A new Research Unit is studying the medieval way of life in the Wadden Sea region in North Frisia (Schleswig-Holstein) and how human intervention at that time resulted in massive transformation of this coastal landscape. The Research Unit, entitled 'Times of Rise and Failure – TORF', is undertaking seven subprojects in various natural science and humanities disciplines. It will be financed by the German Research Foundation (DFG) over the next four years.

A technological breakthrough at Tel Aviv University revolutionizes the world of archaeology: a proof of feasibility for using cosmic radiation detectors to discover underground spaces. The detectors identify muons – particles created when cosmic radiation collides with Earth’s atmosphere, which penetrate the ground before losing their energy and coming to a stop.

Research from Cranfield University sheds new light onto the transition from the Bronze Age to the Iron Age, showing how experimentation with iron-rich rocks by copper smelters may have sparked the invention of iron.

In a groundbreaking archaeological achievement, researchers from Kumamoto University have successfully reconstructed the structure of prehistoric fishing nets from the Jomon period (ca. 14,000–900 BCE) by analyzing impressions preserved in ancient pottery using advanced X-ray computed tomography (CT). This marks the first time in the world that nets from over 6,000 years ago have been digitally and physically resurrected in such detail.

The adzuki bean — a staple crop prominent in various East Asian cuisines — has been cultivated in the region for more than 8,000 years, researchers at Washington University in St. Louis and Shandong University in China have discovered.