Archaeology News https://phys.org/science-news/archaeology-fossils en-us The latest news on archaeology, archaeological research and archaeological advancements. Gravesite in France offers evidence of steppe migrant integration with Late Neolithic Europeans A team of geneticists and archaeologists affiliated with multiple institutions in France has uncovered skeletons in an ancient gravesite not far from Paris that show evidence of steppe migrant integration with Late Neolithic Europeans. The study is published in the journal Science Advances. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-gravesite-france-evidence-steppe-migrant.html Archaeology Thu, 20 Jun 2024 09:31:18 EDT news638094668 A ship found far off Israel's coast could shed light on the navigation skills of ancient mariners A company drilling for natural gas off the coast of northern Israel discovered a 3,300-year-old ship and its cargo, one of the oldest known examples of a ship sailing far from land, the Israel Antiquities Authority said Thursday. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-ship-israel-coast-skills-ancient.html Archaeology Thu, 20 Jun 2024 08:05:18 EDT news638089513 Change threatening coastal Native American sites cut from NC bill A controversial bill that would have allowed developers to build on archaeological sites in some environmentally sensitive coastal areas was overhauled on June 19. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-threatening-coastal-native-american-sites.html Archaeology Thu, 20 Jun 2024 07:30:01 EDT news638086663 Shepherd's graffiti sheds new light on Acropolis lost temple mystery The Acropolis of Athens, the rocky hill in the Greek capital that is home to the iconic Parthenon temple, is one of the world's most visited and well-known archaeological sites—but new insights about it are still emerging. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-shepherd-graffiti-acropolis-lost-temple.html Archaeology Wed, 19 Jun 2024 12:29:39 EDT news638018977 Digital public archaeology: Excavating data from digs done decades ago and connecting with today's communities The ancestors of Alaska Native people began using local copper sources to craft intricate tools roughly 1,000 years ago. Over one-third of all copper objects archaeologists have found in this region were excavated at a single spot, named the Gulkana Site. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-digital-archaeology-excavating-decades-today.html Archaeology Wed, 19 Jun 2024 11:51:03 EDT news638016661 Researchers discover the world's oldest wine in Rome A white wine over 2,000 years old, of Andalusian origin, is the oldest wine ever discovered. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-world-oldest-wine-rome.html Archaeology Tue, 18 Jun 2024 10:54:04 EDT news637926842 Study proposes novel hypothesis to explain occupation of Brazil's southern coast 2,000 years ago An important chapter of the history of human occupation on the coast of Brazil is being rewritten by Brazilian researchers affiliated with the University of São Paulo's Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology (MAE-USP). https://phys.org/news/2024-06-hypothesis-occupation-brazil-southern-coast.html Archaeology Tue, 18 Jun 2024 09:12:04 EDT news637920721 Direct evidence found for dairy consumption in the Pyrenees in the earliest stages of the Neolithic A joint study conducted by the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, the University of Zaragoza and the University of Strasbourg on the remains of the Chaves and Puyascada caves, both located in the province of Huesca, Spain, yields the first direct proof of the consumption and processing of dairy products in the Pyrenees already at the start of the Neolithic period, approximately 7,500 years ago, as well as the consumption of pig. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-evidence-dairy-consumption-pyrenees-earliest.html Archaeology Mon, 17 Jun 2024 15:44:03 EDT news637857841 Origins of cumulative culture in human evolution—researchers identify contributions to today's culture and technology Each of us individually is the accumulated product of thousands of generations that have come before us in an unbroken line. Our culture and technology today are also the result of thousands of years of accumulated and remixed cultural knowledge. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-cumulative-culture-human-evolution-contributions.html Archaeology Mon, 17 Jun 2024 15:00:01 EDT news637845481 Victims of a tsunami or human sacrifice? What happened to 20 Celts 2,000 years ago? Archaeologists have been investigating human bones found near the ruins of a bridge in the Three Lakes region of Switzerland. They seek not only to discover what took place, but also to better understand the Celtic heritage of the region. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-victims-tsunami-human-sacrifice-celts.html Archaeology Mon, 17 Jun 2024 09:54:04 EDT news637836842 Secrets of Maya child sacrifice at Chichén Itzá uncovered using ancient DNA After analyzing the remains of 64 ancient sacrificed individuals, most of whom were children, researchers have revealed new details about human sacrifice at the ancient Maya site of Chichén Itzá. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-secrets-maya-child-sacrifice-chichn.html Archaeology Sun, 16 Jun 2024 12:20:01 EDT news637499474 We dated a sacred Aboriginal women's site used for birthing ceremonies and discovered 7,000 years' worth of tool making Investigation of a sacred area at Avon Downs in Jangga Country, Central Queensland, has uncovered evidence of stone tool production in a place that was traditionally restricted to women. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-dated-sacred-aboriginal-women-site.html Archaeology Sun, 16 Jun 2024 11:50:02 EDT news637584383 Isotope study suggests men and women had equal access to resources 6,000 years ago Using isotope geochemistry, a team from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) has uncovered new information about the Barmaz necropolis in Valais (Switzerland): 14% of the people buried 6,000 years ago at this site were not locals. What's more, the study suggests that this Middle Neolithic agropastoral society—one of the oldest known in the western part of Switzerland—was relatively egalitarian. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-isotope-men-women-equal-access.html Archaeology Thu, 13 Jun 2024 12:10:37 EDT news637499434 Researchers find earliest evidence for a microblade adaptation in the Tibetan plateau A research team led by Prof. Zhang Xiaoling from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP), Chinese Academy of Sciences, published a paper entitled "The Earliest Evidence for a Microblade Adaptation in the Remote, High Altitude Regions of the Tibetan Plateau" in Science China Earth Sciences. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-earliest-evidence-microblade-tibetan-plateau.html Archaeology Wed, 12 Jun 2024 15:38:02 EDT news637425481 Study: Climate change drove the route shift of the ancient Silk Road in two distinct ways Climate change has convincingly been linked to the evolution of human civilization on different temporal scales. In a recent study published in the journal Science Bulletin, researchers note that the role of climate change in influencing spatial changes in ancient civilizations is rarely investigated. They found that the northward shift of the ancient Silk Road (SR) route in arid NW China provides a rare opportunity to carry out such studies. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-climate-drove-route-shift-ancient.html Archaeology Wed, 12 Jun 2024 15:36:03 EDT news637425361 Wreck of the last ship of famed Anglo-Irish explorer Shackleton found off the coast of Canada The wreck of the last ship belonging to Sir Ernest Shackleton, a famous Irish-born British explorer of Antarctica, has been found off the coast of Labrador in Canada, 62 years after it went missing. The wreck was found by an international team led by the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-ship-famed-anglo-irish-explorer.html Archaeology Wed, 12 Jun 2024 14:27:26 EDT news637421238 Analyses show ancient Syrian diets resembled the modern 'Mediterranean diet' Thousands of years ago, people in ancient Syria likely ate mostly grains, grapes, olives and a small amount of dairy and meat—similar to today's "Mediterranean diet," according to a study published June 12 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Benjamin T. Fuller from the University of Leuven, Belgium, Simone Riehl from the University of Tübingen, Germany, and colleagues. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-analyses-ancient-syrian-diets-resembled.html Archaeology Wed, 12 Jun 2024 14:00:02 EDT news637406703 Analysis indicates Greek island was home to Bronze Age purple dye workshop The Greek island of Aegina was home to a Late Bronze Age purple dye workshop, according to a study published June 12, 2024 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Lydia Berger of Paris Lodron University of Salzburg, Austria and colleagues. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-analysis-greek-island-home-bronze.html Archaeology Wed, 12 Jun 2024 14:00:02 EDT news637399561 Ancient Maya genomes reveal the practice of male twin ritual sacrifice at Chichén Itzá Rising to power in the wake of the Classic Maya collapse, Chichén Itzá was among the largest and most influential cities of the ancient Maya, but much about its political connections and ritual life remain poorly understood. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-ancient-maya-genomes-reveal-male.html Archaeology Wed, 12 Jun 2024 11:00:01 EDT news637406673 Glass beads indicate Indigenous Americans shaped early transatlantic trade Archaeologists have analyzed the chemical makeup of glass beads from across the Great Lakes region of North America, revealing the extent of Indigenous influence on transatlantic exchange networks during the 17th century AD. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-glass-beads-indigenous-americans-early.html Archaeology Wed, 12 Jun 2024 08:37:03 EDT news637400221 Pompey was elected a Colonial-era 'king.' Did researchers find the foundation of his home outside Boston? At first glance, it may not look like much more than a hole. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-pompey-elected-colonial-era-king.html Archaeology Political science Tue, 11 Jun 2024 14:12:04 EDT news637333921 4,000-year-old Greek hilltop site mystifies archaeologists. It could spell trouble for new airport A big, round, 4,000-year-old stone building discovered on a Cretan hilltop is puzzling archaeologists and threatening to disrupt a major airport project on the Greek tourist island. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-year-cretan-hilltop-mystifies-greek.html Archaeology Tue, 11 Jun 2024 12:22:05 EDT news637327321 Oldest privately owned book sells for £3mn at UK sale The world's oldest book in a private collection, and one of the earliest books in existence, sold at auction in London on Tuesday for more than £3 million. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-oldest-privately-3mn-uk-sale.html Archaeology Tue, 11 Jun 2024 12:20:13 EDT news637327209 The Singapore Stone's carvings have been undeciphered for centuries—now, researchers are trying to crack the puzzle If you pay a visit to the Singapore Stone, displayed at the National Museum of Singapore, you might be disappointed. That's because the inscription—carrying an unknown writing system transcribing an unknown language—is fading. But if you love puzzles, this won't put you off. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-singapore-stone-undeciphered-centuries-puzzle.html Archaeology Tue, 11 Jun 2024 11:02:03 EDT news637322521 Studying archaeological roads gives insights into connectivity and movement Archaeologist Tuna Kalayci investigates roads in a recent edited book. What happens if we think of roads not only as containers of action, but also as dynamic and complex phenomena, as the action itself? This question inspired Dr. Tuna Kalayci to bring together various studies across a wide range of epochs and regions. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-archaeological-roads-insights-movement.html Archaeology Mon, 10 Jun 2024 12:48:57 EDT news637242535 What a bath, taken 1,000 years ago, can tell us about the conflicted English kingdom of the 11th century On June 8, 1023, 1,001 years ago, King Cnut took a bath. In itself this was not particularly remarkable. Contrary to the image of a ubiquitously grubby middle ages that dominates film and television, there is evidence to suggest that among the upper classes, at least, bathing was a regular pleasure. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-years-conflicted-english-kingdom-11th.html Archaeology Social Sciences Mon, 10 Jun 2024 11:12:03 EDT news637236721 The Parthenon marbles evoke particularly fierce repatriation debates: An archaeologist explains why The Parthenon marbles are rarely out of the news. Most recently, Turkish officials have rejected claims by the British Museum that British diplomat Lord Elgin was given permission from Ottoman authorities to remove the marbles from the Acropolis in Athens in the early years of the 19th century. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-parthenon-marbles-evoke-fierce-repatriation.html Archaeology Political science Mon, 10 Jun 2024 11:01:06 EDT news637236064 Hunter-gatherer diets weren't always heavy on meat: Morocco study reveals a plant-based diet About 11,000 years ago, humans made a major shift from hunting and gathering to farming. This change, known as the Neolithic Revolution, dramatically altered our diets. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-hunter-diets-werent-heavy-meat.html Archaeology Mon, 10 Jun 2024 10:20:11 EDT news637233607 Scientists have traced the origin of the modern horse to a lineage that emerged 4,200 years ago The horse transformed human history—and now scientists have a clearer idea of when humans began to transform the horse. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-scientists-modern-horse-lineage-emerged.html Archaeology Sun, 09 Jun 2024 14:10:01 EDT news636901674 Records of Pompeii's survivors have been found—archaeologists are starting to understand how they rebuilt their lives On Aug. 24, in A.D. 79, Mount Vesuvius erupted, shooting over 3 cubic miles of debris up to 20 miles (32.1 kilometers) in the air. As the ash and rock fell to Earth, it buried the ancient cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-pompeii-survivors-archaeologists-rebuilt.html Archaeology Sat, 08 Jun 2024 11:40:01 EDT news636971662