Archaeologists found the remains belonging to nine Neanderthals in a cave near Rome, with the discovery offering new insights on prehistoric life in what is now the Italian peninsula.
New research suggests that opposable thumbs were not exclusive to homo sapiens. In fact, it might have helped early humans evolve as early as 2 million years ago.
DNA sequencing has helped scientists in mapping the evolution of our species for ages and because of that, humans are closer in understanding their origins.
In an attempt to understand the social dynamics among our hunter-gatherer ancestors, anthropologists sometimes begin in the present and work backwards. And what the researchers at University College London have found adds another dimension to the unique social structure of hunter-gatherer society.
For over twenty years, scientists have used modern technology, in the form of CT scans and X-rays, to virtually unwrap mummified remains. These powerful tools, which allow researchers to peer inside mummies, provide information as to cause of death, burial treatment, and individual traits of the deceased. But now, this technology is being used to explore a new breed of Egyptian mummies: animals that were preserved to accompany the dead. And perhaps the greatest surprise is what's missing from these mummified treasures.
Though the studies of space and the seas reveal many unknowns, the most interesting field of science may perhaps be the study of us—humans. Anthropologists and archaeologists excavate remains and remnants deep within the soils of our past, only to reveal what makes humans unique unto themselves. And in this quest for knowledge, researchers have often come to find that while tales of kings and ancient pharaohs may satiate the public, it’s the stories of religion and artifacts that really create the big picture.
Anthropologists now believe that some of the earliest human ancestors who lived 3.2 million years ago had hand structures much like our own and were able to grasp and use tools, even if they had not invented them yet.
While tales of the cryptid, the Loch Ness monster more colloquially known as Nessy, have gone largely unsubstantiated in the past, archaeologists in Scotland believe that they may now have found creature that fits the bill. The only problem is, that the dolphin-like marine reptile which grew to lengths of up to 14 feet went extinct nearly 170 million years ago.
Time is the one constant variable in all of our lives. Minutes push by, hours pass over, and years ring around the trunks of senior trees. 1,500 years is a time scale that may seem almost immeasurable at times, but a new discovery reveals that it has been written down, recorded to a tee. An excavation near the ancient city of Nea Paphos had unearthed an amulet of such an age that inscribed written language on one side and curiously depicted both Greek and Egyptian gods on the other.
Easter Island, with its iconic stone-head statues, has long been the subject of a fierce debate among academics. For years, scientists have been baffled by the mystery of Easter Island and simply didn't have a clue about what happened to the Polynesians who once lived there. That is, until now.
For those who are avid viewers of works of independent horror films, many know that Poland is often the back-drop for some of the most terrifying tales of local folklore and blood-sucking creatures of the night. And there’s a reason behind the madness. Dating back to the 17th and 18th centuries, stories of vampires have abounded in the region, leading to a uniquely deviant form of burials that are intended to keep proposed vampires in their crypts.