New study finds that ancient hominins nearly 800,000 years ago deliberately selected specific basalt sources for different stages of tool production rather than simply using whatever stone was available nearby. By tracing the geochemical “fingerprints” of stone tools to both exposed and now-buried basalt flows, the researchers demonstrated that these hominins possessed detailed environmental knowledge, advanced planning abilities, and long-term technological traditions that were maintained and repeated across generations.

Research conducted by a PhD candidate under a joint supervision agreement with the University of Salerno has revealed that the 43 helmets recovered off the coast of Benicarló were not Roman in origin, but formed part of a Late Medieval military cargo.

The first large-sized bovines grew to up to half a ton 4 million years ago in the European Early Pliocene, an early step toward our modern diversity of large-bodied buffalo and cattle, according to a study published June 3, 2026 in the open access journal PLOS One by Leonardo Sorbelli of the Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Germany, and colleagues.

News on the woolly mammoth from Taimering (Bavaria, Germany): The mammoth, discovered in 2020, was buried in a former Ice Age pond after its death. Pollen findings and radiocarbon dating confirm that the mammoth lived and died during the harsh conditions of the Last Glacial Maximum. Cut marks on several ribs suggest that Palaeolithic humans tampered with the carcass. An interdisciplinary research team initiated by SNSB palaeontologist Gertrud Rößner and FAU geographer Christoph Mayr is now presenting the results of its scientific investigations in the Journal of Archaeological Science.

Using a variety of samples and methods, the researchers were able to differentiate which microorganisms were already present in the body during his lifetime and which only colonized it after his death – both during the time in the glacier and over three decades of preservation. In samples of internal tissue, the researchers were able to detect genetic material from bacteria belonging to Ötzi’s original gut flora. A surprising finding is the presence of cold-adapted yeast species, likely originating from the glacial environment, that have persisted on Ötzi’s body to the present day. These cold-tolerant yeasts may also hold potential for industrial applications. The study was published in the reputable Microbiome journal.

As cities expand underground through new roads, housing, tunnels, and infrastructure, huge volumes of soil are dug up, moved, and often left exposed at construction or storage sites. A new study published in Biochar suggests that these excavated soils may carry a largely overlooked climate cost.

Well-preserved archaeological bone samples have different microbial communities than heavily degraded bone samples, providing a new understanding of how microbes contribute to bone degradation, according to a study published May 27, 2026 in the open-access journal PLOS One by Damla Kaptan from the University of Stavanger, Norway, and colleagues. This study combines detailed analyses of archaeological bone degradation with analyses of microbiome diversity, providing new insights into how microbes may contribute to long-term bone preservation and decay.

Long-distance migration along Peru’s Pacific coast began at least 800 years ago, centuries before the rise of the Inca Empire and much earlier than previously thought, a new international study reveals. 

Climate change is rapidly destroying cultural heritage sites across the Arctic, as exemplified in a 17^th century “whalers’ graveyard” which provides invaluable insights into early whalers’ way of life, according to a study published May 20, 2026 in the open-access journal PLOS One by Lise Loktu of the Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research and Elin Therese Brødholt of Oslo University Hospital, Norway.