History & Archaeology

Enigmatic “mantis man”

This rock drawing puzzles archaeologists. (Image: Dr. Mohammad Naserifard) A strange shaped body with six limbs - what is that supposed to represent? Archaeologists have...

How precise is radiocarbon dating?

There may be discrepancies in radiocarbon dating of Egyptian mummies. (Image: webking / iStock) The age determination of archaeological finds using radiocarbon dating could be...

Strange: grave of a donkey polo player

Donkeys were not just pack animals in imperial China. (George-Standen / iStock) Donkeys as grave goods: Finds from the 9th century AD prove that noble...

Oldest highland ball playground discovered

Ceramic figure of a ball player, found in Etlatongo. (Image: Blomster and Salazar Chavez, Science Advances 2020; 6: eaay6964) The ritual ball games and ball...

Ostrich egg jewelry and ancient networks

Hunters and gatherers from ecologically diverse regions of southern Africa exchanged ostrich egg pearls as symbolic gifts in the Stone Age. (Image: Brian A....

Wikipedia: How objective are articles on historical conflicts?

How objective are Wikipedia entries on historical conflicts? (Image: brightstars / iStock) Wikipedia has long become one of the most important sources of information on...

Homo erectus: more versatile than expected

Newly discovered Homo-erectus skull (DAN5) (Image: Michael J. Rogers / Southern Connecticut State University) Homo erectus has shaped the history of our ancestors for almost...

What nourished the Mongol empires

The Mongols were notorious for their powerful equestrian armies. (Image: Traditional Historical Show, Credit: Dmitry_Chulov / iStok) Was their strength based only on meat and...

“Pathogen breeding” in the course of cattle breeding

Livestock farming created complex interactions between animals, humans and bacteria. (Image: Annette Günzel) Herding instead of hunting: The development of livestock farming made life...

Magnificent Roman dagger discovered

Through the restoration, the dagger was finally pulled out of its sheath. (Photo: LWL / Eugen Müsch) He was probably the pride of a legionnaire...

Earliest crossing of different types of people

Different types of early humans mated with each other (Image: 1971yes / iStock) The history of our ancestors is becoming increasingly complex. Because now, in...

Historic helmets were just as stable as today’s

Historical helmets in the pressure test. (Photo: Op 't Eynde et al./PLOS ONE, CC-by-sa 4.0) Since the First World War, soldiers have been protecting their...

A new Neanderthal from the Shanidar cave

Ribs and spine of the Neanderthal skeleton Shanidar Z. (Image: Graeme Barker) In the 1950s, the discovery of several Neanderthal remains in the Shanidar Cave...

How the Enlightenment shaped sign languages

Sign alphabet from 1873. (Image: traveler116 / iStock) Sign languages ​​for the deaf exist today in almost all countries and regions. Linguists have now reconstructed...

Repopulated ghost town

The most impressive remnant of the city of Cahokia is the truncated pyramid "Monks Mound". (Image: MattGush / iStock) The mysterious North American Indian...

Africans: more Neanderthals than expected?

African-born people also carry Neanderthal DNA. (Image: ljubaphoto / istock) When our ancestors left Africa, a story of infidelities began: Genome analyzes prove that anatomically...

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