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Homo erectus genetic material sequenced for the first time, and it shows 'deep genetic links' with modern humansA new study of six Homo erectus individuals from China reveals one amino acid variant that distinguished this archaic human from all other human lineages and one that it passed on to modern humans via Denisovans.
5 Commentshuman-evolution -
'Speculation' and 'egregious failure': 30 researchers publish scathing critiques of study that questioned date of early human occupation of Monte Verde in ChileDozens of scientists have banded together to pen scathing research letters to the journal Science about the publication of a study claiming the 14,500-year-old Monte Verde archaeological site in Chile is much younger than shown.
3 Commentsamericas -
Lion's head pendant: An ancient Egyptian board game piece that was later repurposed into a magical religious object with baboonsAstonishing Artifacts An ancient Egyptian board game piece was repurposed centuries later in Sudan into a dazzling gold-and-amethyst pendant.
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500-year-old gold dental bridge is earliest known oral care of its kind in Scotland — and it likely held a fake toothArchaeologists discovered the 20-karat-gold dental wire in the lower jaw of a middle-aged man who lived around 500 years ago in Scotland.
2 Commentsarchaeology -
Gold sword scabbard discovered under toppled tree in Norway was likely 'sacrificed' by an elite warrior 1,500 years agoA hiker poked into a hole in the ground and discovered a rare gold scabbard ornament from Norway's Migration period.
3 Commentsarchaeology -
'Extremely rare' English coins meant to ward off Vikings found in Denmark — because the Vikings wore them as jewelryTwo rare coins minted in England to ward against Viking raids have been discovered in Denmark, where Vikings made them into jewelry.
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Mysterious green rocks in Pyrenees cave hint that prehistoric people were working copper there for 4,000 yearsDozens of pieces of bright-green rock discovered in a cave in the Pyrenees may be evidence of copper smelting 7,000 years ago.
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Athena bowl: A silver and gold vessel of the goddess and her owl, buried in a German forest 2,000 years agoAstonishing Artifacts The ornately decorated metal bowl was found as part of a hoard containing dozens of pieces of ancient Roman tableware.
6 CommentsAstonishing Artifacts -
Poop-encrusted chamber pots from the Roman Empire reveal oldest known human cases of Crypto parasiteChamber pots from the frontier of the Roman Empire have provided the world's earliest evidence of humans infected with the Cryptosporidium parasite.
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Weapons of the world: Can you identify these historical objects of war?Quiz Can you identify these millennia- to centuries-old weapons from the smallest clues? Test your eye for history by matching carved details and close-up images to the legendary tools of war they once formed.
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'The detectors never stopped beeping!' Nearly 3,000 coins discovered in field are Norway's largest Viking hoard on recordA Viking Age hoard of nearly 3,000 coins is the largest hoard of its kind ever found in Norway.
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1,900-year-old souvenir cup featuring Hadrian's Wall and Roman forts discovered in SpainArchaeologists think a broken bronze cup found in Spain was made for a soldier as a memento of his time stationed at Hadrian's Wall in England.
2 Commentsromans -
Neanderthals' brains weren't to blame for their demise, new study suggestsResearchers examining the brains of living people found that they differed more substantially than Neanderthals' brains differed from modern humans', calling into question the reason our evolutionary cousins mysteriously disappeared.
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Miniature camelid effigy: A 600-year-old sculpture of a llama that may have been sacrificed in an Inca ritualAstonishing Artifacts Llamas were vital to the Inca Empire and were seen as both useful pack animals and sacred beings.
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DNA study of nearly 200 Indigenous genomes reveals unknown Asian 'ghost' population contributed to American ancestryNew genetic results reveal a previously unknown wave of people settled in South America 1,300 years ago and that Indigenous Americans carry remnants of a "ghost lineage."
5 Commentsamericas -
Neanderthal toddlers grew faster than modern humans, probably because of the harsh environment they evolved inA new study of a Neanderthal toddler reveals that our closest evolutionary relatives' growth patterns differed from those of modern humans.
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Altar to Sol: A rare 1,900-year-old monument dedicated to the Roman god of light and used in a secret underground ritualAstonishing Artifacts This unique carved altar represents the triumph of light over darkness in ancient Roman religion.
3 CommentsAstonishing Artifacts -
700-year-old mummy from Bolivia contains earliest confirmed evidence of strep throat bacteria in the AmericasA DNA analysis of pathogens from a pre-Hispanic mummy revealed that the bacterium that causes scarlet fever and strep throat was present in the Americas prior to European colonization.
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Archaeologists discover perfectly circular ancient Egyptian temple that may have been used for sacred water ritualsThe temple included a network of water infrastructure, revealing the importance of the ancient city and the Nile.
4 Commentsancient-egyptians -
Anglo-Saxon burial holds an older sister cradling her little brother after they both died 1,400 years ago, possibly of an infectious diseaseAn ancient-DNA analysis of a rare Anglo-Saxon double burial revealed the people in the grave were brother and sister.
2 Commentsarchaeology -
'Human evolution didn't slow down; we were just missing the signal': Large DNA study reveals natural selection led to more redheads and less male-pattern baldnessOver the past 10,000 years, evolution in West Eurasia has been selecting for light skin, red hair and resistance to HIV and leprosy in humans, according to a new study.
11 Commentshuman-evolution -
Stone Age tombs in Scotland reveal 'webs of descent' among male relativesAn analysis of DNA from Stone Age skeletons buried in Scotland reveals how people organized the burial of their dead.
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Idol of Pomos: A 5,000-year-old fertility figurine from Cyprus that wears a miniature version of herself on a necklaceAstonishing Artifacts The cross-shaped figurine has become a potent symbol of Cyprus' contribution to prehistory.
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Ancient Korean society practiced human sacrifice and high inbreeding, researchers findA genomic analysis of dozens of ancient Korean skeletons revealed a special "sacrificial caste" of people.
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