Archaeology

Archaeology

Ancient child’s ‘vampire burial’ suggests Romans feared the walking dead

A 10-year-old skeleton in a Roman cemetery had a stone placed in its mouth. It was to prevent this child from rising from the dead, a study reports.

Archaeology

Cremated remains hint at who was buried at Stonehenge

A chemical analysis shows that people carried bodies from far away to be buried at the mysterious ancient monument known as Stonehenge.

Archaeology

Putting hats on Easter Island statues may have required some rock and roll

Fitting huge stone hats on 3-story-high Easter Island statues may have required only a small workforce armed with ropes and ramps.

Materials Science

Cool Jobs: Drilling into the secrets of teeth

A bioengineer, a biologist and an archaeologist all study teeth to explore new materials, to grow better tissues and to learn more about prehistoric humans.

Archaeology

Scientists detect mystery void in Great Pyramid of Giza

Using high-tech tools normally reserved for studies in particle physics, scientists have found a large, hidden void inside Egypt’s Great Pyramid of Giza.

Archaeology

Fiery tests suggest gooey tech by Neandertals

Neandertals could have used simple methods and handy materials to make tar. It would have helped them glue their tools together.

Archaeology

Clay reveals secrets of China’s mysterious terra-cotta army

Production of the famous terra-cotta troops found in ancient Chinese emperor’s tomb was made possible by a specialized system of clay manufacturing.

Archaeology

DNA from African mummies tie these folk to Middle Easterners

Ancient DNA extracted from 90 Egyptian mummies reveals genetic links to Greece and the Middle East.

Archaeology

European fossils may belong to earliest known hominid

New fossils suggest that the earliest non-ape human ancestors may have evolved in Europe, not Africa.

Archaeology

America’s first settlers may have arrived 130,000 years ago

An archaeological site where mastodon remains were found suggests that the first Americans may have arrived unexpectedly early.

Fossils

This hominid may have shared Earth with humans

Newfound fossils in South Africa point to a far more recent age for Homo naledi than had been accepted. If correct, this hominid might have coexisted with humans — even interacted with our species.

Archaeology

Stone Age dentists treated cavities with tar

Is Italy the home of dentistry? That’s where treated tooth decay has been found, dating back 14 millennia. Cavities appear picked clean with sharp tools. Ouch!