Human History

Newly Discovered Neanderthal Skeleton Hints at Intentional ‘Flower Burial’

New excavations at a well-known Neanderthal site have revealed a previously undiscovered Neanderthal skeleton, along with more evidence that these extinct hominins may have had “flower burials” for their dead.  In the 1950s, archaeologist Ralph Solecki uncovered Neanderthal remains and tools in Iraqi Kurdistan’s Shanidar Cave, a find extremely influential to our modern understanding of…

Human History Ryan F. Mandelbaum Feb 18

Skeleton Found in Submerged Mexican Cave Sheds New Light on Earliest People in America

An extraordinary 9,900-year-old skeleton found in the submerged caves of Tulum is both enhancing and complicating our understanding of the first humans to settle in the Americas. Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula is typically associated with the Maya civilization, but emerging archaeological evidence suggests this region was settled thousands of years earlier by some of the first…

Human History George Dvorsky Feb 5

All Humans Are a Little Bit Neanderthal, According to New Research

We’re all a little Neanderthal. That’s the conclusion of a study that used a new statistical technique to revise estimates of the degree to which modern humans have retained Neanderthal DNA. The research suggests that even people of African descent have Neanderthal heritage, something that was previously in doubt. Research published today in Cell has…

Human History George Dvorsky Jan 30

14th-Century Steambath Discovered in Mexico City

Archaeologists in Mexico City have uncovered a pre-Hispanic steambath dating back to the 14th century. Its location in the city’s historic district confirms the whereabouts of a vibrant neighborhood that once stood in Tenochtitlán—an ancient urban center that eventually became Mexico City. The 14th-century steambath, or temazcal as its known in the indigenous Nahuatl language,…

Human History George Dvorsky Jan 23

Scientists Just Made a 3,000-Year-Old Mummy ‘Speak’

Have you ever wondered what an ancient Egyptian mummy would sound like if it could talk? A wild new scientific experiment has finally answered this burning question, but the result is perhaps less impressive (and certainly less ominous) than you might think. The sound of a vocal tract from a 3,000-year-old mummy has been recreated…

Human History George Dvorsky Jan 23

Victims of Ancient Vesuvius Eruption Were Baked, Not Vaporized, According to New Research

A novel analysis of the skeletal remains of Vesuvius victims who sought shelter during the catastrophic eruption 2,000 years ago suggests they endured a slower death than is typically appreciated. Like the nearby settlements of Pompeii, Stabiae, and Oplontis, the ancient Roman city of Herculaneum was devastated when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 CE. The…

Human History George Dvorsky Jan 23

Free-Diving Neanderthals Gathered Tools From the Seafloor

New evidence suggests Neanderthals gathered clam shells and volcanic rock from the bottom of the Mediterranean, which they fashioned into tools. The work is yet more evidence that Neanderthals often ventured into the water, and it adds to the body of research showing that they were nothing like the unintelligent, uncoordinated clods they’ve long been…

Human History George Dvorsky Jan 15

Viking Runes Warned of a Climate Catastrophe, New Research Suggests

An updated interpretation of the famous Rök runestone suggests Vikings were preoccupied by the threat of a climate calamity. The Rök runestone was completed and upraised in what is now Östergötland, Sweden, around 800 CE, and it was long thought to describe a series of battles. Given that the poem inscribed on the rune was…

Human History George Dvorsky Jan 10

An Extinct Human Species May Not Have Evolved in Asia After All, New Research Suggests

New research suggests Homo erectus—the most successful hominin prior to the emergence of modern humans—reached southeast Asia later than is conventionally assumed. It’s a significant finding, as it casts doubt on a theory that points to an Asian birthplace for this now-extinct species. Homo erectus reached the Indonesian island of Java at some point between…

Human History George Dvorsky Jan 9

We Finally Know Why This 2,600-Year-Old Human Brain Is So Freakishly Well-Preserved

An Iron Age human skull found in 2008 contained an unprecedented amount of preserved brain material, a discovery that has confounded scientists for over a decade. New research finally explains why this brain resisted decay for thousands of years. The skull containing the Heslington brain, as it’s called, was found in a soggy mud pit…

Human History George Dvorsky Jan 8

Over-Hunting Walruses Likely Forced Vikings to Abandon Greenland

Scientists have struggled to understand why, after hundreds of years, Vikings suddenly abandoned their Greenland colony. New research suggests their economic over-reliance on walrus tusks—a valuable but dwindling trade commodity—had a lot to do with it. Viking settlements in Greenland were established by Erik the Red around 985 CE. This Norse colony lasted for centuries,…

Human History George Dvorsky Jan 7

Prehistoric Stone Monument in Scotland May Have Been Intentionally Built to Attract Lightning

Researchers working in the Outer Hebrides island chain off the west coast of Scotland have uncovered evidence of a previously unknown rock monument located within a stone’s throw of the iconic Calanais Standing Stones. The newly discovered monument featured standing stones that were arranged in a circular pattern around a spot bearing the distinctive traces…

Human History George Dvorsky Dec 30

Rare Skeleton Points to Compassion, Care, and Tragedy in Prehistoric China

The discovery of a 5,000-year-old skeleton of a young adult who had serious physical limitations suggests a form of social support existed in Neolithic China, but only to a point, as this individual may have met an untimely death. The skeleton was found at the Guanjia site in China’s Henan Province, and it dates back…

Human History George Dvorsky Dec 20

Prehistoric Humans Built a Wall to Keep Out the Sea—But It Failed

A 7,000-year-old seawall has been discovered off the Israeli coast, and it’s now the oldest-known defense against rising sea levels. The seawall eventually failed, and the village had to be abandoned, in what’s serving as an ominous lesson from the past. The Tel Hreiz archaeological site is located off the Carmel coast of Israel and…

Human History George Dvorsky Dec 19

Scientists Shed New Light on the Final Holdout of an Extinct Human Species

Using modern dating techniques, scientists have dramatically narrowed the age of Homo erectus fossils found in Java during the early 1930s. Confirmed as the youngest known Homo erectus fossils, they’re providing critically important insights into the final chapter of these archaic humans. By the time our species emerged in Africa some 300,000 years ago, a…

Human History George Dvorsky Dec 18

Scientists Reconstruct ‘Lola’ After Finding Her DNA in 5,700-Year-Old ‘Chewing Gum’

Scientists in Denmark have squeaked out an entire human genome from a prehistoric piece of “chewing gum.” Made from birch tar, the 5,700-year-old gum also contained evidence of diet and disease and is providing a remarkable snapshot of life during the early Neolithic. Lola was a Neolithic female who lived in Denmark some 5,700 years…

Human History George Dvorsky Dec 17

Prehistoric Turks Wore Human Teeth as Jewelry, Rare Discovery Reveals

Researchers in Turkey have uncovered modified Neolithic human teeth that were worn as pendants, perhaps in a necklace or bracelet, in a rare and perplexing archaeological find. Paleolithic and Neolithic humans often fashioned jewelry, such as beads and pendants, from animal bones and teeth (fun fact: Neanderthals wore jewelry made from eagle talons). The use…

Human History George Dvorsky Dec 16

New Evidence Suggests Ancient Egyptian Head Cones Were Real

For years, archaeologists have debated the existence of ancient Egyptian head cones. These objects are portrayed in Egyptian artworks, but not a single one has been found by archaeologists—until now. Ancient Egyptian head cones actually existed, according to a new paper published this week in the science journal Antiquity. The new research, led by archaeologist…

Human History George Dvorsky Dec 12

44,000-Year-Old Cave Painting Could Be the Earliest Known Depiction of Hunting

Archaeologists in Indonesia have stumbled upon an extraordinarily old cave painting which appears to depict human-like figures in pursuit of wild pigs and buffaloes. It’s quite possibly the oldest portrayal of a hunting scene in the archaeological record, but the vague nature of the artwork leaves it open to interpretation. New research published today in…

Human History George Dvorsky Dec 11

Why Did Vikings Bury Two People in Boats on Top of Each Other, 100 Years Apart?

Archaeologists in central Norway have discovered an unusual Viking burial site in which one boat grave was placed on top of another. On its own, that’s pretty odd—but it’s even weirder considering the two burials are separated by 100 years. That Vikings sometimes buried their dead inside of boats is well documented, but the new…

Human History George Dvorsky Nov 22

Newly Discovered Neanderthal Skeleton Hints at Intentional ‘Flower Burial’

Skeleton Found in Submerged Mexican Cave Sheds New Light on Earliest People in America

All Humans Are a Little Bit Neanderthal, According to New Research

14th-Century Steambath Discovered in Mexico City

Scientists Just Made a 3,000-Year-Old Mummy ‘Speak’

Victims of Ancient Vesuvius Eruption Were Baked, Not Vaporized, According to New Research

Free-Diving Neanderthals Gathered Tools From the Seafloor

Viking Runes Warned of a Climate Catastrophe, New Research Suggests

An Extinct Human Species May Not Have Evolved in Asia After All, New Research Suggests

We Finally Know Why This 2,600-Year-Old Human Brain Is So Freakishly Well-Preserved

Over-Hunting Walruses Likely Forced Vikings to Abandon Greenland

Prehistoric Stone Monument in Scotland May Have Been Intentionally Built to Attract Lightning

Rare Skeleton Points to Compassion, Care, and Tragedy in Prehistoric China

Prehistoric Humans Built a Wall to Keep Out the Sea—But It Failed

Scientists Shed New Light on the Final Holdout of an Extinct Human Species

Scientists Reconstruct ‘Lola’ After Finding Her DNA in 5,700-Year-Old ‘Chewing Gum’

Prehistoric Turks Wore Human Teeth as Jewelry, Rare Discovery Reveals

New Evidence Suggests Ancient Egyptian Head Cones Were Real

44,000-Year-Old Cave Painting Could Be the Earliest Known Depiction of Hunting

Why Did Vikings Bury Two People in Boats on Top of Each Other, 100 Years Apart?

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