New Scientist - Humans https://www.newscientist.com/ https://www.newscientist.com/build/images/ns-logo-scaled.ed2dc11a.png https://www.newscientist.com daily 1 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2483185-ancient-humans-evolved-to-be-better-teachers-as-technology-advanced/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Thu, 05 Jun 2025 12:30:56 +0100 As our ancestors developed more advanced tools and cultural practices, they also developed new ways of explaining concepts to others – culminating in the emergence of complex language 2483185-ancient-humans-evolved-to-be-better-teachers-as-technology-advanced|2483185 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2483150-dead-sea-scrolls-analysis-may-force-rethink-of-ancient-jewish-history/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 04 Jun 2025 20:00:27 +0100 Thanks to AI and modern carbon dating techniques, we have a new understanding of when the Dead Sea Scrolls were written – which could revise the story of Judea 2483150-dead-sea-scrolls-analysis-may-force-rethink-of-ancient-jewish-history|2483150 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2482399-leprosy-was-in-the-americas-long-before-the-arrival-of-europeans/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Thu, 29 May 2025 20:00:20 +0100 The history books say Europeans brought leprosy to the Americas, but analysis of ancient DNA reveals that a form of the disease was present in Argentina and Canada much earlier 2482399-leprosy-was-in-the-americas-long-before-the-arrival-of-europeans|2482399 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2482263-before-the-great-wall-chinese-rulers-built-a-shallow-ditch/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Thu, 29 May 2025 01:01:13 +0100 A network of trenches, walls and enclosures built across the steppes of China and Mongolia 800 years ago seems to have been erected to control the flow of people, perhaps for tax reasons 2482263-before-the-great-wall-chinese-rulers-built-a-shallow-ditch|2482263 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2481910-were-about-to-unlock-the-secrets-of-ancient-human-brains/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 28 May 2025 20:00:42 +0100 For the first time, we have a method for extracting proteins from preserved soft tissues like brains – which could be a treasure trove of evolutionary information 2481910-were-about-to-unlock-the-secrets-of-ancient-human-brains|2481910 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2481442-medieval-woman-was-executed-and-displayed-on-london-riverbank/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Tue, 27 May 2025 19:00:01 +0100 A skeleton found in London records a brutal killing about 1200 years ago, thought to be a rare example of a judicial execution of a woman in medieval England 2481442-medieval-woman-was-executed-and-displayed-on-london-riverbank|2481442 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2481873-humans-were-crafting-tools-from-whale-bones-20000-years-ago/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Tue, 27 May 2025 17:00:27 +0100 More than 60 ancient tools found in France and Spain have been identified as whale bone, and the evidence shows that people made tools from this material a thousand years earlier than previously thought 2481873-humans-were-crafting-tools-from-whale-bones-20000-years-ago|2481873 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26635440-300-weary-parents-shouldnt-miss-this-science-backed-guide-to-raising-kids/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 21 May 2025 19:00:00 +0100 Most parenting manuals end up gathering dust on my bedside table, but Melinda Wenner Moyer's Hello, Cruel World! isn’t one of them mg26635440-300-weary-parents-shouldnt-miss-this-science-backed-guide-to-raising-kids|2480485 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2480743-ancient-maltese-temples-may-have-been-schools-for-celestial-navigation/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Tue, 20 May 2025 13:00:28 +0100 The alignment of some megalithic temples in Malta suggests they may have been used to teach sailors how to navigate by the stars 2480743-ancient-maltese-temples-may-have-been-schools-for-celestial-navigation|2480743 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2480442-babies-start-showing-empathy-even-before-they-can-speak/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Fri, 16 May 2025 19:00:29 +0100 When adults pretended to be in pain, children as young as 9 months old comforted them, pushing back the earliest age when humans are known to display empathy 2480442-babies-start-showing-empathy-even-before-they-can-speak|2480442 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2480292-what-the-complete-ape-genome-is-revealing-about-the-earliest-humans/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Thu, 15 May 2025 12:00:07 +0100 We now have full genome sequences for six species of apes, helping us to pin down our last common ancestor – and potentially changing how we think of the earliest hominins 2480292-what-the-complete-ape-genome-is-revealing-about-the-earliest-humans|2480292 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2479668-how-ancient-humans-survived-a-global-climate-disaster-8200-years-ago/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Mon, 12 May 2025 15:00:22 +0100 Plummeting temperatures forced some human populations to adapt to the new conditions thousands of years ago, but the changes they made varied widely 2479668-how-ancient-humans-survived-a-global-climate-disaster-8200-years-ago|2479668 https://www.newscientist.com/video/2479256-indiana-jones-vs-lara-croft-ranking-the-best-fictional-archaeologists/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Thu, 08 May 2025 10:00:50 +0100 From Raiders of the Lost Ark to Lara Croft: Tomb Raider , films about archaeologists have long captured the public imagination, offering thrilling quests to uncover the hidden histories of humanity’s ancient past. But how accurately do these cinematic adventures reflect the real work of scientists in the field? Palaeoanthropologist Ella Al-Shamahi has mixed feelings … 2479256-indiana-jones-vs-lara-croft-ranking-the-best-fictional-archaeologists|2479256 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2478889-irelands-iconic-megalithic-tombs-may-have-had-an-unexpected-function/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Mon, 05 May 2025 09:00:56 +0100 Tombs that are scattered across Ireland may have helped bring ancient societies together for feasting and remembering their ancestors 2478889-irelands-iconic-megalithic-tombs-may-have-had-an-unexpected-function|2478889 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2478848-tiny-rewards-can-protect-the-grid-from-a-surge-in-electric-vehicles/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Fri, 02 May 2025 18:10:12 +0100 As the number of electric vehicles increases, their increased demand could strain the grid – but small financial incentives convinced drivers to ease that demand by charging during off-peak hours 2478848-tiny-rewards-can-protect-the-grid-from-a-surge-in-electric-vehicles|2478848 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2478118-humans-evolved-to-survive-mild-burns-at-the-expense-of-severe-ones/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Mon, 28 Apr 2025 13:29:18 +0100 Early humans had almost no hope of surviving severe burns, so evolution may have prioritised the selection of genes that heal mild ones, which could be affecting modern medicine 2478118-humans-evolved-to-survive-mild-burns-at-the-expense-of-severe-ones|2478118 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2477749-ancient-camp-shows-how-humans-adapted-to-extreme-cold-in-europe/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Fri, 25 Apr 2025 09:00:41 +0100 An Austrian site occupied by humans from around 24,000 to 20,000 years ago documents a switch towards hunting reindeer for their fur, which may have helped people to endure harsh winters during the last glacial period 2477749-ancient-camp-shows-how-humans-adapted-to-extreme-cold-in-europe|2477749 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2477711-first-evidence-of-gladiator-fight-with-lion-seen-in-roman-era-skeleton/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 23 Apr 2025 20:00:30 +0100 A man who lived in Roman-occupied Britain was bitten by a big cat, probably in a gladiator arena, an analysis of his remains has revealed 2477711-first-evidence-of-gladiator-fight-with-lion-seen-in-roman-era-skeleton|2477711 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26635400-400-an-elegant-account-of-how-one-ancient-language-went-global/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 23 Apr 2025 19:00:00 +0100 Hunting the origin of 40 per cent of the languages spoken today is a huge feat, but Laura Spinney's new book makes an excellent job of it mg26635400-400-an-elegant-account-of-how-one-ancient-language-went-global|2477131 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2477096-excavation-in-sudan-shows-roman-empire-wasnt-as-mighty-as-it-claimed/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Thu, 17 Apr 2025 17:00:27 +0100 When Roman Egypt came under attack from the Kushites in what is now Sudan, the Roman forces responded by destroying a Kushite city – or so we thought 2477096-excavation-in-sudan-shows-roman-empire-wasnt-as-mighty-as-it-claimed|2477096 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2476675-ancient-computers-gears-may-not-have-been-able-to-turn/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Thu, 17 Apr 2025 09:00:00 +0100 The 2000-year-old Antikythera mechanism may have been a kind of astronomical calculator, but researchers are unsure whether it would have worked without jamming 2476675-ancient-computers-gears-may-not-have-been-able-to-turn|2476675 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2476849-iron-age-site-was-a-purple-dye-factory-for-centuries/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 16 Apr 2025 20:00:43 +0100 Beginning around 3000 years ago, Tel Shiqmona in modern-day Israel was a major centre for the production of Tyrian purple, a valuable commodity produced from marine snails 2476849-iron-age-site-was-a-purple-dye-factory-for-centuries|2476849 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2476517-drought-may-have-sped-the-demise-of-rapa-nui-sculpture-culture/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Tue, 15 Apr 2025 19:00:02 +0100 A decades-long stretch of extremely low precipitation in the 1500s may have spurred cultural changes among the Rapa Nui people that reduced time spent building statues, but not all archaeologists agree 2476517-drought-may-have-sped-the-demise-of-rapa-nui-sculpture-culture|2476517 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2476277-bronze-naval-ram-from-roman-battle-recreated-using-ancient-techniques/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Fri, 11 Apr 2025 17:00:33 +0100 Roman ships equipped with bronze rams sank dozens of Carthaginian ships during a major naval battle in 241 BCE – now we know how the rams were made 2476277-bronze-naval-ram-from-roman-battle-recreated-using-ancient-techniques|2476277 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2475938-denisovan-fossil-from-taiwan-gives-clue-to-mysterious-ancient-humans/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Thu, 10 Apr 2025 20:00:14 +0100 A fossil jawbone found by fishers in the Taiwan Strait has extended the known range of ancient Denisovan people thousands of kilometres to the east 2475938-denisovan-fossil-from-taiwan-gives-clue-to-mysterious-ancient-humans|2475938 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2475846-archaeologists-uncover-settlement-from-golden-age-of-ancient-egypt/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Thu, 10 Apr 2025 13:00:03 +0100 A newly discovered settlement in the north-western Nile delta was built by the Egyptian New Kingdom perhaps 3500 years ago and included a temple dedicated to pharaoh Ramesses II 2475846-archaeologists-uncover-settlement-from-golden-age-of-ancient-egypt|2475846 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26635383-700-gripping-story-reveals-race-to-crack-worlds-oldest-script-cuneiform/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 09 Apr 2025 19:00:00 +0100 Cuneiform, the oldest identified writing system, defied deciphering – until 1857. What happened then makes a terrific read, in Joshua Hammer's The Mesopotamian Riddle mg26635383-700-gripping-story-reveals-race-to-crack-worlds-oldest-script-cuneiform|2475510 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2475454-the-hunt-for-the-birthplace-of-indo-european-languages/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Tue, 08 Apr 2025 19:00:14 +0100 It’s incredibly tricky to pin down the origin of the language that led to the words spoken everywhere between Spain and India – and it’ll be even harder to be sure we’ve got it right 2475454-the-hunt-for-the-birthplace-of-indo-european-languages|2475454 https://www.newscientist.com/video/2475481-how-mudlarks-are-uncovering-thousands-of-years-of-londons-history/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Tue, 08 Apr 2025 18:34:50 +0100 Mudlarking, once a trade of the Victorian poor, has evolved into a modern-day hobby that captivates everyday Londoners and history enthusiasts. What began as a desperate means of survival, scouring the Thames foreshore for anything of value, has become a way to connect with the city’s deep and layered past. In London Museum’s new exhibition, … 2475481-how-mudlarks-are-uncovering-thousands-of-years-of-londons-history|2475481 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2473905-unusually-tiny-hominin-deepens-mystery-of-our-paranthropus-cousin/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Mon, 31 Mar 2025 11:40:58 +0100 Paranthropus was an ape-like hominin that survived alongside early humans for more than a million years. A fossilised leg belonging to a strikingly small member of the group raises questions about how it did so 2473905-unusually-tiny-hominin-deepens-mystery-of-our-paranthropus-cousin|2473905 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2475019-mammoth-tusk-flakes-may-be-the-oldest-ivory-objects-made-by-humans/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Thu, 03 Apr 2025 19:00:52 +0100 Ancient humans living in what is now Ukraine 400,000 years ago may have practised or taught tool-making techniques using mammoth tusks, a softer material than bone 2475019-mammoth-tusk-flakes-may-be-the-oldest-ivory-objects-made-by-humans|2475019 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26635373-700-our-drive-for-adventure-and-challenge-has-ancient-origins/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 02 Apr 2025 19:00:00 +0100 Why are some people drawn towards exploration and challenge – even to the point of extreme danger? Alex Hutchinson's bracing new book unpicks the complex reasons mg26635373-700-our-drive-for-adventure-and-challenge-has-ancient-origins|2474487 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26535360-300-a-controversial-book-about-human-diversity-shows-how-biology-unites-us/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 26 Mar 2025 18:00:00 +0000 From race and IQ to sex and gender, Herman Pontzer's new book Adaptable is an ambitious and enjoyable exploration of how understanding ourselves better can help us bridge divides mg26535360-300-a-controversial-book-about-human-diversity-shows-how-biology-unites-us|2473206 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2473095-relics-in-tutankhamuns-tomb-hint-he-invented-elaborate-burial-rites/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Fri, 21 Mar 2025 09:00:59 +0000 Tutankhamun ruled ancient Egypt shortly after a period of religious instability, and objects from his tomb suggest he took advantage to invent new funerary rituals 2473095-relics-in-tutankhamuns-tomb-hint-he-invented-elaborate-burial-rites|2473095 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2473159-a-radical-new-idea-for-how-our-ancestors-invented-stone-tools/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Fri, 21 Mar 2025 11:00:38 +0000 Stone tools are considered the first form of technology devised by ancient humans – but they might not have been invented from scratch 2473159-a-radical-new-idea-for-how-our-ancestors-invented-stone-tools|2473159 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26535351-800-ancient-clay-tablets-offer-vivid-portrait-of-mesopotamian-life/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 19 Mar 2025 18:00:00 +0000 When a vast library of texts amassed by Mesopotamian King Ashurbanipal was burned to the ground about 2700 years ago, the clay tablets were preserved by the heat. Selena Wisnom's new book reveals more mg26535351-800-ancient-clay-tablets-offer-vivid-portrait-of-mesopotamian-life|2472484 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2472409-surprising-skeletons-prompt-a-radical-rethink-of-egyptian-pyramids/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Tue, 18 Mar 2025 11:00:18 +0000 For years, Egyptologists have assumed pyramid tombs were just for the rich – but the burials at a site called Tombos don’t fit this pattern 2472409-surprising-skeletons-prompt-a-radical-rethink-of-egyptian-pyramids|2472409 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2472604-have-we-vastly-underestimated-the-total-number-of-people-on-earth/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Tue, 18 Mar 2025 10:00:12 +0000 A new way of estimating rural populations has found that we may be undercounting people who live in these areas, potentially inflating the global population beyond the official count of 8.2 billion – but not everyone agrees 2472604-have-we-vastly-underestimated-the-total-number-of-people-on-earth|2472604 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26535340-600-the-epic-scientific-quest-to-reveal-what-makes-folktales-so-compelling/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Tue, 11 Mar 2025 16:00:00 +0000 Linguists, psychologists and experts in cultural evolution are discovering why we tell stories, how ancient the oldest ones are and why some tales run and run mg26535340-600-the-epic-scientific-quest-to-reveal-what-makes-folktales-so-compelling|2471253 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2471940-ancient-humans-lived-in-an-uninhabitable-climate-25000-years-ago/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Thu, 13 Mar 2025 15:00:29 +0000 Bones dating back 25,000 years suggest that humans lived in extremely icy conditions in Tibet, which were previously thought to be uninhabitable 2471940-ancient-humans-lived-in-an-uninhabitable-climate-25000-years-ago|2471940 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26535340-100-are-we-really-doomed-an-entertaining-guide-to-humanitys-extinction/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 12 Mar 2025 18:00:00 +0000 Few people could write so genially, even humorously, about our existential crisis. Henry Gee can, in his excellent new book The Decline and Fall of the Human Empire mg26535340-100-are-we-really-doomed-an-entertaining-guide-to-humanitys-extinction|2471237 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2471861-ancient-face-bones-offer-clues-to-identity-of-early-humans-in-europe/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 12 Mar 2025 16:00:51 +0000 Bone fragments from a cave in northern Spain suggest there were multiple hominin species living in western Europe around a million years ago 2471861-ancient-face-bones-offer-clues-to-identity-of-early-humans-in-europe|2471861 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2471540-the-biggest-coincidence-in-human-evolution/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Tue, 11 Mar 2025 17:00:07 +0000 Farming arose on multiple continents among populations with radically different cultures and environments and with no means of communicating with each other – how did it crop up independently at about the same time? 2471540-the-biggest-coincidence-in-human-evolution|2471540 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2470951-ancient-humans-used-bone-tools-a-million-years-earlier-than-we-thought/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 05 Mar 2025 16:00:01 +0000 Hominins may have learned how to make bone tools by adapting the techniques they mastered for stone ones 2470951-ancient-humans-used-bone-tools-a-million-years-earlier-than-we-thought|2470951 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2470490-ancient-ancestor-of-the-plague-discovered-in-bronze-age-sheep/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Mon, 03 Mar 2025 14:00:15 +0000 The DNA of Yersinia pestis bacteria has been found in a Bronze Age sheep, offering a clue to how the plague may have spread through prehistoric farming communities 2470490-ancient-ancestor-of-the-plague-discovered-in-bronze-age-sheep|2470490 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26535320-500-from-doomy-prophecies-to-epic-dystopias-we-are-suckers-for-end-times/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 26 Feb 2025 18:00:00 +0000 Despite facing real existential threats like climate change, we remain too fascinated by the end of the world, argues a new book mg26535320-500-from-doomy-prophecies-to-epic-dystopias-we-are-suckers-for-end-times|2469483 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2469798-a-mans-brain-was-turned-into-glass-by-the-eruption-of-vesuvius/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Thu, 27 Feb 2025 16:00:25 +0000 A cloud of super-heated volcanic ash and gas exploded the brain of one Herculaneum resident and the fragments inside his skull became an extremely rare organic glass 2469798-a-mans-brain-was-turned-into-glass-by-the-eruption-of-vesuvius|2469798 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2469891-humans-were-living-in-tropical-forests-surprisingly-early/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 26 Feb 2025 16:00:34 +0000 By far the oldest evidence of humans living in dense forests comes from a site in Ivory Coast, where stone tools and plant remains reveal a human presence stretching back 150,000 years 2469891-humans-were-living-in-tropical-forests-surprisingly-early|2469891 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2469676-when-did-people-start-building-houses-with-corners/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Tue, 25 Feb 2025 08:00:44 +0000 Around the world, the earliest buildings are typically round while later ones are rectangular – but 12,000-year-old buildings with corners don’t fit the pattern 2469676-when-did-people-start-building-houses-with-corners|2469676 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2469565-ancient-hunters-may-have-used-throwing-spears-300000-years-ago/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Mon, 24 Feb 2025 18:00:16 +0000 Preserved wooden spears from hundreds of thousands of years ago seem to have been suitable for throwing, not just close-range attacks 2469565-ancient-hunters-may-have-used-throwing-spears-300000-years-ago|2469565 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2469648-22000-year-old-tracks-are-earliest-evidence-of-transport-vehicles/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Mon, 24 Feb 2025 13:18:23 +0000 Tracks and footprints found in New Mexico are by far the earliest evidence of people using primitive vehicles to transport things 2469648-22000-year-old-tracks-are-earliest-evidence-of-transport-vehicles|2469648 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26535311-400-were-uncovering-a-radically-different-view-of-civilisations-origins/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 19 Feb 2025 16:00:00 +0000 The discovery that farming might not have been the catalyst for civilisation means we must completely rethink the timeline of the first complex societies mg26535311-400-were-uncovering-a-radically-different-view-of-civilisations-origins|2468502 https://www.newscientist.com/video/2469258-chris-stringer-is-tracing-human-ancestors-back-a-million-years/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 19 Feb 2025 18:21:49 +0000 The more we discover about our species' family tree, the harder it becomes to pinpoint when exactly Homo sapiens emerged, raising questions over what it really means to be human. "If we look along the sapiens lineage," says Chris Stringer, a palaeoanthropologist at the Natural History Museum in London, "we see there's lots of diversity. … 2469258-chris-stringer-is-tracing-human-ancestors-back-a-million-years|2469258 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26535311-300-why-its-so-hard-to-tell-when-homo-sapiens-became-a-distinct-species/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Tue, 18 Feb 2025 14:00:00 +0000 The more we discover about our species' family tree, the harder it becomes to pinpoint when exactly Homo sapiens emerged, raising questions over what it really means to be human mg26535311-300-why-its-so-hard-to-tell-when-homo-sapiens-became-a-distinct-species|2468501 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2468525-pompeiis-streets-show-how-the-city-adapted-to-roman-rule/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Mon, 17 Feb 2025 08:00:50 +0000 Pompeii only came under Roman control around 160 years before its destruction – and its traffic-worn streets show how the locals adjusted their business operations 2468525-pompeiis-streets-show-how-the-city-adapted-to-roman-rule|2468525 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2467639-farmers-used-trash-to-grow-crops-in-barren-sand-1000-years-ago/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Fri, 14 Feb 2025 15:00:06 +0000 Crops don't generally thrive in desert-like ground, but 1000 years ago farmers in Israel utilised refuse such as ash and bones to turn sand into fertile land 2467639-farmers-used-trash-to-grow-crops-in-barren-sand-1000-years-ago|2467639 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2467926-most-europeans-may-have-had-dark-skin-until-less-than-3000-years-ago/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Thu, 13 Feb 2025 15:39:26 +0000 Ancient DNA from 348 individuals suggests that pale skin became the predominant characteristic of people living in Europe much later than assumed 2467926-most-europeans-may-have-had-dark-skin-until-less-than-3000-years-ago|2467926 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26535300-200-the-story-of-ancient-mesopotamia-and-the-dawn-of-the-modern-world/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 12 Feb 2025 18:00:00 +0000 Ancient Mesopotamia comes alive in Moudhy Al-Rashid's must-read, millennia-spanning history, cleverly wrought from tablets written in the world's oldest script mg26535300-200-the-story-of-ancient-mesopotamia-and-the-dawn-of-the-modern-world|2467285 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2467513-fossil-proteins-may-soon-reveal-how-were-related-to-australopithecus/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Tue, 11 Feb 2025 14:00:25 +0000 Australopithecus came before us, but that doesn't tell us which specific individual species is our ancestor. The fossil record is spotty in places, but the latest finds could give us enough clues to pin down how we are linked 2467513-fossil-proteins-may-soon-reveal-how-were-related-to-australopithecus|2467513 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2466972-enigmatic-people-who-took-over-europe-millennia-ago-came-from-ukraine/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 05 Feb 2025 16:00:53 +0000 A huge study of ancient DNA reveals the origins of the Yamna, who spread across Eurasia around 5000 years ago, showing they came from a mixing of populations north of the Black Sea 2466972-enigmatic-people-who-took-over-europe-millennia-ago-came-from-ukraine|2466972 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2466940-volcano-scorched-roman-scroll-is-read-for-the-first-time-in-2000-years/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 05 Feb 2025 15:00:12 +0000 A papyrus scroll carbonised by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius two millennia ago is slowly being read once again thanks to X-ray imaging and machine learning 2466940-volcano-scorched-roman-scroll-is-read-for-the-first-time-in-2000-years|2466940 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26535280-500-how-our-ancestors-invented-clothing-and-transformed-it-into-fashion/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 29 Jan 2025 16:00:00 +0000 Remarkable archaeological finds are telling a new story of how prehistoric humans turned clothing from a necessity into a means of self-expression mg26535280-500-how-our-ancestors-invented-clothing-and-transformed-it-into-fashion|2465647 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2464091-celtic-tribes-dna-points-to-female-empowerment-in-pre-roman-britain/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 15 Jan 2025 16:00:08 +0000 Genetic evidence from Iron Age Britain shows that women tended to stay within their ancestral communities, suggesting that social networks revolved around women 2464091-celtic-tribes-dna-points-to-female-empowerment-in-pre-roman-britain|2464091 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2464111-ancient-society-may-have-carved-sun-stones-to-end-volcanic-winter/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Thu, 16 Jan 2025 00:01:33 +0000 Neolithic people buried hundreds of stones carved with images of the sun about 4900 years ago and they may have done it because a volcanic eruption covered the sky 2464111-ancient-society-may-have-carved-sun-stones-to-end-volcanic-winter|2464111 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2463680-has-a-volcanic-eruption-ever-wiped-out-a-species-of-hominins/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Mon, 13 Jan 2025 21:46:02 +0000 Volcanoes have been proposed as the reason for the extinction of the Neanderthals and the hobbits of Indonesia, but the end of those species may not have come from a single, dramatic event 2463680-has-a-volcanic-eruption-ever-wiped-out-a-species-of-hominins|2463680 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2463555-intricate-ancient-tattoos-revealed-by-shining-lasers-on-mummies/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Mon, 13 Jan 2025 20:00:39 +0000 The tattoos of 1200-year-old mummies from Peru can now be seen in exquisite detail, showing fine markings that may have been made with cactus needles or animal bones 2463555-intricate-ancient-tattoos-revealed-by-shining-lasers-on-mummies|2463555 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26435250-100-ancient-humans-understood-the-future-and-the-past-pretty-much-as-we-do/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 08 Jan 2025 18:00:00 +0000 Sticks found in a cave that date back 12,000 years and other archaeological evidence show how humans have long viewed the future in a similar way to us, says Annalee Newitz mg26435250-100-ancient-humans-understood-the-future-and-the-past-pretty-much-as-we-do|2462417 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2462510-climate-change-may-have-killed-ancient-hobbit-hominins/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Fri, 03 Jan 2025 15:00:56 +0000 Homo floresiensis, a metre-tall ancient hominin, lived on the South Pacific island of Flores and hunted dwarf elephants until about 50,000 years ago – and now it seems climate change played a role in the downfall of both species 2462510-climate-change-may-have-killed-ancient-hobbit-hominins|2462510 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26435240-900-how-dna-in-dirt-is-reshaping-our-understanding-of-stone-age-humans/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Tue, 31 Dec 2024 16:00:00 +0000 The surprise discovery that ancient human DNA can survive in sediments and soil is revolutionising the study of Paleolithic minds, behaviours and lifestyles mg26435240-900-how-dna-in-dirt-is-reshaping-our-understanding-of-stone-age-humans|2461842 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2461972-people-ate-lots-of-foxes-and-wildcats-10000-years-ago/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 01 Jan 2025 13:00:30 +0000 Foxes and cats weren’t just caught for their pelts, hint cut marks and burns on bones found at a site in Israel 2461972-people-ate-lots-of-foxes-and-wildcats-10000-years-ago|2461972 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2461621-ancient-checked-dress-may-be-europes-oldest-two-colour-garment/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Mon, 30 Dec 2024 12:00:18 +0000 Textile fragments found in a 2800-year-old grave in the Netherlands were once part of a woven dress with a red and blue checked pattern, molecular analysis has revealed 2461621-ancient-checked-dress-may-be-europes-oldest-two-colour-garment|2461621 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2461755-engaging-new-podcast-asks-what-the-big-things-are-that-make-us-human/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Fri, 20 Dec 2024 11:00:36 +0000 Blazing the Trail, a new podcast from the Australian Museum, delves into topics from how language evolved to the implications of harnessing fire 2461755-engaging-new-podcast-asks-what-the-big-things-are-that-make-us-human|2461755 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2461558-stonehenge-may-have-been-built-to-unify-people-of-ancient-britain/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Fri, 20 Dec 2024 00:01:24 +0000 Recent findings show that Stonehenge’s stones came from all over Britain – and this offers clues to the monument’s purpose, say archaeologists 2461558-stonehenge-may-have-been-built-to-unify-people-of-ancient-britain|2461558 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26234904-200-who-were-the-enigmatic-sea-peoples-blamed-for-the-bronze-age-collapse/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 08 May 2024 19:00:00 +0100 Around 3000 years ago, several empires and kingdoms in the Mediterranean collapsed, with a group of sea-faring warriors implicated as the culprit. But new evidence shows that many of our ideas about this turbulent time need completely rethinking mg26234904-200-who-were-the-enigmatic-sea-peoples-blamed-for-the-bronze-age-collapse|2430137 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2461156-ancient-hominin-lucy-was-a-lousy-runner-simulations-show/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 18 Dec 2024 16:00:09 +0000 Researchers have tried to work out how fast Australopithecus afarensis could run by creating a 3D digital robot of the ancient hominin 2461156-ancient-hominin-lucy-was-a-lousy-runner-simulations-show|2461156 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26134821-700-how-neuroscience-can-help-you-make-tough-decisions-with-no-regrets/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Tue, 12 Mar 2024 16:00:00 +0000 Most people are too risk-averse when it comes to life's biggest choices. Learning how to overcome the cognitive biases at play can help you make better decisions - with no looking back mg26134821-700-how-neuroscience-can-help-you-make-tough-decisions-with-no-regrets|2421553 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2460619-butchered-bones-tell-of-shocking-massacre-in-prehistoric-britain/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Mon, 16 Dec 2024 00:01:21 +0000 At least 37 men, women and children were brutally murdered in the largest massacre known in Bronze Age Britain, possibly in a performance of ritualistic violence 2460619-butchered-bones-tell-of-shocking-massacre-in-prehistoric-britain|2460619 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26134780-500-our-human-ancestors-often-ate-each-other-and-for-surprising-reasons/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 14 Feb 2024 16:00:00 +0000 Fossil evidence shows that humans have been practising cannibalism for a million years. Now, archaeologists are discovering that some of the time they did it to honour their dead mg26134780-500-our-human-ancestors-often-ate-each-other-and-for-surprising-reasons|2416749 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2460489-ancient-genomes-reveal-when-modern-humans-and-neanderthals-interbred/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Thu, 12 Dec 2024 19:00:11 +0000 The oldest genomes ever recovered from modern humans have helped pin down when and how the momentous mingling of two hominins played out 2460489-ancient-genomes-reveal-when-modern-humans-and-neanderthals-interbred|2460489 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26435212-500-survival-of-the-wittiest-could-wordplay-have-boosted-human-evolution/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 11 Dec 2024 18:00:00 +0000 Evidence for the origins of complex language can be found in creative two-word insults such as busy-body and kill-joy mg26435212-500-survival-of-the-wittiest-could-wordplay-have-boosted-human-evolution|2459274 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26435211-000-could-hibernation-technology-allow-humans-to-skip-winters/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 11 Dec 2024 18:00:00 +0000 Our Future Chronicles column explores an imagined history of inventions and developments yet to come. This time we fast forward to the 2050s, when people gain the ability to hibernate and use it for far more than escaping the winter blues mg26435211-000-could-hibernation-technology-allow-humans-to-skip-winters|2459249 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2459645-game-changing-archaeology-from-the-past-5-years-and-whats-to-come/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Tue, 10 Dec 2024 14:00:47 +0000 Leading archaeologists share the biggest recent advances in our understanding of human evolution, and their hopes for the exciting finds the next five years may have in store 2459645-game-changing-archaeology-from-the-past-5-years-and-whats-to-come|2459645 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26435212-400-the-ancient-board-games-we-finally-know-how-to-play-thanks-to-ai/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Mon, 09 Dec 2024 16:27:00 +0000 Many ancient board games have been discovered, but there are no rulebooks so we don't know how to play them. Now AI is bringing these games back to life by working out likely rules mg26435212-400-the-ancient-board-games-we-finally-know-how-to-play-thanks-to-ai|2459273 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2459234-believing-in-santa-claus-doesnt-make-children-act-nicer-at-christmas/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Mon, 09 Dec 2024 12:00:57 +0000 You might expect a child's belief in Santa Claus – with his ability to discern whether children have been naughty or nice – would have an impact on their behaviour. But it turns out other festive trappings like Christmas jumpers and carols may play a more important role 2459234-believing-in-santa-claus-doesnt-make-children-act-nicer-at-christmas|2459234 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2458952-mesopotamians-felt-happiness-in-their-liver-and-anger-in-their-thighs/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 04 Dec 2024 16:00:50 +0000 An analysis of ancient cuneiform texts suggests people thought of emotions in a different way almost 3000 years ago, showing how culture influences our most intimate experiences 2458952-mesopotamians-felt-happiness-in-their-liver-and-anger-in-their-thighs|2458952 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2458844-toddler-bones-show-mammoths-were-the-main-food-of-the-first-americans/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 04 Dec 2024 19:00:53 +0000 The bones of a child who died nearly 13,000 years ago suggest that the people who moved from Asia into North America at this time ate a lot of mammoth 2458844-toddler-bones-show-mammoths-were-the-main-food-of-the-first-americans|2458844 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26334991-100-why-did-humans-evolve-big-brains-a-new-idea-bodes-ill-for-our-future/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Mon, 08 Jul 2024 17:00:00 +0100 Recent fossil finds suggest that big brains weren't an evolutionary asset to our ancestors but evolved by accident – and are likely to shrink again in the near future mg26334991-100-why-did-humans-evolve-big-brains-a-new-idea-bodes-ill-for-our-future|2438736 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2458237-ancient-footprints-show-how-early-human-species-lived-side-by-side/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Thu, 28 Nov 2024 19:00:53 +0000 Footprints preserved on the shore of Lake Turkana in Kenya seem to be from two ancient human species, showing they lived there at the same time about 1.5 million years ago 2458237-ancient-footprints-show-how-early-human-species-lived-side-by-side|2458237 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2457551-hunter-gatherers-built-a-massive-fish-trap-in-belize-4000-years-ago/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Fri, 22 Nov 2024 19:00:15 +0000 Earthen channels that span more than 640 kilometres show that pre-Mayan Mesoamericans built large-scale fish-trapping facilities earlier than previously thought 2457551-hunter-gatherers-built-a-massive-fish-trap-in-belize-4000-years-ago|2457551 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2455818-how-we-misunderstood-what-the-lucy-fossil-reveals-about-ancient-humans/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Fri, 15 Nov 2024 11:00:39 +0000 It has been 50 years since archaeologists discovered Lucy, perhaps the most famous ancient hominin ever found. But the scientists who have studied her say that this fossil gave us a misleading image of the nature of her species 2455818-how-we-misunderstood-what-the-lucy-fossil-reveals-about-ancient-humans|2455818 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2456238-12000-year-old-stones-may-be-oldest-example-of-wheel-like-tools/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 13 Nov 2024 19:00:11 +0000 Dozens of perforated pebbles from an archaeological site in Israel may be early examples of spindle whorls, a rotating tool used in textile making that was a step towards inventing the wheel 2456238-12000-year-old-stones-may-be-oldest-example-of-wheel-like-tools|2456238 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26435164-200-before-the-stone-age-were-the-first-tools-made-from-plants-not-rocks/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Tue, 05 Nov 2024 16:00:00 +0000 Our ancestors probably used a wide range of plant-based tools that have since been lost to history. Now we're finally getting a glimpse of this Botanic Age mg26435164-200-before-the-stone-age-were-the-first-tools-made-from-plants-not-rocks|2454771 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2455299-dna-analysis-rewrites-the-stories-of-people-buried-in-pompeii/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Thu, 07 Nov 2024 16:00:01 +0000 Genetic analysis of five individuals preserved as plaster casts in the ruins of Pompeii contradicts established beliefs about the people and their relationships 2455299-dna-analysis-rewrites-the-stories-of-people-buried-in-pompeii|2455299 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2455253-ancient-egyptians-shaped-sheeps-horns-and-we-dont-know-why/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 06 Nov 2024 22:05:20 +0000 The earliest evidence of livestock with modified horns has been discovered in ancient Egypt – sheep skulls with horns that point in unnatural directions suggest humans forced them to grow that way 2455253-ancient-egyptians-shaped-sheeps-horns-and-we-dont-know-why|2455253 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2454631-ancient-mesopotamian-clay-seals-offer-clues-to-the-origin-of-writing/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Tue, 05 Nov 2024 00:01:09 +0000 Before Mesopotamian people invented writing, they used cylinder seals to press patterns into wet clay – and some of the symbols used were carried over into proto-writing 2454631-ancient-mesopotamian-clay-seals-offer-clues-to-the-origin-of-writing|2454631 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26435154-900-chilling-news-adds-fresh-meaning-to-2018-arctic-horror-drama/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 30 Oct 2024 18:00:00 +0000 A new study amplifies the horror of an excellent series about the doomed Franklin expedition. The Terror is a worthy tribute to the lost sailors, says Bethan Ackerley mg26435154-900-chilling-news-adds-fresh-meaning-to-2018-arctic-horror-drama|2453798 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2454310-a-bizarre-skeleton-from-a-roman-grave-has-bones-from-eight-people/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Thu, 31 Oct 2024 14:51:08 +0000 Radiocarbon dating and DNA analysis have revealed that a complete skeleton found in a 2nd-century cemetery is made up of bones from many people spanning thousands of years – but we don’t know who assembled it or why 2454310-a-bizarre-skeleton-from-a-roman-grave-has-bones-from-eight-people|2454310 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2453552-stone-age-network-reveals-ancient-paris-was-an-artisanal-trading-hub/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Mon, 28 Oct 2024 10:10:21 +0000 Ancient stone goods found across France may have been made by skilled craftspeople in what is now Paris, who traded along vast networks 2453552-stone-age-network-reveals-ancient-paris-was-an-artisanal-trading-hub|2453552 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2453247-dna-helps-match-well-man-skeleton-to-800-year-old-norwegian-saga/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Fri, 25 Oct 2024 17:00:58 +0100 The Sverris saga describes how castle invaders “took a dead man and cast him unto the well, and then filled it up with stones”, in what may have been an early act of biological warfare - and now researchers believe they have found the skeleton of the man in question 2453247-dna-helps-match-well-man-skeleton-to-800-year-old-norwegian-saga|2453247 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2452861-extremely-rare-bronze-age-wooden-tool-found-in-english-trench/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 23 Oct 2024 01:01:12 +0100 In a wetland on the south coast of England, archaeologists dug up one of the oldest and most complete wooden tools ever found in Britain, which is around 3500 years old 2452861-extremely-rare-bronze-age-wooden-tool-found-in-english-trench|2452861