

    Finds in Kenya push Oldowan tool use back to around 2.9 million years ago, roughly 300,000 years earlier than previous evidence.

    By Bruce Bower
  4. a photo of human footprints in rock
    Humans

    50 years ago, scientists debated when humans first set foot in North America

    In 1973, archaeologists debated when people first arrived in the Americas. Mounting evidence suggests its much earlier than they thought.

    By Maria Temming
  5. A pile of cremated animal and human bone fragments suggests Vikings travelled from Scandinavia across the North Sea to England.
    Archaeology

    Vikings brought animals to England as early as the year 873

    A chemical analysis of cremated remains offers physical evidence of the arrival of Norse animals to England in the ninth century.

    By Anna Gibbs
  6. rows of pots and other vessels used in an Egyptian embalming workshop seen in an archaeological site
    Archaeology

    Chemical residue reveals ancient Egyptians’ mummy-making mixtures

    Chemical clues in embalming vessels reveal previously unknown ingredients used to prepare bodies for mummification and their far-flung origins.

    By Bruce Bower
  7. A photo of the Xi'an fortress wall with the city skyline visible in the background.
    Physics

    Muon scanning hints at mysteries within an ancient Chinese wall

    Density fluctuations within the ancient rampart encircling the city of Xi’an could be defects or yet-to-be-discovered archaeological finds.

    By James R. Riordon
  8. A photo of an ancient cave marking of aurochs (similar to modern cattle) with four dots on the animal's torso.
    Archaeology

    Mysterious marks on Ice Age cave art may have been a form of record keeping

    Hunter-gatherers during the Ice Age may have recorded when prey mated and gave birth, suggesting that these people possessed complex cognitive skills

    By Anna Gibbs
  9. The Pantheon in Rome still stands including its soaring dome.
    Chemistry

    These chemists cracked the code to long-lasting Roman concrete

    Roman concrete has stood the test of time, so scientists searched ruins to unlock the ancient recipe that could help architecture and climate change.

    By Carolyn Gramling