Anthropology.net

MARCH 14, 2025

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. Yet, despite its central role in human evolution, determining when and how language first emerged remains a challenge.

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Anthropology.net

MARCH 25, 2025

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.

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Anthropology.net

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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Anthropology.net

DECEMBER 2, 2024

From Philosophy to Archaeology: The Capability Approach The HDI, widely used today to evaluate well-being through health, education, and living standards, traces its roots to the capability approach developed by philosopher and economist Amartya Sen. ” Applying this concept to ancient societies presented a challenge.

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Anthropology.net

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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Anthropology.net

MARCH 5, 2025

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.

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Anthropology.net

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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Anthropology.net

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. Journal of Archaeological Science, 92 , 30-39.

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Anthropology.net

OCTOBER 29, 2024

Photo by Marcello Canuto) The Power of Lidar in Archaeology Lidar, a laser-based detection system, allows archaeologists to scan landscapes by sending thousands of laser pulses per second and mapping the terrain based on how these pulses reflect off surfaces.

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Anthropology.net

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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Anthropology.net

NOVEMBER 8, 2024

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.

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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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Anthropology.net

MARCH 27, 2025

​ a) Location of early metallurgical activities in Anatolia and Gre Fılla archaeological site. ​ These findings challenge the traditional timeline, which places the advent of copper metallurgy in the Chalcolithic period, around 4000 BCE. b) The context where the vitrified material (GRE-VRF) was found. c) Chisel axe.

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Anthropology.net

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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Anthropology.net

FEBRUARY 27, 2025

Soldevilla, LDA A recent study, led by Erik Zamzow and his colleagues, explores the grinding stone deposits of the Linear Pottery Culture (LBK) in Central Europe, revealing a deeply symbolic connection between these objects and human life cycles. Grinding stone deposits of the linear pottery culture in central Germany. 1 Zamzow, E.,

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Anthropology.net

MARCH 10, 2025

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.

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Anthropology.net

JANUARY 17, 2025

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

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Anthropology.net

OCTOBER 30, 2024

Archaeological findings 2 have confirmed that axe-like tools date back over 44,000 years, making the kodj one of the most ancient weapons still known today. The research marks a milestone in the study of Indigenous weapons, combining centuries of traditional knowledge with cutting-edge biomechanical technology. 1 Diamond, L.

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Anthropology.net

MARCH 11, 2025

Exposed section of archaeological sediments dated to to 110 thousand years ago at Tinshemet cave A new study, published in Nature Human Behaviour 1 , brings fresh insight into this question. Instead, it points to the possibility of shared traditions, passed between groups over time. Tinshemet Cave during the excavations.

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Anthropology.net

JANUARY 19, 2025

It serves as a critical archaeological site for understanding the transition from Mesolithic hunter-gatherers to Neolithic agriculturalists. This nuance suggests a more varied diet than previously thought, shaped by both ecological and cultural factors. The findings also raise broader questions about cultural practices.

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Anthropology.net

MARCH 10, 2025

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?

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Sapiens

FEBRUARY 6, 2024

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.

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Sapiens

SEPTEMBER 18, 2024

Like conspiracy theories about aliens building ancient monuments , Hancock’s views carry racist implications— explicitly championed by white supremacists—that Indigenous peoples were not the source of their own cultures, technologies, and monuments. CC These ancient practices in Chaco Canyon are a bridge to Hopi culture today?

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Anthropology.net

FEBRUARY 24, 2025

The results paint a complex picture of migration, cultural blending, and long-distance connections. The Genetic Footprint of the Huns The study focused on 35 newly sequenced genomes from key archaeological sites, including a 3rd–4th century site in Kazakhstan and 5th–6th century burial contexts in the Carpathian Basin.

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Anthropology.net

FEBRUARY 18, 2025

One such discovery has emerged from the archaeological site of Jebel Faya, a rock shelter nestled in the Emirate of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. Credit: Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences (2025). These artifacts stand out for their sophistication, demonstrating a clear departure from earlier Middle Paleolithic traditions.

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Anthropology.net

FEBRUARY 19, 2025

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.

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Anthropology.net

MARCH 6, 2025

The archaeological discovery of Preclassic clay figurines atop the San Isidro pyramid in El Salvador raises profound questions about the social and ritualistic lives of Mesoamerican cultures. Or echoes of a broader pan-Mesoamerican tradition? Were these figures sacred objects of devotion? Props in an ancient performance?

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Anthropology News

NOVEMBER 3, 2024

Slocum reflects on her experiences conducting ethnographic research as part of a collaborative, community-centered archaeological project in Tahcabo, Yucatán, Mexico, from a decolonial feminist standpoint. Most of the pieces we published came from cultural anthropologists, which was also the case for our predecessor Contributing Editors.

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Anthropology.net

FEBRUARY 21, 2025

A Mysterious Ritual Resurfaces in the Archaeological Record In the rugged landscapes of northeastern Iberia, ancient fortresses once stood, their walls bearing silent witness to the turbulent rituals of Iron Age societies. And how did these practices compare to similar rituals in neighboring cultures? Journal of Archaeological Science.

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Anthropology.net

MARCH 8, 2025

Their findings point to a complex blend of cultural traditions, physical trauma, and ritual significance, raising new questions about Manteño funerary practices and the role of sacrifice in pre-Columbian Ecuador. World Archaeology, 24 (1), 82-102. Valdivia and the Coastal Tradition of Ecuador." 1 Juengst, S.

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Anthropology.net

FEBRUARY 25, 2025

By the end of the first millennium CE, another tradition emerged: elaborate mound and enclosure complexes (MECs), highly visible structures perched atop hilltops. Were they markers of social hierarchy, or did they reflect a deeper cultural transformation? These contrasting burial customs have puzzled archaeologists for decades.

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Anthropology.net

FEBRUARY 7, 2025

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. But at what point did this transition occur?

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Sapiens

FEBRUARY 20, 2024

The Wajãpi had invited me to map archaeological sites in their territory. The Wajãpi already knew of my “archaeological finds”—the footsteps of Creator Hero from the beginning of time. What could my archaeological knowledge possibly offer to such a vast cosmological wisdom? I was excited. We just draw from different backgrounds.

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Sapiens

MARCH 19, 2024

To uncover this past, a team launched the country’s first archaeological research. The Praia Melão engenho and estate is the first archaeological site identified in São Tomé. Other objects, including fragments of African ceramics and a cowrie shell, show the perseverance of cultural traditions among the enslaved workers.

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Anthropology.net

MAY 27, 2024

The study of pottery in Central Europe offers a unique window into the culinary practices and cultural evolution of early societies. This region, a hub of cultural diversity, served as an ideal setting for investigating how food preparation and consumption practices evolved alongside changes in pottery styles and decorations.

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Anthropology.net

MAY 16, 2024

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 Image credit: T.

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Anthropology.net

SEPTEMBER 21, 2024

Hosek said, “In archaeology, there are vanishingly few instances in which we can tie a particular activity unequivocally to skeletal changes.” in a culture known as the Yamnaya. This group is thought to have lived near the Black Sea and spread their culture and language as they rode on horseback across Eurasia.

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