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Archaeology

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 21-Jul-2025 10:11 ET (21-Jul-2025 14:11 GMT/UTC)

Study reveals vast Aztec trade networks behind ancient obsidian artifacts

Tulane University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers from Tulane University and the Proyecto Templo Mayor analyzed 788 obsidian artifacts from Tenochtitlan, revealing that the Mexica (Aztec) Empire sourced this important material from at least eight different locations, including regions outside their political control. While 90% of artifacts were made from green obsidian from Sierra de Pachuca (especially for ceremonial purposes), the diversity of obsidian sources suggests sophisticated trade networks rather than just conquest-based acquisition. The study tracked changes in obsidian use from 1375-1520 CE, showing how the Mexica standardized ritual obsidian sources after consolidating power around 1430 CE, providing insights into the empire's economic networks and political influence.

Journal: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Funder: Tulane’s Supporting Impactful Publications (SIP) Program

Name diversity sheds light on ancient societies

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new study has uncovered hidden social patterns in ancient Hebrew kingdoms by analyzing personal names from archaeological findings. Applying diversity statistics typically used in ecological studies, the researchers found that the Kingdom of Israel had a far more diverse onomastic (naming) landscape than Judah—indicating a more open, cosmopolitan society. Over time, name diversity in Judah declined, likely reflecting increasing religious centralization and sociopolitical control. This interdisciplinary approach opens new possibilities for studying ancient cultures using statistical methods usually reserved for the natural sciences.

Journal: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

World-famous Schöningen spears are 100,000 years younger than previously claimed, new research suggests

University of York
Peer-Reviewed Publication

According to an international study, the world-famous Schöningen spears, unearthed in Schöningen, Germany, are 100,000 years younger than previously thought and have now been revised to around 200,000 years-old.

Journal: Science Advances

Deciphering the mechanisms of environmental change from traces of extinction-level celestial impacts

Kyushu University

What caused the extinction of the dinosaurs? The first thing that might come to mind is a meteorite crashing into the Earth. Assistant Professor Honami Sato, a geology researcher at the Faculty of Science, searches for traces of celestial impacts in geological strata to decipher the mechanisms of environmental changes on the planet. We spoke with Sato about her methods of stratigraphic surveying and her fascination with geology.

Modern tech unlocks secrets of Bronze Age art

University of Cincinnati

A Classics researcher at the University of Cincinnati is using state-of-the-art technology to learn more about the mass production and placement of votives in ancient Greece.

Ancient Andes society used hallucinogens to strengthen social order

University of Florida
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Snuff tubes uncovered at Chavin de Huantar in Peru reveal how leaders used mystical experiences to cement their power.

Journal: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Innovative analytical strategy developed that could solve the mystery of when sheep shearing began

University of the Basque Country
Peer-Reviewed Publication

The MetaboloMips group applied experimental archaeology to find out whether lanolin (a wax usually found in wool) was present on prehistoric tools made of flint and obsidian as that would indicate that the humans of that time sheared their sheep, and thus reveal when textile making started. The analytical strategy developed by the EHU will enable degradation compounds of lanolin to be detected in archaeological samples.

Journal: Chemistry - Methods

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