Ancient news stories

Archaeologists reveal largest paleolithic cave art site in Eastern Iberia
12th September 2023 phys.org | Ancient, Animal Life, Humans

More than 100 ancient paintings and engravings, thought to be at least 24,000 years old, have been found in a 500-meter-long cave in “Cova Dones” or “Cueva Dones”—a site located in Millares near Valencia in Spain. See the research here.

Paleolithic hunter-gatherer hearths reveal changing vegetation in response to climate
8th September 2023 phys.org | Ancient, Humans

New research published in Quaternary Science Reviews has investigated how Paleolithic communities (Magdalenians) living in Cova del Parco (Iberian Pre-Pyrenees, southwest Europe) during the Late Pleistocene (16,400–12,700 years before present) may have been affected by the changing landscape in response to climate.

Centuries-old technique reveals hidden ‘3D’ animals in Paleolithic cave art
6th September 2023 | livescience.com | Ancient, Humans

The hidden animals were revealed on cave walls in Spain with ‘Magic Eye’-style techniques.

Mysterious Stones May Represent an Ancient Quest For The Perfect Sphere
6th September 2023 | sciencealert.com | Ancient, Humans

Ancient rocks excavated from a site inhabited by early humans some 1.4 million years ago may represent attempts at achieving perfect geometry. The research has been published in Royal Society Open Science.

2,800-year-old figurines unearthed at Greek temple may be offerings to Poseidon
5th September 2023 | livescience.com | Ancient, Humans

Excavation of an ancient Greek temple has yielded a variety of figurines, possibly offerings to Poseidon.

New research reveals Earth’s ancient ‘breath’: Study reveals connection between atmospheric changes and mantle chemistry
4th September 2023 | eurekalert.org | Ancient, Earth

The study, which was led by researchers at the University of Portsmouth and the University of Montpellier, sheds new light on the evolution of life on our planet and the rise of atmospheric oxygen.

Archaeologists uncover complete Neolithic cursus on the Isle of Arran
4th September 2023 | theguardian.com | Ancient, Humans

The monument dates to between 4000 and 3000BC and is thought to be the only complete example in Britain.

Human ancestors nearly went extinct 900,000 years ago
4th September 2023 | nature.com | Ancient, Humans

A new technique analysing modern genetic data suggests that pre-humans survived in a group of only 1,280 individuals. See the paper here.

Study casts doubt on Neanderthal ‘flower burial’ theory
30th August 2023 | theguardian.com | Ancient, Humans

Bees may be the source of pollen near remains, but evidence still suggests bodies were buried with care. See the research here.

Ancient Human Remains Reveal How The Stone Age Buried Its Dead
29th August 2023 | sciencealert.com | Ancient, Humans

Archaeologists have discovered evidence of unique early Neolithic burial practices in Galería del Sílex in Spain, following an analysis of ceramic vessels found with human remains in two pits. The study has been published in Quaternary Science Reviews.

3,000-year-old priest unearthed in Peru highlands
28th August 2023 cosmosmagazine.com | Ancient, Humans

Peruvian archaeologists have uncovered the 3,000-year-old remains of what is believed to be one of the first priests of the ancient north Andean region.

Missing topographical elements of Paleolithic rock art revealed by stereoscopic imaging
28th August 2023 phys.org | Ancient, Animal Life, Humans

Research led by Complutense University, Madrid, has discovered an array of ancient cave paintings hidden among previously described cave art. In a paper, “Animals hidden in plain sight: stereoscopic recording of Paleolithic rock art at La Pasiega cave, Cantabria,” published in Antiquity, the team fills in details missing from previous photographic images.

New ancient ape from Türkiye challenges the story of human origins
24th August 2023 scx1.b-cdn.net | Ancient, Animal Life, Earth, Humans

A new fossil ape from an 8.7-million-year-old site in Türkiye is challenging long-accepted ideas of human origins and adding weight to the theory that the ancestors of African apes and humans evolved in Europe before migrating to Africa between nine and seven million years ago. See the study here.

Researchers extract ancient DNA from a 2,900-year-old clay brick, revealing a time capsule of plant life
24th August 2023 phys.org | Ancient, Humans

The team extracted DNA from the samples by adapting a protocol previously used for other porous materials, such as bone. The results are published in Scientific Reports.

Pre-Inca people stomped salutes to their thunder god on a special dance floor
23rd August 2023 | sciencenews.org | Ancient, Humans

The find provides a rare glimpse into the role played by sound and dance in ancient societies. See the research here.

Rare Stone Age discovery in mid-Norway
23rd August 2023 phys.org | Ancient, Humans

When archaeologists recently carried out an excavation at Vinjeøra in southern Trøndelag County, they made a surprising discovery that they had only dreamed of finding.

News stories covering history, archaeology, ancient Egypt, and mysteries of the past.