An investigation into Viking skeletons reveals a hidden story of violence, power, and the surprising differences between neighbouring Viking societies.

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A new study examines the acceleration of social-ecological changes in the first kingdom in Poland, the Piast dynasty, identifying the factors that contributed to its failure. Using new high-resolution pollen records, as well as historical and archaeological data, the study shows a period of rapid ecological change and wealth concentration, followed by a period of rewilding and the collapse of political structures. Using perspectives from complex systems theory, the authors argue that sustainable political systems require a balance between capital accumulation and social connectivity, and that a lack of social cohesion tipped the Piast state towards collapse.

In a paper published in SCIENCE CHINA Earth Sciences, a team of researchers employed systematic archaeobotanical flotation and AMS radiocarbon dating at two sites in Romania: Baia-În Muchie and Dobrovăț. It provides valuable data on the chronology of millet cultivation in the SW Eastern European Plain and enhances our understanding of early East-West exchanges and their impact on human-environment interactions in critical regions.

A new study reveals that the Neolithic Revolution in the southern Levant may have been triggered by catastrophic wildfires and climate-driven soil erosion. Using charcoal records, isotopic data, and sediment analysis, the research identifies a natural tipping point around 8,200 years ago that forced early communities to adopt agriculture. Fertile soils formed in valley basins after hillslope degradation became hotspots for settlement and farming. The findings challenge the idea of a purely cultural or anthropogenic transition, pointing instead to climate-induced environmental collapse as a driving force.