For a long time, it was assumed that hunting in prehistoric societies was primarily carried out by men. Now a new study adds to a body of evidence challenging this idea. The research reports the […]
Preservation Mystery Of Terracotta Army Weapons Solved?
Collaborative research by UCL and Terracotta Army Museum researchers has found that the chrome plating on the Terracotta Army bronze weapons – once thought to be the earliest form of anti-rust technology […]
Could Ancient Bones Suggest Santa Was Real?
New Oxford University research has revealed that bones long venerated as relics of the saint, do in fact date from the right historical period. One of the most revered Christian saints, St […]
Prehistoric Women’s Manual Work Was Tougher Than Rowing In Today’s Elite Boat Crews
The first study to compare ancient and living female bones shows that women from early agricultural eras had stronger arms than the rowers of Cambridge University’s famously competitive boat club. Researchers say […]
Human Ancestor ‘Lucy’ Was A Tree Climber, New Evidence Suggests
Evidence preserved in the internal skeletal structure of the world-famous fossil, Lucy, suggests the ancient human species frequently climbed trees, according to a new analysis by scientists from The Johns Hopkins University […]
Monkeys Make Stone Flakes Too So Humans Are Not Unique After All According To Oxford University Study
Researchers have observed wild-bearded capuchin monkeys in Brazil deliberately break stones, unintentionally creating flakes that share many of the characteristics of those produced by early Stone Age hominins. In a paper, published […]
Crop Remains Point To Surprising Early Colonisers Of Madagascar
Researchers have helped solve one of the enduring mysteries of the ancient world: why the inhabitants of Madagascar speak Malagasy, a language otherwise unique to Southeast Asia and the Pacific – a […]
Archaeologists Uncover Roman Market Economy – KU Leuven
The Roman economy was a market rather than a bazaar, and it was more structured and integrated into the region than researchers sometimes assume. That is the conclusion of KU Leuven archaeologists […]
The Genetic History Of Ice Age Europe
Analyses of ancient DNA from prehistoric humans paint a picture of dramatic population change in Europe from 45,000 to 7,000 years ago, according to a new study led by Howard Hughes Medical […]
Roman Toilets Gave No Clear Health Benefit, And Romanisation Actually Spread Parasites
Archaeological evidence shows that intestinal parasites such as whipworm became increasingly common across Europe during the Roman Period, despite the apparent improvements the empire brought in sanitation technologies. The Romans are well […]
Model Predicts ‘Shelf Life’ For Library And Archival Collections
Heritage scientists at UCL have developed demographic models of decay and loss to predict when a large library or archival collection might age beyond repair. Lead author, Professor Matija Strlic (UCL Institute […]
Chicken Study Reveals Evolution Can Happen Much Faster Than Thought
A new study of chickens overturns the popular assumption that evolution is only visible over long time scales. By studying individual chickens that were part of a long-term pedigree, the scientists, led […]
Expedition To Tibesti By University Of Cologne’s Africa Research Unit
A scientific expedition to the Tibesti Mountains led by Dr. Stefan Kröpelin of the University of Cologne’s Africa Research Unit has returned to Cologne. The multidisciplinary research team explored the two highest […]
Agriculture, Declining Mobility Drove Humans’ Shift To Lighter Bones
by Johns Hopkins Medicine Modern lifestyles have famously made humans heavier, but, in one particular way, noticeably lighter weight than our hunter-gatherer ancestors: in the bones. Now a new study of the bones […]