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More than 43,000 years ago, Neanderthals spent centuries collecting animal skulls in a cave; but archaeologists aren't sure why
By Sophie Berdugo published
Neanderthals repeatedly returned to the cave to store horned animal skulls, revealing this cultural tradition was transmitted over time.

Halley wasn't the first to figure out the famous comet. An 11th-century monk did it first, new research suggests.
By Joanna Thompson published
An 11th-century monk saw the famous "Halley's comet" first as a child and later as an adult, new research finds.

5,000-year-old rock art from ancient Egypt depicts 'terrifying' conquest of the Sinai Peninsula
By Owen Jarus published
Archaeologists have found 5,000-year-old ancient Egyptian rock art in the Sinai Desert that depicts the conquest of the region.

Stone Age teenager was mauled by a bear 28,000 years ago, skeletal analysis confirms
By Kristina Killgrove published
The mystery of a Stone Age teenager's death has been solved — 80 years after he was found in an ancient burial ground in Italy.

Romans used human feces as medicine 1,900 years ago — and used thyme to mask the smell
By Kristina Killgrove published
A new study shows that organic residues from a Roman-era glass medicinal vial came from human feces.

Teenage girl who lived in Italy 12,000 years ago had a rare form of dwarfism, DNA study shows
By Sascha Pare published
In 1963, researchers unearthed two Stone Age skeletons that were buried in an embraced position in a cave in Italy. Now, DNA testing has revealed that one of them had a rare genetic condition.

430,000-year-old wooden handheld tools from Greece are the oldest on record — and they predate modern humans
By Owen Jarus published
Archaeologists have found the oldest-known surviving examples of handheld wooden tools.

160,000-year-old sophisticated stone tools discovered in China may not have been made by Homo sapiens
By Owen Jarus published
Archaeologists have found the oldest known evidence of hafted tools in East Asia, and they challenge a previously held assumption about stone tool use.

1,400-year-old Zapotec tomb discovered in Mexico features enormous owl sculpture symbolizing death
By Kristina Killgrove published
The president of Mexico called the discovery of a 1,400-year-old Zapotec tomb in Oaxaca the "most significant archaeological discovery in a decade."
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