Stone

By Michael Marshall These cremated bones are 9000 years oldBocquentin et al, 2020 (PLOS ONE, CC BY) Stone Age people were cremating their dead in fire pits about 9000 years ago, in what is now Israel. The development of cremation may have been linked to a shift in their religious beliefs, away from worship of…

File photo: The N2 in Cape Town has been reopened following protest action. The N2 in Cape Town has been reopened following stone throwing and protest action at points between the R300 and Baden Powell Drive interchanges on Friday, traffic officials confirmed.According to the City of Cape Town Traffic services, the lanes were closed due…

By Michael Marshall The potential flint figurinesKharaysin archaeological team More than 100 distinctive flint artefacts from a Stone Age village in Jordan may be figurines of people used in funeral rituals, according to a team of archaeologists. However, other researchers aren’t convinced that the objects represent people at all. Since 2014, Juan José Ibáñez at…

By Michael Le Page Newgrange passage tombStephen Emerson / Alamy A man buried at the heart of the 5000-year-old Newgrange passage tomb in Ireland was born from an incestuous union, DNA sequencing has revealed. The discovery suggests that the ruling elite in Stone Age Ireland married within their family, like some ancient Egyptian dynasties. Daniel…