Ancient news stories

Rare African script offers clues to the evolution of writing
11th January 2022 phys.org | Ancient, Humans

The world’s very first invention of writing took place over 5000 years ago in the Middle East, before it was reinvented in China and Central America. Today, almost all human activities—from education to political systems and computer code—rely on this technology.

Medieval warhorses no bigger than modern-day ponies, study finds
11th January 2022 | theguardian.com | Ancient, Animal Life, Humans

In films and literature, they are usually depicted as hulking, foot-stomping, snorting beasts but a new study has claimed that the medieval warhorse was typically a much slighter, daintier animal.

Rare ‘bionic’ armor discovered in 2,500-year-old China burial
11th January 2022 | livescience.com | Ancient, Humans

About 2,500 years ago, a man in northwest China was buried with armor made of more than 5,000 leather scales, a military garment fashioned so intricately, its design looks like the overlapping scales of a fish, a new study finds

Ichthyosaur: Huge fossilised ‘sea dragon’ found in Rutland reservoir
10th January 2022 | bbc.co.uk | Ancient, Animal Life, Earth, Humans

“I rang up the county council and I said I think I’ve found a dinosaur,” explained Joe Davis, who works at Rutland Water Nature Reserve.

See the spectacular fossils from a newly discovered prehistoric rainforest
9th January 2022 | nationalgeographic.com | Ancient, Animal Life, Earth

Hundreds of amazingly well-preserved finds from Australia include plants, insects, fish, and more that existed more than 11 million years ago.

Rock sample re-writes Earth’s early atmospheric history – again
6th January 2022 cosmosmagazine.com | Ancient, Earth

New analysis rewinds previous research findings that atmospheric oxygen existed prior to the Great Oxygenation Event.

Digging deep: DNA molecules in ancient dirt offer a treasure trove of clues to our past
6th January 2022 phys.org | Ancient, Earth, Humans, Tech

Archaeological deposits typically consist of a mix of artifacts and the remains of plants and animals—including the occasional human fossil—all held in a matrix of dirt. But these days, we dig for a lot more besides fossils and artifacts.

Dinosaur footprints in Penarth date back 200 million years
3rd January 2022 | bbc.co.uk | Ancient, Animal Life, Earth

Dinosaur footprints found on a beach in south Wales are actually a “trackway” of footprints dating back more than 200 million years, researchers have found.

Image from: MarnixR (Wiki Commons)

This Mysterious Fire in Australia Has Been Burning For at Least 6,000 Years
3rd January 2022 | sciencealert.com | Ancient, Earth

Known as ‘Burning Mountain’, the mysterious underground blaze is the oldest known fire on the planet. And some scientists estimate it may be far more ancient than we currently think.

Skeleton of young man killed by ancient tsunami found on Turkish coast
3rd January 2022 phys.org | Ancient, Humans

An international team of researchers has found and excavated the remains of a young man killed approximately 3,600 years ago by a tsunami created by the eruption of Thera—a volcano located on what is now the island of Santorini.

When and why did human brains decrease in size 3,000 years ago? New study may have found clues within ants
29th December 2021 | psypost.org | Ancient, Humans

The brain is the most complex organ in the human body. Now, a new study has brought us closer to understanding some of its evolution.

Ancient DNA reveals the world’s oldest family tree
29th December 2021 phys.org | Ancient, Humans

Analysis of ancient DNA from one of the best-preserved Neolithic tombs in Britain has revealed that most of the people buried there were from five continuous generations of a single extended family.

Egyptian pharaoh’s mummy digitally unwrapped for first time
29th December 2021 | bbc.co.uk | Ancient, Humans

The mummified body of an ancient Egyptian pharaoh has been studied for the first time in millennia after being digitally “unwrapped”.

Perfectly preserved dinosaur embryo found in China
22nd December 2021 | bbc.co.uk | Ancient, Animal Life

Scientists have announced the discovery of a perfectly preserved dinosaur embryo that was preparing to hatch from its egg, just like a chicken.

This asteroid sample could reveal our solar system’s origin story
22nd December 2021 edition.cnn.com | Ancient, Humans, Space

Just over a year after Japan’s Hayabusa2 mission returned the first subsurface sample of an asteroid to Earth, scientists have determined that the near-Earth asteroid Ryugu is a pristine remnant from the formation of our solar system.

Ostrich eggshell beads reveal 50,000-year-old social network across Africa
21st December 2021 phys.org | Ancient, Humans

In a new study published in Nature, researchers Drs. Jennifer Miller and Yiming Wang report 50,000-years of population connection and isolation, driven by changing rainfall patterns, in southern and eastern Africa.

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