A new archaeology for the Anthropocene era
Indiana Jones and Lara Croft have a lot to answer for. Public perceptions of archaeology are often thoroughly outdated, and these characterisations do little to help. Archaeology as practiced today bears virtually no resemblance to the tomb raiding p.....»»
Scientists reveal foodcrust archaeology through molecule excavation
A lipid and proteomic study of ancient carbonized material (foodcrust) on pottery from the Taihu Lake region of eastern China has revealed the presence of rice, seafood consumption, various pottery functions, as well as the southward spread and plant.....»»
North America"s first people may have arrived by sea ice highway as early as 24,000 years ago
One of the hottest debates in archaeology is how and when humans first arrived in North America. Archaeologists have traditionally argued that people walked through an ice-free corridor that briefly opened between ice sheets an estimated 13,000 years.....»»
The Anthropocene condition: Evolving through social–ecological transformations
Drawing together an array of interdisciplinary studies across archaeology, ecology, anthropology, and evolutionary theory, Erle Ellis, professor of geography and environmental systems at the University of Maryland Baltimore County, explains the evolu.....»»
Earliest evidence for domestic yak found using both archaeology and ancient DNA
The high-altitude hero of the Himalayas, yak are among the few large animals that can survive the extremely cold, harsh and oxygen-poor conditions of the Tibetan Plateau. In the mountainous regions of Asia, yak and yak–cattle hybrids serve as vital.....»»
Scholars say it"s time to declare a new epoch on the moon, the "Lunar Anthropocene"
Human beings first disturbed moon dust on Sept. 13, 1959, when the USSR's unmanned spacecraft Luna 2 alighted on the lunar surface. In the following decades, more than a hundred other spacecraft have touched the moon—both crewed and uncrewed, somet.....»»
Ra-Pict prototyping bringing archaeology alive
3D scanners, 3D printers and even new smartphone technology is being used by University of Aberdeen archaeologists to enhance teaching and public engagement of the discipline......»»
Analysis supports demarcation of new epoch characterized by human impact on planet
Scientists have long debated the Anthropocene Epoch, a proposed unit of geologic time corresponding to the most recent period in history. It's characterized by substantial human impact on the planet......»»
Ancient Egypt had far more venomous snakes than the country today, according to new study of a scroll
How much can the written records of ancient civilizations tell us about the animals they lived alongside? Published in Environmental Archaeology, Our latest research, based on the venomous snakes described in an ancient Egyptian papyrus, suggests mor.....»»
Galactic archaeology uncovers the dramatic history of our next-door neighbor, the Andromeda galaxy
Research led by the University of Hertfordshire has revealed the dramatic history of Andromeda, our nearest neighboring galaxy. Using state-of-the-art modeling, Professor Chiaki Kobayashi and a team of international astrophysicists have determined de.....»»
Unearthing ancient faith: Byzantine Greek inscription of Psalms 86 found in Hyrcania
Archaeologists from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem's Institute of Archaeology recently carried out preliminary excavation at the ancient site of Hyrcania in the northern Judean Desert, coming at the heels of increased activity by antiquities loot.....»»
Researcher detect a Roman-period cranial tumor case
A multidisciplinary team at the Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH) has published a paper in the journal Virtual Archaeology Review on a Roman-period meningioma (cranial tumor) found in a skull in the Iberian Peninsu.....»»
Our planet is burning in unexpected ways—here"s how we can protect people and nature
People have been using fire for millennia. It is a vital part of many ecosystems and cultures. Yet human activities in the current era, sometimes called the "Anthropocene," are reshaping patterns of fire across the planet......»»
Small prey compelled prehistoric humans to produce appropriate hunting weapons and improve their cognitive abilities
A new study from the Department of Archaeology at Tel Aviv University found that the extinction of large prey, upon which human nutrition had been based, compelled prehistoric humans to develop improved weapons for hunting small prey, thereby driving.....»»
Researchers reconstruct earliest known composite-tiled roofs
Researchers from Peking University School of Archaeology and Museology collaborated with the Gansu Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology to reconstruct the world's earliest composite-tiled roofs. Their findings were consolidated in.....»»
Crawford Lake: What the past can teach us about urban living today
When I heard that Crawford Lake in southern Ontario was selected as the "Golden Spike" candidate for placing the beginning of the Anthropocene epoch in 1950—essentially, the best place in the world to show how humans impacted the planet's fossil re.....»»
Did the Anthropocene start in 1950—or much earlier? Here"s why debate over our world-changing impact matters
It made world news last week when a small lake in Canada was chosen as the "Golden Spike"—the location where the emergence of the Anthropocene is most clear. The Anthropocene is the proposed new geological epoch defined by humanity's impact on the.....»»
Crawford Lake chosen as the primary marker to identify the start of the Anthropocene epoch
An international team of researchers has chosen the location which best represents the beginnings of what could be a new geological epoch, the Anthropocene......»»
Humans" impact on Earth began a new epoch in the 1950s called the Anthropocene, scientists say
From climate change to species loss and pollution, humans have etched their impact on Earth with such strength and permanence since the middle of the 20th century that a special team of scientists says a new geologic epoch began then......»»
Welcome to the Anthropocene, Earth"s new chapter
Since 2009, a cloistered band of hard-rock geologists and other scientists have toiled on a mission of great consequence......»»
Giant stone artifacts found on rare Ice Age site in Kent
Researchers at the UCL Institute of Archaeology have discovered some of the largest early prehistoric stone tools in Britain......»»