Ancient news stories

Study of prior research suggests there is a swarm of large asteroids hidden in the Taurid complex
7th October 2021 phys.org | Ancient, Space

A pair of space scientists, one with the University of Antioquia, the other the University of Salento, has found evidence of a swarm of large asteroids hidden in the Taurid complex.

Late persistence of human ancestors at the margins of the monsoon in India
5th October 2021 phys.org | Ancient, Humans

New research led by the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History has re-examined a key Acheulean site at the margins of the monsoon zone in the Thar Desert, Rajasthan, revealing the presence of Acheulean populations until about 177,000 years ago, shortly before the earliest expansions of Homo sapiens across Asia.

We Just Got Closer to Pinpointing a Major Moment in Earth’s Evolutionary History
5th October 2021 | sciencealert.com | Ancient, Earth

For the vast majority of animals on Earth, breath is synonymous with life. Yet for the first 2 billion years of our planet’s existence, oxygen was in scarce supply.

Karahan Tepe
3rd October 2021 | facebook.com | Ancient, Humans

Graham Hancock: In late 2020 I returned to the enigmatic site of Karahan Tepe (near the more famous site of Gobekli Tepe) in Anatolia, Turkey, to research the mind-blowing new excavations underway there (my previous visit to Karahan Tepe, described in my book Magicians of the Gods, was in 2014 when the site was largely unexcavated)…

Photos by Santha Faiia

Decoding the secrets of a forgotten human history during the Pleistocene
2nd October 2021 cosmosmagazine.com | Ancient, Humans

An international team of researchers has discovered the first fossilised bone from a Pleistocene-era human in Wallacea, the cluster of Indonesian islands, including Lombok, Sulaewsi, Timor and Sumba, that were the likely seafaring gateway for the first humans to populate Australia.

Russian expedition finds evidence of northernmost Stone Age hunters above the Arctic Circle
2nd October 2021 | livescience.com | Ancient, Humans

Ancient cut marks on mammoth bones unearthed on a remote island in the frozen extremes of Siberia are the northernmost evidence of Paleolithic humans ever found, according to archaeologists.

Swarm of Near-Earth Comets Linked to Recent Ice Giant Breakup
1st October 2021 | discovermagazine.com | Ancient, Humans, Space

The findings are welcomed by supporters of cometary catastrophe theories from Earth’s history.

Paper found here: https://www.sciencedirect.com

Ancient Humans Tended The World’s Most Dangerous Birds, Because of Course We Did
29th September 2021 | sciencealert.com | Ancient, Animal Life, Humans

With powerful legs tipped by dagger-like talons, capable of eviscerating you with a single kick, cassowaries are the bird that most lives up to the moniker of a modern dinosaur.

South Australian eagle fossil identified as one of the oldest raptor species in the world
29th September 2021 | theguardian.com | Ancient, Animal Life, Earth

A 25m-year-old eagle fossil discovered on a remote outback cattle station in South Australia has been identified as one of the oldest raptor species in the world.

Cavers discover snakes and waterfalls inside Yemen’s infamous ‘Well of Hell’ in world-first descent
28th September 2021 | livescience.com | Ancient, Earth, Humans

Many local people believe the enormous pit is a prison for genies and a gateway to the underworld.

In Guatemala, archaeologists uncover hidden neighborhood in ancient Maya city
28th September 2021 phys.org | Ancient, Humans

A startling recent discovery by the Pacunam Lidar Initiative, a research consortium involving a Brown University anthropologist, has ancient Mesoamerican scholars across the globe wondering whether they know Tikal as well as they think.

Gibraltar cave chamber discovery could shed light on Neanderthals’ culture
28th September 2021 | theguardian.com | Ancient, Humans

Researchers excavating a cave network on the Rock of Gibraltar have discovered a new chamber, sealed off from the world for at least 40,000 years, that could shed light on the culture and customs of the Neanderthals who occupied the area for a thousand centuries.

Dinosaurs: ‘Bizarre’ fossil is Africa’s first ankylosaur
24th September 2021 | bbc.co.uk | Ancient, Animal Life, Humans

“Think of a coffee table. Short, broad, covered in spikes and walking towards you. That’s an ankylosaur!”

Human footprints thought to be oldest in North America discovered
24th September 2021 | theguardian.com | Ancient, Humans

New scientific research conducted by archaeologists has uncovered what they believe are the oldest known human footprints in North America.

Apophis: The asteroid we thought might hit us
23rd September 2021 | space.com | Ancient, Earth, Humans, Space

On Friday, April 13, 2029, Earth will experience a dramatic close encounter with the asteroid 99942 Apophis

Genetic Study Maps When and How Polynesians Settled the Pacific Islands
23rd September 2021 | smithsonianmag.com | Ancient, Humans

New research published today in Nature makes the intriguing suggestion that the Polynesians who erected those mysterious stone figures on islands thousands of miles apart were actually descended from the same group of explorers.

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