Name diversity sheds light on ancient societies
Peer-Reviewed Publication
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 19-Oct-2025 06:11 ET (19-Oct-2025 10:11 GMT/UTC)
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.
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.
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.
Researchers have examined a mummy from a small Austrian village and found a mix of unusual materials has been used to preserve the body. Stuffed with twigs, wood chips, and treated with zinc chloride, the mummy’s torso showed little signs of decay. It is the first report on this embalming method. Further sophisticated examination also allowed the team to identify the mummy as a local parish vicar who lived in the region around 300 years ago.