Archaeology
- Genetics
Year in review: How humans populated the globe
DNA studies put new twists on timing of ancient human migrations – but genetics alone are not enough to tell the full story.
- Oceans
Readers contemplate corals and more
Coral engineering, ancient almanacs and more in reader feedback.
- Archaeology
Ancient cemetery provides peek into Philistines’ lives, health
Burial site offers new look at Israelites’ mysterious enemies.
- Archaeology
Glassmaking may have begun in Egypt, not Mesopotamia
Ancient Mesopotamians lagged behind Egyptians as glassmakers.
- Archaeology
For some early monks, impaired hearing amplified sounds of silence
Middle-ear ailments probably had little impact on early Christian monks’ lives.
- Humans
Oldest alphabet identified as Hebrew
Contested study indicates ancient Israelites developed first alphabet from Egyptian hieroglyphics.
- Archaeology
Stone adze points to ancient burial rituals in Ireland
A polished stone tool discovered in Ireland’s earliest known gravesite helps scientists revive an ancient burial ceremony.
- Archaeology
People settled Australia’s rugged interior surprisingly early
Ancient colonists Down Under crossed the continent not long after arriving around 50,000 years ago.
- Archaeology
Wild monkeys throw curve at stone-tool making’s origins
Monkeys that make sharp-edged stones raise questions about evolution of stone tool production.
- Tech
CT scans show first X-rayed mummy in new light
An ancient Egyptian child became the first mummy to be X-rayed in 1896. Today, CT scans reveal new insights into the child’s life — and death.
- Archaeology
Ancient Maya codex not fake, new analysis claims
New report suggests an ancient Maya text — the bark-paper Grolier Codex — could be the oldest known document in Americas.
- Archaeology
Digital rehab exposes Biblical roots of ancient Israeli scroll
Virtual unwrapping reveals Biblical text on charred remains of ancient Israeli scroll.
