Latest news with #MiddleStoneAge
Miami Herald
13-06-2025
- Science
- Miami Herald
First-of-their-kind ancient homes found in China and three more discoveries
The summaries below were drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All linked stories were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists. Throughout history, cultures have left behind a trail of breadcrumbs for archaeologists to follow. New sites and artifacts are found all the time, revealing forgotten secrets of the past. Here are some of the latest discoveries: 5,000-year-old homes — a first-of-their-kind find — unearthed in China. See them In Xianyang, China, archaeologists uncovered the remains of ancient homes dating back to the Yangshao period, around 5,000 years ago. The excavation revealed 19 house foundations with unique circular designs, showcasing various room configurations, including single, double, and multi-room constructions. This discovery offers a glimpse into the daily lives and architectural practices of the Yangshao people. | Published June 5 | Read More | Massive pits may actually be 'rare' 4,200-year-old ritual holes in UK. See them At the site of a future nuclear facility in the United Kingdom, researchers found hundreds of pits dating back to the Neolithic period, between 4,200 and 6,000 years ago. These pits, filled with pottery, flint pieces and animal bones, may have served ritual purposes rather than just domestic activities. | Published June 9 | Read More | Hobbyists dig up 4,500-year-old blade, lead archaeologists to sensational find In northwestern Germany, amateur archaeologists discovered a 4,500-year-old flint blade fragment, prompting further investigation by professionals. This led to the discovery of an even older artifact related to the Middle Stone Age, dating between 9650 and 4900 B.C. The finds offer valuable insights into the region's ancient history, despite the challenging soil conditions for preservation. | Published June 10 | Read More | 16th-century shipwreck found — accidentally — at record depth in French waters During a military operation, France's navy discovered a 16th-century shipwreck, named Camarat 4, at a depth of about 8,200 feet near Saint-Tropez. The wreck, believed to be a merchant ship, contained hundreds of ceramic items, some monogrammed with 'IHS,' indicating a possible origin from northern Italy. The depth of the wreck has helped preserve the artifacts, providing a unique snapshot of maritime history. | Published June 12 | Read More | McClatchy News continues to follow the discovery of intriguing archaeological discoveries from around the globe. Check back to see the latest finds.
Miami Herald
10-06-2025
- Science
- Miami Herald
Hobbyists dig up 4,500-year-old blade, lead archaeologists to sensational find
A group of amateur archaeologists made a surprising Neolithic discovery at a construction site in northwestern Germany that stunned even professionals. They had unearthed a 4,500-year-old flint blade fragment — a rare Stone Age find — in the Kernmünsterland region, along access roads to an area under development, according to a June 10 news release from the Regional Association of Westphalia-Lippe. Flint blades, or knives, were ancient cutting tools made from flint stones, according to Cotswold Archaeology. Experts said the heavy clay soils in the Kernmünsterland are not ideal for artifact preservation, and as a result, they have discovered hardly any Stone Age sites in the region. When staff of the Archaeology Center for Westphalia were shown the find, they decided to investigate the site themselves, according to the release. While conducting their own search, they found an even older artifact associated with the creation of small arrowheads dated to the Middle Stone Age between 9650 and 4900 B.C., officials said, calling it a sensational discovery. Experts said the layer of soil where the artifacts were discovered has been severely disturbed by years of cultivation, making a full-scale excavation of the site unnecessary. Officials said they expect to find more individual artifacts that could shed light on the ancient history of the region. The Regional Association of Westphalia-Lippe Archaeology Department is now monitoring the construction project, according to the release. Google Translate was used to translate the news release from the Regional Association of Westphalia-Lippe.
Rudaw Net
18-05-2025
- Science
- Rudaw Net
Stone Age footprints discovered in Soran
Also in Kurdistan Kurdistan Region governors to visit Sanandaj for economy talks Duhok mother dies after alleged blood transfusion error PM Barzani arrives in Washington for energy talks Solar power on the rise in Sulaimani with private users, new plant A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Human footprints dating back to the Stone Age have been discovered in the Soran district of Erbil province, a local expert said on Friday. 'We have discovered several archaeological remains dating back to the late Old Stone Age and the beginning of the Middle Stone Age,' Abdulwahab Sulaiman, head of the Soran independent administration's archaeological department, told Rudaw. The archaeological layers, according to Sulaiman, had been lost for over half a century after being first discovered by foreign archaeologists in 1951. 'After that, no other traces were found until we discovered these layers at the foot of Plngan Mountain, and they are the footprints of humans from that era,' he said. A five-year contract signed with the Autonomous University of Barcelona has resulted in the discovery of 'several important archaeological sites,' Sulaiman said. Approximately 1,200 archaeological sites are registered in the Soran Independent Administration, according to statistics provided by Sulaiman. The Kurdistan Region is home to a wealth of archaeological sites, ancient cities, and religious landmarks that bear witness to thousands of years of continued civilization. These include remnants from the Sumerian and Assyrian eras as well as Neanderthals.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Carved wood dating back 6,000 years goes on display
A piece of decoratively carved wood experts believe is the oldest ever found in Britain has gone on display. The 6,000-year-old piece of oak, found in Boxford, Berkshire, was only the second wood carving to be discovered from the Mesolithic period in the country. It was found by chance in peat about 1.5m (5ft) below ground as a workshop was being built by landowner Derek Fawcett in 2019. He contacted West Berkshire Council's archaeologists, who passed it onto Historic England, which conserved it and carried out age analysis before it was displayed at West Berkshire Museum in Newbury. Experts could not use dendrochronology - more commonly known as tree-ring dating - to find a match in the wood but were able to take radiocarbon measurements from two single annual tree rings. They found there was a 95% probability that the final ring formed in the wood dates back to 4640 BC to 4605 BC, during the Mesolithic period or the Middle Stone Age. The timber was preserved in peat at the bottom of a trench that had been dug for foundations for a workshop [Historic England] At that time, people were tending to live a more settled lifestyle and moving away from hunting and gathering. The Berkshire wood is 2,000 years older than Stonehenge and 500 years older than the other known piece of carved Mesolithic timber, which was found near Maerdy in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, in 2012. The meanings behind the markings on the wood are not known but they are reminiscent of the decoration seen in early Neolithic pottery. "We are absolutely delighted to be installing this incredible artefact," Marie-Louise Kerr, the museum's curator, said. "It might not look like very much when you first see it but…it's something that was made by the people of West Berkshire 6,000 years ago." The wood is now slightly smaller than when it was found after tests and was conserved with a waxy material called polyethylene glycol, followed by freeze-drying. The council said it was working with the Boxford Heritage Centre over the possibility of putting the wood on display there in the future. You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram. More on this story Related internet links
South China Morning Post
08-04-2025
- Science
- South China Morning Post
China was home to Neanderthals, not just Europe or Middle East, Stone Age find suggests
Neanderthals might have lived in today's southwestern China during the Middle Stone Age, newly discovered tools similar to those previously found only in Europe and the Middle East suggest. Advertisement An international scientific team unearthed some 3,500 stone artefacts at a site in Yunnan province, and dated them to between 60,000 and 50,000 years old. Some stone tools showed key features of Quina technology – a tradition associated with Neanderthals living in cold, arid European environments around 70,000 to 40,000 years ago. The team of archaeologists, based in Australia, China, France, Italy, Spain and the United States, published their findings last week in the peer-reviewed journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. The Middle Paleolithic, or Middle Stone Age, which lasted from around 300,000 to 40,000 years ago, was a critical period in human evolution. In Africa, it was closely associated with the origin and evolution of early modern humans, while in Eurasia, it was linked to the development of different archaic human groups, such as the Neanderthals and Denisovans, the team said in contextualising its findings. Advertisement It was previously believed that early hominids in China showed slow technological development, particularly in adopting Middle Paleolithic advancements. But the new discoveries might change this idea, according to the paper.
