Why Did the Vikings Leave Greenland?
Why Did the Vikings Leave Greenland? One of the great mysteries of late medieval history is why did the Norse, who had established successful settlements in southern Greenland in 985, abandon them in the early 15th century? The consensus view has long been that colder temperatures, ᴀssociated with the Little Ice Age, helped make the …
French cave tells a new story about Neanderthals, early humans
French cave tells a new story about Neanderthals, early humans A hillside dwelling overlooking the picturesque Rhone Valley in southern France proved irresistible for our ancestors, attracting both Neanderthals and modern humans long before the latter was thought to have reached that part of Europe, a new study suggests. In a paper published Wednesday by …
Archaeologists discover innovative 40,000-year-old culture in China
Archaeologists discover innovative 40,000-year-old culture in China When did populations of Homo sapiens first arrive in China and what happened when they encountered the Denisovans or Neanderthals who lived there? A new study in Nature by an international team of researchers opens a window into hunter-gatherer lifestyles 40,000 years ago. Archaeological excavations at the site …
Experiments show why early humans began adding handles to tools
Experiments show why early humans began adding handles to tools A team of researchers at the University of Liverpool has tested the ᴀssumption that hafted tools (those with handles) provided early humans with enough benefit to warrant their construction and use. In their paper published in Journal of the Royal Society Interface, the group describes …
Remains of man who was ‘vaporized’ by Mount Vesuvius 2,000 years ago discovered
Remains of man who was ‘vaporized’ by Mount Vesuvius 2,000 years ago discovered The skeletal remains of a man whose flesh disintegrated in the heat from Mount Vesuvius almost 2,000 years ago have offered a new glimpse into one of history’s most famous volcanic eruptions. Archaeologists released pictures of the skeleton found at the ancient …
207-year-old whaling ship discovered in the Gulf of Mexico
207-year-old whaling ship discovered in the Gulf of Mexico The wreck of a 19th-century whaling ship has been identified on the sea bottom in the Gulf of Mexico. Its discovery was announced Wednesday (March 23) in a statement released by representatives of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and their partners in the expedition. …
How the ancient Greeks proved Earth was round over 2,000 years ago
How the ancient Greeks proved Earth was round over 2,000 years ago Long before NASA was sending satellites up into space, the ancient Greeks developed a way to determine the world was spherical over 2000 years ago. Despite it being obvious that the world is has a round spherical shape, ‘flat-earthers’ will live and die …
Mummies uncovered in Portugal date back 8,000 years and could be oldest in the world
Mummies uncovered in Portugal date back 8,000 years and could be oldest in the world Archaeologists are set to rewrite the history books after they uncovered new evidence that suggests the oldest instances of mummification occurred 8,000 years ago. Researchers have taken a second look at pH๏τographs snapped 60 years ago of several skeletons that were …
Archaeology breakthrough as experts retrace human roots with 518 million-year-old rocks
Archaeology breakthrough as experts retrace human roots with 518 million year-old rocks The new study is based on an analysis of 518 million-year-old rocks that contain the oldest collection of fossils that researchers have on record. The researchers believe that Chengjian, a city in the mountainous Yunnan Province of China, is the origin of many …
Analysis Links the Origins of the Maya and Corn Cultivation
Analysis Links the Origins of the Maya and Corn Cultivation In Maya creation myths, the gods created humans out of corn. Now, a new study from a site in Belize suggests corn really was important in the origin of the ancient Maya: More than half of their ancestry can be traced to migrants who arrived …