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Traditionally, scholars have debated linguistic origins based on indirect clues—symbolic artifacts, brain size, or the complexity of tool-making. Fossils do not speak, and ancient DNA does not carry recordings of conversations. 1 Miyagawa, S., DeSalle, R., Nóbrega, V. Nitschke, R., Okumura, M., & Tattersall, I.
Many knotted artifacts remain tucked away in storage, undocumented and undigitized. link] — Explores cultural phylogenetics through folk narratives, analogous to the methods applied to knot histories. The ties that bind: Computational, cross-cultural analyses of knots reveal their cultural evolutionary history and significance.
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. Pin fragment (E) from Częstochowa-Mirów (4).
Rather than a single lineage evolving smoothly over time, the evidence suggests a history of separation and recombination," says Cousins. This approach circumvents the need for physical fossils, offering a way to reconstruct population history even when no bones or artifacts remain. Nat Genet (2025). Reich, D.,
Yet, could these stories also encode the history of humanity’s migrations and interactions? “Our results reveal that correlations between mythemes and genetic patterns can be traced back to population movements that pre-date the Last Glacial Maximum,” the authors write, situating storytelling at the core of human history.
For centuries, the study of prehistoric life has relied on the fragile remnants of bones and artifacts. Credit: Nature Communications (2025). ” Implications for Archaeology and Genetics A New Era in Prehistoric Research The ability to extract DNA from sediments is revolutionizing the study of human and animal history.
The graves, filled with artifacts like ornate belt fittings and everyday items, reflected a shared culture. It exemplifies how ancient populations balanced coexistence and diversity, paving the way for future exploration of genetic and cultural intersections in human history. But ancient DNA analysis told a different story.
The Footprints That Rewrite History In the shifting gypsum sands of White Sands National Park in New Mexico, a series of fossilized human footprints have surfaced, casting a striking new light on the ingenuity of Ice Age inhabitants. Were these travois built for long-distance travel, or simply for short-term use within seasonal camps?
The discovery of an Epigravettian layer at Grotta della Lea now provides a new chapter in this long history, capturing a time when small bands of hunter-gatherers were adapting to life at the edge of the Last Glacial Maximum. A Site for the Future Grotta della Lea is still in the early stages of study, but its potential is clear. Martini, I.,
Now, a study published in the Journal of Archaeological Science 1 has used ancient DNA and isotopic analysis to answer that question—and in doing so, has provided new insight into a war that shaped the history of East Asia. To clarify the history of the fortress, archaeologists turned to the remains of those who died there.
2025 Led by Dr. Sara Juengst, an international team of researchers analyzed the burial, comparing it to others from the region. The burial contained an assortment of artifacts, many of which were unusual for Manteño burials. What significance did the combination of Valdivia and Manteño artifacts hold for those who buried her?
Przedwojewska-Szymańska/PASI; Antiquity (2025) An Unexpected Discovery in the Highlands of El Salvador In 2022, archaeologists excavating the summit of a Preclassic structure in San Isidro unearthed an extraordinary tableau: five clay figurines carefully arranged in what appears to be a deliberate formation. Scale in centimetres.
But every now and then, a new discovery forces a rewrite of this narrative, reminding us that human history is more intricate than we once thought. Examples of retouched artifacts from the stratigraphically youngest Middle Palaeolithic assemblage at Jebel Faya, Emirate of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. Related Research Bretzke, K.,
They were the remains of animals deeply intertwined with the histories and cultures of Indigenous communities. Lakota elder Milo Yellow Hair looks over bison skulls stored in the CU Museum of Natural History. Virtue Ethics and the Practice of History: Native Americans and Archaeologists Along the San Pedro Valley of Arizona."
Now my students know that if I am wearing my BLM shirt or Black History Matters shirt at school it is not a performative act — it means that they can hold me accountable to what I have done in and out of class to show that I am living up to that belief. history, racism, and LGBTQ+ identity. history, racism, and LGBTQ+ identity.
Trekking for thousands of hours through these sites, I have seen the destruction of critical remnants of ancient structures, the obliteration of numerous mosaic pavements and subterranean rock-cut features, and the demolition of incalculable layers of cultural history. President-elect Donald Trump assuming office in January 2025.
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