Paranthropus boisei may be nicknamed “Nutcracker Man” for its huge jaws, massive chewing muscles, and flat teeth with thick enamel, but a new examination of its tooth wear suggests that the creature preferred soft fruits. “This study and other recent studies are suggesting that perhaps we didn’t know nearly as much about the diets of early hominids as we thought we did,” said Matt Sponheimer of the University of Colorado at Boulder.

The 90 Romans uncovered in southwestern England may have died of smallpox in the second century A.D. “The skeletons of adult males, females, and children were lying in a very haphazard fashion, their bones completely entangled, reflecting the fact that they had been dumped, unceremoniously, in a hurried manner,” said Louise Loe of Oxford Archaeology.  

A ship dating to the late fifteenth or early sixteenth century was discovered in Namibia’s “Forbidden Zone,” behind a sea wall. The ship was carrying six bronze cannons, Spanish and Portuguese gold coins, tons of copper, weapons, tableware, and more than 50 elephant tusks. The ship was found by geologists working for De Beers, the diamond mining company.  

German police seized Maya, Aztec, and Inca artifacts in a Munich warehouse. They had been brought from Spain by an art collector who was not able to produce an export permit upon request.  

Here’s an article on taking a “citizen science” vacation on an archaeological or paleontological dig.   Several students tell of their experiences at field school in this article, in case you’re wondering if a dig vacation is for you.

This entry was posted by Jessica E. Saraceni on Wednesday, April 30, 2008. Discussion of this blog entry is now closed.

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