Ancient Dna
A Methods archaeology method page covering how it works, what it can tell you, limits and error and cost and access, alongside the 38 reports filed on it
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.
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.
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.
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...
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...
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...
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.
Ancient Cave Collapse Formed Nullarbor Plain Trenches
Mysterious trenches scoring Australia's Nullarbor Plain are surface scars from the collapse of massive Oligocene and Miocene-era cave systems, new...
Ancient Javanese Gold Mask May Have Confused Spirits
A 2,000-year-old gold funeral mask from Java, now at Yale, was likely used to cover a corpse's face, possibly to disorient the deceased's spirit.
Ancient Iron Bars Found in Danube Could Equip an Army
Archaeologists have analyzed a 2,200-year-old cache of 500 iron bars recovered from the Danube River in Austria, the largest such find in Europe.
Ancient Cave Rituals Revealed by 25,000 Years of Burned Grasses
Microscopic plant remains in Cloggs Cave show GunaiKurnai ancestors deliberately gathered and burned whole grasses in ritual practices spanning...
Ancient Plague Killed Siberian Hunter-Gatherers 5,500 Years Ago
Ancient DNA from Siberian burials shows plague was lethal in small, mobile groups long before medieval epidemics.
Ancient Sulawesi Teeth Show 25,000-Year-Old Betel Nut Habit
Griffith University researchers found evidence of betel nut use in prehistoric hunter-gatherers from Sulawesi, Indonesia, dating back 25,000 years.
Ancient Sulawesi Hunter-Gatherers Used Betel Nuts
A study of two ancient individuals from Sulawesi, Indonesia, reveals they repeatedly sucked betel nuts, likely to numb dental pain.
Ancient English Volcano Revealed by Zircon Dating
Geologists have identified a 454.4-million-year-old volcano beneath eastern England, linked to a vast ash deposit in Scandinavia.
Smyrna Reveals Agora Paintings and Floors
Archaeologists in Izmir, Turkey, have uncovered three public spaces with mosaic and marble floors, along with several wall paintings, in the ancient...