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Man in Czech Republic accidentally finds Bronze Age spearhead mold in his backyard
By Kenna Hughes-Castleberry published
A stone being used in the foundation of an old barn in the Czech Republic turned out to be a Bronze Age spearhead mold.

Pre-Inca culture acquired Amazonian parrots from hundreds of miles away to use their feathers to decorate the dead, new analysis reveals
By Kenna Hughes-Castleberry published
Centuries before the Inca emerged, Amazonian parrots were carried alive across the Andes and raised in captivity on Peru's coast for their vibrant feathers.

2,000-year-old Phoenician coin was used as bus fare in England, but 'how it got there will always be a mystery'
By Kristina Killgrove published
The ancient coin was probably minted in what is now Spain in the first century B.C., but no one knows why it was used to pay a 1950s transport fare.

Asante spider: A rare African sword ornament from Ghana's Gold Coast that later helped a man in Texas barter for his life
By Kristina Killgrove published
Astonishing Artifacts The spider-shaped sword ornament was created in Ghana in the 19th century and was passed down in a Texas family for generations.

'More advanced' farming women married hunter-gatherer men in Europe thousands of years ago, ancient DNA reveals
By Martin B. Richards, Maria Pala published
Two researchers discuss how ancient DNA is used to track how people moved and lived during Britain's Bronze Age.

'Cikai Korran came here and saw': Visitors from India graffitied dozens of Egyptian tombs 2,000 years ago
By Owen Jarus published
Ancient inscriptions written in Indian languages have been discovered on Egyptian tombs in the Valley of the Kings.

Ancient 'alien-like' skulls have been found on every continent but Antarctica. Anthropologists are starting to figure out why.
By Kristina Killgrove published
Humans have practiced head shaping for tens of thousands of years, and anthropologists are beginning to uncover clues as to why.

The sword in the sea: How one lucky graduate student found his second Crusader sword while taking a swim off Israel's coast
By Kenna Hughes-Castleberry published
A 12th-century sword spotted jutting out of the seabed in Israel was designed for one-handed combat during the Crusades.

9 ways people have modified their bodies since the dawn of time, from foot binding to castration
By Kristina Killgrove published
Many types of body modification date back hundreds or thousands of years, revealing our ancient ancestors were not that different from us.

Climate disasters caused societal upheaval 3,000 years ago in China, study of 'oracle bones' hints
By Kristina Killgrove published
Some civilizations in inland China underwent dramatic changes and population drops 3,000 years ago. Now, researchers are using oracle bones, archaeological evidence and climate modeling to find out why.
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