Recent research provides compelling evidence that Middle Paleolithic peoples created deliberate patterns on stone artifacts as far back as 100,000 years ago—much earlier than previously believed.

The post Turns Out Our Ancestors Were Artists 60,000 Years Before Cave Paintings appeared first on Study Finds.

There's no surefire way to know specifically when our unique "superpower" first began, but scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology offer compelling evidence that humans possessed the capacity for language at least 135,000 years ago—much earlier than many previous estimates suggested.

The post When did humans start talking? appeared first on Study Finds.

Cambridge University researchers have uncovered evidence that two distinct populations of ancient hominins, separated for over a million years, before reuniting around 300,000 years ago. It's a missing chapter of evolution that left its mark in the DNA of every human alive today.

The post Breakthrough DNA Analysis Reveals Everyone on Earth Shares Genes from Two Ancient Populations appeared first on Study Finds.

For decades, scientists have believed that meat-eating drove human evolution, particularly our enlarged brains.

The post ‘Dietary fingerprints’ show our early ancestors dined mostly on plant-based foods appeared first on Study Finds.

In a limestone cave in Israel, archaeologists have uncovered evidence of what might be the oldest case of cultural sharing between different human species.

The post 100,000-year-old cultural melting pot discovered in Israeli cave may rewrite early human history appeared first on Study Finds.

A team of researchers has uncovered evidence that early humans in Tanzania were crafting tools from animal bones 1.5 million years ago, overturning the long-standing assumption that bone technology emerged only much later in human history.

The post These bone tools from 1.5 million years ago rewrite the history of early human innovation appeared first on Study Finds.

A fascinating new study published in the Royal Society Open Science journal suggests that with strategic aerodynamic drafting—essentially using other runners as human windshields—an elite female athlete like Faith Kipyegon could potentially break the four-minute mile barrier right now.

The post Will a 4-minute mile happen in women’s running? How Faith Kipyegon can make the dream a reality appeared first on Study Finds.

When volcanic disaster struck the Roman city of Herculaneum in 79 CE, a young man, believed to have been a guardian of a public building, met his demise in a flash of superheated ash. But his brain underwent a transformation so rare that scientists had previously considered it impossible in nature: it turned to glass.

The post Ancient Roman guard’s brain turned to glass after Vesuvius eruption appeared first on Study Finds.

A massive iceberg known as A23a is currently on a collision course with South Georgia Island, threatening to disrupt the breeding grounds of penguins, seals, and albatrosses that call this remote South Atlantic outpost home. Research reveals that icebergs have been making similar voyages for millions of years.

The post An Antarctic mega-iceberg is drifting—How ancient ice history sheds light on its journey appeared first on Study Finds.

When archaeologists unearthed the remains of Viking-age Swedes from their thousand-year slumber, they expected to find evidence of battle wounds and hard living. Instead, using cutting-edge medical technology, they discovered skeletal evidence suggesting something far more relatable.

The post Vikings battled more than enemies: Scans of ancient skulls reveal widespread dental disease, infections appeared first on Study Finds.

The world’s biggest video sharing platform, YouTube, has just turned 20. It was started inauspiciously in February 2005 by former PayPal employees Chad Hurley, Steve Chen and Jawed Karim – with a 19-second video of Karim exploring San Diego Zoo.

The post Here’s to YouTube at 20: How the world’s top influencer transformed viewing in 8 steps appeared first on Study Finds.

Ancient Egyptian mummies don't smell the way most people might expect.

The post What do ancient Egyptian mummies smell like? Probably not what you think appeared first on Study Finds.

A cave in Poland has provided disturbing evidence about how some of our ancestors lived 18,000 years ago.

The post Ancient history’s dark side: Horrific evidence of cannibalism found in Polish cave appeared first on Study Finds.

Scientists have unearthed an exceptionally well-preserved skull belonging to Vegavis iaai, a diving bird that swam in Antarctic waters approximately 69 million years ago, during the last days of the dinosaurs.

The post ‘Weird and wonderful’: Antarctic fossil forces scientists to redraw the bird family tree appeared first on Study Finds.

Deep in the foothills of northeastern Spain, international archaeologists have uncovered evidence that's reshaping our understanding of humanity's closest relatives.

The post Archaeological dig shows Neanderthals weren’t just surviving the Ice Age — they were thriving appeared first on Study Finds.

When Professor Hannah Cotton Paltiel volunteered to organize documents at the Israel Antiquities Authority's scrolls laboratory in 2014, she noticed something odd about a papyrus labeled as "Nabataean." "It's Greek to me!" she exclaimed -- and she meant it literally

The post Ancient papyrus documenting ‘best Roman court case since Jesus’ trial’ found in desert cave appeared first on Study Finds.

In the Mediterranean countryside, gardeners have learned to approach a certain cucumber with caution.

The post The squirting cucumber that’s been explosively launching seeds since ancient times appeared first on Study Finds.

Paying a fine in Viking-age Sweden could cost you an ox. Or, if you prefer, it's equivalent in silver.

The post 1,000-year-old iron ring reveals how Vikings handled medieval money appeared first on Study Finds.

As antisemitism surges globally in the wake of October 7, an unlikely phenomenon provides grounds for cautious optimism: the emergence and continued operation of Holocaust museums and exhibitions in Muslim-majority countries.

The post Holocaust museums in Muslim countries offer ray of hope amid rising antisemitism appeared first on Study Finds.

The mystery of dinosaur origins has taken an unexpected turn toward the equator. While paleontologists have long searched southern regions for clues about where these magnificent creatures first evolved, new research suggests we may have been looking in the wrong latitude altogether.

The post Shocking new theory rewrites story of where dinosaurs really came from appeared first on Study Finds.

Five million years ago, nature orchestrated what scientists now confirm was Earth's largest known flood, an event so massive it could have filled the Grand Canyon in just a few days.

The post Ancient Mediterranean megaflood finally confirmed by modern science appeared first on Study Finds.

The Holocaust was the first mass atrocity to be heavily photographed. The mass production and distribution of cameras in the 1930s and 1940s enabled Nazi officials and ordinary people to widely document Germany’s persecution of Jews and other religious and ethnic minorities.

The post Newly discovered Holocaust photos of Nazi deportations show Jewish victims as they were last seen alive appeared first on Study Finds.

While it’s undoubtedly important to the U.S., this part of the Atlantic Ocean washes against other countries, too. So, can the president really rename it? Sure! At least as far as the US is concerned, anyway.

The post Yes, Trump can rename the Gulf of Mexico – just not for everyone. Here’s why appeared first on Study Finds.

At a site called Oldupai Gorge in Tanzania, researchers have found evidence that one of our early ancestors, Homo erectus, wasn't just surviving but thriving in harsh desert-like conditions around one million years ago, much earlier than experts previously believed possible.

The post 1 million years ago, our early ancestors thrived in extreme desert heat appeared first on Study Finds.

Scientists have made a remarkable discovery about women's roles in ancient British society by analyzing DNA from skeletal remains dating back about 2,000 years.

The post Ancient DNA study proves Iron Age British women held unprecedented power appeared first on Study Finds.

A new archaeological study has revealed that some of humanity's earliest farmers weren't just making basic flatbreads -- they were crafting something closer to modern-day focaccia, complete with seasonings and oils.

The post 8,000-year-old ‘focaccia’ discovery rewrites history of human cooking appeared first on Study Finds.

For nearly a century, archaeologists and historians believed a well-preserved skull discovered in an ancient Turkish tomb belonged to an Egyptian princess. New research has definitively proven otherwise, revealing instead the remains of a young boy who likely struggled with significant developmental issues.

The post Where is Cleopatra’s sister? Ancient tomb’s secret finally revealed — but bigger mystery remains appeared first on Study Finds.

Thanks to the work of linguists, historians, archaeologists and anthropologists, researchers know a lot about how different body parts are appraised in societies both small and large, from ancient times to the present day.

But where did such laws originate?

The post An eye for an eye: People agree about the values of body parts across cultures and eras appeared first on Study Finds.

Scientists have made a groundbreaking discovery about the origins of the human outer ear, revealing that this distinctive mammalian feature evolved from an unexpected source: fish gills.

The post Ancient fish genes found active in human ear development appeared first on Study Finds.

It seems hard to fathom that discussions about U.S. annexation efforts against Canada are actually unfolding. Alarming indeed, but it would be a mistake to ignore history, overlook the U.S. Constitution and try to outwit the art of the deal.

The post Prof: How the U.S. could make Canada an American territory appeared first on Study Finds.

It’s unlikely you’ve missed the story. In recent weeks, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has again repeatedly voiced his desire for the United States to take “ownership and control” of Greenland – an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark.

The post If Greenland were for sale, what would it be worth? How to put a ‘price tag’ on a territory appeared first on Study Finds.

Lead pollution from Roman mining and metal production may have lowered intelligence levels across the vast Roman Empire nearly 2,000 years ago, new research suggests.

The post How Arctic ice cores prove lead pollution may in Ancient Rome have caused empire-wide cognitive decline appeared first on Study Finds.

New findings overturn long-held assumptions about population movements during the twilight of the Roman Empire and the dawn of the Viking Age.

The post Ancient bones tell new story of how medieval Europe was formed appeared first on Study Finds.

Many U.S. presidents come from modest upbringings. Born in Plains, Georgia, Jimmy Carter’s Depression-era childhood was no exception. His home lacked running water and electricity, while his rural high school lacked a 12th grade. What made Carter exceptional was the degree to which these humble beginnings would influence his life,…

The post Jimmy Carter’s idealism and humility left a lasting imprint on American life appeared first on Study Finds.

Researchers have discovered that while massive volcanic eruptions did trigger dramatic climate changes before the dinosaurs' extinction, these effects had already dissipated by the time the fatal asteroid struck Earth.

The post New evidence disproves theory volcanoes wiped out the dinosaurs appeared first on Study Finds.

According to a thought-provoking paper by renowned systems theorist Dr. Nafeez Ahmed, human civilization may be approaching a transformative moment, or what researchers call a "planetary phase shift."

The post Why human civilization may be on the brink of a ‘planetary phase shift’ appeared first on Study Finds.

Researchers have stumbled upon a mysterious musical score hidden within Scotland's first printed book.

The post Hear it: Lost music found hidden in 514-year-old Scottish book restored appeared first on Study Finds.

Deep beneath the peaceful Somerset countryside lies evidence of one of British prehistory's darkest chapters - a mass killing that forces us to reconsider everything we thought we knew about violence in ancient societies.

The post From scalping to cannibalism — 4,000-year-old mass killing reveals stunning British Bronze Age brutality appeared first on Study Finds.

Scientists have uncovered evidence of an ancient brewing tradition that suggests our ancestors may have been more sophisticated than we thought.

The post 10,000-year-old beer recipe reveals how alcohol shaped human civilization appeared first on Study Finds.

A researcher explains why the stigma against Friday 13th likely comes from a merging of two different superstitions.

The post It’s Friday the 13th. Why is this number feared worldwide? appeared first on Study Finds.

New research shows how early Americans thrived by using their hunting skills and knowledge to tackle the biggest game animals ever to walk North America -- the mammoth.

The post The first Americans hunted and ate mammoths: New evidence reveals ancient diet appeared first on Study Finds.

Scientists have discovered that some ancient wolves were eating salmon for dinner -- a peculiar dietary choice that tells us humans and canines were forming close bonds thousands of years earlier than previously thought in the Americas.

The post The first best friends: Ancient bones rewrite origins of human-dog bonding appeared first on Study Finds.

The new research is revolutionizing our understanding of human evolution, particularly in eastern Asia.

The post The ‘large head’ people: Scientists uncover a lost human species in Asia appeared first on Study Finds.

Scientists have uncovered 1.5-million-year-old footprints that provide the first direct evidence that two different early human species likely encountered one another.

The post 1.5 million years ago, two human species shared the same morning commute appeared first on Study Finds.

BLACKSBURG, Va. — The Earth underwent a complete makeover after the last Ice Age, turning from a frozen wasteland to a slushy planet surrounded by oceans. In a new study, researchers looked at how it was possible for the once snowball Earth to rapidly melt and enter its “plumeworld ocean”…

The post Climate change after the Ice Age: How CO2 and ‘reverse tsunamis’ created a ‘slushy’ Earth appeared first on Study Finds.

Hidden within a tomb in western Syria, four delicate clay cylinders are challenging everything scholars believed about the origins of alphabetic communication.

The post Oldest known alphabet discovered on ancient artifacts rewrite history of communication appeared first on Study Finds.

A team examined these skull-shaped artifacts, uncovering how the Aztecs may have used sound as a psychological tool during their most sacred and brutal rituals.

The post Ancient Aztec death whistle had a terrifying effect on the human brain appeared first on Study Finds.

For the first time, archaeologists have uncovered physical evidence of psychedelics in an Egyptian mug.

The post Scientists discover first evidence of psychedelic cocktails in ancient Egyptian rituals appeared first on Study Finds.

Researchers have found evidence that the first Aboriginal peoples arrived in Tasmania about 41,600 years ago – roughly 2,000 years earlier than previously thought.

The post Ancient evidence may reveal when humans began to shape the world with fire appeared first on Study Finds.

These little critters dug up bacteria and fungi that helped restore lost plant and animal life to the devastated mountain landscape.

The post From pest to hero: Gophers saved a mountain in one day appeared first on Study Finds.