Archeology

Exactly when humans first set foot in North America remains a mystery, but archeologists have now uncovered the oldest unambiguous evidence. Human footprints have been found at White Sands National Park in New Mexico, dated to about 22,000 years ago.

Archaeologists have discovered one of the oldest examples of alcohol consumption. Ancient pots dating back 9,000 years have been found to contain traces of an early form of beer, which seems to have been used as part of a ritual honoring the dead.

Sharks have been around a long time, so it should come as no surprise to hear that even the first humans had run-ins with them. Scientists have now discovered evidence of the earliest-known such attack, which occurred 3,000 years ago in Japan.

A study published in the journal Nature is reporting on the broadest genomic analysis of ancient poo ever conducted. The research reveals clues to ancient gut bacteria compositions, detecting microbial species never before seen in modern microbiomes.

In case there was ever any doubt … atrocities are nothing new. Scientists have recently determined that piled human remains unearthed in what is now Potočani, Croatia, represent the earliest-known indiscriminate mass killing.

Dotted with thousands of giant stone vessels, the Plain of Jars in Laos is one of the most intriguing archeological sites in Southeast Asia. A new study has uncovered how old the jars are – and it turns out they're much older than previously thought.

Archeologists working in Egypt have uncovered the world's first industrial-scale beer brewery, which they believe was pumping out thousands of liters of beer for the ancient kings of the region some 5,000 years ago.

Archaeologists have discovered what they claim to be the oldest example of figurative art made by human hands. An ochre painting of pigs, found on a cave wall in Indonesia, has been dated to be at least 45,500 years old.

Chromium is used to make tool steel or stainless steel, and it’s thought to have been invented around the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Archaeologists have now discovered that Persians were mixing chromium into steel way back in the 11th century.

It’s generally believed that the Clovis people were the first humans to inhabit the Americas, as long as 15,000 years ago. But now archaeologists have found evidence in a cave in Mexico that suggests humans visited as early as 30,000 years ago.

A new study is demonstrating how ancient animal DNA, extracted from Dead Sea Scroll parchments, can help with piecing together the jigsaw puzzle of disparate fragments of the ancient manuscripts found in the Judean desert.

Bronze Age swords make for impressive museum displays, but how were they used? To find the answer, scientists teamed up with history enthusiasts to combine laboratory studies with staged experimental fights using replica weapons.