An international team of archaeologists digging in Saudi Arabia and Jordan reportedly found the world’s oldest architectural plans. The findings were published in a study May 17 in the journal PLOS ONE and includes precise engravings that date back between 7,000 and 8,000 years ago. These ancient blueprints depict large structures used to trap and […]
Oldest known fossilized reptile skin was dug up in an Oklahoma quarry
Usually, fossilized animal remains result from bits of bone or impressions of a creature long-passed. But sometimes a specific place has just the right conditions to preserve even more. From Richards Spur, a long filled-in cave network and active quarry in southern Oklahoma, a group of paleontologists say they’ve identified and described the oldest fossilized […]
‘Violent’ earthquakes accompanied the infamous volcanic eruption that buried Pompeii
The preserved ancient Roman city of Pompeii is best known for the catastrophic volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius that destroyed the city in 79 CE. But the discovery of two skeletons at Italy’s Pompeii Archaeological Park adds to growing evidence that earthquakes accompanied the fateful eruption. The details of the excavation were published by the […]
Ancient Egyptians likely kept baboons in captivity—and mummified them
From roughly the 9th Century BC to the 4th Century BCE, ancient Egyptians mummified a wide variety of animal species for religious purposes. These include local crocodiles for the god Sobek, bulls to honor the war god Bouchis, and cats for the goddess Bastet. It also includes some animals that were brought into the area […]
Over 6,000 sacrificed animal bones tell a story of Iron Age Spain
Archaeologists have uncovered rare evidence of ritualized animal sacrifice at the Casas del Turuñuelo archaeological site in southwestern Spain. The site dates back to the 5th century BCE and offers a glimpse into the Tartessian culture of the Iberian Peninsula. The discovery is described in a study published November 22 in the open-access journal PLoS […]
A scientific exploration of big juicy butts
BUMS. HEINIES. FANNIES. DERRIERES. Few muscles in the human body carry as much cultural clout as the gluteus maximus. “Butts are a bellwether,” writes journalist Heather Radke in her 2022 book Butts: A Backstory. Radke goes on to explain that our feelings about our hindquarters often have more to do with race, gender, and sex […]
What head lice can tell us about human migration
Reviled the world over for making our scalps itch and rapidly spreading in schools, lice have hitched their destiny to our hair follicles. They are the oldest known parasites that feed on the blood of humans, so learning more about lice can tell us quite a bit about our own species and migratory patterns. [Related: […]