Paleoanthropology & Early Humans

18+ hour, 36+ min ago   (298+ words) A hidden language problem in archaeology may be affecting how researchers understand ancient humans and their behavior. A new study found that scientists often use overlapping terms to describe prehistoric sites, raising concerns about how they classify and interpret evidence....

23+ hour, 54+ min ago   (961+ words) An unusual club, wooden spears, and possible household objects. At a prehistoric rock shelter near Barcelona, archaeologists discovered something that looks remarkably like a wooden club. It has a narrow handle, a bulky, pointed head, and a shape unlike anything…...

2+ day, 21+ hour ago   (594+ words) Because of its organic composition, wood typically decays over time, making ancient wooden objects an extremely rare find in the archaeological record. The discoveries at Abri Romaní provide a unique opportunity to gain a more complete understanding of Neanderthal life…...

3+ week, 5+ day ago   (329+ words) The Making of a Prehistoric Human Why are we so obsessed with a group of archaic humans who disappeared 40,000 years ago? Drawing on a wide range of sources – including the medieval Wild Man figure, nineteenth-century racial science, museum reconstructions, horror…...

3+ day, 5+ hour ago   (371+ words) Want more Life's Little Mysteries? In this excerpt from "Neanderthals Among Us," author Peter Sahlins looks at the way Neanderthal extinction theories are often engrained with our own societal fears. Between violent extermination and peaceful absorption — with cultural exchange — prehistorians…...

3+ day, 5+ hour ago   (481+ words) The reconstructed face of a man based on human remains unearthed at the Jiahu archaeological site in central China's Henan Province. Image: Ren Zhuoru / Xinhua ZHENGZHOU -- A reconstructed face of a man who lived more than 8,000 years ago was unveiled…...

4+ day, 1+ hour ago   (604+ words) Neanderthals, ancient relatives of modern humans, are often associated with the stone tools that give the Stone Age its name. However, archaeologists have now uncovered remarkable new evidence of their woodworking abilities. In a recent study published in Science Advances,…...

4+ day, 6+ hour ago   (493+ words) We Homo sapiens are pretty damn proud of our tool-making prowess. From smartphones to the humble-yet-mighty wheel, our ability to craft objects to help us attain our goals is something that we've often thought defines us as a species. But…...

4+ day, 23+ hour ago   (909+ words) Genetic evidence points to an Ice Age migration, but ancient footprints suggest an earlier human presence. Some 23,000 years ago, the first people walked along the muddy edge of a lake in what is now New Mexico. Their feet sank into…...

6+ day, 15+ hour ago   (471+ words) Neanderthals did far more with wood than burn it. A new study of 597 wooden remains and imprints from Abric Romaní, a rock shelter in Capellades near Barcelona, shows they made weapons, tools and household items from it. They may have…...