Team confirms earliest evidence of humans in the Americas

A study confirms 2021 findings regarding the earliest evidence of humans in the Americas—about 10,000 years earlier than previously thought.

Kyle Mittan-U. Arizona • futurity
June 20, 2025 ~7 min

Leaders used psychedelics to enforce class in the ancient Andes

"Taking psychoactives was not just about seeing visions. It was part of a tightly controlled ritual, likely reserved for a select few..."

Eric Hamilton-Florida • futurity
May 20, 2025 ~6 min


When the sky went dark, ancient Europeans sacrificed ‘sun stones’

Ritual sacrifices of "sun stones" coincided with a large volcanic eruption that made the sun disappear throughout Northern Europe, research finds.

U. Copenhagen • futurity
Jan. 23, 2025 ~8 min

Clay cylinders upend the origin story of the alphabet

Archaeological findings suggest alphabetic writing may be some 500 years older than other discoveries.

Johns Hopkins University • futurity
Nov. 25, 2024 ~4 min

Prehistoric comet blast helps date stone artifacts

A fragmented comet thought to have smashed into the Earth's atmosphere almost 13 millennia ago is helping archaeologists date stone tools.

Sonia Fernandez-UCSB • futurity
Feb. 9, 2024 ~7 min

Maya tomb reveals royal treasures of an ancient king

A Maya tomb dating back 1,700 years holds funeral offerings, including writings carved on human bones and a jade mask.

Stacey Plaisance-Tulane • futurity
Feb. 6, 2024 ~5 min

Tibetan Plateau ‘social network’ goes back to the Bronze Age

Prehistoric mobility among farmers and herders played major roles in the economy on the Tibetan Plateau, often called the "roof of the world."

Sara Savat-WUSTL • futurity
Feb. 5, 2024 ~6 min

When did archery in the Americas begin?

People in the Americas started to use bow and arrows about 5,000 years ago, coinciding with the growth of exchange networks and when people live in villages

Karen Nikos-UC Davis • futurity
Dec. 21, 2023 ~6 min


War is destroying Ukraine’s cultural heritage

The war in Ukraine is destroying the country's cultural heritage on a scale not seen since World War II, according to new research.

Tracy DeStazio-Notre Dame • futurity
Dec. 19, 2023 ~8 min

Team finds earliest evidence of domestic yak

Researchers report the oldest record by far of domestic yak, dating back 2,500 years on the Tibetan Plateau.

Talia Ogliore-WUSTL • futurity
Dec. 14, 2023 ~9 min

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