Newsdesk Archive
To understand the true otherness of Neanderthals, researchers must rethink the meaning they give to their archaeological finds, argues a new book —The Naked Neanderthal
About 2.1 million years ago, the first humans—Homo erectus—migrated from Africa...For a long time, researchers have speculated on how Homo erectus could cross the dry and merciless desert, where there was neither food, water, nor shade. New research from Aarhus University now suggests that Homo erectus may not have walked through the desert when they left Africa...
The skull of a colossal sea monster has been extracted from the cliffs of Dorset's Jurassic Coast. It belongs to a pliosaur, a ferocious marine reptile that terrorised the oceans about 150 million years ago.
Hunter-gatherers in southernmost South America integrated horses with Spanish pedigrees into their societies around 400 years ago, long before Europeans occupied that region, a new study suggests.
In some parts of the brain, the team saw a reduction in dopamine neurons in the brains of the mice; in other regions, there was an increase in these neurons. If we're to continue to use ketamine as a treatment, these effects need to be better understood. The research has been published in Cell Reports.
A new study published... in the journal Quaternary Science Reviews presents an unprecedentedly extensive set of archaeological and environmental data revealing connectivities between climate changes, population dynamics and cultural changes in present-day Northern Germany and Scandinavia during the Neolithic and Early Bronze Age.
Five axes found in Poland date to 3,500 years ago, and may have been used as either tools to chop wood or for sacrificial purposes.
One of the biggest and brightest stars in the night sky will momentarily vanish as an asteroid passes in front of it to produce a one-of-a-kind eclipse. The rare and fleeting spectacle, late on Monday into early Tuesday, should be visible to millions of people...
A groundbreaking archaeological discovery... has uncovered fortified prehistoric settlements in a remote region of Siberia. The results of their research reveal that hunter–gatherers in Siberia constructed complex defense structures around their settlements 8,000 years ago. See the study here.
The Tiwanaku civilisation, which precedes the Inca civilisation and has a lifespan of 25 centuries, is known as the 'mother culture' of South America. The civilisation mysteriously vanished without a trace. There are numerous theories, but recent findings have shed light on the truth of what may have happened and the significance of this cultural mystery.
Image from Wiki Commons.
Hunting the now extinct straight-tusked elephant (Palaeoloxodon antiquus) was widespread among Neanderthals, concludes a research team... The study has recently been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
An early trial hints that psilocybin could be a safe and effective treatment for depressive episodes in bipolar II disorder and should be studied further. That's according to a small clinical trial whose results were published Wednesday (Dec. 6) in the journal JAMA Psychiatry.
New research published in Nature Communications suggests that the first cell-like structures on Earth contained radiation-resistant manganese antioxidants, protecting the first cells to evolve.
Similar patterns develop on the surface of Earth’s polar regions when icy sediments cool and contract. A comparable process long ago may have created the shapes on Mars, found near the planet’s dry equator, researchers reported recently in Nature Astronomy.
A team of archaeologists, geologists and historians affiliated with several institutions in Spain has found that the Menga dolmen represents one of the greatest engineering feats of the Neolithic. Their study was published in Scientific Reports.
The postage stamp-size lead piece, known as the Mount Ebal tablet, has been controversial since its discovery was announced last March. Its finders suggested the tablet showed writing in an early form of the Hebrew alphabet that called on the god of the Israelites to curse his enemies. But the new studies reject claims that the tablet is the earliest-known inscription of the name Yahweh and that it supports biblical accounts of the origins of the ancient Israelites.
Imagine a world where you could control your sense of time. Where trips to the dentist flew by in a second and holidays felt like they lasted forever. Time altering pills may sound like science fiction but the time warping effects of psychoactive drugs suggest that deliberate time manipulation may be possible.
Two mosquito fossils, preserved in Lebanese amber, are challenging scientists’ understanding of how blood feeding developed in the insects. The findings have been published in Current Biology.
Recent evidence suggests kings did not always run the show.
In a scientific commentary published in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution... a group of archaeological scientists strongly advocate for the use of modern scientific techniques to support claims such as those made about Homo naledi.
Inside a decades-long journey to uncover the sacramental origins of the Bufo alvarius toad—and the powerful psychedelic derived from it...The story began innocently enough in Haiti in the spring of 1982, in the temple of a Vodoun sorcerer...
Archaeologists think they may have found one of the largest prehistoric hunter-gatherer cemeteries in northern Europe just a hair south of the Arctic Circle. But the one important thing missing from the 6,500-year-old site in Finland is any evidence of human skeletons.
A research group... has clarified differences in the physical characteristics of rocks used by early humans during the Paleolithic...The researchers have published the results in the Journal of Paleolithic Archaeology.
One of the most well-studied marine mammals in the world has been secretly harboring a superpower sixth sense. The study was published in the Journal of Experimental Biology.
Six planets that orbit their star in a coordinated dance have been discovered by scientists, who say the finding could help shed light on why planets in our own solar system move to their own beat.
Fossil tracks found in southern Africa, push the potential evolution of the first birds back to 210 million years ago – during the Triassic (252–201 million years ago), the first epoch of the “Age of Dinosaurs.”
Fragments from the asteroid US space agency Nasa has described as the most dangerous rock in the Solar System have arrived in the UK for study.
The astrophysicist and professor likes to ruffle feathers – and says his critics are merely jealous. He discusses UFOs, interstellar objects and the risks of his all-consuming search.
The double burial of an adult woman and an infant, dating to about 7000–6800 BCE, discovered in 1934 during construction works at the spa gardens of Bad Dürrenberg, is regarded as one of the outstanding burial finds of the Mesolithic in Central Europe...Genetic research now reveals the relation of the woman and the child: the boy is not her son, but is a fourth- or fifth-degree relation.
Adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or severe ADHD symptoms who practiced microdosing with psychedelics reported increases in mindfulness after four weeks, according to new preliminary research published in Frontiers in Psychiatry.
Several dozen burials from the Wari culture, which prospered in the region before the Inca took over, were unearthed in Peru.
A headline-grabbing paper claiming that a structure in Indonesia is the oldest pyramid in the world has raised the eyebrows of some archaeologists — and has now prompted an investigation by the journal that published it, Nature has learnt.
In a paper, "Genetic continuity and change among the Indigenous peoples of California," published in Nature, the researchers reveal new genetic data that links ancient individuals and languages to the cultural landscape of ancient California.
A new analysis by an international team of researchers has added evidence to claims that the world prior to the asteroid blow was anything but paradise, with measures of sulfur in the atmosphere reaching critical levels.
What may be the world's largest prehistoric hand ax, measuring over 20 inches long, was found in Saudi Arabia. It's also unknown how old the tool is...However, other tools found at the site may date to 200,000 years ago...
In a recent study conducted in Canada, researchers have uncovered a potentially promising connection between the use of psychedelic mushrooms and a reduction in psychological distress, particularly among individuals who have experienced adverse childhood experiences. The study was published in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs.
In 1991, physicists spotted a particle from space that crashed into Earth with so much energy that it warranted an “OMG!”A new particle of comparable energy has been found, researchers report in the Nov. 24 Science...And mysteriously, scientists are unable to pinpoint any cosmic source for the particle.
Divers off the coast of Naples, Italy have recovered a large chunk of chiseled obsidian that likely went down in a Stone Age shipwreck more than 5,000 years ago.
Venus is so tantalizingly close to being a twin of Earth. Its size, composition, and density are so similar to the properties of our homeworld… but when it comes to habitability, Venus couldn't be more different.
The Fly Agaric (Amanita muscaria) mushroom carries significant cultural mystique. It’s one of the most recognizable mushrooms and also one of the most well-known entheogens.... The Panther Cap is mysterious—little is said about it other than as a passing aside. But, the potent mushroom has as many reasons to merit discussion.
Hunter-gatherers from Mexico migrated into California more than 5,000 years ago, potentially spreading distinctive languages from the south into the region nearly 1,000 years earlier than previously thought, a new genetic study details. See the study here.
Archaeological sites with evidence of major animal sacrifices are rarely known from the Iron Age of the Mediterranean region, and there is a gap between information offered by written sources and by the archaeological record. This makes it difficult to establish a clear understanding of the patterns and protocols of this practice. See the study here.
Recent research has shown that engravings in a cave in La Roche-Cotard (France), which has been sealed for thousands of years, were actually made by Neanderthals. This research was performed by Basel archaeologist Dorota Wojtczak together with a team of researchers from France and Denmark, whose findings reveal that the Neanderthals were in fact the first humans with an appreciation of art. See the research here.
Archaeologists from University College Dublin, working with colleagues from Serbia and Slovenia, have uncovered a previously unknown network of massive sites in the heart of Europe that could explain the emergence of the continent's Bronze Age megaforts—the largest prehistoric constructions seen prior to the Iron Age. See the research here.
The Great Sand Sea Desert stretches over an area of 72,000km² linking Egypt and Libya. If you find yourself in a particular part of the desert in south-east Libya and south-western parts of Egypt, you'll spot pieces of yellow glass scattered across the sandy landscape.
A three-month study of participants in ayahuasca rituals found that these individuals self-report small decreases in narcissism after these ceremonies. However, reports from the participants peers did not corroborate these changes. The study was published in the Journal of Personality Disorders.
The excavation, taking place in the 3000-year-old funerary complex of Las Capellanías, in Cañaveral de León, Spain, uncovered a stela depicting a human figure with detailed face, hands and feet, a headdress, necklace, two swords and male genitals.
Stone Age people in Belgium were hunting with spear-throwers more than 30,000 years ago — the earliest known evidence of such a weapon in Europe, a new study suggests.
A secret text has been discovered in Türkiye, scattered among tens of thousands of ancient clay tablets, which were written in the time of the Hittite Empire during the second millennium BCE.
Previously, archaeologists believed large conflicts between Europeans occurred during the Bronze Age, which began about 4,000 years ago. But carbon dating performed on the Rioja Alavesa remains suggests burials 5,400-5,000 years ago, placing it within the late Neolithic period. The results are published in Scientific Reports.
Image from: https://www.flickr.com/photos/telemax/5042712714/ (Wiki Commons)
Scientists in China have announced the birth of a primate like no other, with eyes that shined green and fingertips that glowed yellow – and those were just the observable features. The study was published in Cell.
Using the James Webb Space Telescope, an international team...has discovered the most distant barred spiral galaxy similar to the Milky Way that has been observed to date. The research, published in Nature, was led by scientists at the Centro de Astrobiología in Spain.
A mysterious primate appeared in North America 30 million years ago, long after the continent's native primates had died out and even longer before the next big influx of primates – humans – would arrive. The study was published in the Journal of Human Evolution.
Several exoplanets at the edge of our galaxy could have formed continents — and advanced life — 5 billion years earlier than Earth, new research suggests.
On the shores of Lake Turkana in East Africa, about 5,000 to 4,000 years ago, pastoralists buried their dead in communal cemeteries that were marked by stone circles and pillars.
Published in Nature Ecology & Evolution, the new study analyzes two skull fragments dating back between 37,000 and 36,000 years to conclude that our ancestors came from Eastern Europe and migrated westwards.
Over the next six years, Euclid will survey a third of the heavens to get some clues about the nature of so-called dark matter and dark energy.
A new facial reconstruction depicts a Neanderthal whose skeleton was found by priests in a French cave.
According to the researchers, the pyramid is a mausoleum complex for a ruler from the Begaz? Dandibay culture, a late Bronze Age culture that flourished during the last phase of the Andronovo period (2000–1150 BC).
Image by: Sanjay Rao (Wiki Commons)
Like tiny, hairy Yodas raising X-wings from a swamp, rats can lift digital cubes and drop them near a target. But these rats aren’t using the Force. Instead, they are using their imagination. See the study here.
A giant underground pyramid hidden beneath a hillside in Indonesia far outdates Stonehenge or the Giza Pyramids and may come to rival the oldest megalithic structures ever built by human hands. See the study here.
The study reveals that the genetic variant observed, which affects zinc regulation, could have signified an evolutionary advantage in our ancestors’ adaptation to the cold.
It is often thought of as something not of this world, a magical, mystical place. But the Festival of Neolithic Ideas at Stonehenge will take a more scientific look at the great circle and the landscape it sits within.
People who have used psilocybin hold strong expectations about its antidepressant effects, with those experiencing higher levels of mystical experiences, emotional breakthroughs, and ego dissolution holding greater expectations, according to new research published in the Journal of Humanistic Psychology.
Some 4.5 billion years or so ago, scientists believe, something big smacked into Earth and knocked it ass over teakettle. The result was a bunch of debris hurled into space, swirling around until it formed the Moon. Of the big object, thought to be the size of Mars, and named Theia, nothing much was left. Or so we thought. See the research here.
In a 1981 Smithsonian Magazine article, geologist Farouk El-Baz theorizes that the ancient Egyptians didn’t create the sphinx from scratch, like the pyramids, but that desert winds formed the overall contours of the sphinx and the ancient stonemasons gave the rock a celestial facelift. Now, scientists from New York University have tested that theory...See the study here.
An archaeological site south of Sydney has investigated 2,000-year-old dingo bones, buried alongside, and in the same way, as the Indigenous people of the area. The research has been published in PLOS One.
A study in the Netherlands reported that regular participants in ayahuasca ceremonies have better general well-being, fewer chronic or lifestyle-related diseases, more physical activity, and a more balanced diet compared to the general population of the Netherlands. The study was published in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs.
Archaeologists in Egypt have discovered a 3,500-year-old cemetery that contains a "Book of the Dead" papyrus.
Excavations on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi have uncovered two unique and deadly artefacts dating back some 7,000 years – tiger shark teeth that were used as blades. These finds, reported in the journal Antiquity, are some of the earliest archaeological evidence globally for the use of shark teeth in composite weapons – weapons made with multiple parts.
In a twist in the ancient human story, emerging evidence suggests that we may have worn shoes as early as the Middle Stone Age (75,000—150,000 years ago). This could mean that our species had complex cognitive and practical abilities much earlier than was previously thought.
In their study, reported on the open-access site PLOS ONE, the group used a variety of techniques to identify the source of red coloring on shell beads found in an Israeli cave decades ago.
Scientists have discovered cannabidiol, a compound in cannabis known as CBD, in a common Brazilian plant, opening potential new avenues to produce the increasingly popular substance.
As policymakers, governments, NGOs and activists work to craft urgent responses to protect tropical forests...the report says that “their efforts will fail as long as those committed to environmental protection neglect to recognize, and grapple with, the elephant in the room”—namely “the global system of criminalized drug prohibition, popularly known as the ‘war on drugs.’”
Image from:Pyschoactive Drugs.jpg uploaded by Thoric. (Wiki Commons)
The ruins of a 5,000-year-old tomb in a construction that reflects the pinnacle of neolithic engineering in northern Britain has been unearthed in Orkney.
Yopo is a powerful psychedelic snuff used for healing and shamanic practice in the Amazon's Orinoco basin. Crisis puts people and cultural knowledge at risk.
A comparison of the genomes of a Neanderthal who lived 120,000 years ago in Siberia with those from modern humans in sub-Saharan Africa has revealed insight into the migratory and interbreeding history of both species. See the paper here.
Sometimes, years of painstaking excavation work are required to uncover the artifacts of the past – and sometimes, as with a recent earthquake in Mexico City, much of the hard digging work is done by nature.
An extreme drought in parts of the Amazon has led to a dramatic drop in river water levels, exposing dozens of usually submerged rock formations with carvings of human forms that may date back some 2,000 years.
It's a familiar story to many of us: In prehistoric times, men were hunters and women were gatherers. Women were not physically capable of hunting because their anatomy was different from men. And because men were hunters, they drove human evolution.But that story's not true... See the research here and here.
The Moon's youthful good looks are apparently deceptive. A new study of tiny grains of zircon in Apollo lunar samples suggests that it's even older than we thought, by a good 40 million years. The research is due to be published in Geochemical Perspectives Letters.
In spite of the myriad of findings detailing their genetic and cultural similarities, our long-extinct 'cousins' are still all too often exiled into their own species, Homo neanderthalensis. That categorization is due for a change...See the study here.
Scientists have begun to investigate whether psychedelic substances could aid in the treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. A preliminary study, published in Scientific Reports, has found that more than 30% of individuals with OCD who consumed these substances reported positive effects lasting for more than three months.
A team of scientists have identified the oldest pieces of Baltic amber ever found on the Iberian Peninsula, revealing that this luxury material used in jewelry and handicrafts around the world was already being imported more than 5,000 years ago. See the study here.
Modern humans migrated to Eurasia 75,000 years ago, where they encountered and interbred with Neanderthals. A new study published in the journal Current Biology shows that at this time Neanderthals were already carrying human DNA from a much older encounter with modern humans.
A piece of rock with mysterious markings that lay largely unstudied for 4,000 years is now being hailed as a "treasure map" for archaeologists, who are using it to hunt for ancient sites around north-western France.
Archaeologists in Turkey have unearthed a nearly 11,000-year-old statue that may depict a giant man clutching his penis, along with a life-size wild boar statue. The two statues come from the neighboring sites of Gobekli Tepe and Karahan Tepe, which are among the oldest temple sites in the world.
The richness and productive diversity of the Chalcolithic communities of the southern half of the Iberian Peninsula, dating back 5,100 to 4,200 years ago, were produced without signs of economic exploitation or marked social hierarchies and with a high degree of cooperation. See the study here.
A US team of astrobiologists, philosophers, a mineralogist, a theoretical physicist, and a data scientist describe the "missing law" of nature in an intriguing new peer-reviewed paper.
A reanalysis of an ancient fossil has shed new light on the adaptive behaviour of ancient humans in Africa. An extensive cross-institutional study published in the journal Science has reevaluated the fossil and proposed a new perspective on the movements of ancient humans in this part of Africa.
The discovery represents the first direct evidence of Neandertals hunting cave lions, and the oldest evidence of any hominid slaying a large predator, researchers say. But such behavior probably began much earlier among Neandertals, zooarchaeologist Gabriele Russo and colleagues report October 12 in Scientific Reports.
Archaeologists in Italy have unearthed a 2,200-year-old tomb painted with two uncommon mythical creatures: a pair of ichthyocentaurs, or sea-centaurs, which have the head and torso of a man, the lower body of a horse and the tail of a fish.
"Neanderthals were capable of symbolic thought, could create artistic objects, knew how to decorate their bodies using personal ornaments and had an extremely varied diet. Add to that that, based on our findings, we can say with certainty that they habitually ate cooked food. This ability confirms that they were as skilled as the Homo sapiens who lived millennia later." See the study here.
Consciousness is the black hole of neurology; a singularity hidden by an event horizon of subjective experience nobody else can access. We can only presume other brains – like our very own – can turn acoustic vibrations into songs of joy and sadness, electromagnetic waves into blue skies and warm sunsets, or the smell of skin into motherly reassurance.
In a new scientific study published in Scientific Reports, researchers have uncovered surprising findings about the effects of two commonly known drugs, MDMA and methamphetamine, on human connection and feelings of closeness with conversation partners.
The ancient Greek statues were assumed to be spotlessly white, but a new study reveals that the Parthenon Sculptures once burst with color.
Psychoactive plants bridge, be it the spirit world or distant cultures...Just as consuming them can blend one reality with another, the plants travel the world, crossing borders with the humans that carry them...Sometimes, their history is nearly forgotten. Such is the case of espand (Syrian rue), whose rituals were lost through the cracks of time.
Scientists at Yale and the Southwest Research Institute (SRI) say they've hit the jackpot with some valuable new information about the story of gold. Details are provided in a study in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Meret-Neith lived some 5,000 years ago, serving as queen of Egypt some time around 2950 BCE. She was, at the very least, queen-consort and regent. She may have been a ruler in her own right – a pharaoh – but archaeologists have been unable to determine her position with certainty.
For decades, we thought the first humans to arrive in the Americas came across the Bering Land Bridge 13,000 years ago. New evidence is changing that picture.