Articles by Sandee Oster
Phys.org / Ancient clay figurine from Guatemala may bear the oldest written numbers in Mesoamerica
A clay figurine, small enough to cradle in your hand, with 11 dots arranged in columns where its head should be, may depict the oldest known example of written numbers in Mesoamerica.
Phys.org / Charred Bronze Age teeth unlock age at death despite cremation
Over 3,000 years ago, the people of Bronze Age Poland burned their dead and placed their ashes in urns, often destroying the intimate records of their lives preserved in their bones. Now, researchers have shown that some ...
Phys.org / First deliberately injured Langobard woman in skeletal record reshapes view of male-only violence
The Langobards are frequently depicted as fierce warrior-like people, with all known archaeological evidence of violence restricted to men. However, nearly 1,400 years ago, a Langobard woman took two severe injuries to the ...
Phys.org / A kohl bottle from York may hint at an ancient Egyptian in Roman-Britain
Ancient Egyptians are often depicted wearing black eyeliner, known as kohl, which was stored in small containers. While kohl containers are typically found throughout Egypt and Sudan (Nubia), their presence beyond these areas ...
Phys.org / Inside Europe's largest Copper Age tomb, children's bones expose an ancient health crisis hidden for 5,000 years
Nearly 5,000 years ago, respiratory infections, possibly including tuberculosis, were ravaging the children buried at Camino del Molino (CMOL), Spain. The massive circular burial cave carved into rock is Europe's largest ...
Phys.org / Green stones buried with Panama's ancient chiefs confirmed as Colombian emeralds
More than 1,000 years ago, Panama elites were buried together with translucent green stones long suspected to be emeralds. However, scientific analysis confirming the suspicion has never been conducted. Now, scientists have ...
Science X / Black-and-gold howler monkey mummy from Argentina reveals possible shamanic role
Most nonhuman primate mummies originate from arid regions such as Egypt and northern Chile. However, a recent comprehensive report by Dr. Bernardo Urbani and his colleagues presents a primate mummy originating from subtropical ...
Phys.org / Portugal burial reveals first known bone dental bridge in national archaeological record
The first documented case of a fixed bone bridge unearthed in Portugal was presented in the International Journal of Osteoarchaeology by researchers Ms. Steffi Vassallo and her colleagues. The item is estimated to date to ...
Phys.org / Medieval teeth open a new perspective on leprosy care and toxic medicine
A recent study published in the Journal of Archaeological Science, led by Dr. Elena Fiorin and her colleagues investigated the potential use of mercury-based treatments for leprosy during the late medieval period. Typically, ...
Phys.org / Scurvy's skeletal fingerprint found in California's Late Holocene archaeological sites
A recent study published in the International Journal of Osteoarchaeology documented skeletal changes linked to scurvy in Late Holocene archaeological sites in California (500 BCE–1834 CE). The change observed shows the cascading ...
Phys.org / Northern Sri Lanka's oldest confirmed settlement reshapes what archaeologists thought about early island life
A study published in the Journal of Island and Coastal Archaeology has identified the earliest evidence of prehistoric occupation by island dwellers of northern Sri Lanka. Long thought to be unsuitable for human occupation ...
Phys.org / Buried in Arnhem Land, an ancient fire trick may rewrite early stone technology's timeline
A recent archaeological study has identified the earliest lithic heat treatment of chert in the world. Discovered in Australia, this discovery is nearly twice as old as any previously identified chert heat treatment in Eurasia. ...
Phys.org / 5th-century Belgian burial with 'scrap metal' may reveal missing link between Roman and Merovingian monetary systems
A study published in the journal Britannia analyzed coins and metal items found in an early 5th-century AD burial in Oudenburg, Belgium. The burial occurred around the same time that base metal coins ceased arriving in northwestern ...
Phys.org / Oldest burial in Patagonia reveals early human settlement along South America's Atlantic coast
The peopling of South America has long been debated, with various routes proposed for how they spread across the subcontinent. However, routes along the Atlantic coast were typically much younger than their Pacific counterparts, ...
Phys.org / Why did Clovis toolmakers choose difficult quartz crystal? New study offers clues
Quartz crystals are difficult to knap due to size, hardness, and crystalline structure, making them a "low-quality" raw material. However, the Clovis people of North America sometimes made points and other tools from this ...
