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Bones of Contention: New Evidence of Cannibalism in Magdalenian Culture

Anthropology.net

Credit: Scientific Reports (2025). “Cannibalism was an integral practice within the cultural systems of these Magdalenian groups,” the authors write. “The presence of cultural modifications may be related in more cases than expected to the consumption of the bodies, in other words, to human cannibalism.”

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When Did Humans Start Talking? Genomic Evidence Pushes Language Back to 135,000 Years Ago

Anthropology.net

Genomic Clues: Tracing Language Through Population Splits Unlike previous studies that relied on archaeology or comparative anatomy, this research examines how human populations began to branch off from one another. What Came First: Language or Symbolic Thought? This challenges the long-held view that language and symbolism arose in tandem.

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Rethinking Early Architecture: Computational Insights into Neolithic Building Practices

Anthropology.net

Published in Archaeological Research in Asia 1 , the research introduces a computational approach that reveals unexpected complexity in the architectural development of Neolithic settlements. These sites span from the Natufian culture (15,000 years ago) to the early Neolithic period (8,500 years ago). 1 Goldgeier, H.,

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East Meets West: Avar Society’s Genetic Patchwork in Early Medieval Austria

Anthropology.net

In the 8th century CE, the Avars—an enigmatic group with roots in the East Asian steppes—settled in Central Europe, weaving a tapestry of cultural cohesion amid genetic diversity. Their findings reveal an intriguing story of cultural integration despite distinct genetic divides. ” Even weapons were rare in the graves.

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Ancient DNA from the Green Sahara Reveals a Lost North African Lineage

Anthropology.net

© Archaeological Mission in the Sahara, Sapienza University of Rome By analyzing DNA from two 7,000-year-old naturally mummified individuals found in the Takarkori rock shelter of southwestern Libya, researchers have identified a genetic signature distinct from both sub-Saharan and Eurasian populations. 1 Salem, N., Sümer, A.

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Ancient Meteors and Early Iron: How Space Rocks Became Everyday Tools in Iron Age Poland

Anthropology.net

Recent analysis of artifacts from two Lusatian Culture cemeteries suggests that early metallurgists were not only working with iron from terrestrial sources but also incorporating metal from ataxite meteorites—an extremely rare form of nickel-rich iron that originates in space. Journal of Archaeological Science, 92 , 30-39.

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Climate and the First South Americans: How Ancient Environments Shaped Early Human Settlement

Anthropology.net

Using Bayesian chronological modeling and data from over 150 archaeological sites, the study examines how two major climatic events—the Antarctic Cold Reversal (ACR) and the Younger Dryas (YD)—influenced early human dispersal across the continent. The modelling work (e.g., <2,5000 masl = orange. ≥2,5000 masl = blue.