EurekAlert! News by Subject: Archaeology - News by Subject: Archaeology

Archaeology

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 22-Apr-2025 11:08 ET (22-Apr-2025 15:08 GMT/UTC)

Ancient artifacts unearthed in Iraq shed light on hidden history of Mesopotamia

University of Central Florida
Reports and Proceedings

Tiffany Earley-Spadoni, an associate professor of history at UCF, and a team of researchers made the new discoveries during field work at the Bronze Age site of Kurd Qaburstan. The research provides insights into regional heritage and fills gaps in knowledge about how ancient humans lived and advanced.

Funder: U.S. National Science Foundation

Ground-penetrating radar reveals new secrets under Milan's Sforza Castle

Politecnico di Milano
Reports and Proceedings

In the context of a PhD thesis, the Politecnico di Milano carried out a cutting-edge technological investigation, working in collaboration with the Sforza Castle and with technical support from Codevintec. The survey revealed the presence of numerous passages under the Castle, in the area once covered by the "Ghirlanda" or outer wall, some of which could be linked to secret military passages, also shown in Leonardo's designs. According to historical sources, Ludovico il Moro had an underground passageway built to allow him to visit his beloved wife Beatrice d 'Este, who was buried in the Basilica of Santa Maria delle Grazie. This passageway is immortalised in Leonardo's drawings, and has long been the subject of legends and considerable speculation. But now, thanks to technology, it seems that its existence can be confirmed. However, there are many other secret passageways.

Early hominin toolmaking in Ethiopia sheds light on engineering ingenuity

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A study published in PLOS ONE investigates how early hominins in Ethiopia, between 1.6- 1.0 million years ago, selected rocks for toolmaking, revealing their cognitive and adaptive capabilities. The study examined the engineering properties of raw materials at the Melka Wakena site using advanced imaging and robotic experiments. The findings demonstrate that early humans made informed decisions based on factors like durability and efficiency, providing new insights into the technological behaviors of early Pleistocene toolmakers.

Journal: PLOS One

Breathing life into ancient texts: Unveiling Greco-Roman medicine through modern reenactments

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new study has revolutionized the understanding of ancient medicine by combining modern science with hands-on historical reenactments. Supported by a European Research Council (ERC) grant, the research team recreated 2nd-century CE dissections described by Galen, uncovering new insights into Greco-Roman medical practices and resolving centuries-old mysteries hidden in ancient texts.

Journal: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

New strontium isotope map of Sub-Saharan Africa is a powerful tool for archaeology, forensics, and wildlife conservation

University of California - Santa Cruz
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A team of researchers led by UC Santa Cruz has mapped predicted bioavailable strontium isotope ratios across all of Sub-Saharan Africa. Archaeologists, conservation scientists, and forensics experts will now be able to match values from the map against those observed in artifacts and plant, animal, and human remains of unknown origin to identify where they likely came from within the continent.

Journal: Nature Communications

Water and gruel – not bread: Discovering the diet of early Neolithic farmers in Scandinavia

Aarhus University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

At a Neolithic settlement on the Danish island Funen dating back 5,500 years, archaeologists have discovered both grinding stones and grains from early cereals. However, new research reveals that the inhabitants did not use the stones to grind the cereal grains. Instead of making bread, they likely prepared porridge or gruel from the grains.

Journal: Vegetation History and Archaeobotany
Funder: The Agency for Culture and Palaces of the Ministry of Culture Denmark, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft

New computational method uncovers surprising variability in Neolithic building practices

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Peer-Reviewed Publication

This study reveals that the early architectural development in the Near East was far more complex than previously thought, challenging the traditional narrative of a straightforward transition from round to rectangular structures during the Neolithic period. The research introduces a novel computational approach to analyze architectural remains, providing an objective and repeatable method for examining building outlines. This methodology uncovers insights that qualitative methods might overlook, including quantification of defined angles in structures as early as the Natufian period, suggesting advanced building techniques were in use earlier than believed. The study also highlights the architectural diversity during the Natufian and early Neolithic period, suggesting that building codes and more standard practices had not yet emerged. These findings provide new insights into the social and technological changes accompanying the rise of permanent settlements and agricultural economies.

Journal: Archaeological Research in Asia

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