Stone tools uncovered in Oman suggest that Homo sapiens arrived in Arabia tens of thousands of years earlier than previously thought. Optically stimulated luminescence dates indicate the tools, which resemble those made in northeast Africa, are roughly 106,000 years old. Scientists think that early modern humans from Africa may have traveled across the Red Sea to reach their destination.

Italy’s Restorers Association claims that the country’s monuments, including the Colosseum, could be damaged by inexperienced construction companies hired to do restoration work.

An archaeological excavation prior to subway construction in Munich has revealed a wealth of artifacts in an area that was heavily bombed during World War II. A city library, a medieval synagogue, and a structure that served as a nineteenth century luxury hotel before it became a Nazi government building are among the features.

An interdisciplinary investigation of the transatlantic slave trade gets underway today. An international team of geneticists, archaeologists, and historians want to know the origins of the people sold into slavery and how the slave trade operated. “I think it’s going to be a very uncomfortable project. It’s going to come out with some things that people don’t want to hear, but that’s one of the things that’s interesting about it,” said bioarchaeologist Matthew Collins of the University of York.

A skeleton estimated to be several hundred years old was unearthed in New Hampshire during a construction project. State archaeologist Richard Boisvert says the bones are American Indian.

This entry was posted by Jessica E. Saraceni on Thursday, December 1, 2011. Discussion of this blog entry is now closed.

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