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.

Representatives from the Mohawk Nation and the International Tribunal into Crimes of Church and State claim that human bone fragments unearthed at the former Mohawk Institute in Ontario, Canada, are evidence of crimes. The Mohawk Institute had been a residential school for First Nations children who were forcibly removed from their homes. Forensic archaeologists from the U.S. and Europe are investigating.

In northeastern Iceland, human bones have been found buried in a turf wall, along with the bones of cats and other animals. “Remains of bones in a hole are not peculiar as such, it could, for example, have been a garbage hole,” said Unnsteinn Ingason of the science association at Laugar.

Fragments of two nineteenth-century whaling ships have been found in Western Australia.

A 64-year-old man could face jail time for destroying a ring fort and a series of tunnels on his property in County Kerry, Ireland, in order to fill in a pond. The ring fort and tunnel system had been listed on the national historic register. “He did a silly thing for what he thought were the right reasons,” said his barrister.

An American woman has reportedly returned 11 mosaic tiles to the Hagia Sophia Museum in Istanbul. She was given the tiles while touring the museum in 1956.

Students from the University of Kentucky have formed a club where they can practice throwing darts at targets using atlatls. “The hands-on archeology is the most fulfilling part,” said club member Lisa Jagoda.

UNESCO will advise the Italian government on the conservation of Pompeii. Italy will finance the restoration, with the help of 105 million euros contributed by the European Union.