African apes and humans share a genetic mutation that enables them to effectively metabolize ethanol. However, voluntary ethanol consumption in this evolutionary radiation is documented only in modern humans. Here, we report evidence of the long-term and recurrent ingestion of… Continue Reading
The transition to a cooked diet represents an important shift in human ecology and evolution. Cooking requires a set of sophisticated cognitive abilities, including causal reasoning, self-control and anticipatory planning. Do humans uniquely possess the cognitive capacities needed to cook… Continue Reading
An ancient Mayan city followed a unique grid pattern, providing evidence of a powerful ruler, archaeologists working at Nixtun-Ch’ich’ in Petén, Guatemala, have found. http://www.livescience.com/50659-early-mayan-city-mapped.html
Last year Sara Amis posted a thoughtful essay at Patheos on the role of the modern Cunning Woman or Man put into historical context going back at least to Neolithic times, that I thought I’d pass along. It states in… Continue Reading
We came across this report in the Siberian Times of an event called “Call of The 13 Shamans” It begins: “This festival, named ‘Call of 13 Shamans’ was held in an area of Siberia that retains great respect for shamans… Continue Reading
In most civilizations of the past, it was the men who were engaged in the bloody business of war… but not always. Throughout history there have been many powerful women who have led nations or guided armies into war, renowned… Continue Reading
A team of scholars says their new research is rewriting when and where the Viking age began. The official date for the start of Viking voyages was a 793 AD raid in England. But researchers say people from Norway sailed… Continue Reading
An iconic Bronze Age girl who was buried in Denmark about 3,400 years ago came from a foreign land, a new analysis of her hair and teeth suggests. The Egtved girl was named after the village where she was found.… Continue Reading
The ancient Roman city of Palmyra in Syria has been seized by ISIS fighters, fueling fears that its ancient artifacts and buildings could meet the same fate suffered by antiquities in Mosul, Nimrud, and Hatra. ISIS gained control of the UNESCO World Heritage… Continue Reading
Researchers at a meeting here say they have found the oldest tools made by human ancestors—stone flakes dated to 3.3 million years ago. That’s 700,000 years older than the oldest-known tools to date, suggesting that our ancestors were crafting tools… Continue Reading