Anthropology.net

JANUARY 23, 2025

Between 45,000 and 29,000 years ago, early human activity not only altered landscapes but also reshaped the complex web of interactions between scavengers and prey. Large predators, such as hyenas and cave lions, were gradually displaced, while smaller scavengers like foxes and birds thrived in human-dominated environments.

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Sapiens

DECEMBER 3, 2024

A team of archaeologists working in Southeast Asia is pushing toward a deeper understanding of history that amplifies Indigenous and local perspectives to challenge traditional archaeological timelines. Humans huddled in caves. When you think of “prehistory,” what images come to mind? Dinosaurs roaming ancient landscapes?

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Anthropology.net

APRIL 16, 2025

According to new research, it may have also reshaped the evolutionary story of humans in Europe and beyond. Caves, Clothes, and Ochre: A Human Strategy for Survival As the magnetic field declined, the effects on Earth’s surface intensified. The map also shows areas of human activity on a global scale.

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Sapiens

NOVEMBER 12, 2024

Archaeological evidence and Oral Histories show people in what is today Ghana lived sustainably for millennia—until European colonial powers and the widespread trade of enslaved people changed everything. I felt compelled to share this story as an example of the power of archaeology to shift perspectives. It’s the year 2065.

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Anthropology.net

NOVEMBER 9, 2024

One of the most intriguing chapters in human evolution is the story of the Denisovans, a mysterious, now-extinct hominin group that left a significant genetic footprint in the DNA of modern humans. Overview of the distinct Denisovan populations that introgressed into modern humans.

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Anthropology.net

APRIL 4, 2025

An Ancient Practice, Revisited Through Code Knots are one of humanity’s oldest tools—so ancient, in fact, that they predate agriculture, metallurgy, and written language. By analyzing 338 distinct knots from archaeological archives and museum collections, they discovered a surprisingly stable repertoire.

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Sapiens

APRIL 1, 2025

backed coups, and, oddly enough, invested in archaeology. Her research explores how archaeology as a discipline has been used in U.S. imperial projects, with a focus on how the United Fruit Company used archaeology to grow territorial power in Central America. The United Fruit Company was a U.S.

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Anthropology.net

MARCH 28, 2025

The human brain stands apart in the animal kingdom, not just in sheer size but in its remarkable cognitive abilities. The Role of NBPF14 and NOTCH2NLB At the heart of this discovery is the interplay between two genes that are uniquely human.

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Anthropology.net

APRIL 14, 2025

From the sprawling villas of Roman elites to the thatched huts of the poor in medieval Europe, textbook history often presents wealth disparity as a consequence of human progress. A sweeping archaeological analysis 1 led by Gary Feinman of the Field Museum of Natural History offers a strikingly different view.

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Anthropology.net

NOVEMBER 30, 2024

Discovery of a Potential New Human Species A groundbreaking study published in Nature Communications 1 has proposed the existence of a new human species, Homo juluensis. This ancient hominin, believed to have lived in eastern Asia between 300,000 and 50,000 years ago, is a significant addition to our understanding of human evolution.

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Anthropology.net

DECEMBER 3, 2024

This suggests that children may have recognized and elaborated upon the figurative potential of their own creations, blending play and representation in a uniquely human way. Journal : Cambridge Archaeological Journal , 2015. Journal : Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory , 2023. Journal : Childhood in the Past , 2015.

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Anthropology.net

NOVEMBER 21, 2024

Tools as a Catalyst for Evolution The ability to create and use tools is a hallmark of human evolution. A groundbreaking study by researchers from the University of Tübingen, led by Dr. Alexandros Karakostis, provides fresh insights into how changes in brain function enabled early humans to wield tools with precision.

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Sapiens

JANUARY 29, 2025

In addition to forests, these practices have destroyed archaeological evidence. We knew our chances were slimmost of the spectacular discoveries in human evolutionary research in Southeast Asia have been made in limestone caves. Still, they couldn’t fully explain the entirely human-made landscape we came across.

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Anthropology.net

DECEMBER 2, 2024

Researchers from the ROOTS Cluster of Excellence at Kiel University have introduced a groundbreaking way 1 to apply modern philosophical concepts, like the United Nations Human Development Index (HDI), to ancient societies, offering fresh perspectives on how and why these communities thrived.

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Anthropology.net

JULY 30, 2024

The deserts of northern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula have long been the focus of archaeological research, revealing their roles as cradles of early human civilization and migration routes through so-called “green corridors.” The Narabeb site showing location of former lake. Middle Stone Age lithics from Narabeb.

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Sapiens

FEBRUARY 25, 2025

A scientific study with important implications for archaeology in Britain and France was published in January. was matrilineal and matriarchal based on her analysis of the archaeology, including the high number of female figurines. The findings offer essential clues about gender roles and social structures in ancient Europe.

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Anthropology for Beginners

SEPTEMBER 27, 2021

Application of Archaeology Archaeology 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.

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Anthropology.net

DECEMBER 19, 2024

For decades, archaeologists have described the architectural evolution of early human settlements as a transition from circular to rectangular structures—a shift thought to reflect deeper societal changes. Near Eastern Archaeology , 65(4), 230-239. Archaeological Research in Asia , 41 (100571), 100571. DOI:10.3406/paleo.2002.4737

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Anthropology.net

APRIL 14, 2025

The Puzzle of the Missing Fires In the bleak cold of the Last Glacial Maximum, it seems obvious that fire would have been essential for human survival. And yet, the archaeological record for that period—from roughly 26,500 to 19,000 years ago—tells a strangely quiet story. Journal of Human Evolution , 69, 44–54.

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Anthropology.net

APRIL 15, 2025

In the long arc of human history, what makes a settlement persist? Published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 1 , the study draws on data from over 47,000 houses spanning nearly 3,000 archaeological sites and 10,000 years of human history. 1 Lawrence, D., Bogaard, A., Cervantes Quequezana, G., Chelazzi, F.,

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Anthropology.net

APRIL 3, 2025

The end of the last Ice Age, spanning approximately 14,000 to 11,600 years ago, was a period of significant climatic fluctuations that profoundly influenced human populations in Europe. Humans during the Final Paleolithic apparently responded by migrating to more favorable areas."​ DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0310942

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Anthropology.net

MARCH 18, 2025

For decades, archaeologists have puzzled over one of humanity’s most crucial technological leaps—when and how early humans began making sharp stone tools. These early humans may have used these naturally occurring cutting tools long before they figured out how to produce them deliberately. DOI: 10.1111/arcm.13075

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Anthropology.net

NOVEMBER 23, 2024

This discovery not only predates the arrival of modern humans ( Homo sapiens ) in the region by 20,000 years but also highlights the Neanderthals' sophisticated engineering and teamwork. Evidence of Experimental Archaeology To confirm their hypotheses, the researchers recreated the Neanderthal hearth. inches deep. . 1 Ochando, J.,

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Anthropology.net

APRIL 2, 2025

During the African Humid Period (14,500–5,000 years ago), this region supported thriving human populations. Their findings, recently published in Nature , challenge existing models of early human migration and isolation in North Africa. View from the Takarkori rock shelter in Southern Libya. ©

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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. Credit: Journal of Archaeological Science (2024). “Understanding how these practices spread and their significance will help us uncover more about the relationship between early humans and their environment.”

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Anthropology.net

FEBRUARY 15, 2025

The Mystery of the First Dogs Dogs, our oldest animal companions, have walked beside humans for tens of thousands of years. Could natural selection alone turn wolves into early dogs quickly enough to match the archaeological record? But how did this ancient partnership begin?

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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

DECEMBER 2, 2024

Moreover, this finding contributes to a broader narrative that places Neanderthals as active participants in the cultural evolution of early humans. Their ability to develop and share complex technologies like tar-making illustrates their pivotal role in shaping the trajectory of human development. A., & Langejans, G. Leierer, L.,

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Anthropology.net

MARCH 27, 2025

The narrative of human technological advancement has long positioned metallurgy as a hallmark of settled agricultural societies. ​ a) Location of early metallurgical activities in Anatolia and Gre Fılla archaeological site. b) The context where the vitrified material (GRE-VRF) was found.

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Anthropology.net

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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Anthropology.net

MARCH 6, 2025

For centuries, our understanding of early irrigation in Mesopotamia has relied largely on indirect evidence, such as cuneiform texts and archaeological remains of later canal networks. This is a rare case where nature has preserved a vital piece of human history. Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory, 31 , 1062–101.

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Anthropology.net

FEBRUARY 18, 2025

A Discovery in the Desert The story of human migration is often told in sweeping arcs—great waves of Homo sapiens leaving Africa, moving into Eurasia, and eventually populating the entire planet. Credit: Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences (2025). Credit: Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences (2025).

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Anthropology.net

APRIL 10, 2025

Recent archaeological discoveries 1 are challenging long-held assumptions about the maritime capabilities of prehistoric hunter-gatherers. Findings from Malta suggest that these early humans possessed the skills necessary for significant sea voyages, indicating a level of sophistication previously unattributed to Stone Age populations.​

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Anthropology.net

APRIL 14, 2025

Long before pharaohs ruled and scribes recorded human affairs, the seeds of economic disparity had already taken hold. In a sweeping new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 1 , an international team analyzed the size of more than 47,000 houses across 1,100 archaeological sites. link] 1 Kohler, T.

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Anthropology.net

NOVEMBER 7, 2024

The Ancient Artistry of Ochre Mining in Eswatini The Lion Cavern at Ngwenya, Eswatini, holds groundbreaking evidence 1 of humanity's earliest intensive ochre mining practices, dating back 48,000 years. Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating methods confirmed its use as the world’s oldest ochre mine.

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Anthropology.net

JANUARY 17, 2025

Nearly two million years ago, in the high-altitude landscape of the Ethiopian Highlands, early human ancestors at the Acheulian site of Melka Wakena weren’t simply grabbing the nearest stones to use as tools. Some of the bones display telltale anthropogenic marks, suggesting that early humans had a significant presence here.

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Anthropology.net

JANUARY 18, 2025

Archaeological evidence suggested these people coexisted peacefully, identifying themselves as part of the broader Avar society. Historical records describe the Vienna Basin during this time as a period of relative peace, a sentiment echoed in the archaeological findings. ” Oxford Journal of Archaeology. DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-0092.2009.00348.x

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