Archaeology: Neanderthal thumbs better adapted to holding tools with handles
Finding suggests new insight into Neanderthal behavior as compared to early modern humans in prehistory.
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Cover Stories
First exhaustive review of fossils recovered from Iberian archaeological sites
An interdisciplinary team from several Spanish universities and research centers has analyzed more than 600 fossils recovered from across the Iberian Peninsula.
Ancient people relied on coastal environments to survive the Last Glacial Maximum
Native Californian rock art suggests hallucinogen use
Middle Stone Age populations repeatedly occupied West African coast
Excavations at Tiémassas, Senegal, indicate roughly 40,000 years of behavioral continuity, in contrast to other African regions over this period.
The microbiome of Da Vinci’s drawings
The microbial composition of art pieces can reveal interesting facts about their past and the journey they made.
Transition to feudal living in 14th century impacted local ecosystems
Geoscientists discover Ancestral Puebloans survived from ice melt in New Mexico lava tubes
A lava tube in the El Malpais National Monument yields centuries-old insights of survival in the face of harsh climate change.
Teaching and complex tools ‘evolved together’
Ice Age Hunters in the Americas
New sites and finds are emerging that may radically change what scientists know about the timing of the peopling of the Americas.
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Other Stories
Multispectral imaging reveals ancient Hebrew inscription undetected for over 50 years
Military correspondence from the First Temple period discovered on reverse side of well-studied artifact at The Israel Museum, Tel Aviv University researchers say.
New research reveals earliest directly dated rock paintings from southern Africa
Scientists have pioneered a technique to directly date prehistoric rock paintings in southern Africa, which revealed dates much older than previously thought.
Springs were critical water sources for early humans in East Africa, Rutgers study finds
Scientists show how groundwater-fed springs may have influenced human evolution.
Shared genetic heritage from Sicily to Cyprus
A new genomic study on southern Mediterranean reveals a genetic continuity across geographic and national borders.
Bonobos may be better representation of last common ancestor with humans
Study examined muscles of bonobos and found they are more closely related to humans than common chimpanzees.
Secrets of the paleo diet: Discovery reveals plant-based menu of prehistoric man
A collection of 780,000-year-old edible plants found in Israel is the largest and most diverse in the Levantine corridor linking Africa and Eurasia.
Bitumen from Middle East discovered in 7th century buried ship in UK
Presence of rare tar-like material may suggest trade between Middle East, British Isles.
Bone scans suggest early hominin ‘Lucy’ spent significant time in trees
Australopithecus afarensis arm bones were strong relative to leg bones; walking gait was likely inefficient.
A National Treasure Tells the Story of Hawaii’s Heritage
Archaeology meets the public at the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum.
Neanderthal inheritance helped humans adapt to life outside of Africa
Traits inherited for skin and the immune system may have helped buttress survivability through the ages, new study suggests.
Middle Stone Age ochre processing tools reveal cultural and behavioral complexity
Range of ochre processing techniques produced powder of varying color and coarseness.
The Once and Future Cobá
Best known for its Maya ruins, today’s living community of Cobá is set to get a major face lift.
Study finds earliest evidence in fossil record for right-handedness
Teeth striations of Homo habilis fossil date back 1.8 million years.
