Anthropology.net

DECEMBER 3, 2024

Researchers from the University of São Paulo (USP) and the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA) have identified semi-domesticated maize specimens from caves in Brazil’s Peruaçu Valley, revealing a unique chapter in the crop’s evolutionary history.

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DECEMBER 19, 2024

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

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DECEMBER 19, 2024

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).

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OCTOBER 29, 2024

Recent groundbreaking research in Antiquity 1 has revolutionized the understanding of ancient Maya civilization. Utilizing cutting-edge lidar technology, researchers from Tulane University and Northern Arizona University have uncovered more than 6,500 structures hidden beneath the dense forests of Campeche, Mexico.

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JANUARY 18, 2025

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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MARCH 14, 2025

By analyzing genetic divergences in early Homo sapiens populations, researchers argue that the biological capacity for language must have been present at least 135,000 years ago. The researchers propose that language might have played a key role. What Came First: Language or Symbolic Thought?

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MAY 1, 2025

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. A ceremonial structure in Chaco Canyon. in April 2024.

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APRIL 30, 2025

2025 In a new study published in Australian Archaeology 1 , Ana Paula Motta and colleagues, in partnership with the Balanggarra Aboriginal Corporation, have proposed that these figures represent a distinct rock art style they call the Linear Naturalistic Figures (LNF). "We Related Research David, B., Credit: Dr. Motta in Motta et al.

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MAY 15, 2025

Excavations at the Vardhanze archaeological site in Uzbekistan, under the directorship of Silvia Pozzi and the Italian/Uzbek Expeditions. Among other research questions, Dr. Spengler and his team are trying to better understand how a massive capital city was fed and supplied on the edge of the Kyzyl Kum Desert in early historical periods. .”

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MAY 7, 2025

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.

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DECEMBER 2, 2024

. “The structure aligns with theoretical models predicting the use of specialized heating techniques for birch tar production, a hallmark of Neanderthal ingenuity,” the researchers note. Journal of Archaeological Science, 117 , 105116. How Did Neanderthals Make Tar? Leierer, L., Pérez, L., & Lagunilla, Á H.

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Anthropology for Beginners

DECEMBER 20, 2023

style='mso-element:field-begin'> TOC o "1-4" h z u Archaeology of power and identity: the political use of the discipline. style='mso-element:field-begin'> TOC o "1-4" h z u Archaeology of power and identity: the political use of the discipline.

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NOVEMBER 8, 2024

High in the Zeravshan Valley of Tajikistan, the Soii Havzak rock-shelter has provided researchers with an invaluable glimpse into early human migration routes and daily life in Central Asia. Artifacts suggest that the Zeravshan Valley was not only a migration route but potentially a place of cultural exchange.

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MAY 8, 2025

Across a wide range of Neolithic communities, archaeological evidence suggests that disparities in wealth—though present—were often kept in check. According to a new synthesis of archaeological, historical, and economic data published in the Journal of Economic Literature 1 , that change wasn’t just about economics.

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Anthropology.net

MAY 13, 2025

“The archaeological record shows shifts in empires and cultures. Present-day Iran is highlighted, with the archaeological sites mentioned in the text. A Genetic Tether Through Time The researchers sequenced 23 mitochondrial genomes and 13 nuclear genomes from remains spanning more than three millennia.

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NOVEMBER 7, 2024

Ochre’s Role in Early Human Society Ochre, valued across cultures and eras, was more than a mere pigment; it was a cornerstone of symbolic and ceremonial life. In Eswatini, ochre remains significant in various cultural rituals, such as wedding ceremonies where brides are adorned with red ochre as a symbol of transformation and unity.

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FEBRUARY 17, 2025

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).

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DECEMBER 4, 2024

The Study of Ancient Alaskan Canids To explore this complex history, a team of archaeologists led by François Lanoë from the University of Arizona analyzed 111 sets of bones from canids unearthed at archaeological sites across interior Alaska. Journal : Journal of Anthropological Archaeology , 2019. lupus/familiaris ).

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APRIL 16, 2025

According to new research, it may have also reshaped the evolutionary story of humans in Europe and beyond. Yet archaeological evidence suggests Homo sapiens didn’t just survive this celestial hazard—they adapted. ” The research may also inform the search for life on exoplanets. link] Nilsson, A.

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MAY 2, 2025

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. Related Research d’Errico, F., & Backwell, L. Neandertal demise: An archaeological analysis. It was a Neanderthal.

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Anthropology.net

OCTOBER 31, 2024

New research, led by Guillaume Charloux and published in PLOS ONE 1 , focuses on the third-to-second-millennium BCE town of al-Natah, shedding light on Arabia's unique urbanization process during this era. Future archaeological work may reveal more about the timing and extent of urbanization in this region and its unique trajectory.

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FEBRUARY 19, 2025

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)

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APRIL 14, 2025

And yet, the archaeological record for that period—from roughly 26,500 to 19,000 years ago—tells a strangely quiet story. Or has the archaeological record simply failed to preserve these ephemeral traces of life? Fire as Cultural Technology Fire is not merely a survival tool. Did hunter-gatherers abandon fire?

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DECEMBER 4, 2024

Discovering Emotion in Ancient Mesopotamia From the flutter of "butterflies in the stomach" to the weight of a "heavy heart," emotions are often tied to physical sensations in modern cultures. However, researchers caution that linguistic descriptions alone may not capture the full scope of emotional experience.

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MARCH 26, 2025

New research by Lorena Becerra-Valdivia, published in Nature Communications 1 , suggests that humans did not simply follow stable climates but adapted to fluctuating conditions, sometimes settling in areas experiencing severe cold. 2 ) takes different cultural components and specific lithic traditions/categories into account.

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Anthropology.net

APRIL 2, 2025

Now, an international team of researchers 1 has uncovered the first ancient genomes from this long-lost ecosystem, shedding new light on an ancient North African lineage that has all but disappeared. This ancient group shares ancestry with the 15,000-year-old foragers of Taforalt Cave in Morocco, associated with the Iberomaurusian culture.

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MARCH 25, 2025

The results challenge long-held assumptions about how early humans controlled tool shape and suggest that the differences in Levallois core designs may be more influenced by cultural traditions than previously thought​ Why Levallois Technology Matters Levallois technology represents a milestone in human cognitive and technological evolution.

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APRIL 12, 2025

“What we’re seeing here is early evidence of cognitive flexibility,” said a researcher familiar with the findings. “What matters isn’t just that they made tools,” one researcher commented, “but that they chose an unconventional material to do so. ” Beyond Survival: Teaching and Learning?

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JANUARY 19, 2025

It serves as a critical archaeological site for understanding the transition from Mesolithic hunter-gatherers to Neolithic agriculturalists. This approach minimizes ambiguities, allowing researchers to distinguish between protein sources with remarkable precision. The findings also raise broader questions about cultural practices.

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JANUARY 8, 2025

Wallacea, the sprawling chain of islands in eastern Indonesia that includes Timor-Leste, has long been a crossroads of cultures, languages, and genetics. Researchers analyzed 254 newly sequenced genomes, uncovering evidence of extensive gene flow from West Papua into the islands of Wallacea.

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JANUARY 23, 2025

Data from Prehistoric Sites The research team, including Dr. Andrew W. Hussain from the University of Cologne, drew on a vast database of archaeological findings. For this study, the researchers focused on zooarchaeological evidence—animal remains—from European sites inhabited by humans. ” Quaternary Research.

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APRIL 30, 2025

These languages, many of which still survive today, are more than means of communication—they are archaeological strata encoded in speech. ” Broader implications for archaeology and evolution The gradient model has wide implications. Related Research Hay, J., & Bauer, L. “And migration reshapes both.”

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JANUARY 17, 2025

“Melka Wakena’s unique high-altitude setting offers valuable insights into how early humans adapted to challenging environments,” the researchers wrote. The Acheulian culture, which emerged around 1.75 ” Melka Wakena’s archaeological record offers a glimpse into these capabilities.

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MARCH 27, 2025

​ 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.

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MARCH 5, 2025

Researchers have uncovered a collection of systematically shaped bone tools at Olduvai Gorge, dating back to 1.5 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.

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NOVEMBER 5, 2024

Insights from 130,000 Years of Climate and Human Impact The study tracked vegetation changes in southeastern Australia over the past 130,000 years, analyzing fossil pollen and archaeological data to determine how climate and human land use shaped the region’s ecology.

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APRIL 4, 2025

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.

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