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.

Archaeology 98

Archaeology Humanities Cultures Tradition 98

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

Archaeology 98

Archaeology Artifacts Cultures Economics 98

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.

Archaeology 98

Archaeology Humanities Cultures Tradition 98

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.

Humanities 98

Humanities Archaeology Artifacts Psychology 98

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.

Archaeology 98

Archaeology Cultures Research Tradition 98

Anthropology.net

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. They brought traditions.

Archaeology 87

Archaeology Artifacts Humanities Cultures 87

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)

Artifacts 98

Artifacts Archaeology Tradition Humanities 98

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.

Anthropology 95

Anthropology Archaeology Tradition Humanities 95

Anthropology.net

MARCH 26, 2025

Using Bayesian chronological modeling and data from over 150 archaeological sites, the study examines how two major climatic events—the Antarctic Cold Reversal (ACR) and the Younger Dryas (YD)—influenced early human dispersal across the continent. The modelling work (e.g., The modelling work (e.g., <2,5000 masl = orange.

Humanities 83

Humanities Archaeology Cultures Tradition 83

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.

Humanities 98

Humanities Artifacts Archaeology Heritage 98

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.

Archaeology 130

Archaeology Museum Cultures Economics 130

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.

Artifacts 80

Artifacts Archaeology Cultures Tradition 80

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. When Culture Changes, But People Stay This genetic continuity finds an echo in the archaeological record.

Archaeology 70

Archaeology Cultures Humanities Government 70

Anthropology.net

APRIL 7, 2025

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.

Archaeology 74

Archaeology Tradition Cultures Economics 74

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.

Archaeology 98

Archaeology Humanities Cultures Tradition 98

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.

Archaeology 86

Archaeology Artifacts Humanities Tradition 86

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

Archaeology 105

Archaeology Artifacts Humanities Tradition 105

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.

Artifacts 97

Artifacts Archaeology Humanities History 97

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.

Archaeology 98

Archaeology Humanities Cultures Tradition 98

Anthropology.net

APRIL 23, 2025

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.

Archaeology 68

Archaeology Artifacts Cultures Humanities 68

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.

Archaeology 90

Archaeology K-12 Artifacts Humanities 90

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.

Cultures 98

Cultures Archaeology Heritage Artifacts 98

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?

Archaeology 145

Archaeology Heritage Government Cultures 145

Anthropology 365

APRIL 23, 2025

The book dismantles the idea that genetic similarity can explain what makes us humanor that genes can do the cultural and historical work of explaining behavior, intelligence, or social life. Facts dont float above culture; theyre produced within it. He was asking anthropologists to stop pretending that science speaks for itself.

Anthropology 98

Anthropology Humanities Cultures History 98

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.

Humanities 52

Humanities Archaeology Anthropology Artifacts 52

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.

Archaeology 52

Archaeology Anthropology Group Identity Cultures 52

Anthropology.net

APRIL 14, 2025

A sweeping archaeological analysis 1 led by Gary Feinman of the Field Museum of Natural History offers a strikingly different view. “The idea that big populations or new technologies automatically lead to widening inequality simply doesn’t hold up in the archaeological record.” But what if that assumption is wrong?

Humanities 63

Humanities Archaeology Economics Museum 63

Anthropology.net

APRIL 2, 2025

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.

Archaeology 52

Archaeology Artifacts Humanities Cultures 52

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?

Museum 52

Museum Archaeology Artifacts Anthropology 52

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.

Ancestry 57

Ancestry Archaeology Museum Anthropology 57

Anthropology.net

APRIL 29, 2025

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.

Artifacts 60

Artifacts Archaeology Humanities Tradition 60

Anthropology.net

MAY 2, 2025

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.”

Archaeology 54

Archaeology Artifacts Humanities History 54

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?

Artifacts 52

Artifacts Archaeology Anthropology Ancestry 52

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.

Archaeology 121

Archaeology Heritage K-12 History 121

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.

Tradition 52

Tradition Archaeology Heritage Museum 52

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.

Archaeology 98

Archaeology Artifacts Cultures Tradition 98

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.

Humanities 105

Humanities Archaeology Artifacts Museum 105