https://phys.org/science-news/archaeology-fossils/ en-us The latest news on archaeology, archaeological research and archaeological advancements. Orofacial clefts (OC; cleft lips and/or palates) require intense care immediately after birth and can lead to lifelong difficulties with eating and speaking, leading to social marginalization, stigmatization, and exclusion. In a study published in the International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, Dr. Xiaofan Sun and her colleagues identified and analyzed the first archaeological case of OC in China. The study found that the young man not only survived infancy, suggesting intensive care was given to him, but his burial suggests that he was fully integrated into his community, receiving full burial rights, indicating his deformity did not lead to him being shamed in life. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-archaeological-case-cleft-lip-china.html Archaeology Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:20:02 EDT news695642603 Monumental ship burials in Scandinavia may have started around a century earlier than previously thought, according to a paper published in the journal Antiquity. It reports the discovery of the remains of a 1,300-year-old ship buried on the Norwegian island of Leka, predating the Vikings. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-monumental-ship-burial-beneath-ancient.html Archaeology Thu, 16 Apr 2026 18:00:08 EDT news695564232 Egyptian mummy remains were examined at Semmelweis University's Medical Imaging Center (OKK). The archaeological finds arriving from the Semmelweis Museum of Medical History, Hungarian National Museum Public Collection Center (MNMKK) were analyzed using the institution's newest CT scanner equipped with a photon-counting detector. Thanks to state-of-the-art imaging technology, highly detailed images have been captured that were previously unavailable, and the initial results promise significant scientific advances. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-generation-ct-scanner-reveal-year.html Archaeology Wed, 15 Apr 2026 19:30:02 EDT news695490901 The exact location of William Shakespeare's only London property can now be pinpointed to a quiet Blackfriars street, thanks to the discovery of a previously unknown floorplan. The discovery, made by Shakespeare expert Professor Lucy Munro from King's College London, not only identifies the exact place of the property Shakespeare bought in 1613 but also the layout and size. It also paints a different picture of where Shakespeare may have spent some of his time in his later years. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-shakespeare-london-house-discovery.html Archaeology Wed, 15 Apr 2026 19:10:07 EDT news695462461 Researchers have identified the genetic material of scarlet fever while examining a tooth from a naturally mummified skull housed at MUNARQ, the National Museum of Archaeology in La Paz. Using a method that reassembled previously unknown genomes from numerous short DNA fragments, they reconstructed a nearly complete, ancient genome of Streptococcus pyogenes. The reconstructed genome shows clear similarities to modern strains of the globally widespread bacterium, which can cause a variety of illnesses ranging from harmless throat infections to scarlet fever and life-threatening toxic shock syndrome. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-bolivian-mummy-rewrites-scarlet-fever.html Archaeology Wed, 15 Apr 2026 17:30:05 EDT news695492282 Nearly 800,000 years ago, early humans gathered along the shores of a lush lake in what is now northern Israel. Here, they returned again and again, hunting large animals, cooking fish over controlled fires, and organizing their daily lives around hearths. Now, a new study shows that even the wood fueling those fires, which is preserved as rare fragments of charcoal, can reveal how carefully these ancient communities understood and used their environment. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-ancient-charcoal-early-humans-fueled.html Archaeology Wed, 15 Apr 2026 17:00:06 EDT news695476707 Archaeologists working at the ancient settlement of Stăuceni-"Holm" in northeastern Romania have uncovered a mega-structure measuring 350 square meters dating back about 6,000 years. This is one of the few examples of a massive building that has been physically excavated in the region. It is hoped that it will reveal more about the Cucuteni-Trypillia culture (ca. 5000–3500 BC) of Eastern Europe, which is known for its large, well-planned settlements. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-unearthed-mega-hints-communal-romania.html Archaeology Wed, 15 Apr 2026 14:50:02 EDT news695477987 For over 100 years, the National Museum has housed a large collection of inscribed tablets from the earliest civilizations of the Middle East—many over 4,000 years old and written in languages that are now extinct. The tablets have led a quiet existence, but now researchers have deciphered them and discovered fascinating texts about magic, kings and good old-fashioned bureaucracy. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-year-clay-tablets-inscribed-magical.html Archaeology Wed, 15 Apr 2026 12:00:02 EDT news695466242 A study published in the Journal of Anthropological Archaeology combined zooarchaeology with multi-isotopic analysis to reveal the diverse life histories of ancient dogs in the Wari Empire (ca. 600–1050 CE). Not only has this study broadened our understanding of the role of dogs during the Wari Empire, but it has also identified the first empirical evidence of Peruvian Hairless Dogs from that period, which were likely treated differently from other dogs. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-physical-evidence-peruvian-hairless-dogs.html Archaeology Wed, 15 Apr 2026 10:00:03 EDT news695463715 Research on ancient DNA is surging, but how can scientists ensure that human remains of irreplaceable significance are preserved? This is the question investigated by an international research team led by the University of Bonn. Their findings have now been published in the journal PLOS One. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-tomography-dna-ancient-humans-destroying.html Archaeology Tue, 14 Apr 2026 18:20:02 EDT news695396341 The study of ancient cultures around Ethiopia during the Middle Stone Age (MSA) time period is important for understanding how some of the first Homo sapiens lived and eventually left Africa. Unfortunately, there are not many well-preserved, open-air archaeological sites from the MSA, especially with both human fossils and artifacts. The Middle Awash study area in Ethiopia, however, is one of the few areas with a well-preserved treasure trove of artifacts capable of painting a picture of early human life in Ethiopia. A new study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, reports on some fascinating findings from this region, giving clues into what life—and death—might have been like. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-ethiopia-afar-rift-glimpse-life.html Archaeology Tue, 14 Apr 2026 13:35:25 EDT news695392501 A multidisciplinary archaeological team has examined plague burials from a 17th-century monastery turned hospital in Basel, Switzerland, shedding light on how social status impacted plague mortality in Early Modern Europe. Their study, "All equal in the face of death? Life histories of confirmed victims of the last plague epidemic in Basel," is published in the journal Antiquity. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-great-equalizer-young-laborers-hardest.html Archaeology Tue, 14 Apr 2026 05:00:05 EDT news694964942 You probably have a member of your family that you're not related to by blood—a step-parent, an adopted cousin, your mom's best friend who you grew up calling your aunt. They're indisputably part of your family, but a DNA test wouldn't hint at your relationship. Archaeologists are finding that this holds true for families from thousands of years ago, too. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-ancient-graves-dna-uncover-family.html Archaeology Tue, 14 Apr 2026 03:00:07 EDT news695313264 Archaeologists have investigated genetic relationships between individuals buried in Neolithic chambered tombs in northern Scotland, suggesting monumental tombs may have been physical embodiments of prehistoric kinship, tracing lineages over centuries. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-scottish-neolithic-tombs-kinship-descent.html Archaeology Mon, 13 Apr 2026 19:00:04 EDT news695293081 An 11th-century Anglo-Saxon seal belonging to Edward the Confessor has been rediscovered more than 40 years after being declared lost. The wax impression of the "Saint-Denis seal" disappeared without official explanation in the 1980s from the Archives Nationales in Paris, where it had resided for almost 200 years. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-lost-edward-confessor-resurfaces-years.html Archaeology Mon, 13 Apr 2026 14:40:06 EDT news695301961 A recent archaeological project has physically reconstructed the ceremonial dress of medieval Nubian royalty and clergy, offering a rare glimpse into how clothing shaped and communicated authority in Christian Nubia. The research is published in the journal Antiquity. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-revived-nubian-royal-robes-prestige.html Archaeology Mon, 13 Apr 2026 11:20:04 EDT news695295124 DNA studies of 1,500-year-old skeletons have revealed that ancient Koreans lived in tightly knit family networks where marrying close relatives was common in some cases, from powerful elites to individuals chosen for human sacrifice. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-ancient-korean-dna-reveals-marriages.html Archaeology Sun, 12 Apr 2026 12:00:01 EDT news695044039 For decades, the strongest evidence for the earliest human settlement in the Americas came from a site in Chile called Monte Verde. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-site-key-humans-americas.html Archaeology Sat, 11 Apr 2026 11:00:05 EDT news693154333 A study published in Azania: Archaeological Research in Africa sheds new light on the westward spread of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) agriculture in prehistoric West Africa. A recent survey documented its earliest known occurrence in the Lac de Guiers basin of Northern Senegal, around AD 200, coinciding with increasing aridification, which may have driven the expansion of dryland farming communities westward. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-archaeological-survey-gnith-reveals-pearl.html Archaeology Fri, 10 Apr 2026 15:20:03 EDT news695041245 Roman painters commissioned at the end of the 1st century to decorate the walls of the Domus of Salvius in present-day Cartagena could hardly have imagined that their technical expertise would still attract attention twenty centuries later. Analysis of wall paintings from one of the house's rooms—among the best preserved in ancient Carthago Nova—shows that these craftsmen possessed a sophisticated understanding of the materials used to produce pigments, as well as the effects achieved through combining them. In particular, researchers identified an advanced "recipe" that enabled them to reduce costs while ensuring the durability of the paint. This method relied on a mixture of pigments, including one of the most valued minerals of the time: costly cinnabar, often referred to as "red gold." https://phys.org/news/2026-04-rare-roman-recipe-uncovered-cartagena.html Archaeology Fri, 10 Apr 2026 14:20:05 EDT news695048063 For more than 1 million years, early humans in the Levant region of the eastern Mediterranean used a range of heavy tools, such as massive handaxes and stone balls, for important tasks, including processing animal carcasses. But then, approximately 200,000 years ago, heavy tools disappeared almost entirely from the fossil record, while the number of lighter tools increased. These included blades, flakes, and specialized scrapers. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-giants-heavy-handaxes-early-humans.html Archaeology Thu, 09 Apr 2026 12:40:15 EDT news694957087 New research led by the University of Otago—Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka, in close partnership with mana whenua, is shedding new light on Māori diet and burial practices in Aotearoa New Zealand prior to European colonization. The study, conducted with the approval and guidance of Waikato hapū and iwi—Ngāti Maahanga, Ngāti Wairere, Ngāti Koroki Kahukura and Ngāti Hauā—provides the first direct scientific evidence that some Māori ate predominantly plant-based diets before Pākehā (European) arrival. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-ancient-mori-largely-based-diets.html Archaeology Thu, 09 Apr 2026 10:40:04 EDT news694948808 Excavation of a council house at the major Lowland Maya center of Ucanal, Guatemala, reveals how the public gained some influence over Maya politics more than 1,000 years ago. These colonnaded, open halls were likely council houses, where political leaders met to deliberate on governmental decisions. The open structures contrast with previous Classic period palaces, where "divine" rulers made political decisions in more private spaces. This shows the increasing importance of consensus-based politics from c. 810–950 AD onward. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-ancient-architecture-opinion-maya-divine.html Archaeology Wed, 08 Apr 2026 19:00:03 EDT news694344901 By analyzing DNA of ancient skeletons at a Neolithic burial site near Paris, an international team of researchers has uncovered evidence of a dramatic population replacement 5,000 years ago. The findings indicate that the population collapse known as the "Neolithic decline" was a far-reaching phenomenon. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-dna-evidence-reveals-stone-age.html Archaeology Wed, 08 Apr 2026 17:40:05 EDT news694873322 In a new article published in the Palestine Exploration Quarterly, researchers Dr. Michael Eisenberg and Dr. Arleta Kowalewska describe a recently excavated Byzantine-period cathedral at Hippos. Archaeologists revealed a second photisterion (baptismal hall), making this the only known early cathedral with two photisteria as well as a unique marble block with three cavities, unprecedented in archaeology, possibly used to hold oils for ritual anointment. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-unique-baptistery-mysterious-marble-block.html Archaeology Wed, 08 Apr 2026 13:20:02 EDT news694867170 The identity of a mysterious artifact found in Devon almost 160 years ago has finally been revealed. New research has identified it as a pendant made from the tooth of a gray seal, which would have been worn by an ancient human more than 15,000 years ago. The "exceptionally rare" seal tooth pendant has been unearthed among the finds of a famed Victorian dig. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-tooth-pendant-reveals-ancient-human.html Archaeology Wed, 08 Apr 2026 11:20:05 EDT news694860423 Neanderthals hunted European pond turtles (Emys orbicularis) in Central Europe, though probably not for food. The careful cleaning of carapace elements at Neumark-Nord indicates that shells were reused, perhaps as small containers or scoop-like implements, according to an international research team. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-neanderthals-central-europe-pond-turtles.html Archaeology Wed, 08 Apr 2026 10:20:03 EDT news694860183 Helping to preserve artifacts, some potentially 2,000 years old, was an irresistible privilege. Since 2016, an Australian-Lao team led by Louise Shewan, Dougald O'Reilly and Thonglith Luangkhoth has conducted archaeological research in the mysterious "Plain of Jars," located in Xieng Khouang Province, north-central Laos. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-giant-jars-ancient-bells-bones.html Archaeology Wed, 08 Apr 2026 09:20:01 EDT news694858142 Roman leader Julius Caesar is said to have kept a stock of it in the treasury. Ancient writer Pliny the Elder says Rome's Emperor Nero owned the last stalk of it. And some have suggested rampant extramarital sex in elite Roman circles led to demand outstripping supply, and it dying out altogether. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-ancient-romans-obsessed-contraception-aphrodisiac.html Archaeology Wed, 08 Apr 2026 07:20:01 EDT news694847342 Access to nutritious food is a fundamental pillar of human success, but such access has been unequal throughout history. In pre-industrial European societies, meat was a highly sought-after food, and access to it was often related to a higher social status. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-meat-years-european-bones-diet.html Archaeology Tue, 07 Apr 2026 16:40:03 EDT news694788018