16 April 2021
Many researchers think the alphabet emerged in Egypt about 3800 years ago – but possible examples of alphabetic writing from a 4300-year-old site in Syria challenge that idea
5 February 2020
One of civilisation’s most revolutionary inventions was long thought to be the brainchild of ancient Egyptian scribes. But its true creators may have been far less glamorous
23 May 2018
About 3 billion people speak Indo-European languages like English and Hindustani, and it seems the first such tongue was spoken south of the Caucasus mountains
17 May 2018
Cannabis – the source of the drug marijuana – virtually disappeared from Europe just as farmers arrived, so they didn’t get the chance to grow it for another 4500 years
25 April 2018
The inhabitants of Sandby borg in southern Sweden were violently killed 1500 years ago, just decades after the collapse of the Western Roman Empire
8 February 2018
A dog that was buried with its owners 14,000 years ago was chronically ill throughout its life, yet its owners repeatedly nursed it back to health – suggesting a deep bond of friendship
19 January 2018
Dice from archaeological digs in the Netherlands and the UK became fairer 600 years ago – 250 years before we began to really understand probability
14 December 2017
Two peach stones found in sediment beneath Saint Mark’s Basilica could extend the history of Venice by 180 years
4 October 2017
Heavy metals including cadmium and lead are unusually common in sediments from the South China Sea, hinting that run-off from farms was spilling into the ocean 4000 years ago
27 September 2017
You’d be amazed how little evidence supports many of our ancient human ancestors. Here are the five species with the fewest fossils
