Denisovan Skull
Hebei GEO University
The groundbreaking discovery in 2010 of a 40,000-year-old finger bone led to the identification of the Denisovans, an archaic human species, named after the Siberian cave where it was found. Recently, DNA analysis from a 146,000-year-old skull unearthed in China has shed light on their appearance. Findings indicate that Denisovans had facial structures akin to modern humans, yet featured unique traits such as pronounced eyebrow ridges.
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<img class="Image" alt="Anglo-Saxon Burial Site" width="1350" height="826" src="https://images.newscientist.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/03134223/SEI_274338500.jpg" srcset="https://images.newscientist.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/03134223/SEI_274338500.jpg?width=300 300w, https://images.newscientist.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/03134223/SEI_274338500.jpg?width=400 400w" sizes="(min-width: 1288px) 837px, (min-width: 1024px) calc(57.5vw + 55px), (min-width: 415px) calc(100vw - 40px), calc(70vw + 74px)" loading="lazy" data-image-context="Article" data-image-id="2506940" data-caption="A woman and baby buried at an Anglo-Saxon cemetery in Scremby, UK" data-credit="Dr. Hugh Willmott, University of Sheffield"/>
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<p class="ArticleImageCaption__Title">Anglo-Saxon Burial in Scremby</p>
<p class="ArticleImageCaption__Credit">Dr. Hugh Willmott, University of Sheffield</p>
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<p>This poignant image reveals a tragic story: the woman buried in this Anglo-Saxon cemetery was likely in childbirth when she passed away. Dating back to the 5th or 6th century, she was interred in elaborate attire. Discovered by metal detectors in 2018, the excavation of the Screnby cemetery is now providing essential insights into ancient burial practices. Current research at the University of Sheffield aims to analyze the skeletal remains, seeking hormonal evidence of pregnancy at the time of death.</p>
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<img class="Image" alt="Ancient Hunter's Toolkit" width="1350" height="900" src="https://images.newscientist.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/03134522/SEI_266340196.jpg" srcset="https://images.newscientist.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/03134522/SEI_266340196.jpg?width=300 300w, https://images.newscientist.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/03134522/SEI_266340196.jpg?width=400 400w" sizes="(min-width: 1288px) 837px, (min-width: 1024px) calc(57.5vw + 55px), (min-width: 415px) calc(100vw - 40px), calc(70vw + 74px)" loading="lazy" data-image-context="Article" data-image-id="2506941" data-caption="An ancient hunter's toolkit" data-credit="Martin Novák"/>
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<p class="ArticleImageCaption__Title">Ancient Hunter's Toolkit</p>
<p class="ArticleImageCaption__Credit">Martin Novák</p>
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<p>This intriguing pile of sand and stones represents an ancient toolkit once stored in a leather bag, left behind at a hunting campsite in the Pavlovske Vrchy Hills of the Czech Republic around 30,000 years ago. It comprises an array of tools, from spear and arrow tips to utensils for processing meat and wood. Some tools were refurbished from older artifacts, suggesting they were intended for extended expeditions in resource-scarce environments.</p>
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<img class="Image" alt="Ancient Human Remains" width="1350" height="900" src="https://images.newscientist.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/03134545/SEI_265721265.jpg" srcset="https://images.newscientist.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/03134545/SEI_265721265.jpg?width=300 300w, https://images.newscientist.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/03134545/SEI_265721265.jpg?width=400 400w" sizes="(min-width: 1288px) 837px, (min-width: 1024px) calc(57.5vw + 55px), (min-width: 415px) calc(100vw - 40px), calc(70vw + 74px)" loading="lazy" data-image-context="Article" data-image-id="2506943" data-caption="The remains of a man excavated from Huiyaotian in Guangxi, China, dated to more than 9,000 years ago" data-credit="Yousuke Kaifu and Hirofumi Matsumura"/>
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<p class="ArticleImageCaption__Title">9000-Year-Old Human Remains</p>
<p class="ArticleImageCaption__Credit">Yousuke Kaifu, Hirofumi Matsumura</p>
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<p>Wouldn’t you want to support your family even after passing? This thought may inspire practices reminiscent of contemporary Indonesian customs, where mummified bodies are preserved in a crouched posture. Archaeological findings in southern China suggest that such practices might have been prevalent as far back as 9,000 years ago. Recent studies indicate that the slow smoking and mummification of bodies could have been common in Southeast Asia up until around 4,000 years ago.</p>
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<img class="Image" alt="Organic glass in skull" width="1350" height="900" src="https://images.newscientist.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/05101506/SEI_241673209.jpg" srcset="https://images.newscientist.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/05101506/SEI_241673209.jpg?width=300 300w, https://images.newscientist.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/05101506/SEI_241673209.jpg?width=400 400w" sizes="(min-width: 1288px) 837px, (min-width: 1024px) calc(57.5vw + 55px), (min-width: 415px) calc(100vw - 40px), calc(70vw + 74px)" loading="lazy" data-image-context="Article" data-image-id="2507245" data-caption="A fragment of organic glass found inside the skull of a man in Herculaneum" data-credit="Pier Paolo Petrone"/>
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<p class="ArticleImageCaption__Title">Organic Glass in Skull</p>
<p class="ArticleImageCaption__Credit">Pier Paolo Petrone</p>
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<p>This seemingly abstract artifact is actually the brain of a man from Herculaneum, who lived during the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius roughly 2,000 years ago. The brain was heated to 500 degrees Celsius and then rapidly cooled into a glass-like state. Despite the explosive incident, some parts remain remarkably preserved, revealing a network of brain cells.</p>
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<img class="Image" alt="Ancient mummified hand" width="1350" height="901" src="https://images.newscientist.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/03134549/SEI_274338457.jpg" srcset="https://images.newscientist.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/03134549/SEI_274338457.jpg?width=300 300w, https://images.newscientist.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/03134549/SEI_274338457.jpg?width=400 400w" sizes="(min-width: 1288px) 837px, (min-width: 1024px) calc(57.5vw + 55px), (min-width: 415px) calc(100vw - 40px), calc(70vw + 74px)" loading="lazy" data-image-context="Article" data-image-id="2506944" data-caption="A 1200-year-old mummified hand featuring tattoos" data-credit="Michael Pittman and Thomas G Kaye"/>
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<p class="ArticleImageCaption__Title">1200-Year-Old Mummified Hand</p>
<p class="ArticleImageCaption__Credit">Michael Pittman and Thomas G. Kaye</p>
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<p>The striking mummified hand belonged to the Chancay civilization of Peru, dating back approximately 1,200 years. Discovered in 1981 in Peru's Huaura Valley, the hand showcases intricate tattoo designs, which are characteristic of Chancay mummies. Recent studies using laser-stimulated fluorescence have brought new insights into these tattoo details, though some researchers have raised concerns about the accuracy of these findings.</p>
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