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In early 2024, Spain’s culture minister announced that the nation would overhaul its state museum collections, igniting a wave of anticipation—and controversy. It is crucial to understand that decolonizing efforts in museums do not equate to an immediate, wholesale return of cultural material. Unlike the U.K.,
New archaeological research reveals insights into the first-known seafarers to brave ocean crossings from Asia to the Pacific Islands more than 50,000 years ago. The authors acknowledge the contribution of Abdul Razak Macap, a social anthropologist at the Regional Cultural Heritage Center in Manokwari.)
Application of ArchaeologyArchaeology is the study of human past through material remains. archaeologists study past humans and societies primarily through their material remains – the buildings, tools, and other artifacts that constitute what is known as the material culture left over from former societies.
In the aftermath of the Gulf War, sparked by Iraqs invasion of Kuwait in 1990, the countrys archaeological sites became easy targets for looters. Archaeological sites were also targeted and destroyed, with as much as 80 percent of their surfaces covered in looters pits. During the 2003 U.S. Does anyone know why Im bringing up 2003?
Traditionally, scholars have debated linguistic origins based on indirect clues—symbolic artifacts, brain size, or the complexity of tool-making. The genetic evidence suggests that Homo sapiens had the capacity for language long before the first clear signs of symbolic behavior appear in the archaeological record.
But recent archaeological findings reveal that even domestic livestock were transformed to project power and control. This discovery reshapes our understanding of early animal domestication and its cultural significance in Predynastic Egypt. Credit: Journal of Archaeological Science (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.jas.2024.106104
Reshaping the Narrative on Neanderthal Technology The projectile point was discovered by a team led by Liubov Golovanova, who has spent decades investigating the archaeological layers of Mezmaiskaya. 2025 The artifact isn’t just evidence of tool use. But this artifact predates such interactions. Credit: Golovanova et al.
a) Location of early metallurgical activities in Anatolia and Gre Fılla archaeological site. Among the architectural remnants and everyday artifacts, researchers have uncovered compelling evidence of early copper use and production. b) The context where the vitrified material (GRE-VRF) was found. c) Chisel axe.
Their findings underscore the importance of Central Asia not only as a geographical way point but as a cultural and technological nexus where different human populations may have encountered each other over millennia. Artifacts suggest that the Zeravshan Valley was not only a migration route but potentially a place of cultural exchange.
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.
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. Credit: Jambon et al. A Witnessed Meteorite Fall?
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.
But what sets these artifacts apart is what they reveal: that some of our distant hominin ancestors were not just using stone—they were thinking beyond it. This may be the earliest archaeological hint of social learning in technological contexts. Journal of Archaeological Science, 35(6), 1566–1580.
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. A new study published in the Journal of Paleolithic Archaeology 1 has upended this assumption. But do they? 4a) blade-like. (4b)
The Acheulian culture, which emerged around 1.75 Using experimental archaeology, advanced 3D scanning, and photogrammetry, they recreated and analyzed the wear patterns on stone tools from Melka Wakena. ” Melka Wakena’s archaeological record offers a glimpse into these capabilities. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0161322
These languages, many of which still survive today, are more than means of communication—they are archaeological strata encoded in speech. To ensure this wasn’t an artifact of sampling or contact with European languages, the team excluded creoles, mixed languages, and known colonial effects.
Bone tools found in Olduvai, photographed in the Pleistocene Archaeology Lab of CSIC. Credit: CSIC This finding changes the way we think about early human cognition, technological adaptability, and cultural innovation. Bone tools found in Olduvai, photographed in the Pleistocene Archaeology Lab of CSIC.
A recent study published in Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences 1 takes a significant step toward answering these questions. The Engraved Stones of the Levant The researchers focused on five artifacts from four archaeological sites: Manot Cave, Amud Cave, Qafzeh Cave, and Quneitra. First and foremost is sample size.
Rethinking the Archaeology of Contact For decades, the presence or absence of European trade goods—glass beads, iron knives, brass kettles—has guided archaeologists in determining whether a North American Indigenous site was occupied before or after European contact. If European objects were found, the site was “historic.”
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. Ostrich Beads and the Material Memory of the Steppe The Gobi Desert was never a cultural void. Muntowski and M.
But beyond their everyday function of fastening and securing, knots hold something deeper: a story about the evolution of human cognition, the flow of culture, and the quiet persistence of shared technique across continents and millennia. Encoding Entanglement—How Math Helped Map Knots Knots rarely survive in the archaeological record.
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. These artifacts suggest that the inhabitants of Longtan were engaging in complex tool-making behavior typically attributed to Neanderthals in Europe.
While the southern lowlands began to host reindeer hunters and mobile foragers, the highlands and islands of Scotland remained largely uncharted in the archaeological record. Evidence has trickled in from sites in Yorkshire and Kent, but Skye, until now, was off the archaeological map. Hardy et al., Stone tools found on Skye.
One such discovery has emerged from the archaeological site of Jebel Faya, a rock shelter nestled in the Emirate of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. Examples of retouched artifacts from the stratigraphically youngest Middle Palaeolithic assemblage at Jebel Faya, Emirate of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. What Comes Next?
Unlike many other archaeological sites that have been repeatedly excavated over decades, this cave has only recently been investigated systematically. Journal of Archaeological Science, Reports , 63 (105064), 105064. The radiocarbon dating places these tools firmly within the Early Epigravettian, aligning with known sites across Italy.
A multidisciplinary team of researchers explains historical, cultural, and ethical issues they considered while developing a 3D scan of a South African site to be shared with the world online. This has led to numerous archaeological and heritage sites appearing online in interactive 3D platforms, such as Sketchfab.
That paradox has haunted archaeology for decades. “This is the first commodity to be exported across the entire continent in British history,” said Dr. Benjamin Roberts, associate professor of archaeology at Durham University. A Mining Culture Without Cities What makes the story more astonishing is who was doing the mining.
. “This is the first time we’ve been able to document half a millennium of continuous, large-scale production of mollusk-based purple dye in a single place,” said Golan Shalvi, lead author of the study and director of excavations at the University of Haifa’s Zinman Institute of Archaeology. Galanaki et al.).
They were the remains of animals deeply intertwined with the histories and cultures of Indigenous communities. That’s a problem, says William Taylor, curator of archaeology at the University of Colorado Museum of Natural History and co-author of the study. Are they places where we treat archaeological objects as inanimate things?
In a groundbreaking study published in Nature Human Behaviour 1 , researchers delve into the intricate world of ancient jewelry, unearthing evidence of nine distinct lost cultures that thrived across Europe between 34,000 and 24,000 years ago. Critics argue that archaeology has leaned too heavily on genetic evidence. Baker, Rigaud, et.
In a recent study presented at the Society for American Archaeology’s 2024 annual meeting and detailed in the newly published book Maya Blue (University Press of Colorado), anthropologist Dean Arnold proposes a second, previously undocumented method. What’s clear, however, is that Maya blue was never just a color.
Their remains and the artifacts found with them shed light on this major turning point in human evolution. They dug a trench as deep as two city busses stacked end-to-end that yielded millions of artifacts and food remains. Like Ksâr ‘Akil 4, Egbert, too, was a now-missing, fossil child. It’s unclear if they ever arrived.
Recent archaeological findings suggest that the Bronze Age board game, Hounds and Jackals—also known as Fifty-Eight Holes—may have originated not in Egypt, as previously believed, but in Asia. 2024 A Global History of Ancient Games Board games have been part of human culture for millennia. Crist et al.,
Introduction: A Landmark Discovery in Qaleh Kurd Cave In a momentous archaeological breakthrough, French and Iranian researchers have unearthed compelling evidence of early human habitation in Iran's Central Plateau, pushing back the known timeline of human settlement in the region by an astonishing 300,000 years.
Archaeological discoveries in East Timor’s Laili rock shelter have unveiled evidence 1 of ancient human habitation dating back approximately 44,000 years. Excavations revealed thousands of stone artifacts and animal bones, indicating human presence approximately 44,000 years ago.
Recent archaeological findings 1 in West Papua have unveiled new insights into one of the most significant migrations in human history—the journey of early Homo sapiens into the Pacific Islands. This site, rich in archaeological deposits, provided a window into the lives of the early humans who inhabited the region.
Discovered in Poland, this artifact challenges our understanding of their cognitive abilities and symbolic culture. Tomasz Płonka, professor of archaeology at the University of Wrocław, “It is one of the quite rare Neanderthal objects of symbolic nature. Different views of a roughly 4-inches-long (10.6
Hosek said, “In archaeology, there are vanishingly few instances in which we can tie a particular activity unequivocally to skeletal changes.” Artifacts such as bridles and chariots from this period provide concrete evidence of horse domestication. in a culture known as the Yamnaya.
This shift, associated with the emergence of the Funnel Beaker Culture, led to permanent settlements and the construction of houses, megalithic tombs, and other structures. Such findings highlight the significance of ongoing archaeological research in uncovering the complexities of early human societies. 1 Brinch, M., Philippsen, B.,
In 1994, the Schöningen open-cast coal mine yielded an astonishing archaeological treasure: remarkably well-preserved hunting weapons dating back 300,000 years. Unveiling Woodworking Expertise The meticulous examination of wooden artifacts has uncovered a sophisticated understanding of woodworking among early humans. 1 Leder, D.,
It contained more than 40 human graves and preserved layers of human artifacts, such as stone tools, going back 12,000 years.” The rich archaeological context, combined with new genetic data, is revealing a long and stable genetic history of the region’s inhabitants.
We invite submissions that probe the anthropological dimensions of AI: how it affects and is affected by human behavior, social norms, and cultural practices. AI is a complex field that appears poised to impact nearly every aspect of human life, from work to interpersonal relationships, education, mental health, and beyond.
The Oakhurst rock shelter, nestled in the cliffs of South Africa’s southern coast, has long been a focal point for archaeologists due to its wealth of artifacts and human remains. These findings offer a new perspective on human population stability and cultural evolution in southern Africa.
In a groundbreaking revelation, an international team of researchers, spanning China, Australia, France, Spain, and Germany, has unveiled a sophisticated material culture in East Asia dating back an astonishing 45,000 years. Radiocarbon dating of the main cultural layer precisely places Shiyu between 45,800 and 43,200 years ago.
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