Searching For the Latest Discoveries

Chewing betel nuts is an addictive habit for millions of people and is a custom that dates back thousands of years in Thailand. Betel nuts, the fruit of the areca palm, have psychoactive properties that can increase levels of alertness, energy, and relaxation. Analysis of teeth from 6 people buried in a Bronze Age cemetery at the site of Nong Ratchawat detected traces of organic compounds found in betel nuts. This suggests that locals chomped on the narcotic fruits 4,000 years ago, the earliest known evidence of the practice in Southeast Asia.

A lost Sumerian myth was brought back to life thanks to the recent decipherment of a forgotten cuneiform tablet. The 4,400-year-old text, which was discovered in the city of Nippur in the 19th century, tells a tale about the time the Sumerian rain god Ishkur was captured in the underworld, causing chaos on Earth. When no gods volunteered for a rescue mission, a lone fox set out to free the imprisoned deity. Unfortunately, since the tablet is broken, the outcome of the cunning animal’s mission remains in question. 

Nearly 2,000 years ago, a giant warrior wandered the plains south of the Caucasus Mountains. He was interred in an aptly large kurgan, measuring 90 feet in diameter. When archaeologists removed the stone blocks covering the burial chamber—each weighing a ton—they encountered the remains of the Bronze Age Goliath, who stood 6 feet 6 inches tall, astounding for the time. He was found clutching a bronze spear, likely signifying his role as an elite military leader. 

High-resolution imaging has exposed previously invisible tattoos on the frozen remains of a woman buried in Siberia’s Altai Mountains. The 50-year-old woman was a member of the nomadic Pazyryk culture, which inhabited the Eurasian steppe around 2,500 years ago. Scans revealed that her arms were covered in elaborate fighting scenes that included leopards, tigers, and stags. The complex designs were executed with such skill that today’s tattoo artists would surely admire their predecessors’ talents.

Since prehistoric archaeological evidence rarely survives in West Africa, little is known about the hunter-gatherers who lived there thousands of years ago. Recent excavations at the Falémé Valley’s Ravin Blanc X site uncovered a 9,000-year-old quartz-knapping workshop that has provided unprecedented insight into toolmaking techniques used there. Flakes from the manufacturing process reveal that artisans crafted standardized microlithic points. These points were likely hafted onto wood or bone to make hunting weapons.

When the Phoenicians explored the Mediterranean Sea in the 1st millennium b.c., founding new settlements in far-off lands, they brought the familiar scents of home with them. A study of 51 ceramic bottles found in the Phoenician city of Motya on San Pantaleo Island revealed that all were made in the Phoenician homeland, in present-day Lebanon, between the 8th and 6th centuries b.c. Residue analysis identified the essential components of fragrant oils, suggesting that Phoenician sailors used the bottles to carry perfumes on their trips abroad.

Evidence from Cookham Abbey suggests the 8th-century a.d. Anglo-Saxon monastery may have served as one of England’s earliest hospices, specializing in end-of-life care for people afflicted by debilitating ailments. Analysis of skeletons excavated from the abbey’s cemetery revealed that the majority of the deceased displayed signs of rare and severe conditions. More than 10 percent suffered from cancer, an unusually high portion. It seems likely that the facility ministered to people from across the area and not just to local residents.

It’s well known that the Maya practiced dental modification, but scholars thought that such procedures were only performed on adults. A new study at the Popol Vuh Museum of 3 teeth inlaid with jade determined that the teeth belonged to 3 different Maya individuals between 8 and 10 years of age. It’s not clear why these particular children were subjected to this practice, but the custom was apparently carried out on at least some preadolescents. 

Excavations on a property that once belonged to legendary Black cowboy John Ware have revealed new details about his family’s domestic life. Ware was born into slavery in the United States but settled near the hamlet of Millarville, Alberta, in 1882, becoming one of the region’s first non-white ranchers. Archaeologists uncovered personal items attesting to a level of affluence not previously attributed to the Wares. These include decorative glassware, an English ink bottle, and a thimble engraved with the word “REMEMBER.”