Recent study of ancient DNA obtained from 2000-year-old remains of a boy from Ballito Bay in KwaZulu-Natal, East Republic of South Africa, indicates that the split between modern humans and earlier human groups occurred between 350000-260000 years ago – earlier than previously thought.
Researchers analysing the DNA of members of Europe’s first literate Bronze Age societies of Minoans (c. 2600 to 1100 BC) and Mycenaeans (c. 1700 to 1050 BC), revealed the origins of these populations. It turned out that ancestors of both civilisations were populations from Neolithic Western Anatolia and Greece, and that Minoans had deep roots in the Aegean.
Genetic material from the femur of an archaic European hominin collected by researchers provides a timeline for a proposed hominin migration out of Africa that occurred after the ancestors of Neanderthals arrived in Europe by a lineage more closely related to modern humans.
International team of scientists successfully recovered and analysed ancient DNA from Egyptian mummies dating from approximately 1400 BC to 400 AD, establishing ancient Egyptian mummies as a reliable source for genetic material to study the ancient past.
Archaeologists discovered two skeletons, dating to 5th century AD, under the walls of of the Wolseong, or Moon Castle, in Gyeongju in South Korea.
Archaeologists returned to the discovery site of HMS Terror, one of the ill-fated vessels of the Franklin Expedition, to study the remains with use of remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROVs).
Scientists have gathered a DNA database from 24 skeletons of members of the 19th century ill-fated Franklin Expedition to find the Northwest Passage. They hope to identify some of the bodies scattered in the Canadian Arctic.
After months of research scientists were able to determine the cause of death and details about grave goods found if the grave of an individual buried 1100 years ago, that was discovered last April, in the Altai Mountains of Mongolia.
The only record about the colony was in the European archives. There was nothing archaeologically speaking.Burials of individuals with hands joined in prayer have been found on the Taiwanese island of Heping Dao. They date to 17th century, belonging to Spanish settlers and are possibly the earliest Christian graves in Asia-Pacific.
First biological analysis of ancient terracotta figurines found at Yikpabongo in Northern Ghana’s Koma Land between 2010-2011 revealed that they were created by an unknown African civilisation. The figurines depict ancestral figures and animals.
An intact Viking boat burial was discovered in the Ardnamurchan peninsula, Western Scotland in 2011, and the results of its excavations were just published. This is the first boat burial from mainland UK ever found.
Burial site found at Clavijo farm in Santa Maria de Guia, Canary Islands, was confirmed being the oldest cemetery of slaves on the Atlantic sea coast, dating to between 15th-17th century.
Half of a human jaw bone with gold teeth was found by a metal detectorist near Edwards Crossing, a historic toll bridge used to cross the Yuba River, Nevada, United States of America.
Archaeologists found that hunter-gatherers might have lived permanently in the Tibetan Plateau at least 7400 years ago. This is nearly 4000 years earlier than researchers previously thought.
Mummies of the Chinchorro people, dating 7400 years to the past, are scheduled for DNA analysis and computerized tomography scans. The 15 selected mummies of mostly children and unborn babies, were found on the Pacific coast of South America, at the edge of the Atacama desert.
Excavations near near Immingham in Lincolnshire, United Kingdom, revealed a mass burial pit of victims of the Black Death pandemic. Carbon dating shows that the skeletons come from 14th century while DNA tests confirmed presence of the plague bacteria.
Years after queen Nefertari’s mummy was ripped to pieces and tossed around by the ancient robbers an international team of researchers suggests they may have found the missing 3200-year-old legs in an Italian museum.
Archaeologists excavating the Azokh cave in Artsah, Nagorno-Karabakh, discovered unique artefacts from different periods, among them a tooth from a human who lived 7000 years ago.
Archaeologists discovered an Etruscan burial in Tuscany, central Italy dating back 2500 years. The ancient grave contained skeletal remains of an individual that was shackled upon burial.
Archaeologists continuing the excavations at the Denisova Cave in the Altai region of Russian Federation, discovered Palaeolithic jewellery made out of ostrich eggshells between 45000-50000 years ago.