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Archaeology news
Researchers propose a theory to explain how the Menga dolmen was built
A multi-institutional team of historians, geologists, physicists, and archaeologists in Spain has developed a theory to explain how a neolithic culture could have built the Menga dolmen, an ancient structure consisting of ...
Seeking an ethical approach to ancient DNA analysis
The study of ancient DNA provides valuable insights into human history, including how ancient populations migrated and merged with each other. But discoveries drawn from this ancient genetic data can directly impact the living ...
Archaeology
5 hours ago
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Unique Iron- and Viking-age mortuary houses unearthed in Norway
Recent work published by Dr. Raymond Sauvage and Dr. Richard Macphail in Medieval Archaeology describes the excavation and interpretation of three Iron- and Viking-Age mortuary houses in central Norway, Skeiet, in the village ...
Evidence found of Europeans using cocaine as far back as the 17th century
A team of biomedical and medicinal specialists from the University of Milan, working with a colleague from Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico di Milano, has found evidence of cocaine use by at least ...
Ancient DNA sheds light on the genetic diversity of post-Roman elites
A new study of ancient DNA by a team of international researchers and co-led by Krishna R. Veeramah, Ph.D., of Stony Brook University, provides insight into the development and social structures of European rural communities ...
Archaeology
Aug 23, 2024
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Could an 11th-century contract prove the existence of same-sex marriage in medieval Spain?
In 1061, two men, Pedro Díaz and Munio Vandilaz, signed a legal agreement in which they undertook to share the management of the house and church of Santa María de Ordes—most likely the current parish of the same name ...
Archaeology
Aug 22, 2024
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To kill mammoths in the Ice Age, people used planted pikes, not throwing spears, researchers say
How did early humans use sharpened rocks to bring down megafauna 13,000 years ago? Did they throw spears tipped with carefully crafted, razor-sharp rocks called Clovis points? Did they surround and jab mammoths and mastodons? ...
Archaeology
Aug 21, 2024
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Ancient tree resin artifacts provide earliest-known evidence of humans dispersing through the Pacific
Exactly when and how humans dispersed into and through the Pacific remains an intensely debated topic. Previous studies have been hampered by imprecise chronometric dating, making the exact timing and movement of people into ...
New insight into the origins and motivations for ritual tooth removal in ancient Taiwan
A recent study published by archaeologist Yue Zhang and her colleagues in Archaeological Research in Asia has provided detailed insights into the practice of tooth ablation in Taiwan from the Neolithic through to the modern ...
Ice Age Europeans: Climate change caused a drastic decline in hunter–gatherers, fossil study shows
A large-scale study of fossil human teeth from Ice Age Europe shows that climate change significantly influenced the demography of prehistoric humans.
Archaeology
Aug 19, 2024
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How researchers determined that Stonehenge's giant Altar Stone came all the way from northeast Scotland
No one is certain why Stonehenge was built. This world-famous monument on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire is thought to commemorate the dead, and is aligned with movements of the sun and moon.
Archaeology
Aug 18, 2024
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UK diving team hail suspected WWI warship find
A team of UK divers has hailed the discovery of a wreck off Scotland believed to be a Royal Navy warship sunk during World War I but still "virtually intact".
Archaeology
Aug 18, 2024
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Stonehenge's 'altar stone' originally came from Scotland and not Wales, new research shows
The ancient ritual meaning of Stonehenge is still a mystery, but researchers are one step closer to understanding how the famous stone circle was created.
Archaeology
Aug 17, 2024
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The Altar Stone of Stonehenge came from an unexpectedly distant place, new study reveals
During the solstices, thousands gather at Stonehenge on the Salisbury Plain in England to celebrate the monument's astronomical alignment. The focal point of these festivities is the Altar Stone—the six-ton sandstone slab ...
Archaeology
Aug 17, 2024
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Ancient DNA reveals Indigenous dog lineages found at Jamestown, Virginia
Previous scientific studies have indicated that North American dog lineages were replaced with European ones between 1492 and the present day. To better understand the timing of this replacement, researchers from the University ...
Archaeology
Aug 17, 2024
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Study confirms likely identity of the remains of Bishop Teodomiro
Until recently, little was known about Bishop Teodomiro, who, after St James the Apostle, is one of the most important figures associated with the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela.
Archaeology
Aug 16, 2024
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Researchers discover there was an overseas trade supplying horses for sacrifices during the late Viking age
Prehistoric communities from Iceland to the Eurasian Steppe sacrificed horses as part of their funeral rites. These Baltic tribes, known as the Balts, sacrificed horses longer than anywhere else in Europe, up until the 14th ...
Archaeology
Aug 14, 2024
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Rare archaeological site reveals 'surprising' Neanderthal behavior at Pyrenees foothills
An unchartered area in the foothills of the Southern Pyrenees in Spain is providing insights into a poorly known period of Neanderthal history, offering clues that could help archaeologists uncover the mystery of their downfall, ...
Archaeology
Aug 14, 2024
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Stonehenge's Altar Stone origins reveal advanced ancient Britain
New research led by Curtin University has revealed Stonehenge's monumental six-ton Altar Stone, long believed to originate from Wales, actually hails from Scotland. The study titled "A Scottish Provenance for the Altar Stone ...
Archaeology
Aug 14, 2024
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House call: A new study rethinks early Christian landmark
Since its discovery by modern researchers a century ago, an ancient structure known as the "Christian building" has become widely considered the cornerstone of early Christian architecture. Constructed around 232 C.E. in ...
Archaeology
Aug 13, 2024
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Geologists discover hidden magmatism at the Chang'e-6 lunar landing site
