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Archaeology

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 20-Oct-2026 10:16 ET (20-Oct-2026 14:16 GMT/UTC)

Were Clovis foragers in Late Pleistocene North America big-game hunters, or just big-game scavengers?

Kent State University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

15 Late Pleistocene sites in North America show association between stone Clovis points and proboscidean remains, which is assumed to be archaeological evidence of hunting and a human role in proboscidean extinction. But researchers from five institutions demonstrate the evidence tells a very different story.

Journal: Journal of Archaeological Science Reports

ERC Proof of Concept Grants to advance innovation in scholarship and healthcare awarded to Hebrew University researchers

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Grant and Award Announcement

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem proudly congratulates two of its outstanding researchers on receiving prestigious European Research Council (ERC) Proof of Concept Grants for 2026. The grants support ERC-funded researchers in translating groundbreaking discoveries into innovative applications, technologies, and services with real-world impact.

Evidence identifies ancient Aboriginal mining in the Riverland

Flinders University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Flinders University researchers, in partnership with the River Murray and Mallee Aboriginal Corporation, have found evidence that points to 7000 years of Aboriginal mining of stones at Sugarloaf Hill in South Australia’s Riverland.

Journal: Archaeology in Oceania
Funder: Australian Research Council

Neandertals in North-Western Europe in focus

Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new genetic study provides the most detailed picture to date of late Neandertal diversity in North-Western Europe. By analysing ancient DNA from remains found in Belgium and France, an international team led by researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig was able to reconstruct the genetic relationships of 27 Neandertals who lived shortly before Neandertals disappeared around 40,000 years ago.

Journal: Nature
Funder: European Research Council, Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

Ancient DNA found on cave walls

Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Peer-Reviewed Publication

For the first time, scientists have shown that ancient human DNA can survive for thousands of years on cave walls, opening new ways to study prehistoric human activity. This interdisciplinary study was conducted within the framework of the First Art project, which is led by researchers from Spain and Portugal in collaboration with institutions across Spain, Portugal, the UK, China and Germany. The First Art project aims to date the earliest cave art and to characterise its chemical composition. In collaboration with researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, the team has now extended their analyses to include DNA analysis.

Journal: Nature Communications

See the world of Stonehenge from your sofa this solstice

University of Reading
Business Announcement

The Virtual World of Stonehenge, developed by researchers at the University of Reading and the British Museum, gives users an immersive digital tour of one of the most celebrated museum exhibitions in recent years

Baby fossils reveal link between human and Neanderthal development

University of Queensland
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers have used virtual microanatomy to analyse rare baby teeth and bone fossils from 50,000-70,0000 years ago, revealing the growth of Neanderthals was remarkably similar to modern humans.

Journal: Royal Society Open Science
Funder: Australian Research Council, Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, R&D project 'ParaFunction', Portugese Ministry of Science, National Geographic Society

Biochar and smarter water table management could help cut greenhouse gas emissions from peatlands

Biochar Editorial Office, Shenyang Agricultural University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Peatlands store vast amounts of carbon, but when they are drained for agriculture, they can become major sources of greenhouse gases. Restoring water levels can slow carbon dioxide emissions, yet overly wet peat can produce methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. This creates a difficult climate dilemma: how can peatlands be managed to protect soil carbon without triggering high methane release?

Journal: Biochar

Mystery of 17th century shipwreck holding 400 gold coins finally solved after 30 years

Bournemouth University
Book Announcement

30 years after a shipwreck containing 400 Morocan gold coins was discovered off the south coast of England, meritime archaeologists have solved the mystery of its identity.

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