Archaeology
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ArchaeologyThe oldest known astrolabe was used on one of Vasco da Gama’s ships
A navigational device for taking altitudes at sea was found in a Portuguese shipwreck in the Arabian Sea and dates back to 1496.
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ArchaeologyA 2,000-year-old tattoo tool is the oldest in western North America
The artifact is made of two pigment-stained cactus spines, and has been sitting in storage since its discovery in 1972.
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ArchaeologyAncient Angkor’s mysterious decline may have been slow, not sudden
Analyzing sediment from the massive city’s moat challenges the idea that the last capital of the Khmer Empire collapsed suddenly.
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ArchaeologyTooth plaque shows drinking milk goes back 3,000 years in Mongolia
The hardened plaque on teeth is helping scientists trace the history of dairying in Mongolia.
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ArchaeologyThe spread of Europe’s giant stone monuments may trace back to one region
Megaliths spread across the continent due to seafarers’ influence, researcher says.
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GeneticsDNA reveals early mating between Asian herders and European farmers
A new genetic analysis could upend assumptions about the origins of Indo-European languages.
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AnthropologyNew dates narrow down when Denisovans and Neandertals crossed paths
Mysterious ancient hominids called Denisovans and their Neandertal cousins periodically occupied the same cave starting around 200,000 years ago.
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AnthropologyWhy modern javelin throwers hurled Neandertal spears at hay bales
A sporting event with replica weapons suggests that Neandertals’ spears may have been made for throwing, not just stabbing.
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ArchaeologyOur fascination with robots goes all the way back to antiquity
In the book ‘Gods and Robots,’ a scholar recounts how early civilizations explored artificial life through myths.
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AnthropologyHuman smarts got a surprisingly early start
Human ingenuity began on treks across Asia and in fluctuating African habitats.
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ArchaeologyCorn domestication took some unexpected twists and turns
A DNA study challenges the idea people fully tamed maize in Mexico before the plant spread.
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ArchaeologyStone Age people conquered the Tibetan Plateau’s thin air
Stone tools that are at least 30,000 years old suggest that people settled the high-altitude Tibetan Plateau earlier than scientists thought.