Archeology

April 28, 2024

Ancient Rock Art Depicts Psychedelic Music and Dance in Peru

Rock art always presents fascinating—sometimes mysterious—insight into the lives of ancient humans. What did they value enough to carve into stone? What do the patterns and designs mean? Some things, such as paintings or etchings of game and hunters, tell a clearer story. Others may raise questions with more ephemeral implications. Feelings, magic, and music might all lurk behind the engravings of prehistoric hands.

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April 11, 2024

Water Worker Accidentally Discovers 2,500-Year-Old Gold Torc Necklaces in Spain

The Celts were an Iron Age culture spread across northern and western Europe. Powerful tribes ruled swaths of land in Spain, among other regions. Known for intricate stonework designs and stunning gold jewelry, the Celts were a powerful artistic and military presence. Jewelry in particular was a status symbol for the wealthy among this community, and finding it in situ is a rare opportunity to learn more about this ancient society.

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April 1, 2024

7,000-Year-Old Canoes Discovered Near Rome Are Oldest Ever Found in Mediterranean

Have you heard of La Marmotta? It’s ok if you haven’t, as this ancient Italian site has only recently burst onto the international research scene. Discovered in 1989 submerged under a lake north of Rome, the Neolithic village was mostly studied by Italian researchers until recently. Now, an international cohort of academics are shedding new light on life in the ancient town with a paper in PLOS One.

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March 26, 2024

16-Million-Year-Old Skull of Extinct Species of Giant Dolphin Discovered in Peru

About 16 million years ago, the Peruvian Amazon rainforest was covered by a massive lake known as Pebas, one of the most biodiverse ecosystems to ever exist on Earth. Among the species that called it home was the largest freshwater dolphin ever—a creature whose existence remained in the dark until 2018, when paleontologist Aldo Benites-Palomino spotted a fossilized jaw bone during a field expedition around Peru's Napo River.

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