How Culture Allows for War and Peace
Some researchers argue that human warfare develops out of innate tendencies for collective violence and that only culture, or reason, keeps violent and aggressive urges in check. But…
Tag: Archaeology
No ‘lost tribes’ or aliens: what ancient DNA reveals about American prehistory
New genetics research settles questions about the peoples of Newfoundland and Labrador – and helps highlight what genetics can’t tell us Genetics research has transformed our understanding of…
No ‘lost tribes’ or aliens: what ancient DNA reveals about American prehistory
New genetics research settles questions about the peoples of Newfoundland and Labrador – and helps highlight what genetics can’t tell us Genetics research has transformed our understanding of…
The climate has changed before. But this is different – look at the archeological record
A major new report states unequivocally that humans are changing the planet. Archaeology puts those changes into context – and explains why action is crucial The United States…
The climate has changed before. But this is different – look at the archeological record
A major new report states unequivocally that humans are changing the planet. Archaeology puts those changes into context – and explains why action is crucial The United States…
How Archaeologists Uncover History With Trees
In the fall of 1282, a young carpenter went to his favorite stand of juniper trees in southwestern Colorado. That stand contained a large number of tall trees…
Anthropology Blogging 101: Archaeogaming
In this edition of Anthropology Blogging 101, we feature Andrew Reinhard, founder of Archaeogaming. His application of archaeology to virtual worlds and digital gaming platforms like World of…
Digging Into the Myth of Timbuktu
Sometime around 1 o’clock in the afternoon on April 19, 1828, René Caillié emerged from the dark hull of the slave ship that he had boarded weeks before.…
The Untold Story of Japan’s First People
The Ainu, the Indigenous people of Japan, have fought Japanese domination for centuries. As this century unfolds, their efforts are finally paying off. Chris Willson/Alamy Stock Photo Thi…
How ancient lentils reveal the origins of social inequality
Lentils might not sound like a spectacular archaeological find but at the prehistoric site of Gurga Chiya in Iraqi Kurdistan they hold the clues to social transformation I…
How ancient lentils reveal the origins of social inequality
Lentils might not sound like a spectacular archaeological find but at the prehistoric site of Gurga Chiya in Iraqi Kurdistan they hold the clues to social transformation Related:…
What mysteries could be unlocked by new Antikythera shipwreck finds?
Excavation has revealed fragments of bronze sculpture and raises the possibility of several buried statues in the area. So what do these discoveries tell us? The shipwreck at…
What mysteries could be unlocked by new Antikythera shipwreck finds?
Excavation has revealed fragments of bronze sculpture and raises the possibility of several buried statues in the area. So what do these discoveries tell us? The shipwreck at…
Were Peace Medals the Price of Loyalty?
Gift-giving is common to all human societies; it’s one of the behaviors that makes us human. We give gifts to celebrate holidays, birthdays, and weddings, not to mention…
Archaeology and blockchain: a social science data revolution?
Blockchain technology is revolutionising financial systems. Could it do the same for archaeological data? This month the world’s first “archaeology coin” launched to fanfare from a small community;…
How Vulnerable Are We to Collapse?
Research findings on three early Native American cultures from the southwestern United States show how each responded to environmental challenges in different ways that dramatically altered their…
How the female Viking warrior was written out of history
What Bj 581, the ‘female Viking warrior’ tells us about assumed gender roles in archaeological inquiry In the 1880s Scandinavian archaeologists unearthed a grave containing all the implements…
About a Boy and a Wig Curler
Archaeological small finds can tell us a great deal about how status, gender, and identity are situated in and on the body. In December 1759, John Page noted…
The secret about human evolution found in spit
Genetic detectives discover surprising findings about our evolution by studying saliva What does a protein in our spit called MUC7 that all of us have – but most…
Were We Ever Paleo Perfect?
Many people find urban centers to be both enchanting and repulsive—but for better or worse, cities have left their mark on us. Jeff Turner/Flickr The amount of time…
Castle of the Sealand kings: Discovering ancient Iraq’s rebel rulers
British and Iraqi archaeologists identify the first known settlement built under the enigmatic Sealand kings The Kings of the Sealand sound like they come straight out of a…
Why the Famous Folsom Point Isn’t a Smoking Gun
Remember the iconic Folsom point? The one that I said, in my last post, changed the future of archaeology? To recap: On August 29, 1927, paleontologists from the…
‘Rivers of bones’: rituals of life, death and hunting in the American west
Communal bison hunts were used by Native Americans for upwards of 11,000 years on the great plains to procure meat and other goods for the winter It’s still…
Confronting Cultural Imperialism in Native American Archaeology
Two Native American students conduct research in Petrified Forest National Park in June 2015 as part of a field school project. Fort Lewis College’s Archaeological Field School Back…