Humans news stories

Rock art acoustics: South African study suggests that a distinct echo attracted ancient artists back to one site
3rd January 2025 phys.org | Ancient, Earth, Humans

Petroglyphs, engraved on rocks, have an obvious visual attraction. What is important and exciting about this study is the discovery that these images have an acoustic aspect as well.

Dark Energy May Not Exist: Something Stranger Might Explain The Universe
3rd January 2025 | sciencealert.com | Humans, Space, Weird

There might not be a mysterious ‘dark’ force accelerating the expansion of the Universe after all. The truth could be much stranger – bubbles of space where time passes at drastically different rates.

Quadrantid meteor shower to light up northern hemisphere sky
2nd January 2025 | theguardian.com | Humans, Space

Taking its name from a now obsolete constellation known as Quadrans Muralis, the event is best viewed in the northern hemisphere, with the meteors appearing to radiate from the constellation Boötes, which is found near the collection of stars often dubbed the Plough or the Big Dipper

Study reveals Rujm el-Hiri’s ancient observatory role unlikely
2nd January 2025 phys.org | Ancient, Humans

A new study…challenges the widely held theory that the structure was used as an astronomical observatory, as the original alignment of the walls and entrances does not correspond to celestial observations, as previously hypothesized.

The genomic journey of modern and archaic humans may be older than we thought
22nd December 2024 phys.org | Ancient, Humans

Research conducted at the Department of Biology, University of Padova, has identified critical genomic milestones in the evolution of Homo sapiens, including key chromosomal rearrangements and specific gene variants that contributed to the development of current modern human traits.

More than 1,300 prehistoric burial mounds in western Azerbaijan systematically surveyed for the first time
19th December 2024 phys.org | Ancient, Humans

They have now published the results of their latest research campaign in the international journal Antiquity. The article is a follow-up of an overview of the results of the 2021 field campaign, which was published in the journal Archaeological Prospectionearlier this year.

13 ancient Egyptian mummies found with gold tongues to help them talk in the afterlife
19th December 2024 | livescience.com | Ancient, Humans

More than a dozen ancient gold tongues have been discovered in a cemetery at the site of Oxyrhynchus in Egypt.

When will MDMA be approved for therapy? Major trial issues may stand in the way, psychiatrist Dr. Albino Oliveira-Maia says.
18th December 2024 | livescience.com | Humans, Misc.

Psychedelics are being tested as add-ons to psychotherapy, but in trials, there’s little detail about how the therapy is actually conducted, Dr. Albino Oliveira-Maia says.

Researchers reveal 8,000 years of Aboriginal history on Yorke Peninsula
17th December 2024 phys.org | Ancient, Humans

New research by Flinders University and University of South Australia, conducted in partnership with Narungga Nation Aboriginal Corporation and Point Pearce Aboriginal Corporation, has revealed 8,000 years of Aboriginal history on South Australia’s Yorke Peninsula (Guuranda)

1,800-year-old silver amulet could rewrite history of Christianity in the early Roman Empire
17th December 2024 | livescience.com | Ancient, Humans

A 1,800-year-old silver amulet discovered in a burial in Germany is the oldest evidence of Christianity north of the Alps, according to a new study.

Ancient Tablet Etched With Mysterious Language Found in Georgia
17th December 2024 | sciencealert.com | Ancient, Humans

A team of archaeologists from across Georgia has confirmed the impressions represent samples of a script that has never been documented, raising questions on the spread and preservation of writing across the transcontinental region.This research was published in the Journal of Ancient History and Archaeology.

Butchered bones reveal massacre in Bronze Age Britain
16th December 2024 cosmosmagazine.com | Ancient, Humans

The remains of at least 37 people unearthed from the Early Bronze Age site of Charterhouse Warren in England have revealed the darker side of human prehistory…the findings have been published in the journal Antiquity.

35,000-year-old ‘tortoise shell’ carving may be Holy Land’s oldest evidence of ritual behavior
16th December 2024 | livescience.com | Ancient, Humans

A granite boulder carved more than 35,000 years ago deep in a cave in Israel may be the oldest evidence of ritual practices in the Holy Land, a new study suggests.

Archaeological study uncovers world’s oldest evidence of livestock horn manipulation
16th December 2024 phys.org | Ancient, Animal Life, Humans

Archaeologists Dr. Wim van Neer, Dr. Bea De Cupere, and Dr. Renée Friedman have published a study on the earliest evidence of horn modification in livestock in the Journal of Archaeological Science.

Largest-ever survey on ayahuasca highlights links to better mental health and wellbeing
13th December 2024 | psypost.org | Humans, Misc.

A new study published in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs has uncovered significant associations between naturalistic ayahuasca use and improved mental health.

DNA Reveals When Humans And Neanderthals Became One
13th December 2024 | sciencealert.com | Ancient, Humans

A new genetic analysis of the earliest known modern human remains found in Ranis in Germany and Zlatý kůň in the Czech Republic suggests emigrant Homo sapiens and Homo neanderthalensis mingled some time between 45,000 and 49,000 years ago. The two papers were published in Nature and Science.

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