TOPIC

Archaeology and palaeontology

Archaeology and palaeontology
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Archaeology and palaeontology. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
Fossils preserved in amber offer a unique opportunity to study soft structures, as objects stuck in the hardened tree resin remain trapped in time. Photo: AP/Science
Science

China’s scientists unlock secrets of how early birds conquered the skies

Analysis of feathers trapped in amber sheds new light on evolutionary path that led to early birds’ ability to fly.

videocam
6
Science

China boosts Southeast Asian populations overlooked in Human Genome Project

videocam
Science

Chinese team traces ‘ghost ancestors’ of modern Tibetans to Yunnan province

Wellness

How dinosaur fossils could help fill in cancer’s molecular ‘jigsaw’

It’s not quite Jurassic Park but scientists studying a fossil with a tumour say such research could influence future human cancer treatments.

A T-Rex and a Spinosaurus square up in a still from Jurassic Park 3. A new study raises the possibility that dinosaurs could be used to study ancient tumours, helping to fill in the “jigsaw” of cancer’s molecular building blocks.
Egypt

Egyptian archaeologists discover 3 tombs of prominent statesmen in Luxor

Discovery comes in the lead-up to the highly anticipated full opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum.

Science

Genes whisper ancient tales of longest human migration out of Asia

DNA analysis helps researchers unlock mysteries of indigenous groups who crossed prehistoric land bridge to western hemisphere.

videocam
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Science

Could dinosaurs walk on massive glaciers? Oyster fossil offers clue

‘Reductions in Arctic and Antarctic ice are expected to continue, potentially leading to completely ice-free polar regions’: paper.

videocam
Scientists found that 133 million years ago winter sea temperatures in the mid-latitudes of the southern hemisphere were 10-15 degrees colder than summer temperatures. Photo: AFP
Science

A fiery conquest in 112BC may have led to decline of the Chinese swamp cypress

Han military campaign toppled the rebel Nanyue kingdom but also decimated vast stands of cypress, study finds.

videocam
From our archives

When the Terracotta Army came to Hong Kong

A historic exhibition showcases artefacts from the Shang and Qin dynasties, drawing over a quarter million visitors.

Science

Denisovans first discovered in Russia reached Taiwan Strait, fossil suggests

The discovery of archaic human jawbone shatters assumptions about the geographic limits of the Denisova hominin.

videocam
An illustration provided by researchers depicts a Denisovan male in Taiwan in the Pleistocene era. Illustration: Cheng-Han Sun via AP
Science

Chinese basin may have been a refuge in largest extinction. Do we need another?

Researchers say Turpan-Hami Basin in Xinjiang hosted diverse plant life throughout end-Permian mass extinction 252 million years ago.

videocam
An artist’s reconstruction of the South Taodonggou section of the Turpan-Hami Basin before the mass extinction. Image: Yang Dinghua
Science

Skull fragments found in Spain point to previously unknown ancient humans

Scientists say bones could be from the earliest human face of Western Europe.

Science

Scientists take first step to bringing back mammoth by creating ‘woolly mouse’

US start-up Colossal Biosciences says it is on track to produce a woolly mammoth calf born to a surrogate elephant mother by late 2028.

US-China relations

US hands over 41 cultural relics to China under deal to return looted artefacts

Items seized in New York include pottery, jade, bronze and Tibetan Buddhist art, some dating back thousands of years.

16
Nearly 600 artefacts have been returned to China from the US since 2019, when the countries signed a deal on the repatriation of missing relics. Photo: CCTV
Natural disasters

Mount Vesuvius eruption turned man’s brain into glass. Here’s how it happened

The disaster that obliterated two cities also created the intense heat and rapid cooling behind the one-of-a-kind transformation.

A fragment of organic glass was found inside the skull of a man killed in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Photo: Pier Paolo Petrone via Reuters
Egypt

Egypt announces first discovery of pharaoh’s tomb in over 100 years

Archaeologists uncover Thutmose II’s tomb near Luxor, marking Egypt’s first royal tomb discovery since Tutankhamun’s in 1922.

History

Archaeologists unearth remains of Roman basilica at new London skyscraper site

‘Significant’ discovery provides a glimpse into early Roman London and its governance.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Wellness

How ancient bones reveal secrets to old diseases such as plague

Anthropologist Alice Roberts describes how secrets of diseases can be uncovered from old skeletons building workers and archaeologists find.

videocam
Palaeopathologist Alice Roberts at an excavation of an Anglo-Saxon cemetery in southeast England. Photo: facebook.com/ProfessorAliceRoberts
Science

Where did the first dinosaurs evolve? Scientists have an answer

Dinosaurs likely originated in a locale that spans the modern-day Sahara desert and Amazon rainforest regions, study suggests.

videocam
History

Like a giant jigsaw puzzle, Iraq’s historic treasures become whole again

Archaeologists are painstakingly putting together artefacts at Nimrud shattered by Islamic State jihadists, undaunted by the colossal task.

Britain

‘Dinosaur highway’ tracks dating back 166 million years discovered in England

Hundreds of dinosaur footprints found in UK quarry offer a glimpse into the lives of Jurassic giants like Cetiosaurus and Megalosaurus.

Dinosaur footprints found at Dewars Farm Quarry in Oxfordshire, England. Photo: University Of Birmingham via dpa
Science

Did a wet climate give rise to China’s first empires over 2,000 years ago?

Researchers find rainy, humid climate in ancient north China contributed to agricultural boom and prosperity of Qin and Han dynasties.

Northwest China once had a much wetter climate than today, according to an analysis of pine tree trunks found in an ancient Han dynasty tomb near Baiyin city in Gansu province, shown here. Photo: Qin Chun
Science

‘Out of Africa’? Not so, says Chinese scientist challenging evolutionary theory

Evolutionary biologist Huang Shi argues that lack of genetic diversity among East Asians suggests they are real ancestors of modern humans.

videocam
38
History

Should museums return antiquities to their countries of origin? Some say no

New fronts have opened up in the war of cultural restitution, raising complex ethical and legal questions as some argue against museums returning foreign artefacts.

United States

New York man finds mastodon jaw while gardening in backyard

Mastodons, which were distant cousins of mammoths and modern-day elephants, went extinct around 13,000 years ago.

The well-preserved mastodon jaw. Photo: New York State Museum via AP
Auctions

Ancient stone tablet engraved with Ten Commandments sells for US$5 million

The high figure was notched despite questions around the slab’s authenticity, with some experts expressing doubts about its origins.

Sotheby’s workers hold what is said to be the oldest known inscribed stone tablet of the Ten Commandments during a press preview in New York on December 9. Photo: AFP
Science

Mysterious terracotta commander offers clues to China’s ancient Qin dynasty army

Rare statue of high-ranking officer is helping archeologists piece together military structure of the first empire in China.

videocam
Hong Kong society

30 more rocks containing dinosaur fossils found on Hong Kong’s Port Island

Remote island will reopen to public on Thursday, but visitors warned against exploring area on their own due to safety concerns.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.
SUPPORT NOW
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement