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These stories speak of migration, of belonging, of origins tied to Chaco Canyon, one of the great ceremonial and cultural centers of the ancient Puebloan world. Published in Nature 1 on April 30, 2025, the research represents the first time a U.S. Oral traditions ignored. The interpretation was shaped by cultural context.
For decades, they were thought to be remnants of an earlier, Ice Age aesthetic, part of a vast visual tradition called the Irregular Infill Animal Period (IIAP). Of the 151 rock art sites identified, 22 preserved animal depictions that broke stylistically with the earlier IIAP tradition. Credit: Dr. Motta in Motta et al. link] Ross, J.,
Found in different parts of Europe, these two industries have often been grouped together as “transitional industries,” implying that they might share a common technological or cultural origin. To correct this, the team organized a workshop where archaeologists directly examined artifacts from both traditions side by side.
These tools, characterized by a prepared-core technique that allowed for precise flake removal, have long been studied using traditional measurements. This new study offers a different lens: analyzing the entire three-dimensional structure of the core to assess how shape is controlled across different regions and tradition.
Through statistical comparisons of genetic distances, geographic relationships, and the distribution of mythological motifs, the study reveals that both population movements and cultural diffusion have shaped the stories we tell today. Challenges and Critiques While the study offers compelling insights, it is not without limitations.
These sites span from the Natufian culture (15,000 years ago) to the early Neolithic period (8,500 years ago). “Traditional methods often rely on subjective interpretations of architectural change,” says lead author Hadas Goldgeier. “These findings highlight the ingenuity of early builders,” notes Prof.
As Omane and colleagues put it: “The idea that a child learns only one particular language from a single caregiver, as is often assumed in Western cultures, does not apply to these communities.” “The common assumptions do not reflect the diversity and complexity found in other cultural contexts such as Ghana.”
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).
Credit: bioRxiv (2025). Their findings upend traditional assumptions. This suggests that light skin was never an evolutionary necessity but rather one of many possible adaptations shaped by cultural and environmental factors. Dark pigmentation remained dominant across Europe for much longer than previously thought. Vizzari, M.
These instruments, linked to the Umm an-Nar culture, provide compelling evidence of a shared musical tradition between the ancient civilizations of the Arabian Peninsula and the Indus Valley. Al Rahbi Music has long served as a universal language, transcending geographical and cultural boundaries. S., & Douglas, K.
Flint tools left behind at the site 1 tell a story of mobility, cultural identity, and the quiet ingenuity of Upper Paleolithic peoples who refused to be hemmed in by mountains or ice. Rather than barriers, the mountains became meeting places—seasonal hubs for trade, communication, and cultural exchange. They brought traditions.
Credit: CSIC This finding changes the way we think about early human cognition, technological adaptability, and cultural innovation. A Mystery Still Unfolding One of the lingering questions is why this tradition of bone toolmaking seems to disappear for nearly a million years before reappearing in the Middle Pleistocene. Nature (2025).
Decoding the Diets: The Role of Isotopes The Power of Compound-Specific Isotope Analysis Traditional isotopic analysis often paints broad strokes about ancient diets but falls short in disentangling the nuances of dietary composition. The findings also raise broader questions about cultural practices. Read more 1 Martinoia, V.,
Instead, it suggests that the brain's ability to process language may have developed first as an internal cognitive tool, later spilling into outward communication and cultural expression. Language is not just a communication system; it is the foundation of human thought, culture, and innovation," Tattersall emphasizes. 1 Miyagawa, S.,
While sites in Iberia, Greece, and the Levant reveal a flourishing network of trade, agriculture, and technology, North Africa—except for Egypt—has often been cast as an empty land, a region untouched by the cultural currents shaping the rest of the ancient world. This is a crucial detail.
“The archaeological record shows shifts in empires and cultures. Despite profound cultural shifts, shifting trade networks, and the arrival and fall of empires, the underlying genetic profile of people in this region remained strikingly consistent. Yet the latest findings from Amjadi and colleagues complicate this long-held view.
Spatial distribution of archaeological sites included in the Bayesian chronological modelling according to geographic province, lithic technology (tradition or category), altitude and evidence for megafauna (MF) killing/scavenging by humans. Although a single lithic tradition/category is assigned to each site, some contain more than one (e.g.,
The Acheulian culture, which emerged around 1.75 Unlike its predecessor, the Oldowan tradition, which focused on basic percussive technologies, the Acheulian period is marked by a broader use of advanced tools such as handaxes and cleavers. Emerging from the earlier Oldowan tradition around 1.75 PLOS ONE, 11 (9), e0161322.
But beneath its cracked sediment and the shifting shoreline of long-vanished lakes, archaeologists are beginning to piece together a story not just of survival—but of deep cultural adaptation. Jórdeczka in Radiocarbon (2025) DOI:10.1017/RDC.2025.4 Pottery from FV 139 B - bottom of layer 1 (0–10 cm).
. “These features, whatever their age, demonstrate traditional ancient Indigenous practices, driven by the universal human need to transport possessions and resources.” Historically, it was used by Plains peoples to haul loads across the land, often drawn by horses or dogs. Related Research Bennett, M. DOI: 10.1016/j.qsa.2025.100274
Journal of Quaternary Science (2025) A new study in the Journal of Quaternary Science 1 suggests that at least one band of Late Upper Paleolithic foragers made their way to the windswept tip of the Isle of Skye, a place so remote it has long been considered beyond the reach of early postglacial settlement. Hardy et al., Hardy et al.,
Credit: Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences (2025). These artifacts stand out for their sophistication, demonstrating a clear departure from earlier Middle Paleolithic traditions. The tools' makers were not just chipping away at stones haphazardly; they were following a refined tradition, optimizing each flake for efficiency.
The presence of these distinct lithic technologies indicates that hunter-gatherers in this region were part of a broader culturaltradition that spanned much of southern Europe in the final millennia of the Ice Age. The radiocarbon dating places these tools firmly within the Early Epigravettian, aligning with known sites across Italy.
Undergraduate students making an individual submission must ensure their mentors have paid the CAAS membership fee for 2025 before making a submission. can enrich the curriculum illustrate how new technologies, such as AI, can transform the study of ancient texts and improve our appreciation of Greco-Roman culture.
But was its use during the Upper Paleolithic purely practical, or did it hold deeper cultural significance? The research, published in Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences 1 , presents compelling micro-archaeological evidence that fire was not just a survival tool but a defining cultural trait of the Gravettian tradition.
Diversity of Relations from Antiquity to Modernity April 10-11, 2025 We are delighted to invite you to participate in the fifth interdisciplinary international academic conference on the relationship between ancient Rome and the Iberian Peninsula. Material culture remains from the Roman times on the Peninsula’s territory.
The discovery of a sophisticated stone tool tradition in southern China is now forcing a major reassessment of that assumption. The presence of this distinctive technology so far from its previously known origins raises new questions about ancient human migrations, cultural exchange, and independent innovation. link] de Beaune, S.
The results paint a complex picture of migration, cultural blending, and long-distance connections. These European burials included individuals with "eastern-type" traits—characteristics often associated with nomadic steppe traditions. 122 (9) e2418485122, [link] (2025). Science Advances, 7 (32), eabd9223.
This model suggests that the interplay between migrating early farmers and indigenous hunter-gatherers—characterized by competition, cooperation, and cultural exchange—was instrumental in the spread of agricultural practices. 122 (14) e2416221122, [link] (2025). Kolář, R. Staniuk, & A.
Others developed traditions or institutions that emphasized reciprocity and mutual aid. The researchers argue that economic inequality is not an inevitable byproduct of complexity or innovation, but a social and political outcome shaped by cultural norms, leadership decisions, and institutional structures. link] 1 Feinman, G.
Social Studies Soundtracks: Using Music to Teach Social Studies May 2, 2025 By Debbie Bagley NEWSLETTER At first glance, social studies and music might seem like two separate subjects, but they can come together harmoniously to make learning more engaging and memorable. It is deeply rooted in our cultures, histories, geographies, and values.
The series, funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities, is focused on six themes that are at the heart of SNCC’s history of grassroots organizing: the organizing tradition, voting rights, Black Power, women and gender, freedom teaching, and art and culture in movement building.
They were the remains of animals deeply intertwined with the histories and cultures of Indigenous communities. ” For many Indigenous cultures, animals are not merely resources or tools; they are kin. Horses, bison, and other creatures hold deep cultural and spiritual significance. “You care for horses. Arterberry, J.,
Thursday, June 5, 2025 |1:00 p.m. Her research agenda focuses on political science pedagogy, campus-based civic engagement, and pop culture & politics. Join our expert panelists for a discussion on teaching American Politics in times of political uncertainty and crisis.
For much of the 20th century, archaeologists often removed human remains and cultural artifacts without consultation or consent. “The research helps us tell a fuller story of who we were and who we still are,” said Butler, who now oversees cultural preservation for the Nation. That practice is slowly changing.
Moving Beyond the "Brain in a Bucket" Theory For too long, traditional education has viewed learning as simply filling an empty vessel with knowledge, as if the brain operated in isolation from emotions and the body. Research shows that simply living in different cultures creates measurable differences in brain activity and structure.
With only five analyzed artifacts, it remains difficult to determine whether these engravings were widespread cultural phenomena or isolated, individual expressions. Symbolic evolution and the cultural explosion: A model for the emergence of symbolic thinking." First and foremost is sample size. Did Neanderthals create them?
Deadline The deadline for submitting ALL proposals for the 2025 Annual Meeting is Friday, April 5, 2024 at 11:59 P.M. (ET). There you will find important information pertaining to the requirements for making a submission, plus links to guidelines and other resources from our program committee on submitting a proposal for the Annual Meeting.
Often, the product of this influence is a colonialist narrative that presents past cultures as flawed or inconsistent (because they fail to meet modern criteria) and modern (usually Western) cultures as the resolution of these inconsistencies. Fellowships will be distributed equally across the 2025-2026 academic year (i.e.,
Exploring the Assumptions of Cultural History: Call for Fellows kskordal Mon, 03/04/2024 - 13:37 Image The Future of the Past Lab and the Center for Premodern Studies at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities are excited to announce a three-year series of visiting fellowships titled “Exploring the Assumptions of Cultural History.”
Importantly, the plan for this sanctuary is that the federal government and Native tribes of this part of California will collaboratively manage the CHNMS to protect the region’s marine ecosystems and cultural heritage. Time will tell whether NOAA agrees to eventually include Morro Bay in line with the wishes of the Northern Chumash.
But both are in regions where a drop in the number of traditional-age undergraduates is looming , according to the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, which tracks this. Enrollment in the fall was 719 toward a goal of about 1,000 by 2025, a university spokesman said. But its number of healthcare workers has lagged.
Credit: RJ Sangosti/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images What happens next, though, is unclear, as the course right now is just a pilot, and the first AP exam in the topic won’t be administered until the spring of 2025. “We There’s nothing objectional.
Age-appropriate Text and Engaging Activities with Studies Weekly | Teacher Testimonial Mar 14, 2025 By Studies Weekly NEWSLETTER Speaker : Frances B., She believes encouraging a culture of grace and continuous learning allows educators to explore new strategies, take risks, and refine their practices in ways that uplift students.
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