Seeing the wood for the trees: How archaeologists use hazelnuts to reconstruct ancient woodlands
If we could stand in a landscape that our Mesolithic ancestors called home, what would we see around us? Scientists have devised a method of analyzing preserved hazelnut shells to tell us whether the microhabitats around archaeological sites were hea.....»»
More evidence that Europe"s ancient landscapes were open woodlands: Study finds oak, hazel and yew were abundant
In 2023 a research group from Aarhus University in Denmark found that light woodland and open vegetation dominated Europe's temperate forests before Homo sapiens. In a new study, recently published in the Journal of Ecology, they take a closer look a.....»»
Declassified spy images help locate ancient battle site
Archaeologists from Durham University and University of Al-Qadisiyah in Iraq have pinpointed the location of a famous early Islamic battle using declassified spy satellite images......»»
Four out of five people in Africa use wood for cooking. A transition would cut emissions and save lives
Four in every five people in Africa cook using wood, charcoal and other polluting fuels in open fires or inefficient stoves. This releases harmful pollutants and leads to respiratory illnesses and heart disease, particularly among children......»»
Archaeologists excavate earliest known ancient Maya salt works
A team of archaeologists from LSU and the University of Texas at Tyler has excavated the earliest known ancient Maya salt works in southern Belize, as reported in the journal Antiquity......»»
Archaeologists find ancient cheese makers used tree leaves to boost milk production
A study published in Nature Ecology and Evolution sheds light on the innovative practices of Central Europe's early cheese makers......»»
Researchers identify two primary tree movement patterns that help them survive high winds and prevent damage
Destructive winds during storms and cyclones often cause tree failures, especially through uprooting and stem breakage. However, how trees respond to wind under various forest configurations and weather conditions remains unclear......»»
New DNA evidence rewrites long-told stories of people in ancient Pompeii
When a volcanic eruption buried the ancient city of Pompeii, the last desperate moments of its citizens were preserved in stone for centuries......»»
Saturday Citations: Color vision created demand for colorful animals; observing black hole light echoes; deadlines!
This week, researchers hypothesized that human culture is distinguished from cultures of other species like whales by unique open-endedness—the ability to communicate and understand an infinite number of possibilities. An ancient unicellular organi.....»»
Philippines cleans up after Typhoon Yinxing slams north coast
Authorities cleared uprooted trees and debris in the northern Philippines on Friday as Typhoon Yinxing blew out to sea after pounding the coast overnight, ripping roofs from homes and forcing thousands to seek shelter......»»
Cliff-top sites preserve ancient Aboriginal heritage on the River Murray
New research by Flinders University researchers, conducted in partnership with the River Murray and Mallee Aboriginal Corporation (RMMAC), has documented ancient archaeological sites on the cliff-tops in the region between Morgan and Overland Corner.....»»
Indigenous elders and ritual specialists help to unlock the meaning of ancient Amazonian rock art
Archaeologists documenting tens of thousands of rock art motifs in the Colombian Amazon have been consulting with Indigenous elders and ritual specialists to help interpret their meaning......»»
Q&A: Looking at ancient Roman plagues through an environmental lens
A pit of human bones, potential evidence of a catastrophic epidemic that struck Constantinople in 541 A.D. Sulfur deposits trapped in polar ice, showing traces of a series of massive volcanic eruptions. For Brandon McDonald, these seemingly incongruo.....»»
Oldest depictions of fishing discovered in Ice Age art: Camp site reveals 15,800-year-old engravings of fish trapping
The Ice Age camp site of Gönnersdorf on the banks of the Rhine has revealed a groundbreaking discovery that sheds new light on early fishing practices. New imaging methods have allowed researchers to see intricate engravings of fish on ancient schis.....»»
Ancient unicellular organism indicates embryonic development might have existed prior to animals" evolution
Chromosphaera perkinsii is a single-celled species discovered in 2017 in marine sediments around Hawaii. The first signs of its presence on Earth have been dated at over a billion years, well before the appearance of the first animals......»»
Burial chamber and grave goods of ancient Egyptian priestess discovered in Asyut
An international team of archaeologists led by Professor Jochem Kahl from Freie Universität Berlin has made an incredible discovery in the necropolis of Asyut, Egypt. Researchers discovered the burial chamber of the ancient Egyptian priestess Idy, d.....»»
Reconstructing plesiosaur swimming styles with a bio-inspired control system
A research group may have unraveled the mystery behind the locomotion of the ancient marine reptile, the plesiosaur, by recreating a bio-inspired control system that accounts for motion adjustment......»»
Designs on ancient stone cylinders correspond to origin of writing in Mesopotamia, researchers discover
The origins of writing in Mesopotamia lie in the images imprinted by ancient cylinder seals on clay tablets and other artifacts. A research group from the University of Bologna has identified a series of correlations between the designs engraved on t.....»»
How many trees does it take to cool a city? Researchers develop tool to set urban tree canopy goals
Cities around the globe are increasingly experiencing dangerous heat as urban concrete and asphalt amplify rising temperatures. Tree-planting programs are a popular, nature-based way to cool cities, but these initiatives have been largely based on gu.....»»
What this 500-year-old shipwreck can tell us about how we age
Raman spectroscopy of 12 collarbones suggests most crew members were right-handed. Henry VIII's favorite warship, the Mary Rose, sank in battle in 1545. Archaeologists successfull.....»»
Portal to the past: Geologist identifies metamorphic rock as a crucial feature of the ancient Earth"s carbon cycle
If Earth's history were a calendar year, humans would not appear until the last few minutes before midnight on Dec. 31. During the Proterozoic Eon—2.5 billion years to 543 million years ago—the sun was still a young star, much dimmer than today,.....»»