Vanishing beauties

With reports confirming that Islamic State militants have destroyed Palmyra's ancient temple of Baalshamin in Syria, we take a look at other …

What archaeology tells us about the music and sounds made by Africa’s ancestors

Research in music archaeology in southern Africa has just begun. Available evidence dates back from around 10,000 years ago, from the Later Stone …

Environmental change may have played a role at the dawn of Egyptian history — here’s how

As the environment changed, the Nile Delta gradually became much less rich in wild food resources

Neolithic artifacts from Northeast India are 2,700 years old: study

A new study confirms that the corded pottery and polished stone tools recovered from Assam and Meghalaya were more than 2,000 years-old

Angkor Wat archaeological digs yield new clues to its civilization’s decline

By looking at the events associated with one particular temple, archaeologists are able to see a microcosm of some of the broader regional …

When did humans first go to war?

Although the first modern Europeans may have been the first humans capable of organised warfare, we can’t say this behaviour was …

Cross-continent social networking may have existed 400,000 years ago, fire use patterns suggest

The various groups of hominins were tolerant towards one another and exchanged ideas much like modern humans

Ancient human tracks on South Africa’s west coast: 3 reasons they are an exciting find

The two tracks have approximately the same orientation and are an appropriate distance apart for a walking human

In India, modern development puts prehistoric sites at risk

Much of the land holding the country’s buried past is being rapidly transformed for modern development — agriculture, roads, …

Let's take a less bigoted view of history

With DNA adding to the slippery narratives about the past; historians, archeologists, and geneticists need to collaborate if we are to take a …

Nepal dithers over closing road through forest in Pashupatinath temple area

In spite of UNESCO warning that temple would be delisted from world heritage sites list, nation's archaeology department says road is lifeline …

Cahokian culture spread across eastern North America 1,000 years ago in an early example of diaspora

It makes sense to think of Cahokian and Mississippian culture not as one monolithic entity with just one perspective, but instead, a multitude of …

Capital gains

Ancient poop offers unusual insight into animal behaviour

Fossilised scat are palaeontological treasure troves

Palaeontologist discovers ancient, enormous Caelocanth species by accident

It grew to be as big as a great white shark

Here is how bacterial spray may help conserve decaying monuments

Study identifies bacteria responsible for calcification and hardening of lime

Tsunami uncovers ancient sculptures in Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu

The tsunami uncovers ancient sculptures

When did Homo erectus die out?

A fresh look at the demise of an ancient human species over 100,000 years ago

The earliest modern humans in Europe mastered bow-and-arrow technology 54,000 years ago

Neanderthals did not develop mechanically propelled weapons, used traditional weapons

How smart were our ancestors? Turns out the answer isn’t in brain size, but blood flow

Skulls hold clues to intelligence, says this physiology professor

Earth’s early evolution: Fresh insights from rocks formed 3.5 billion years ago

Singhbhum Craton’s unique geological features, including its greenstone belts, provide invaluable information about Earth’s surface …