All articles tagged with #archaeology
A new study re-dates the Monte Verde site in Chile to 4,200–8,200 years ago, far younger than the widely cited 14,500-year figure. The finding undermines its role as an early pre-Clovis reference point and prompts a reevaluation of migration theories into the Americas, suggesting older material may have been exposed or moved by geological processes rather than indicating very early human presence.
New evidence from three caves in Serbia’s Morava River basin shows Ice Age humans used mountain caves as short‑term shelters rather than year‑round homes, suggesting mobile groups moved between inland sites and areas near the Adriatic during 25,000–19,000 years ago. Finds—primarily bladelets and bone tools—indicate diverse tool use and adaptation to harsh conditions, with each site serving a different role in a broader pattern of seasonal movement.
Archaeologists in southern Norway confirmed the long‑told tale of Hamarkaupangen, a medieval town described near Hamar’s cathedral, after 2023–24 georadar surveys pinpointed ruins and an excavation revealed a two‑room wooden dwelling. The find, aligned with a 16th‑century chronicle, suggests an urban layout with buildings and streets, moving the site from legend to historical reality.
New genetic analysis of 15,800-year-old dog remains from Türkiye and 14,300-year-old bones from Gough’s Cave in Britain pushes back the domestication timeline, showing dogs lived closely with humans across western Eurasia during the Late Upper Paleolithic and were integrated into human groups, with evidence of dietary overlap and even burial alongside people, suggesting a deep, early bond before farming.
Repair workers uncover skeletal remains beneath an altar in Maastricht’s church during tile repairs; early indicators—a French coin and a chest wound—point to Charles de Batz de Castelmore, Count d’Artagnan, the real-life inspiration for The Three Musketeers, with DNA testing underway to confirm the identity.
Two Nature studies of ancient dog and wolf DNA reveal the oldest dog remains come from a 15,800–16,000-year-old skull in Pınarbaşı, Turkey, pushing dog domestication back by about 5,000 years. The research shows dogs spread across Europe by around 14,300 years ago, were kept by hunter‑gatherers before the Neolithic farmers’ arrival, and include evidence of puppies buried near human graves, indicating a close human–dog relationship. While dogs clearly split from wolves long before farming, the exact domestication path remains unresolved due to a persistent genetic gap between dogs and wolves.
Archaeologists in Maastricht say they’ve uncovered skeletal remains beneath the floor of St. Peter and Paul Church that a deacon says are 99% likely to be Count d’Artagnan, the famed musketeer. The find includes a buried bullet, a 1660 coin, and the skeleton’s position under the former altar, with a sample sent to Germany for analysis.
A new study of Neanderthal mitochondrial DNA from sites across Belgium, France, Germany, and Serbia shows that Europe hosted multiple Neanderthal mtDNA lineages until about 65,000 years ago, after which a single southwestern France–origin lineage replaced the others and spread across the continent. This led to reduced genetic diversity among Late Neanderthals and, together with climate pressures, may help explain why Neanderthals in Europe went extinct around 40,000 years ago, though researchers caution that no single cause is responsible.
Archaeologists in the Netherlands uncovered a skeleton beneath a centuries-old church floor that could be the grave of d’Artagnan, the famed Musketeer. Clues include a musket-ball fragment and a 1660 coin, with the burial located near the altar area; jawbone DNA sequencing and forensic analysis are planned to confirm the identity by comparing with living relatives, though confirmation awaits results.
Two Nature-published studies using ancient DNA and archaeology show dogs were living with humans across Eurasia by at least 16,000 years ago, with the Pınarbaşı dog in central Turkey (~15,800 years) buried with people and sharing food, and related dogs at Gough’s Cave in Britain (~14,300 years); later, dogs from Turkey interbred with European dogs brought by farmers about 8,500 years ago rather than replacing existing lineages, revealing a long, mobile, and deeply integrated relationship between dogs and humans before farming.
An archaeologist in Maastricht, Netherlands, uncovered a tomb behind the altar at St. Peter and Paul Church containing a skeleton, a musket ball, and a 1660 coin, which researchers say match historical records of Charles de Batz de Castelmore, the musketeer known as D’Artagnan. DNA tests and a strontium isotope analysis are planned to confirm the identity, while the burial in consecrated ground aligns with accounts of his death during the 1673 siege of Maastricht.
Archaeologists in Maastricht say a grave found beneath St Peter and Paul Church could belong to the 17th‑century musketeer Charles de Batz de Castelmore d’Artagnan, with DNA testing planned against descendants; clues include a 1660 coin and a lead bullet, and a note that he was buried in consecrated ground under an altar, though confirmation is not yet certain.
Archaeologists in Maastricht uncovered a grave beneath the St. Peter and Paul Church floor after part of the nave subsided. A jawbone DNA sample is being tested against the musketeer Charles de Batz de Castelmore d’Artagnan’s descendants, with other bones sent to Germany and Deventer for dating and sex estimation. A 1660 coin and a lead bullet were found at the burial, and a contemporary letter says d’Artagnan was buried in consecrated ground, but researchers caution that confirmation will require conclusive results.
Researchers studying ancient dog remains, including a 14,300-year-old jawbone from Gough’s Cave in the UK and a Swiss find, are using genomics and archaeology to trace where dogs came from and how they spread with people, offering new clues about when and where domestication occurred.
A new study argues that Neanderthal populations across Europe descended from one ancestral group, suggesting limited genetic diversity and a single expansion route across the continent.