Archaeogenetics
8 reportsNew findings about Archaeogenetics are placed alongside dating or detection limits and spatial context, with separate attention to interpretive assumptions. The treatment of interpretive assumptions keeps calibration standards separate from blind or comparative tests until their assumptions and scales are compared; the evidence is read with the caveat that disturbance, contamination, and incomplete context can narrow what the method establishes.
Did Women Fight in Ancient Celtic Battles Archaeology Reveals
Archaeologists have uncovered weapons in some female burials across Iron Age Europe, raising questions about the roles of women in Celtic warfare. Recent genetic and osteological studies provide new insights but leave key uncertainties unresolved
Ancient DNA Reveals Two Unknown Human Lineages in Modern Genomes
A new genome analysis method has identified traces of two previously unknown extinct human lineages in the DNA of living people, offering fresh insight into ancient population interactions and the complexity of human evolution
Ancient Inca Mummies Yield Earliest Smallpox DNA in the Americas
Researchers have recovered ancient smallpox DNA from two Inca mummies in northern Chile, providing the first direct molecular evidence that European-introduced smallpox reached South America during the early colonial period
Facial Reconstructions Reveal Roman-Era Lives at Aquincum, Hungary
Researchers used DNA analysis, 3D-printed skulls, and forensic modeling to reconstruct the faces of 16 individuals buried near the Roman frontier city of Aquincum, offering new insights into population diversity and daily life nearly 1,700 years ago
Modeling Study Traces 1789 Smallpox Outbreak to British Arrival
A new modeling study uses historical and epidemiological data to argue that the 1789 smallpox epidemic among Indigenous Australians likely began with British medical material brought by the First Fleet, challenging earlier theories of northern introduction
Gold Tongues in Egyptian Tombs and a New Monkey in Congo
Archaeologists have uncovered 18 tombs in Egypt containing gold tongue amulets, while researchers in the Congo rainforest have identified a new monkey species. These discoveries highlight both the complexity of ancient mortuary practices and the ongoing potential for finding new species.
Ancient DNA Reveals Bronze Age Metalworker Near Stonehenge Was Female
A 4,000-year-old burial near Stonehenge, long thought to contain a male shaman, has been re-examined using ancient DNA analysis, revealing the individual was biologically female and challenging assumptions about gender roles in Early Bronze Age Britain
Ancient DNA Survives 50,000 Years in South African Cave
Researchers have recovered DNA from a 50,000-year-old antelope tooth in Boomplaas Cave, South Africa, challenging assumptions about DNA survival in hot climates and expanding the potential for ancient genetic studies in sub-Saharan Africa