Maya sacrificial victims found in the ‘Midnight Terror Cave’ may have been gagged
Blue fibres found in the dental calculus from Maya sacrificial victims in the 'Midnight Terror Cave' suggests that they were gagged.
Scientists uncover crimes from a millennium ago in extreme cold case mummies
How frequent was violence in prehistoric human societies? One way to measure this is to look for trauma in prehistoric human remains.
Researchers find earliest known stone-age surgery from 31,000 years ago
Griffith University and a multi-national team of archaeologists have found the skeletal remains of a hunter-gatherer, whose lower left leg was amputated by a skilled prehistoric surgeon 31,000 years ago.
Padlocked ‘vampire’ grave found in Poland with sickle over neck
Archaeologists from the Toruń Nicholas Copernicus University have found a grave from the 18th century, containing a ‘female vampire’ buried with a sickle around the neck to prevent her ascension to vampirism.
Prehistoric roots of ‘cold sore’ virus traced through ancient herpes DNA
Ancient genomes from the herpes virus that commonly causes lip sores – and currently infects some 3.7 billion people globally – have been uncovered and sequenced for the first time by an international team of scientists led by the University of Cambridge.
Evidence of ancient animal sacrifices found in Dorset
Archaeologists from Bournemouth University have found an Iron Age settlement with evidence of animal sacrifices in Dorset, England.
Evidence of cancer in Ancient Egyptian mummy
A study of a 2,000-year-old mummy has identified extensive facial defects, indicating that the individual suffered from nasopharyngeal cancer.
Human bones used as Prehistoric jewellery
A study on prehistoric bone jewellery has revealed that they were carved from human remains.
Peasants held large barbecues for Anglo-Saxon Royalty
New study suggests that Anglo-Saxon Kings lived mainly on a vegetarian diet, but would often be treated to large barbecues by the peasants they ruled.
Researchers reveal the burial rituals of the “oldest city in the world”
An international team of researchers have provided new insight into the burial rituals of Çatalhöyük, considered the “oldest city in the world”.
A possible Neolithic crime scene in Serbia
In 1931, Serbian archaeologist Miloje Vasić discovered a pit containing human skeletal remains whilst researching the Vinča-Belo Brdo archaeological site in the suburbs of Belgrade, Serbia.
Mummification in Europe may be older than previously thought
A multi-national study of the Sado Valley in Portugal suggests that mummification in Europe may be older than previously thought.
Archaeologists find evidence of the first successful ear surgery 5,300 years ago
A team from the University of Valladolid have published in the journal 'Scientific Reports', evidence of the first successful ear surgery from excavations conducted at the 'El Pendón' dolmen located in Reinoso, Northern Spain.
African man buried in Stone Age site in Portugal
An African man who lived just 350 years ago was buried in a prehistoric shell midden in Amoreira in Portugal.
Forensic test confirms Neolithic fisherman died by drowning in the sea
A new study has confirmed saltwater drowning as the cause of death for a Neolithic man whose remains were found in a mass grave on the coast of Northern Chile.
