Archaeology
Earliest Evidence of Wooden Construction Uncovered
Researchers say the discovery of the earliest known wooden construction expands their knowledge of the woodworking skills of early humans that existed before Homo sapiens
Anthropology35 articles archived since 1845
Evolution
Possible New Human Species Found through 300,000-Year-Old Jawbone Fossil
A jawbone from eastern China that displays both modern and archaic features could represent a new branch of the human family tree
Anthropology
Ancient Human Fossil Trip to Space Raises Questions and Criticism
The decision to send hominin bones on a commercial spaceflight has raised eyebrows among paleontologists
Anthropology
Human Ancestors Nearly Went Extinct 900,000 Years Ago
A new technique for analyzing modern genetic data suggests that prehumans survived in a group of only 1,280 individuals
Archaeology
1,800-Year-Old Spices Are Earliest Evidence of Curry Making in Southeast Asia
Archaeologists found evidence of spices such as turmeric and cloves from ancient Vietnam, suggesting South Asians shared their culinary traditions via an ancient maritime trade route
Anthropology
Early Human Ancestors Ate Each Other for Food, Fossil Leg Bone Suggests
A fossilized hominin leg shows gashes that were probably made by stone tools
Anthropology
This Small-Brained Human Species May Have Buried Its Dead, Controlled Fire and Made Art
Extraordinary claims about the small-brained human relative Homo naledi challenge prevailing view of cognitive evolution
Anthropology
The First Kiss in Recorded History Dates Back Nearly 5,000 Years
Kissing probably predates Homo sapiens as a species, but the first texts documenting the beso go back to the early Bronze Age
Anthropology
Stone Age Animal Urine Could Solve a Mystery about Technological Development
Millennia of a rodentlike animal’s urine preserve crucial data that could help scientists understand early humans’ leap forward
Anthropology
What Stone-Wielding Macaques Can Tell Us about Early Human Tool Use
Macaques using stones to open oil palm nuts can accidentally create stone flakes that look like early human tools
Anthropology
Humans Started Riding Horses 5,000 Years Ago, New Evidence Suggests
Archaeologists have found a handful of human skeletons with characteristics that have been linked to horseback riding and are a millennium older than early depictions of humans riding horses...
Anthropology
Native Americans Conducted Large-Scale Copper Mining 6,000 Years Ago
Prehistoric pollution reveals extensive copper mining near Lake Superior
Archaeology
Did Plants Domesticate Humans? Watch The First Entanglement
Archaeologists studying one of the birthplaces of agriculture find a complex interplay between human actions and the workings of nature and genetics.
Genetics
Dads Have Been Older than Moms since the Dawn of Humanity, Study Suggests
Using modern human DNA to estimate when new generations were born over 250,000 years, scientists suggest that fathers have been having children later in life than mothers throughout human history...
Genetics
Ancient Americans Crossed Back into Siberia in a Two-Way Migration, New Evidence Shows
Scientists have long known that ancient people living in Siberia made their way into what is now North America. Mounting DNA evidence suggests migration also happened in the opposite direction...
Genetics
DNA from Extinct Human Relative May Have Shaped Modern Papuans’ Immune System
DNA from Denisovans, an extinct human species, that was found in the genomes of Indigenous Papuans may mold their immune system
Anthropology
First Known Neandertal Family Discovered in Siberian Cave
Ancient DNA from closely related individuals offers fresh insight into Neanderthals’ lives and social structures
Anthropology
Desecrated Human Skulls Are Being Sold on Social Media in U.K.’s Unregulated Bone Trade
The human remains trade is thriving on Facebook and Instagram
Anthropology
Discoveries about Ancient Human Evolution Win 2022 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
Svante Pääbo’s work on sequencing the DNA of Neandertals and Denisovans, which won the 2022 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, revealed surprising interbreeding among human species...
Culture
How Indigenous Groups Are Using 3-D Technology to Preserve Ancient Practices
To safeguard fragile cultural objects, some groups are replicating them with digital models
