Ancient DNA and isotope analysis
Everything filed under methods in our archaeology coverage, the 51 reports filed on it so far.
Ancient frog bones reveal Roman-era owl predation in Cambridgeshire
Analysis of 8,000 frog bones from a Cambridgeshire ditch confirms they were deposited by short-eared owls and hen harriers 1,700 years ago, solving...
First ancient cyclopia case linked to trisomy 13 found in Peru
DNA analysis confirms a 1,600-year-old Nazca infant had trisomy 13, causing cyclopia, in a burial at Jauranga, Peru.
Rare Leprosy Strain Found in Fifth-Century Boat Burial
Genetic analysis of a man buried in a 1,600-year-old oak boat in Germany reveals a rare leprosy strain and distant origins.
Ancient Scythian tomb yields oldest evidence of psychoactive cannabis use
Chemical traces in human hair and over 1,000 seeds from a 2,800-year-old Siberian burial provide the oldest directly dated proof that Scythians used...
Maya Mercury Contamination Poisoned Yucatán Waterways
New sediment core analysis reveals extreme mercury pollution in ancient Maya water sources, linked to their use of imported cinnabar pigment.
Bronze Age Herder's Kidney Stone Reveals Chronic Infection
Analysis of a 5,300-year-old kidney stone from a Bronze Age cattle herder in Russia shows he suffered from a chronic, painful urinary tract...
Ancient DNA Reveals 4,000-Year-Old Migration Into Scandinavia
A major genetic study of over 4,500 ancient individuals identifies a previously unknown migration into Scandinavia around 2000 BC.
Maya Elite Deposited Ancestral Teeth in Distant Cave Burials
A Maya woman's burial in Bats'ub Cave, Belize, contained 226 teeth from at least 39 individuals, linking elite mortuary practices across sites 16...
Ancient DNA reveals Ice Age Europe's genetic connections
A 30,000-year-old woman from southwestern France carried ancestry linking western and central European populations, showing far-reaching Ice Age gene...
Ancient artists used heated charcoal to preserve Chauvet Cave art
A new non-invasive analysis of 37,000-year-old drawings in France's Chauvet Cave reveals that artists used hot charcoal, which inadvertently created...
Protein analysis confirms Denisovan fossils in northern China
A 2026 study identifies 199,000-year-old fossils from China's Xujiayao site as Denisovan, using protein analysis to create the first morphology-based...
Malta's Cart Ruts Formed Over Millennia, Not Just Prehistory
New analysis of Malta's extensive bedrock grooves reveals a cart rut network used for thousands of years across Phoenician, Roman, and Byzantine...
Silverpit Crater confirmed as ancient asteroid impact site
A study confirms the Silverpit Crater under the North Sea was formed by a 160-meter asteroid 43-46 million years ago, triggering a colossal tsunami.
Late Antiquity migrations reshaped Iberian elite identity
A new genetic study of 243 ancient Iberian genomes shows Germanic migrations contributed only 12-22% ancestry, concentrated in ruling elites, without...
Late Roman House and Pier Found on Corsican Coast
Archaeologists in Corsica have uncovered a 4th-century A.D. house carved into bedrock, located just 30 meters from a contemporary ancient pier.
Ancient DNA from Montreal cemetery reveals limited Indigenous ancestry
A genetic study of 45 skeletons from Montreal's historic Notre-Dame Cemetery found exclusively French European ancestry, challenging narratives of...
Bronze Age Cypriot tombs reveal ritual plant bouquets
Analysis of 3,400-year-old charred plant remains from tombs at Hala Sultan Tekke shows diverse botanical deposits, including cereals and flowers...
Hadza and Tsimané Share Ancient Gut Microbiome Heritage
A deep genetic study reveals the hunter-gatherer Hadza and forager-farmer Tsimané share over 1,200 gut bacterial species, a core microbial heritage...
Astronaut Photo Mosaic Captures Lake Powell Sunglint
A 2016 astronaut photo mosaic reveals a rare sunglint effect across Lake Powell's entire length, as drought-driven water level declines expose...
Forensic Study Confirms Retainer Sacrifice in Egypt's First Dynasty
A re-analysis of 5,000-year-old skulls from royal tombs at Abydos has found fatal blunt-force trauma in 18 individuals.
Etruscan tombs used sound and light for immersive ritual
Acoustic and AI analysis of two fifth-century B.C. Etruscan painted tombs reveals they were engineered as multisensory environments.
Teotihuacan Writing System Revealed in Cave Glyphs
New analysis of three red-painted glyphs in a Mexican cave provides the strongest evidence yet that Teotihuacan developed a genuine logo-phonetic...
Miseeda Petroglyph May Depict Ancient Kushite Ruler
A life-sized petroglyph in northern Sudan may represent a Kushite ruler, according to new research published in Antiquity.
Battersea Shield's ritual use revealed by British Museum
Recent analysis of the 2,000-year-old Battersea Shield suggests it was a ritual offering, not a battle shield.