Hacker News with Generative AI: Archeology

Catastrophic fires and soil degradation: possible link with Neolithic revolution (springer.com)
The Levant is one of the main centers of domestication of wild plants for human use during the early Holocene Neolithic revolution, evidencing the first transition to agriculture (Wood 2011).

Agriculture, Climate Change, History, Archeology, Environment

15 points by Hooke 19 days ago | 0 comments

In Guatemala, painted altar found at Tikal adds new context to Maya history (phys.org)
Just steps from the center of Tikal, a 2,400-year-old Maya city in the heart of modern-day Guatemala, a global team of researchers including scholars from Brown University have unearthed a buried altar that could unlock the secrets of a mysterious time of upheaval in the ancient world.

Archeology, History, Maya Civilization, Guatemala

25 points by pseudolus 44 days ago | 6 comments

Tutankhamun's Meteoric Iron Dagger (wikipedia.org)
Tutankhamun's meteoric iron dagger, also known as Tutankhamun's iron dagger and King Tut's dagger, is an iron-bladed dagger from the tomb of the ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamun (reigned c. 1334–1325 BC). As the blade composition and homogeneity closely correlate with meteorite composition and homogeneity, the material for the blade is determined to have originated by way of a meteoritic landing. The dagger is currently displayed at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.

Ancient Egypt, Archeology, History, Metallurgy

5 points by thunderbong 67 days ago | 0 comments

Evidence that Neanderthal and Homo sapiens engaged in cultural exchange (phys.org)
A new discovery at Tinshemet Cave in central Israel is reshaping our understanding of human interactions during the Middle Paleolithic (MP) period in the Near East.

Archeology, Neanderthals, Human Evolution, Paleolithic Period, Israel

99 points by wglb 73 days ago | 93 comments

Woman's DNA discovered in 20k year old deer-tooth pendant (2023) (cbc.ca)
Scientists have discovered a woman's DNA preserved in a 20,000 year old deer-tooth pendant.

Archeology, Genetics, Ancient History, DNA, Prehistoric Artifacts

174 points by pseudolus 77 days ago | 78 comments

Man's brain turned to glass by hot Vesuvius ash cloud (bbc.com)
Nearly 2,000 years after a young man died in the Vesuvius volcanic eruption, scientists have discovered that his brain was preserved when it turned to glass in an extremely hot cloud of ash.

Archeology, Science, History, Volcanic Eruptions

240 points by tartoran 85 days ago | 103 comments

First pharaoh's tomb found in Egypt since Tutankhamun's (bbc.com)
Egyptologists have discovered the first tomb of a pharaoh since Tutankhamun's was uncovered over a century ago.

Archeology, Egypt, History, Ancient History

4 points by below43 92 days ago | 1 comments

From tiny to immense: Geological spotlight on the Alexander Mosaic (plos.org)
A key challenge in the art and archaeological field is the instrumental analysis of objects and materials while preserving their integrity.

Archeology, Art, Science, Materials Science

19 points by diodorus 120 days ago | 0 comments

Ancient genomes provide final word in Indo-European linguistic origins (phys.org)
A team of 91 researchers—including famed geneticist Eske Willerslev at the Lundbeck Foundation GeoGenetics Center, University of Copenhagen—has discovered a Bronze Age genetic divergence connected to eastern and western Mediterranean Indo-European language speakers.

Genetics, Linguistics, History, Archeology

65 points by Brajeshwar 148 days ago | 16 comments

Oldest US firearm unearthed in Arizona, a bronze cannon linked to Coronado (phys.org)
Independent researchers in Arizona have unearthed a bronze cannon linked to the Vázquez de Coronado expedition, making it the oldest firearm ever found in the continental United States.

Archeology, History, United States, Firearms

67 points by pseudolus 178 days ago | 35 comments

Researcher finds lost city in Mexico jungle by accident (bbc.com)
A huge Maya city has been discovered centuries after it disappeared under jungle canopy in Mexico.

Archeology, Mexico, Maya Civilization, History

10 points by wood_spirit 206 days ago | 0 comments

Early science and stone engineering in Menga, a Neolithic dolmen (science.org)

Archeology, Neolithic, Science, History

28 points by PaulHoule 261 days ago | 1 comments

To kill mammoths in the Ice Age, people used planted pikes, not throwing spears (phys.org)

Prehistory, Archeology, Ice Age, Paleontology, Hunting

69 points by pseudolus 274 days ago | 54 comments

Stonehenge megalith came from Scotland, not Wales, study finds (theguardian.com)

Archeology, History, Scotland, Wales

14 points by bookofjoe 281 days ago | 1 comments

Over 900 artifacts recovered from Ming dynasty shipwreck (mymodernmet.com)