Scientists have successfully extracted ancient human DNA from cave walls and rock art in Spain and Portugal, a first that could identify prehistoric artists. The DNA, found in calcite crusts and pigment shavings, offers potential insights into sex, ancestry, and individual creation of art.
Scientists have successfully recovered ancient human DNA from cave walls and rock art in Spain and Portugal, a first-time achievement detailed in Nature Communications. This breakthrough allows researchers to study the people who created prehistoric paintings, potentially revealing their sex, ancestry, and even identifying individual artists.
A new study proposes that the ancient Seahenge timber circle, discovered in Norfolk, England, was built around 2049 BC as a ritualistic attempt to combat a prolonged period of cold weather and "extend summer," rather than serving as a burial site or memorial.
Archaeologists in southern Spain discovered a 5,000-year-old Copper Age fortress, which later served as the burial site for a Roman-era man, found with a military dagger. The unexpected reuse of the abandoned hilltop enclosure highlights distinct historical periods.
Tim Haines' new docuseries, Surviving Earth, uses CGI to explore eight mass extinction events over 450 million years, focusing on life's resilience and evolution in response to drastic environmental changes.
SCMP highlights recent science reporting, including a Chinese archaeologist pleading guilty to corruption over a 5,000-year-old city discovery and doubts surrounding Elon Musk's Starship project.
Markings in a Derbyshire cave have been confirmed as Britain's oldest prehistoric art, dating back 13,000-15,000 years. The discovery at Creswell Crags offers insight into the creative expression of Ice Age hunter-gatherer communities.
Researchers are using modern technology to study prehistoric cave art, aiming to understand the techniques and motivations of early Homo sapiens painters. Experts like Diego Garate Maidagan are gaining access to sites like Altamira to investigate methods, while new projects test theories about widespread, now-faded artwork across Europe.
Rock art featuring 10 red horizontal stripes in a Welsh cave has been dated to at least 17,100 years ago, making it the oldest in Britain and northwestern Europe. Initially dismissed as natural, scientific dating confirmed human creation, potentially as a communication system.
May's science roundup features a potential prehistoric copper smelting site in the Pyrenees, a new species of tiny blue octopus from the Galapagos, insights into why cats prefer silver vine over catnip, and a study suggesting political polarization behaves like a phase transition.
Archaeologists have confirmed that 10 red stripes found in Wales' Bacon Hole cave are Britain's oldest prehistoric art, dating back at least 17,100 years. Initially dismissed as natural, scientific dating revealed human agency, making it the oldest in northwestern Europe.
Construction workers in Thornton, Colorado, discovered a fossil initially believed to be a Triceratops. Further analysis revealed it to be a much rarer Torosaurus, with paleontologists recovering 80% of the skull and 15% of the body.
Explorer Marc Delluc discovered Cussac Cave in France's Dordogne region, revealing Upper Palaeolithic art and an intact human skeleton. Radiocarbon dating suggests use 25,000-30,000 years ago, indicating it was a burial site and place of worship.
English Heritage has unveiled a £1m reconstruction of a 4,500-year-old Neolithic hall near Stonehenge. Built by over 100 volunteers using replica tools, the Kusuma Neolithic Hall aims to offer an immersive learning experience for schools and visitors.
Researchers have identified fossils of a giant prehistoric octopus, Nanaimoteuthis haggarti, that lived during the Cretaceous period 86-72 million years ago. The species reached 7-19m in length, making it one of the largest invertebrates ever recorded. Found in Japan and Vancouver Island, the fossils show wear on the creature's beak indicating it hunted large prey, supporting comparisons to the mythical kraken.
Scientists have identified ancient octopus fossils belonging to genus Nanaimoteuthis, particularly Nanaimoteuthis haggarti, which may have grown up to 19 meters (62 feet) long—longer than a bus and possibly the largest invertebrate ever recorded. Analysis of 27 fossilized beaks reveals these creatures were apex predators in Cretaceous oceans, using intelligence and crushing bite force to dominate marine ecosystems alongside mosasaurs and plesiosaurs.
Researchers using ancient DNA (sedaDNA) analysis have discovered that Doggerland, a sunken landscape beneath the North Sea, hosted lush temperate forests of oak, elm and hazel at least 16,000 years ago—thousands of years earlier than previously thought. The study published in PNAS analyzed 252 sediment samples from 41 marine cores and found DNA from Pterocarya (walnut family) species 400,000 years older than their known extinction date, indicating isolated microrefugia allowed species to persist far longer. The findings suggest Doggerland was a significant refuge for plants, animals and early humans during the last Ice Age, with some parts remaining habitable until 7,000 years ago.
Archaeologists have discovered a 'once-in-a-lifetime' prehistoric treasure trove in Wogan Cavern directly beneath 11th-century Pembroke Castle in Wales. Excavations between 2021-2024 revealed intact sediment layers containing stone tools and fossils of mammoths, woolly rhinoceroses, and a 120,000-year-old hippopotamus. The University of Aberdeen-led project, starting May 2026, will use ancient DNA analysis to map over 100,000 years of human occupation and climate change in Britain.
