Humans news stories

New analysis of ancient human protein could unlock secrets of evolution
6th March 2023 | theguardian.com | Ancient, Humans

Tiny traces of protein lingering in the bones and teeth of ancient humans could soon transform scientists’ efforts to unravel the secrets of the evolution of our species.

Psychedelics may treat depression by invading brain cells
5th March 2023 | livescience.com | Humans, Misc.

A study suggests that psychedelics can access receptors inside cells that standard antidepressants usually can’t affect.

The world’s first horse riders found near the Black Sea
3rd March 2023 phys.org | Ancient, Animal Life, Humans

Researchers have discovered evidence of horse riding by studying the remains of human skeletons found in burial mounds called kurgans, which were between 4,500 and 5,000 years old.

Anorexia is the deadliest psychiatric disorder. Could psychedelics help?
3rd March 2023 | ft.com | Humans, Misc.

A Nasdaq-listed company is trialling the active ingredient in magic mushrooms as a new treatment.

Ancient genomes show how humans escaped Europe’s deep freeze
3rd March 2023 | nature.com | Ancient, Humans

A pair of studies offer the most detailed look yet at groups of hunter-gatherers living before, during and after the last ice age.

Jupiter and Venus ‘kiss’ in a stunning planetary conjunction tonight. Here’s how to watch.
2nd March 2023 | livescience.com | Earth, Humans, Space

On March 1 and 2, Jupiter and Venus will appear side by side in the night sky in an event called a conjunction, which is visible without a telescope or binoculars.

Europe’s First Hunter-Gatherer People May Not Have Vanished Like We Thought
2nd March 2023 | sciencealert.com | Ancient, Humans

Hunter-gatherers took shelter from the ice age in Southwestern Europe, but were replaced on the Italian Peninsula according to two new studies, published in Nature and Nature Ecology & Evolution today.

Egypt: Hidden corridor in Great Pyramid of Giza seen for first time
2nd March 2023 | bbc.co.uk | Ancient, Humans, Tech

Egyptian antiquities officials say they have confirmed the existence of a hidden internal corridor above the main entrance of the Great Pyramid of Giza.

 

Modeling of European Neanderthal migration hints at hidden archaeological hot spots in Iran
2nd March 2023 phys.org | Ancient, Humans

Researchers modeling eastern Neanderthal migration from Europe have found the area south of the Caspian Sea in northern Iran to be the most likely route, suggesting there could be significant yet-to-be-discovered archaeological sites hidden in less explored areas along the way. See study here.

Recently ‘Discovered’ Whale Behavior Was Actually Documented Thousands of Years Ago
1st March 2023 | sciencealert.com | Ancient, Animal Life, Humans

An unusual whale feeding technique only recorded for the first time in 2011 may have been around for at least two thousand years, according to researchers from Flinders University in Australia.

The study was published in Marine Mammal Science.

Steel was already being used in Europe 2,900 years ago, shows study
1st March 2023 phys.org | Ancient, Humans

A study by an international and interdisciplinary team headed by University of Freiburg archaeologist Dr. Ralph Araque Gonzalez from the Faculty of Humanities has proven that steel tools were already in use in Europe around 2,900 years ago.

New Moai statue that ‘deified ancestors’ found on Easter Island
28th February 2023 | livescience.com | Ancient, Earth, Humans

A newly discovered Moai statue on Easter Island has been found buried in a dried up lake bed.

New Study Suggests Mayas Utilized Contemporary Market-Based Economics
27th February 2023 scitechdaily.com | Ancient, Humans

Over five hundred years ago, in the Guatemalan highlands of the Midwest, the Maya people traded goods with far less intervention from their rulers than previously believed by many archaeologists.

‘Microdiamonds’ discovered at French winery point to ancient meteor crater below the vines
27th February 2023 | livescience.com | Ancient, Earth, Humans

A circular depression that holds a vineyard in a French winery is actually an old impact crater, new research finds. The new research did not give an estimate of the crater’s age. However, the winery website estimates that the crater impact occurred around 10,000 years ago.

All Living Cells Could Have The Molecular Machinery For a ‘Sixth Sense’
27th February 2023 | sciencealert.com | Ancient, Animal Life, Earth, Humans

The new findings suggest that magnetoreception could be much more common in the animal kingdom than we ever knew. If researchers are right, it might be an astonishingly ancient trait shared by virtually all living things, albeit with differing strengths. The study was published in Nature.

Bronze Age grave reveals man had brain surgery 3,000 years ago
25th February 2023 | independent.co.uk | Ancient, Humans

Archaeologists have discovered the grave of two Bronze Age brothers who lived during 15th century BC in Israel – and incredibly, one of them appears to have had an early form of brain surgery before he died.

News stories covering humans, psychology and health.