New Scientist - Humans / /build/images/ns-logo-scaled.ed2dc11a.png daily 1 /article/2523132-neanderthal-infants-were-enormous-compared-with-modern-humans/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 15 Apr 2026 17:00:13 +0100 A detailed analysis of the best-preserved Neanderthal infant skeleton ever found suggests that our ancient relatives grew much faster as young children 2523132-neanderthal-infants-were-enormous-compared-with-modern-humans|2523132 /article/2522913-are-neanderthals-descendants-of-modern-humans/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Tue, 14 Apr 2026 19:24:02 +0100 The gap between genetics and archaeology leaves us with an unclear picture of where the Neanderthals originated. Columnist Michael Marshall details a surprising new hypothesis that suggests they may have come from us 2522913-are-neanderthals-descendants-of-modern-humans|2522913 /video/2522085-we-might-be-wrong-about-humanitys-near-extinction/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Thu, 09 Apr 2026 11:30:45 +0100 There's evidence that our ancestors almost went extinct. But is this true, and if so, what caused it? 2522085-we-might-be-wrong-about-humanitys-near-extinction|2522085 /article/2522425-why-early-humans-radically-changed-their-toolkits-200000-years-ago/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 08 Apr 2026 18:00:19 +0100 A decline in ancient megafauna in the Middle East coincided with a shift towards smaller, lighter toolkits in the archaeological record – though scientists are still in debate about why 2522425-why-early-humans-radically-changed-their-toolkits-200000-years-ago|2522425 /article/2520194-historians-dispute-link-between-drought-and-rebellion-in-roman-britain/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 01 Apr 2026 11:34:35 +0100 A study based on tree rings claimed that droughts played a role in events that led to the Roman withdrawal from Britain, but other researchers say that isn't backed up by historical evidence 2520194-historians-dispute-link-between-drought-and-rebellion-in-roman-britain|2520194 /article/2521236-the-shroud-of-turin-bears-dna-from-many-people-plants-and-animals/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Mon, 30 Mar 2026 11:00:34 +0100 Researchers have identified genetic material from a vast range of organisms contaminating the shroud, said to have wrapped Jesus's body, further complicating the question of the cloth's true origin 2521236-the-shroud-of-turin-bears-dna-from-many-people-plants-and-animals|2521236 /video/2521250-we-did-not-evolve-alone-the-story-of-our-origins/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Fri, 27 Mar 2026 15:00:42 +0000 Who were the other humans that predate us, and why did we outlast them all? Join us on a detective adventure as we explore the disappearance of every human species except us. 2521250-we-did-not-evolve-alone-the-story-of-our-origins|2521250 /article/2520535-ancient-bones-reveal-vivid-details-of-a-neanderthal-elephant-hunt/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 25 Mar 2026 11:54:28 +0000 Researchers have re-analysed a set of elephant bones and a wooden spear found in Germany in 1948, which provide compelling evidence of Neanderthals' big game hunting abilities 2520535-ancient-bones-reveal-vivid-details-of-a-neanderthal-elephant-hunt|2520535 /article/2520319-genetic-clues-tell-the-story-of-neanderthals-decline/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Mon, 23 Mar 2026 19:00:32 +0000 The Neanderthal population shrank during a cold spell around 75,000 years ago, and the loss of genetic diversity may have contributed to their eventual extinction 2520319-genetic-clues-tell-the-story-of-neanderthals-decline|2520319 /article/2519668-neanderthals-may-have-treated-wounds-with-antibiotic-sticky-tar/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 18 Mar 2026 18:00:15 +0000 Tar made from birch tree bark is commonly found at Neanderthal sites, and experiments show that it kills some bacteria that cause skin infections 2519668-neanderthals-may-have-treated-wounds-with-antibiotic-sticky-tar|2519668 /article/2519371-the-ancient-goths-were-an-ethnically-diverse-group/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Mon, 16 Mar 2026 12:00:54 +0000 Ancient DNA reveals that the Goths of eastern Europe, some of whom would ultimately sack the city of Rome, may have been a mix of peoples from three continents 2519371-the-ancient-goths-were-an-ethnically-diverse-group|2519371 /article/2519325-our-extinct-australopithecus-relatives-may-have-had-difficult-births/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Fri, 13 Mar 2026 16:00:45 +0000 Simulations of Australopithecus hominins’ anatomy suggest that when they gave birth, they may have exerted tremendous pressure on their pelvic floors, putting them at risk of tearing 2519325-our-extinct-australopithecus-relatives-may-have-had-difficult-births|2519325 /article/2518316-weve-only-just-confirmed-that-homo-habilis-really-existed/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Mon, 09 Mar 2026 18:00:13 +0000 Their species name is well known, but until recently we’ve understood very little for certain about Homo habilis. Columnist Michael Marshall reveals what new fossils are telling us about the hominins that have been considered the first humans 2518316-weve-only-just-confirmed-that-homo-habilis-really-existed|2518316 /video/2518955-the-skull-transforming-our-family-tree-and-the-hunt-for-ancestor-x/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 11 Mar 2026 18:00:56 +0000 An ancient skull has finally shown us what the Denisovans looked like redrawing our family tree and transforming the hunt for Ancestor X 2518955-the-skull-transforming-our-family-tree-and-the-hunt-for-ancestor-x|2518955 /article/2518181-human-populations-evolved-in-similar-ways-after-we-began-farming/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Tue, 10 Mar 2026 11:00:12 +0000 An analysis of ancient and modern DNA suggests the extent of convergent evolution in different peoples around the world is even greater than we thought 2518181-human-populations-evolved-in-similar-ways-after-we-began-farming|2518181 /article/2518516-the-first-apes-to-walk-upright-may-have-evolved-in-europe/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Mon, 09 Mar 2026 12:07:23 +0000 A single femur found in Bulgaria appears to represent an ape or early hominin that walked on two legs before any known African hominin, but the evidence is far from conclusive 2518516-the-first-apes-to-walk-upright-may-have-evolved-in-europe|2518516 /article/2516720-how-our-ancestors-used-mushrooms-to-change-the-course-of-human-history/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Tue, 10 Mar 2026 16:00:55 +0000 Mushrooms have been used by ancient humans for millennia, but archaeologists have only just uncovered their pivotal role in shaping civilisation 2516720-how-our-ancestors-used-mushrooms-to-change-the-course-of-human-history|2516720 /article/2517239-when-we-interbred-with-neanderthals-they-were-usually-the-fathers/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Thu, 26 Feb 2026 19:00:10 +0000 Genetic evidence hints that there was a strong bias for male Neanderthals and female humans to mate, rather than any other combination 2517239-when-we-interbred-with-neanderthals-they-were-usually-the-fathers|2517239 /article/2516606-stone-age-symbols-may-push-back-the-earliest-form-of-writing/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Mon, 23 Feb 2026 20:00:26 +0000 Mysterious signs engraved on objects reveal that a form of proto-writing may have been used in Europe 40,000 years ago, tens of thousands of years before the emergence of a full writing system 2516606-stone-age-symbols-may-push-back-the-earliest-form-of-writing|2516606 /article/2516527-brutal-iron-age-massacre-may-have-targeted-women-and-children/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Mon, 23 Feb 2026 16:00:53 +0000 An examination of bones has revealed one of the largest prehistoric mass killings known in Europe, with women, adolescents and children making up most of the 77 victims 2516527-brutal-iron-age-massacre-may-have-targeted-women-and-children|2516527 /article/2514431-the-untold-story-of-our-remarkable-hands-and-how-they-made-us-human/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Tue, 17 Feb 2026 16:00:24 +0000 The evolution of human hands is one of the most important – and overlooked – stories of our origin. Now, new fossil evidence is revealing their pivotal role 2514431-the-untold-story-of-our-remarkable-hands-and-how-they-made-us-human|2514431 /article/2515693-humans-are-the-only-primates-with-a-chin-now-we-finally-know-why/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Mon, 16 Feb 2026 12:00:16 +0000 Biologists have debated the reason why Homo sapiens evolved a prominent lower jaw, but this unique feature may actually be a by-product of other traits shaped by natural selection 2515693-humans-are-the-only-primates-with-a-chin-now-we-finally-know-why|2515693 /article/2515260-the-surprising-origins-of-britains-bronze-age-immigrants-revealed/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 11 Feb 2026 16:00:34 +0000 About 4600 years ago, the population of Britain was replaced by a people who brought Bell Beaker pottery with them. Now, ancient DNA has uncovered the murky story of where these people came from 2515260-the-surprising-origins-of-britains-bronze-age-immigrants-revealed|2515260 /article/2515350-ancient-peruvian-civilisation-grew-mighty-by-harvesting-guano/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 11 Feb 2026 19:00:42 +0000 The Chincha Kingdom was transporting seabird excrement from islands to valleys as early as the 13th century, and this powerful fertiliser may have been key to its economic success 2515350-ancient-peruvian-civilisation-grew-mighty-by-harvesting-guano|2515350 /article/2514617-which-humans-first-made-tools-or-art-and-how-do-we-know/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Tue, 10 Feb 2026 18:00:03 +0000 Building the human story based on a few artefacts is tricky – particularly for wooden tools that don’t preserve well, or cave art that we don’t have the technology to date. Columnist Michael Marshall explores how we determine what came first in the timeline of our species 2514617-which-humans-first-made-tools-or-art-and-how-do-we-know|2514617 /article/2514929-is-this-carved-rock-an-ancient-roman-board-game/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Tue, 10 Feb 2026 00:01:20 +0000 The lines worn into an engraved limestone object from the Netherlands are consistent with the idea that it was a Roman game board, according to an AI analysis 2514929-is-this-carved-rock-an-ancient-roman-board-game|2514929 /article/2514486-seafarers-were-visiting-remote-arctic-islands-over-4000-years-ago/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Mon, 09 Feb 2026 00:01:45 +0000 The first people to reach the Kitsissut Islands off the north-west coast of Greenland were Indigenous peoples, who crossed over 50 kilometres of treacherous water 2514486-seafarers-were-visiting-remote-arctic-islands-over-4000-years-ago|2514486 /article/2512675-why-is-childbirth-so-hard-for-humans-and-is-it-getting-even-harder/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 04 Feb 2026 16:00:55 +0000 Some think the rise of C-sections means that one day all births will require serious medical intervention. But a surprising new understanding of the pelvis suggests a different story 2512675-why-is-childbirth-so-hard-for-humans-and-is-it-getting-even-harder|2512675 /article/2513892-neanderthals-and-early-humans-may-have-interbred-over-a-vast-area/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Mon, 02 Feb 2026 11:00:26 +0000 We are getting a clearer sense of where and how often Homo sapiens and Neanderthals interbred, and it turns out the behaviour was much more common than we first thought 2513892-neanderthals-and-early-humans-may-have-interbred-over-a-vast-area|2513892 /article/2511681-ancient-humans-were-seafaring-far-earlier-than-we-realised/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 28 Jan 2026 16:00:23 +0000 Thousands of years before the invention of compasses or sails, prehistoric peoples crossed oceans to reach remote lands like Malta and Australia. Doing so meant striking out in unknowable conditions. What do such crossings tell us about ancient minds? 2511681-ancient-humans-were-seafaring-far-earlier-than-we-realised|2511681 /video/2513622-how-homo-naledi-is-changing-what-we-know-about-death/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Thu, 29 Jan 2026 13:45:15 +0000 The idea that Homo naledi may have intentionally placed their dead in South Africa’s Rising Star cave is fascinating, but are we reading too much into the evidence? 2513622-how-homo-naledi-is-changing-what-we-know-about-death|2513622 /article/2509608-stick-shaped-by-ancient-humans-is-the-oldest-known-wooden-tool/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Mon, 26 Jan 2026 20:00:29 +0000 Excavations at an opencast mine in Greece have uncovered two wooden objects more than 400,000 years old that appear to have been fashioned as tools by an unknown species of ancient human 2509608-stick-shaped-by-ancient-humans-is-the-oldest-known-wooden-tool|2509608 /article/2511326-new-scientists-guide-to-the-21-best-ideas-of-the-21st-century/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Mon, 19 Jan 2026 16:00:07 +0000 A quarter of a century in, this is our definitive pick of the ideas in science and technology that are already transforming the world 2511326-new-scientists-guide-to-the-21-best-ideas-of-the-21st-century|2511326 /article/2508854-revealing-the-epic-story-of-ancient-humans-best-ideas-of-the-century/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Mon, 19 Jan 2026 16:00:25 +0000 Since the turn of the millennium, our understanding of our ancestors and extended cousins has shifted dramatically, thanks to a swathe of surprising archaeological discoveries 2508854-revealing-the-epic-story-of-ancient-humans-best-ideas-of-the-century|2508854 /article/2512373-ape-like-hominin-paranthropus-was-more-adaptable-than-we-thought/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 21 Jan 2026 16:00:43 +0000 A fossil discovery in northern Ethiopia expands the known range of Paranthropus, a genus of strong-jawed hominins that lived around 2 million years ago, and suggests they lived in a range of habitats 2512373-ape-like-hominin-paranthropus-was-more-adaptable-than-we-thought|2512373 /article/2512357-oldest-known-rock-art-is-a-68000-year-old-hand-stencil-with-claws/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 21 Jan 2026 16:00:48 +0000 Newly discovered rock art sites in Sulawesi, Indonesia, that date to nearly 68,000 years ago are thought to be the oldest rock art in the world, pre-dating Neanderthal hand stencils in Spain by 1100 years 2512357-oldest-known-rock-art-is-a-68000-year-old-hand-stencil-with-claws|2512357 /article/2511248-the-5-worst-ideas-of-the-21st-century-and-how-they-went-wrong/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Mon, 19 Jan 2026 16:00:06 +0000 They offered so much promise, but ultimately turned sour. These are the most disappointing ideas since the turn of the millennium 2511248-the-5-worst-ideas-of-the-21st-century-and-how-they-went-wrong|2511248 /article/2511875-cancelling-plans-may-be-more-socially-acceptable-than-you-think/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Fri, 16 Jan 2026 14:00:55 +0000 Volunteers consider it relatively unacceptable to cancel social plans – but they are more forgiving if it's someone else cancelling the plans 2511875-cancelling-plans-may-be-more-socially-acceptable-than-you-think|2511875 /article/2511153-the-hunt-for-where-the-last-neanderthals-lived/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Tue, 13 Jan 2026 18:00:53 +0000 Clues from studies of ancient plants and animals have helped archaeologists pin down where the last Neanderthals found refuge, says columnist Michael Marshall 2511153-the-hunt-for-where-the-last-neanderthals-lived|2511153 /article/2511036-pompeiis-public-baths-were-unhygienic-until-the-romans-took-over/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Mon, 12 Jan 2026 20:00:26 +0000 Before the Romans captured Pompeii, the famous town was run by the Samnite people – and a dip in their public baths might have been an unpleasant experience 2511036-pompeiis-public-baths-were-unhygienic-until-the-romans-took-over|2511036 /article/2510396-hominin-fossils-from-morocco-may-be-close-ancestors-of-modern-humans/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 07 Jan 2026 16:00:50 +0000 The jawbones and vertebrae of a hominin that lived 773,000 years ago have been found in North Africa and could represent a common ancestor of Homo sapiens, Neanderthals and Denisovans 2510396-hominin-fossils-from-morocco-may-be-close-ancestors-of-modern-humans|2510396 /article/2510462-hunting-with-poison-arrows-may-have-begun-60000-years-ago-in-africa/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 07 Jan 2026 19:00:14 +0000 A collection of arrow points excavated in South Africa has provided the oldest direct evidence of hunters deploying plant-based poisons on their weapons, a practice that has continued into modern times in some traditional cultures 2510462-hunting-with-poison-arrows-may-have-begun-60000-years-ago-in-africa|2510462 /video/2510574-where-are-the-denisovans-the-answer-is-in-our-dna/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 07 Jan 2026 18:00:51 +0000 New skull discoveries and DNA analysis are unravelling the mysteries of the Denisovans.  Paleoanthropologist Chris Stringer explores what we know about this enigmatic species and what it tells us about our own family tree 2510574-where-are-the-denisovans-the-answer-is-in-our-dna|2510574 /article/2510274-early-humans-may-have-begun-butchering-elephants-1-8-million-years-ago/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Tue, 06 Jan 2026 19:00:57 +0000 A 1.78-million-year-old partial elephant skeleton found in Tanzania associated with stone tools may represent the oldest known evidence of butchery of the giant herbivores 2510274-early-humans-may-have-begun-butchering-elephants-1-8-million-years-ago|2510274 /article/2509929-was-our-earliest-ancestor-a-knuckle-dragger-or-did-it-walk-upright/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Fri, 02 Jan 2026 19:00:36 +0000 Did Sahelanthropus, which lived 7 million years ago, walk on two legs like a modern human? It's complicated 2509929-was-our-earliest-ancestor-a-knuckle-dragger-or-did-it-walk-upright|2509929 /video/2509853-the-ancient-human-species-we-once-co-existed-with/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Tue, 30 Dec 2025 20:48:13 +0000 Ella Al-Shamahi explores the complexities of our past by meeting the fascinating human species we once shared the planet with 2509853-the-ancient-human-species-we-once-co-existed-with|2509853 /article/mg26835752-000-ancient-rock-art-revealed-in-all-its-glory-in-stunning-photographs/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Tue, 23 Dec 2025 18:00:00 +0000 Images capture the remarkable variety of petroglyphs etched into rock across a wide swathe of land, from Mongolia to the Sahara mg26835752-000-ancient-rock-art-revealed-in-all-its-glory-in-stunning-photographs|2508621 /article/mg26835752-200-why-do-we-feel-the-need-to-humanise-everything-from-dogs-to-cars/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Tue, 23 Dec 2025 18:00:00 +0000 Our tendency to anthropomorphise our pets and possessions reveals the baggage we bring to our relationship with the natural world, says Justin Gregg in his fascinating new book Human-ish mg26835752-200-why-do-we-feel-the-need-to-humanise-everything-from-dogs-to-cars|2508623 /article/2506938-the-most-amazing-archaeology-photos-and-discoveries-of-2025/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 10 Dec 2025 18:00:26 +0000 The first Denisovan skull, an ancient hunter’s toolkit and a Roman man’s brain that has turned to glass: here are our picks of the year’s most striking findings about prehistoric humans 2506938-the-most-amazing-archaeology-photos-and-discoveries-of-2025|2506938 /article/2509142-roman-soldiers-defending-hadrians-wall-had-intestinal-parasites/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Fri, 19 Dec 2025 00:00:47 +0000 Excavations of sewer drains at a Roman fort in northern England have revealed the presence of several parasites that can cause debilitating illness in humans 2509142-roman-soldiers-defending-hadrians-wall-had-intestinal-parasites|2509142 /article/2501758-did-ancient-humans-start-farming-so-they-could-drink-more-beer/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 10 Dec 2025 10:00:06 +0000 New evidence suggests that alcohol was a surprisingly big motivator in our monumental transition from hunting and gathering to farming – but was beer really more important to us than bread? 2501758-did-ancient-humans-start-farming-so-they-could-drink-more-beer|2501758 /article/2508181-roman-occupation-of-britain-damaged-the-populations-health/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Thu, 11 Dec 2025 00:01:51 +0000 Urban populations in southern Britain experienced a decline in health that lasted for generations after the Romans arrived 2508181-roman-occupation-of-britain-damaged-the-populations-health|2508181 /video/2508256-flint-dibble-is-on-a-mission-to-debunk-ancient-civilisation-myths/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Thu, 11 Dec 2025 10:49:02 +0000 Flint Dibble's high-profile debate with Graham Hancock on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast has opened up the debate around the dangers of pseudoarchaeology 2508256-flint-dibble-is-on-a-mission-to-debunk-ancient-civilisation-myths|2508256 /article/2507965-oldest-evidence-of-fire-lighting-comes-from-early-humans-in-britain/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 10 Dec 2025 16:00:06 +0000 An excavation in Suffolk, UK, has uncovered pyrite and flint that appear to have been used by ancient humans to light fires some 400,000 years ago 2507965-oldest-evidence-of-fire-lighting-comes-from-early-humans-in-britain|2507965 /article/2502335-what-the-evolution-of-tickling-tells-us-about-being-human/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 10 Dec 2025 13:00:19 +0000 From bonobos and rats to tickling robots, research is finally cracking the secrets of why we’re ticklish, and what that reveals about our brains 2502335-what-the-evolution-of-tickling-tells-us-about-being-human|2502335 /article/2507618-2025-was-chock-full-of-exciting-discoveries-in-human-evolution/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Tue, 09 Dec 2025 18:00:10 +0000 From an incredible series of revelations about the ancient humans called Denisovans to surprising discoveries about tool making, this year has given us a clearer picture of how and why humans evolved to be so different from other primates 2507618-2025-was-chock-full-of-exciting-discoveries-in-human-evolution|2507618 /article/2507648-pompeii-building-site-reveals-how-the-romans-made-concrete/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Tue, 09 Dec 2025 16:00:36 +0000 Excavations of a workshop that was buried in Pompeii almost 2000 years ago have given archaeologists unique insights into Roman construction techniques and the longevity of the empire’s concrete 2507648-pompeii-building-site-reveals-how-the-romans-made-concrete|2507648 /article/2507277-hunter-gatherer-groups-are-much-less-egalitarian-than-they-seem/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Fri, 05 Dec 2025 15:00:25 +0000 There is a widespread belief that altruism and equality drive social behaviour in traditional hunter-gatherer societies, but the truth is more surprising and complex 2507277-hunter-gatherer-groups-are-much-less-egalitarian-than-they-seem|2507277 /article/2506818-ancient-human-artefacts-found-near-caves-in-arabian-desert/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Tue, 02 Dec 2025 19:21:01 +0000 Today, the deserts of the Arabian peninsula are inhospitable – but 100,000 years ago, the area was full of animals and ancient humans 2506818-ancient-human-artefacts-found-near-caves-in-arabian-desert|2506818 /article/2506343-was-a-little-known-culture-in-bronze-age-turkey-a-major-power/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Mon, 01 Dec 2025 10:00:56 +0000 Archaeologists have gathered evidence from hundreds of Bronze Age sites in western Turkey that could be remnants of a civilisation that has been largely overlooked 2506343-was-a-little-known-culture-in-bronze-age-turkey-a-major-power|2506343 /article/2506312-ancient-humans-took-two-routes-to-australia-60000-years-ago/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Fri, 28 Nov 2025 19:00:39 +0000 Scientists have long tried to uncover the perilous journey humans took to reach the ancient land mass that now makes up Australia. Now, a genetic study has edged us closer to understanding how and when they achieved this 2506312-ancient-humans-took-two-routes-to-australia-60000-years-ago|2506312 /article/2506112-warming-and-droughts-led-to-collapse-of-the-indus-valley-civilisation/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Thu, 27 Nov 2025 16:00:27 +0000 Hotter temperatures and a series of droughts in what is now Pakistan and India fragmented one of the world’s major early civilisations, providing a "warning shot" for today 2506112-warming-and-droughts-led-to-collapse-of-the-indus-valley-civilisation|2506112 /article/2505945-easter-island-statues-may-have-been-built-by-small-independent-groups/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 26 Nov 2025 19:00:50 +0000 Mapping of the main quarry on Easter Island where giant statues were carved has uncovered evidence that the monuments may not have been created under the direction of a single chief 2505945-easter-island-statues-may-have-been-built-by-small-independent-groups|2505945 /article/2505923-ancient-human-foot-bones-shed-light-on-how-two-species-coexisted/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 26 Nov 2025 16:00:09 +0000 Scientists have finally assigned foot bones found in 2009 to an ancient human species, and the move suggests that different types of hominins lived close by in harmony 2505923-ancient-human-foot-bones-shed-light-on-how-two-species-coexisted|2505923 /article/2505641-easily-taxed-grains-were-crucial-to-the-birth-of-the-first-states/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Tue, 25 Nov 2025 10:00:42 +0000 The cultivation of wheat, barley and maize, which are easily stored and taxed, seems to have led to the emergence of large societies, rather than agriculture generally 2505641-easily-taxed-grains-were-crucial-to-the-birth-of-the-first-states|2505641 /article/2504932-kissing-may-have-evolved-in-an-ape-ancestor-21-million-years-ago/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 19 Nov 2025 00:00:57 +0000 Rather than being a recent cultural development, kissing may have been practised by other early humans like Neanderthals and our ape ancestors 2504932-kissing-may-have-evolved-in-an-ape-ancestor-21-million-years-ago|2504932 /video/2504620-new-denisovan-discovery-could-rewrite-our-family-tree/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Tue, 18 Nov 2025 18:00:21 +0000 An ancient skull has finally shown us what the Denisovans looked like. Now it turns out they, not Neanderthals, might be our closest relatives 2504620-new-denisovan-discovery-could-rewrite-our-family-tree|2504620 /article/2502898-we-can-finally-hear-the-long-hidden-music-of-the-stone-age/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Tue, 18 Nov 2025 16:00:21 +0000 Ancient rock art was meant to be heard as well as seen and now acoustic archaeologists are bringing the sounds of prehistoric rituals to life 2502898-we-can-finally-hear-the-long-hidden-music-of-the-stone-age|2502898 /article/2504671-vast-bronze-age-city-discovered-in-the-plains-of-kazakhstan/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Tue, 18 Nov 2025 00:01:22 +0000 A major settlement in Central Asia called Semiyarka dating back to 1600 BC had houses, a big central building and even an industrial zone for producing copper and bronze 2504671-vast-bronze-age-city-discovered-in-the-plains-of-kazakhstan|2504671 /article/2504582-ancient-figurine-may-show-sexual-encounter-between-woman-and-goose/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Mon, 17 Nov 2025 20:00:09 +0000 A 12,000-year-old clay sculpture found in Israel depicts a goose on the back of a woman, and archaeologists suggest it may be a depiction of an animistic mythological scene 2504582-ancient-figurine-may-show-sexual-encounter-between-woman-and-goose|2504582 /article/2504597-neanderthals-hefty-noses-werent-well-adapted-to-cold-climates/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Mon, 17 Nov 2025 20:00:05 +0000 Neanderthals were thought to have structures inside their noses that helped them deal with the cold, but analysis of an exceptionally preserved specimen contradicts that 2504597-neanderthals-hefty-noses-werent-well-adapted-to-cold-climates|2504597 /article/2503499-mysterious-holes-in-andean-mountain-may-be-an-inca-spreadsheet/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Mon, 10 Nov 2025 00:01:52 +0000 Thousands of holes arranged in a snake-like pattern on Monte Sierpe in Peru could have been a monumental accounting device for trade and tax 2503499-mysterious-holes-in-andean-mountain-may-be-an-inca-spreadsheet|2503499 /article/2504102-ancient-silver-goblet-preserves-oldest-known-image-of-cosmic-creation/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Thu, 13 Nov 2025 12:00:27 +0000 The images hammered into the sides of a goblet found in Palestine give us an idea of what people living more than 4000 years ago imagined the creation of the cosmos looked like 2504102-ancient-silver-goblet-preserves-oldest-known-image-of-cosmic-creation|2504102 /article/2504220-analysing-hitlers-dna-for-a-tv-gimmick-tells-us-nothing-useful/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Thu, 13 Nov 2025 10:18:45 +0000 To understand Adolf Hitler, we need to look at his personal life and the wider societal and historical context - analysing his DNA for a TV gimmick tells us nothing, says Michael Le Page 2504220-analysing-hitlers-dna-for-a-tv-gimmick-tells-us-nothing-useful|2504220 /article/2503899-cradle-of-humanity-is-still-revealing-new-insights-about-our-origins/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Tue, 11 Nov 2025 18:00:24 +0000 The Omo-Turkana basin in Africa is home to a treasure trove of ancient human fossils and tools that span 300,000 years – today it is still yielding new discoveries about our species 2503899-cradle-of-humanity-is-still-revealing-new-insights-about-our-origins|2503899 /article/2503325-digital-map-lets-you-explore-the-roman-empires-vast-road-network/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Thu, 06 Nov 2025 16:00:09 +0000 Archaeologists have compiled the most detailed map yet of roads throughout the Roman Empire in AD 150, totalling almost 300,000 kilometres in length 2503325-digital-map-lets-you-explore-the-roman-empires-vast-road-network|2503325 /article/2502872-ancient-dna-may-rewrite-the-story-of-icelands-earliest-settlers/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 05 Nov 2025 12:00:34 +0000 Biochemical evidence suggests Norse people settled in Iceland almost 70 years before the accepted arrival date of the 870s, and didn't chop down the island's forests 2502872-ancient-dna-may-rewrite-the-story-of-icelands-earliest-settlers|2502872 /article/2503197-skeleton-with-brutal-injuries-identified-as-duke-assassinated-in-1272/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Thu, 06 Nov 2025 08:00:36 +0000 The identity of a skeleton buried under a Budapest convent has been confirmed as Béla of Macsó, a Hungarian royal murdered in a 13th-century power struggle, and archaeologists have pieced together how the attack unfolded 2503197-skeleton-with-brutal-injuries-identified-as-duke-assassinated-in-1272|2503197 /article/2500833-does-the-family-tree-of-ancient-humans-need-a-drastic-rewrite/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Mon, 03 Nov 2025 16:00:00 +0000 Anthropologist Christopher Bae has recently suggested we add two new species of ancient human to our family tree. The plans break the conventions for how species should be named – but Bae argues the rules themselves are flawed 2500833-does-the-family-tree-of-ancient-humans-need-a-drastic-rewrite|2500833 /article/2500060-how-a-surge-in-ancient-plagues-5000-years-ago-shaped-humanity/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Tue, 28 Oct 2025 16:00:31 +0000 Plague, leprosy, smallpox and other diseases didn't jump from animals to humans when we thought. Ancient DNA is revealing where they come from and how they changed history 2500060-how-a-surge-in-ancient-plagues-5000-years-ago-shaped-humanity|2500060 /article/2502409-denisovans-may-have-interbred-with-mysterious-group-of-ancient-humans/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Fri, 31 Oct 2025 15:13:43 +0000 We now have only the second high-quality genome from an ancient Denisovan human, which reveals there were more populations of this species than we thought 2502409-denisovans-may-have-interbred-with-mysterious-group-of-ancient-humans|2502409 /article/2502176-boys-body-was-mummified-and-turned-green-by-a-copper-coffin/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Fri, 31 Oct 2025 06:00:14 +0000 The green mummified remains of a teenager buried in Italy 200 to 400 years ago have given us new insights into the preservative properties of copper 2502176-boys-body-was-mummified-and-turned-green-by-a-copper-coffin|2502176 /article/2501950-prehistoric-crayons-provide-clues-to-how-neanderthals-created-art/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 29 Oct 2025 18:00:29 +0000 Ochre artefacts found in Crimea show signs of having been used for drawing, adding to evidence that Neanderthals used pigments in symbolic ways 2501950-prehistoric-crayons-provide-clues-to-how-neanderthals-created-art|2501950 /article/2500492-neanderthal-human-hybrids-may-have-been-scourged-by-a-genetic-mismatch/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Mon, 20 Oct 2025 10:00:08 +0100 When Homo sapiens and Neanderthals interbred, a genetic variation affecting red blood cells may have hindered reproduction in women who were hybrids, and this might have played a part in Neanderthals’ demise 2500492-neanderthal-human-hybrids-may-have-been-scourged-by-a-genetic-mismatch|2500492 /article/2498245-were-finally-reading-the-secrets-of-herculaneums-lost-library/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Tue, 14 Oct 2025 17:00:39 +0100 A whole library’s worth of papyri owned by Julius Caesar’s father-in-law were turned to charcoal by the eruption of Vesuvius. Nearly 2000 years later, we can at last read these lost treasures 2498245-were-finally-reading-the-secrets-of-herculaneums-lost-library|2498245 /article/2499788-who-were-the-first-humans-to-reach-the-british-isles/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Tue, 14 Oct 2025 19:00:31 +0100 As ancient humans left Africa, they encountered many harsh environments including the Sahara and the high Arctic, but one of the last places they inhabited was Britain, likely due to the relentless cold and damp climate 2499788-who-were-the-first-humans-to-reach-the-british-isles|2499788 /article/2500077-ancient-lead-exposure-may-have-influenced-how-our-brains-evolved/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 15 Oct 2025 20:00:12 +0100 Lead poisoning isn't just a modern phenomenon: fossil teeth show signs that it affected ancient hominids, and Homo sapiens may have coped better than our close relatives 2500077-ancient-lead-exposure-may-have-influenced-how-our-brains-evolved|2500077 /article/2500037-early-hominin-had-human-like-dexterity-and-gorilla-strength/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 15 Oct 2025 17:00:15 +0100 The first confirmed fossil hands of Paranthropus boisei show that this ancient relative was capable of making tools, but was also much stronger than modern humans 2500037-early-hominin-had-human-like-dexterity-and-gorilla-strength|2500037 /article/2499833-pregnancy-test-for-skeletons-could-help-reveal-ancient-mothers/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Tue, 14 Oct 2025 15:06:12 +0100 Progesterone, oestrogen and testosterone can be detected in skeletons over 1000 years old, offering a way to identify individuals who died while pregnant or soon after giving birth 2499833-pregnancy-test-for-skeletons-could-help-reveal-ancient-mothers|2499833 /article/2499487-evolution-of-intelligence-in-our-ancestors-may-have-come-at-a-cost/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Fri, 10 Oct 2025 13:00:36 +0100 By tracing when variations in the human genome first appeared, researchers have found that advances in cognitive abilities may have led to our vulnerability to mental illness 2499487-evolution-of-intelligence-in-our-ancestors-may-have-come-at-a-cost|2499487 /article/2498947-king-richard-iiis-oral-microbiome-hints-he-had-severe-gum-disease/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Thu, 09 Oct 2025 10:00:59 +0100 The skeleton of King Richard III, which was found beneath a car park more than a decade ago, has well-preserved teeth, allowing scientists to sequence his oral microbiome 2498947-king-richard-iiis-oral-microbiome-hints-he-had-severe-gum-disease|2498947 /article/2498144-ancient-artists-created-giant-camel-engravings-in-the-arabian-desert/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Tue, 30 Sep 2025 17:00:44 +0100 Almost 200 engravings created around 12,000 years ago have been discovered in Saudi Arabia, including depictions of camels etched into cliff faces over 40 metres high 2498144-ancient-artists-created-giant-camel-engravings-in-the-arabian-desert|2498144 /article/mg26735620-500-a-compelling-book-about-the-end-of-the-neanderthals-is-a-rare-treat/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 24 Sep 2025 19:00:00 +0100 Forget the tropes about how violence or maybe volcanic eruptions killed off our ancient cousins, The Last Neanderthal by Ludovic Slimak offers a very different take on how they died out mg26735620-500-a-compelling-book-about-the-end-of-the-neanderthals-is-a-rare-treat|2497231 /article/2497765-reconstructed-skull-gives-surprising-clues-to-our-enigmatic-ancestor-x/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Thu, 25 Sep 2025 20:00:46 +0100 The shared ancestor of our species, the Neanderthals and the Denisovans may be far older than we thought – which could completely change our understanding of humanity's evolution 2497765-reconstructed-skull-gives-surprising-clues-to-our-enigmatic-ancestor-x|2497765 /article/mg26735610-100-wheres-my-jetpack-got-to-and-other-sci-fi-tech-queries/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 17 Sep 2025 19:00:00 +0100 We are still waiting for the retro-futuristic tech and social revolutions envisioned in science fiction’s old gold, writes Annalee Newitz – not to mention advances in reproduction mg26735610-100-wheres-my-jetpack-got-to-and-other-sci-fi-tech-queries|2496274 /article/2496225-30000-year-old-toolkit-shows-what-ancient-hunter-carried-in-a-pouch/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Tue, 16 Sep 2025 19:01:13 +0100 A set of 29 stone tools, including blades and points for hunting, butchering and cutting wood, were found neatly arranged as if carried in a leather pouch that decayed 2496225-30000-year-old-toolkit-shows-what-ancient-hunter-carried-in-a-pouch|2496225 /article/2496267-the-oldest-human-mummies-were-slowly-smoked-14000-years-ago/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Mon, 15 Sep 2025 21:00:28 +0100 For at least 10,000 years, humans across South-East Asia were being carefully preserved after death by being smoke-dried – a tradition that continues to this day in some cultures 2496267-the-oldest-human-mummies-were-slowly-smoked-14000-years-ago|2496267 /article/2495962-early-neanderthals-hunted-ibex-on-steep-mountain-slopes/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Thu, 11 Sep 2025 17:00:35 +0100 Ancient remains from a cave in Serbia show that Neanderthals were hunting mountain goats 300,000 years ago, adding to evidence of their ability to adapt to different environments 2495962-early-neanderthals-hunted-ibex-on-steep-mountain-slopes|2495962 /article/2495847-britains-economy-thrived-after-the-withdrawal-of-the-roman-empire/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Thu, 11 Sep 2025 11:00:34 +0100 An archaeological dig in northern England shows iron and lead processing continued and even increased after the departure of the Romans 2495847-britains-economy-thrived-after-the-withdrawal-of-the-roman-empire|2495847 /article/2495840-we-evolved-to-match-local-micronutrient-levels-which-may-be-a-problem/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 10 Sep 2025 17:00:59 +0100 Most human populations evolved to cope with low or high local levels of micronutrients such as zinc, but these localised adaptations might now be problematic 2495840-we-evolved-to-match-local-micronutrient-levels-which-may-be-a-problem|2495840