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 Public perceptions of archaeology are often thoroughly outdated, and these characterisations do little to help.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.....»»
Early humans placed hearth at optimal location in caves, for maximum benefit and minimum smoke exposure
A groundbreaking study in prehistoric archaeology at Tel Aviv University provides evidence for high cognitive abilities in early humans who lived 170,000 years ago. In a first-of-its kind study, the researchers developed a software-based smoke disper.....»»
Underwater archaeologist advocates for diversity in field
An assistant professor of sociology and anthropology from The University of Texas at Arlington, who also chairs the national Advisory Council on Underwater Archaeology, is advocating for more diversity and inclusion in her field......»»
Seeing deeper with atmospheric muons: From archaeology to geology
Muon imaging, or "muography," may be a niche field, but with uses in probing both man-made and natural structures, its appeal is expanding rapidly. A new open-access review published in Reviews in Physics by Lorenzo Bonechi and Raffaello D'Alessandro.....»»
The ancient origins of glass
Glass's rich history is being traced using modern archaeology and materials science. Enlarge / This glass fish was found in a fairly modest private house in Amarna, buried under a plaster floor along with a few other objects. It may on.....»»
The term "Anthropocene" isn"t perfect, but it shows us the scale of the environmental crisis we"ve caused
Earlier this year, scientists identified early warning signs of the collapse of the Gulf Stream, an ocean current that influences the climate of the North American east coast and much of western Europe......»»
Space archaeology study: Life & culture on the International Space Station
In an out of this world study, space archaeologists are reconstructing life on the International Space Station (ISS) over the past two decades, to better understand space culture and get an inside look at how astronauts interact with their tools and.....»»
Deep roots of the Anthropocene can be found in tropical forests
A new special edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences showcases multidisciplinary approaches to exploring human impacts on tropical forests and their associated earth systems......»»
Scientists develop a statistical fix for archaeology"s dating problem
Archeologists have long had a dating problem. The radiocarbon analysis typically used to reconstruct past human demographic changes relies on a method easily skewed by radiocarbon calibration curves and measurement uncertainty. And there's never been.....»»
The ethics of remote sensing in archaeology
Remote sensing—beginning with aerial photography—has been used for decades in one form or another in archaeology, but, the discussion on the ethical use of the information gathered through these methods is a newer topic, according to a team of re.....»»
Oldest known cosmetics found in ceramic bottles on Balkan Peninsula
A trio of researchers from Slovenia's Institute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Slovenia at the Centre for Preventive Archaeology and Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, in Germany, has found evidence of the oldest known use of cosmetic.....»»
Uncovering the lost Indigenous settlement of Sarabay in Florida
The University of North Florida archaeology team is now fairly confident they have located the lost Indigenous northeast Florida community of Sarabay, a settlement mentioned in both French and Spanish documents dating to the 1560s but had not been di.....»»
Candle box from 500 years ago found in melting glacier in Norway
A team of archaeologists with the Glacier Archaeology Program in Innlandet have discovered a candle box in the Lendbreen glacier in Norway's Breheimen National Park. The team has been posting its findings on their Facebook page......»»
Half of Guadeloupe"s snakes and lizards went extinct after European colonization
In recent years, the evidence of human impacts on Earth's systems has caused researchers to call for recognition of a new epoch, the Anthropocene, in which human activity is a major driver of climate and ecosystem change. However, despite growing evi.....»»
Chemical analysis of rare earth elements used to learn about prehistoric human activity
The research group led by Gianni Gallello, from the Department of Prehistory, Archaeology and Ancient History of the University of Valencia, has used the analysis of rare earth elements for the first time to find human activity in a prehistoric cave......»»
Unique Bronze Age find just south of Alingsås
A unique Bronze Age find was made on 8 April in a wooded area just to the south of the town of Alingsås. Following an archaeological examination by among others Johan Ling, Professor of Archaeology at the University of Gothenburg among others, it ha.....»»
Ancient food webs can chart sustainable futures
At first glance, it might seem that archaeology and ecology don't have much in common. One unearths the ancient human past; the other studies the interactions of living organisms. But taking the long view in understanding humans' influence on ecosyst.....»»
Database relaunch to help protect endangered maritime archaeology
An online resource documenting maritime archaeology in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) has been improved and relaunched—helping to further protect sites that are under threat of destruction, erosion or neglect......»»
How many Anthropocenes
The Anthropocene, in its brief but vivid history, has developed many faces. A new study from the University of Leicester suggests how these can add up to a wider understanding......»»
Archaeology sheds light on the persistence of Muslim cuisine after the Catholic conquest of Granada
Granada, in southern Spain's Andalusia region, was the final remnant of Islamic Iberia known as al-Andalus—a territory that once stretched across most of Spain and Portugal. In 1492, the city fell to the Catholic conquest......»»
Modern analysis of rock art: Machine learning opens new doors in archaeology
Rock art of human figures created over thousands of years in Australia's Arnhem Land has been put through a transformative machine learning study to analyse style changes over the years......»»