Latest science news in Paleontology & Archaeology
8 ancient Roman shoes of 'exceptional size' discovered at Roman fort near Hadrian's Wall
Eight XXL leather shoes have been recovered from Magna, a Roman-era fort along Hadrian's Wall.
Regional disparities exist in US media coverage of archaeology research, finds study
What archaeological discoveries are considered newsworthy by U.S. media outlets and audiences? A new analysis of "pop-science" reporting reveals topical and regional disparities, including an apparent underrepresentation of Chinese archaeology...
Babylonian text missing for 1,000 years deciphered with AI
A team of ancient literature experts have deciphered a Mesopotamain text that was missing for over 1,000 years. Etched on clay tablets, the Hymn to Babylon describes the ancient megacity in “all...
Oldest and most complete ancient Egyptian human genome ever sequenced reveals ties to Mesopotamia
In a first, researchers have sequenced the complete genome of a man from ancient Egypt, and the results reveal that he had genetic ties with Mesopotamian DNA.
Ancient Egyptian genome reveals North African roots and Fertile Crescent ancestry
Researchers from the Francis Crick Institute and Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) have extracted and sequenced the oldest Egyptian DNA to date from an individual who lived around 4,500 to...
Flies disguised as wasps can’t fool birds
Despite their bee-like appearance, hoverflies are all buzz, no bite. The harmless insects, more closely related to midges than wasps, imitate their distant stinging cousins with stripes, high contrast colors, and narrow waists....
First complete ancient Egyptian DNA genome reveals his occupation
In 1985, geneticists achieved a major archeological breakthrough after they successfully extracted partial DNA from ancient Egyptian skeletal remains. Almost exactly four decades later, researchers have sequenced the first whole genome from an...
Old bones shed new light on Ancient Egypt's rise
A DNA bone test on a man who lived 4,500 years ago sheds new light on the rise of Ancient Egypt.
Small tools, big animals: 430,000-year-old butchery investigated in new study
An international research team has published a new study on one of the oldest known sites for the processing of animal meat by humans in the southern Balkans. At Marathousa...
What did ancient Rome smell like? Honestly, often pretty rank
The roar of the arena crowd, the bustle of the Roman forum, the grand temples, the Roman army in red with glistening shields and armor—when people imagine ancient Rome, they...
Junggar Basin sediments reveal interplay between solar system chaos and Earth's carbon cycle
Researchers from the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Columbia University, along with their collaborators, have analyzed sediments from the terrestrial Sangonghe Formation...
Hermit crabs with more sensitive claws may be bolder in their decisions
If you have ever looked closely into a rockpool along the U.K. coastline, you may have been lucky enough to find a tiny hermit crab scuttling about. What you might...
Early departures: Climate change blamed as tiny Alberta bird alters its migration south
A tiny, insect-eating bird that breeds in Alberta is delaying its annual migration south, a change likely triggered by climate change that spells trouble for the fragile species.
Two sides of the same fossil: The story of a small arboreal reptile from the Jurassic period
Paleontologists have identified a new ancient reptile from the Solnhofen limestone slabs, thanks to a chance discovery. A Ph.D. student recently found the counterpart of the original fossil at the...
Eggs en Provence: France's unique dinosaur egg trove
At the foot of Sainte Victoire, the mountain in Provence immortalized by Impressionist painter Paul Cezanne, a paleontologist brushes meticulously through a mound of red clay looking for fossils.
Ancient DNA provides a new means to explore ancient diets
A multidisciplinary team of researchers, including archaeologists, have analyzed the DNA of fish remains from Roman fish fermentation vats, creating a method to identify animal remains when they are damaged...
2025 Technologist Best Abstract Award Winners Announced
The American Neuromuscular Foundation is excited to announce Naoko Takamatsu, MT, as the recipient of the 2025 Technologist Best Abstract Award and Rachel Perez Lalana, PhD, as the Best Technologist...
Ancient Andean burial mounds reveal early hunter-gatherer roots of monumental architecture
Archaeologists have long thought that monumental architecture—large, human-built structures that emphasize visibility—were products of societies with power structures, including social hierarchy, inequality and controlled labor forces. But this notion is...
Onion holds up mirror; society flashes big smile (with green stuff in teeth)
Christine Wenc. Photo by Alexander Andre Nation & World Onion holds up mirror; society flashes big smile (with green stuff in teeth) How some students at University of Wisconsin-Madison created satiric cultural institution...
When trash becomes a universe
Arts & Culture When trash becomes a universe Bottle caps found on the Australian coast.© TRES [ilana boltvinik + rodrigo viñas], photo illustration by Liz Zonarich/Harvard staff Sy Boles Harvard Staff Writer June...
Hundreds of hidden fossils reveal squids’ evolutionary origins
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Zombifying fungi have been infecting insects for 99 million years
Two bits of amber discovered in a lab basement hold ancient evidence of a fungi famous for controlling the minds of its victims.
AI can measure our cultural history. But is it accurate?
Art and literature hint at past people’s psyches. Now computers can identify patterns in those cognitive fossils, but human expertise remains crucial.
Genetics reveal the origin story of East Asia’s favorite sweet bean
The origin of red beans — also called adzuki — has been murky. A new study says Japan is where it all started.
Solving the mystery of a dinosaur mass grave at the 'River of Death'
A group of researchers have come to Pipestone Creek in Canada to figure out why thousands of dinosaurs are buried here.
The truth about life on other planets - and what it means for humans
Could discoveries of alien life ever change the human psyche in how we view ourselves and each other?
Huge Roman 'jigsaw' reveals 2,000-year-old wall paintings
Thousands of fragments of plaster are pieced together to reveal frescos from a Roman London villa.
Dog-sized dinosaur that ran around feet of giants discovered
The dinosaur was mislabelled and misunderstood - but scientists now realise how special it is.