Dan McLerran
As Founder and Editor of Popular Archaeology Magazine, Dan is a freelance writer and journalist specializing in archaeology. He studied anthropology and archaeology in undergraduate and graduate school and has been an active participant on archaeological excavations in the U.S. and abroad. He is the creator and administrator of Archaeological Digs, a popular weblog about archaeological excavation and field school opportunities.
Toward a More Public Archaeology
Fri, Oct 22, 2010
Until more of us recognize that archaeology can become a popular pastime worth investing some of our own resources and time, there may never be the volume of public support needed to ensure the preservation of much of our human heritage.
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Maya Land Use at El Pilar
Sat, Oct 23, 2010
Archaeology at El Pilar goes far beyond excavation. It is a discovery in sustainability. The pioneering work there will set a standard for future excavations and may provide a model for the relationship between urban development and the environment far into the future.
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Montpelier from the Ground Down
Fri, Oct 22, 2010
Understanding James Madison through the trowel.
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A City on a Hill
Sun, Oct 31, 2010
Recent excavations have uncovered some impressive new structures as scientists continue to define the monumental features of a city that was an enclave of Greco-Roman culture and values in 1st Century Palestine.
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Lost Civilizations of North America
Sun, Nov 28, 2010
A fascinating and controversial perspective on the ancient inhabitants of the North American continent is portrayed through this recently released video production.
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Early Human Ancestors were at Home on the African Savanna
Wed, Aug 03, 2011
A team of research scientists have concluded that early humans, or hominins, were creatures primarily of the African savanna, and for much longer than many have previously thought.
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Ancient Cyprus: Where East Met West
Sat, Jan 01, 2011
This special Smithsonian exhibit opens our eyes to an ancient wonder.
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Archaeological Digs
Mon, Dec 05, 2011
Looking for a dig opportunity? Here is the most comprehensive portal to the best sources for archaeological digs and field schools on the Web.
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A Return to the Cave of Letters
Tue, Dec 07, 2010
The story of a noted scholar's astonishing expedition to the famous ancient Cave of Letters near the Dead Sea.
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History in the Bones
Wed, Feb 02, 2011
Forensic anthropology opens a new and detailed window on the lives of 17th century American colonists.
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Video of the Month: Sinking Atlantis
Tue, Jan 25, 2011
This fascinating Secrets of the Dead documentary explores the search by a team of scientists and scholars for the cause of the mysterious sudden decline and disappearance of the great Minoan civilization.
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Touring Virtually: The Virtual World Project
Thu, Feb 24, 2011
This online tool shows us how we can walk through archaeological sites without actually being there.
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Paleoindians Inhabited North America 15,500 Years Ago, Study Shows
Thu, Mar 24, 2011
New discoveries at a Central Texas archaeological site by a Texas A&M University-led research team prove that people lived in the region far earlier – as much as 2,500 years earlier – than previously believed, rewriting what anthropologists know about when the first inhabitants arrived in North America. That pushes the arrival date back to about 15,500 years ago.
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Early Humans Occupied South Asia Over a Million Years Ago
Thu, Mar 24, 2011
The long-standing question surrounding when early humans migrated into South Asia may have its answer at this archaeological site in South India.
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Researchers Explore Origins of Urbanization in Iraqi Marshlands
Thu, Mar 31, 2011
Researchers embark on a mission to explore early systems and settlements that provided a foundation for the great Mesopotamian cities that followed.
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Archaeologists Investigate Origins of Great Pueblos of American Southwest
Mon, Apr 04, 2011
Archaeologists and volunteers with the Crow Canyon Archaeological Center embark on a promising new investigation and excavation of a site in Colorado -- a site that may hold answers to questions about the beginnings of the great Pueblo cultures of the American Southwest.
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Archaeologists Uncover Evidence of a Minoan Presence Among Ancient Canaanites
Mon, Apr 11, 2011
Excavations at a large Middle Bronze Age Canaanite Palace in the western Galilee region of present-day Israel are revealing mounting evidence of an ancient Minoan cultural presence in ancient Canaan during the 17th century B.C.E.,
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Africa the Birthplace of Human Language, Study Says
Thu, Apr 14, 2011
A newly completed study shows that human language originated in Africa, paralleling recent genetic, phenotype and archaeological research that suggests Homo sapiens (modern humans) originated in Africa.
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Didn't catch that cold going around? You just may be part Neanderthal, study suggests.
Thu, Aug 25, 2011
Cross-breeding between modern humans and our archaic cousins some 30,000 or more years ago left a convenient little legacy for some of us today.
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Caves in Spain Yielding More Early Human Finds
Mon, May 09, 2011
Two caves, one with articulated Neanderthal remains that suggest a burial, and the other with remains dating back long before the first ice age, are revealing new finds and data that will help fill in the story of early humans in Southern Europe.
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The Last Neanderthals?
Thu, May 12, 2011
Astonishing new discoveries in the Polar Urals of Russia may raise more questions than answers about the extinction of the Neanderthals and the spread of humans during the Ice Age.
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Great Ancient Monumental Center in Peru Lies Forgotten, But Not for Long
Thu, Jun 09, 2011
Known by archaeologists as the "Machu Picchu of the North", the great ancient Pre-Incan Peruvian site of Marcahuamachuco gets a major facelift.
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Birthplace of Abraham Gets a New Lease on Life
Fri, Jun 17, 2011
One of civilization's first great cities will now be saved from slow destruction and play host to future archaeologists eager to uncover the other 90 percent that still lies beneath the sands.
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A Massive Early Maya Center and a Race Against Time
Thu, Jun 23, 2011
This immense early Maya center is revealing a wondrous cultural treasure to the world, but it is in danger of disappearing before our eyes.
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Researchers Uncovering Much More Than Monuments at Ancient Maya Site of El Pilar
Tue, Jul 05, 2011
Discoveries at the ancient Maya site of El Pilar may portend a new model for doing archaeology and set a standard for sustainability for the world.
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One Man's Trash: George Washington's Priceless Refuse
Thu, Jul 07, 2011
A motherload of trash from the George Washington household proves to be an archaeological treasure trove.
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Study Sheds New Light on Archaeology of the Dura-Europos Expedition
Wed, Jul 13, 2011
A new study of the photographic archives of one of the “big digs” of the 20th century reveals much more than artifacts and ancient architecture. It says something about a by-gone era in archaeology and the culture, psychology and practices of its participants.
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Chimps, Humans Share a Key Evolutionary Development, Study Says
Thu, Aug 11, 2011
Study shows that chimps and humans both exhibit immature forebrains in infancy, with implications about a common ancestor.
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Ancient Site of Cyrene Receives New Attention and Conservation in War-Ravaged Libya
Mon, Jul 18, 2011
The world-renowned but endangered ancient site in Libya sees new life as conservationists and other specialists converge upon it with a plan, even as war could make their job bigger.
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Archaeologists Unearthing Major City-State in Western Jordan
Thu, Jul 21, 2011
Archaeologists are uncovering the remains of a human settlement that may vastly expand our knowledge of ancient civilization in Jordan's rich agricultural land of the southern Jordan River Valley.
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Early Human Ancestors Walked Fully Upright Earlier Than Scientists Thought, Study Shows
Tue, Jul 19, 2011
How long ago did early human predecessors actually begin walking upright like us? This new study shows some surprising results.
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Angkor Wat Facing an Uncertain Future
Tue, Jul 26, 2011
A principal archaeological World Heritage site is becoming a victim of its own popularity.
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Revisiting the Chauvet Cave
Tue, Sep 27, 2011
The discovery of the world's oldest prehistoric cave painting masterpieces in the Chauvet Cave in France continues to open a window on the minds of humans who lived over 30,000 years ago.
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Neanderthals Were Outnumbered to Death, Study Shows
Tue, Jul 26, 2011
High population numbers of modern humans ultimately led Neanderthals to their extinction.
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Saving Afghanistan's Archaeological Treasures
Tue, Aug 02, 2011
Afghanistan's great archaeological and cultural assets are being pulled from the brink of destruction. But is it too little too late?
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Excavations in Kenya Shedding Light on Early Human Toolmaking and Habitat
Fri, Aug 19, 2011
Pioneering research in southern Kenya is yielding new clues about the lives and habitat of early humans.
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Monumental Center in Laos Faces Brighter Future
Wed, Aug 17, 2011
A great ancient monumental center in Laos will see restoration and a raised profile for visitors and explorers who want to know its secrets.
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Saving Ancient Nineveh
Mon, Aug 22, 2011
For a time, about 2,700 years ago, the ancient city of Nineveh ruled the Middle East. Today, it is among the world's most endangered archaeological sites, in need of an urgent rescue plan.
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Treasures of Ancient Dura-Europos Released for All to See
Tue, Aug 23, 2011
Artifacts include remarkably well-preserved objects from the Roman Imperial period.
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Archaeology's New Frontier
Mon, Sep 12, 2011
Archaeology in space? It sounds a bit contradictory. They don't seem to mix. But recent developments show us otherwise, from discovering the outlines of ancient lost cities with the eyes of a satellite to efforts to secure the priceless material heritage of humankind's venture beyond the planet.
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Early Humans Made Stone Handaxes Earlier Than Previously Thought, Study Says
Wed, Aug 31, 2011
New-found evidence pushes more advanced toolmaking back another 350,000 years.
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Remarkable cave temples of China resurrected through technology
Sat, Aug 27, 2011
Digital technology works its miracle in rediscovering the magnificence of the cave temples of Xiangtangshan.
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Before They Left Africa, Modern Humans Interbred With Archaic Humans, Reports DNA Study
Mon, Sep 05, 2011
Interbreeding between modern humans and their more archaic relatives apparently didn't begin with encounters with the Neanderthals in Eurasia.
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Ancient Mesopotamian city in need of rescue
Tue, Sep 13, 2011
Mari, the city of 25,000 tablets and one of the great Bronze Age palaces of Mesopotamia, erodes into dust while it awaits a badly needed rescue.
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Latest Find at World's Largest Neolithic Settlement a Harbinger of Surprises Yet to Come?
Fri, Sep 16, 2011
Çatalhöyük archaeological site continues to yield more evidence of Neolithic life in ancient Anatolia.
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Preserved flesh of 2-million-year-old human ancestor found?
Wed, Sep 21, 2011
Scientists launch open research initiative to examine possible evidence of soft tissue among the 2-million-year-old hominin fossil finds of the Malapa caves in South Africa.
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Saving Altamira Cave
Thu, Oct 06, 2011
Policy and science are at loggerheads about opening the world-famous Altamira Cave to the public.
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100,000-Year-Old Art Workshop Discovered in South Africa
Thu, Oct 13, 2011
Discovery reveals new clues about human cognition very early in the development of symbolic expression, a function unique to being human.
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Neolithic Tombs in China Yielded Finely Crafted Jade Artifacts
Sat, Oct 15, 2011
Centuries before the first pyramids in Egypt were constructed, this ancient Neolithic civilization in China produced unprecedented masterpieces in jade.
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Mastodon Kill Site Shows Human Presence in North America Before 13,000 Years Ago
Thu, Oct 20, 2011
A 13,800-year-old site in Washington State provides more evidence of early Americans before 'Clovis'.
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IN THIS ISSUE
Tue, Dec 20, 2011
December installment marks the first anniversary issue of Popular Archaeology.
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NOW RELEASED! The first issue of Popular Archaeology's annual DISCOVERY edition IS NOW AVAILABLE. See The Discovery Edition page for more information.
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Experience where fiction meets fact at the exciting new exhibition, Indiana Jones and the Adventure of Archaeology, beginning April 28, 2011 at the Montreal Science Center. This will be like an amusement park of learning for the whole family, with a rare collection of artifacts on loan from the National Geographic Society and the Penn Museum.
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Researched and written by Spanish colonial coin expert Carol Tedesco, the succinct, 40 page Treasure Coins of the Nuestra Senora de Atocha and the Santa Margarita answers all the most frequently asked questions about the fascinating and “most coveted and widely traded money on earth,” including what the coins look like when first discovered, the meanings of the various markings, how they are cleaned, conserved and graded, what they were worth in the 17th century, and the most up-to-date information on the names and periods of office of the men who made them. To order, see www.lostgalleons.com.
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A community that offers up-to-date archaeology news, event listings, archaeology field school and archaeological site repertories, forums, blogs, profiles, and an online archaeology store. The ArchaeologicalBox.com facilitates interaction between members who share a common interest: archaeology! TheArchaeologicalBox.com
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