ArchaeoFeed

A Palaeolithic artefact, described as a “Venus figurine”, was discovered by archaeologists within the Obłazowa Cave, in Nowa Biała, South Poland. It is believed to be 15000 years old.

Archaeologists unearthed 171000-year-old tools attributed to the Neanderthals at Poggetti Vecchi, Grosseto, Central Italy. The findings provide evidence that the Neanderthals used fire to craft them.

Analysis of stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes in the bones of early humans from the Buran Kaya caves on the Crimean Peninsula, Russia-occupied Ukraine, and the locally present potential prey animals such as Saiga, horses, and deer, revealed that early modern humans consumed more plants than Neanderthals but ate very little fish.

Archaeologists examined a tooth found in the Denisova Cave,  Altai mountains, Russia, within deposits dating back to 126000-225000 BC revealing it belonged to remains of a fourth Denisovan individual – a species of extinct hominin – found at the site.

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.

Dating of Homo sapiens’ remains, discovered in an old mine in Jebel Irhoud, Morocco, revealed that they were about 300000 years old, challenging the belief that the species arose in a cradle of humankind in East Africa 200000 years ago.

A new technique developed by an international team allowed to trace the remains of groups of hominids in sediments even in caves or in strata which have no skeletal remains. the researchers analysed 85 samples of sediments from the Pleistocene, between 550000 and 14000 years ago, from eight Eurasian caves, including El Sidrón (Spain) and Denisova Cave (Russia).

Analysis of raven bones found in 2005 in Crimea rock shelter used by Neanderthals revealed that the bones were intentionally cut to create geometric patterns.

Archaeologists discovered a piece of split limestone excavated over 100 years ago in Krapina, northern Croatia, suggesting that a Neanderthal collected the rock due to the crystal inclusions on the surface and brought it to the cave, possibly motivated by curiosity or intrigued by it, 130000 years ago.

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.