Cacao wasn’t just for ancient Maya elite
Among ancient Mayas, cacao wasn’t a food exclusive to the elite. It was an important and common part of rituals for all.
Team finds oldest ever gibbon fossil
The newly discovered fossil clarifies our understanding of the evolution of a family of apes that includes modern gibbons.
Team finds oldest ever gibbon fossil
The newly discovered fossil clarifies our understanding of the evolution of a family of apes that includes modern gibbons.
Burial site reveals how Etruscan identity survived Roman conquest
An ancient burial site reveals how Etruscans survived the conquest by Rome, suggesting a cultural osmosis not a subordination of one population to another.
Long-necked dino is a new branch on the sauropod family tree
A medium-sized sauropod dinosaur that lived in northern Columbia about 175 million years ago helps rewrite the history of sauropods in South America.
Ancient watermelon ancestor reveals a seed surprise
People initially appear to have collected or cultivated an ancient ancestor of today’s watermelon for its seeds, not its flesh, researchers report.
Drought, conflict destroyed prehistoric city of Mayapan
Climate and conflict entwined when the prehistoric Maya city of Mayapan fell apart, research shows.
Ancient pits shed light on Maya tamales and indoor toilets
Two ancient pits dug into the corner of a Guatemalan home a millennium ago offers clues to Maya toilets—and tamales, too.
DNA from ancient African foragers indicates cultural change
An unprecedented dataset of ancient African DNA let researchers outline major demographic shifts that took place between about 80,000 and 20,000 years ago.
DNA says migration reshaped Bronze Age Britain
The massive scale of the new study challenges previous notions of the origins of Celtic languages and culture in Britain, says coauthor Douglas J. Kennett.