Articles by Sandee Oster
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 ...
Science X / Kakapel rock art traces millennia of painters in Kenya
A recent study published in Azania: Archaeological Research in Africa presents the first millimeter-accurate recording of the paintings at Kakapel rock shelter in Kenya, linking the layers of rock art painted over thousands ...
Phys.org / First archaeological case of cleft lip identified in China reveals inclusive care in Qing dynasty community
Orofacial clefts (OC; cleft lips and/or palates) require intense care immediately after birth and can lead to lifelong difficulties with eating and speaking, leading to social marginalization, stigmatization, and exclusion. ...
Phys.org / First physical evidence of Peruvian Hairless Dogs at Wari site uncovered in Peru
A study published in the Journal of Anthropological Archaeology combined zooarchaeology with multi-isotopic analysis to reveal the diverse life histories of ancient dogs in the Wari Empire (ca. 600–1050 CE). Not only has ...
Phys.org / Revived Nubian royal robes shed light on prestige and authority in a lost Christian kingdom
A recent archaeological project has physically reconstructed the ceremonial dress of medieval Nubian royalty and clergy, offering a rare glimpse into how clothing shaped and communicated authority in Christian Nubia. The ...
Phys.org / Extinct ice age giants in Bender's Cave challenge existing climate records for the Edwards Plateau
A recent study by Dr. John Moretti of the University of Texas and local caver John Young uncovered the remains of Ice Age megafauna, revealing an entirely new ecosystem that once thrived on the Edwards Plateau. Among the ...
Phys.org / Archaeological survey at Gnith reveals new details about pearl millet's westward expansion
A study published in Azania: Archaeological Research in Africa sheds new light on the westward spread of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) agriculture in prehistoric West Africa. A recent survey documented its earliest known ...
Phys.org / Unique double baptistery and mysterious marble block uncovered at Byzantine cathedral in Israel
In a new article published in the Palestine Exploration Quarterly, researchers Dr. Michael Eisenberg and Dr. Arleta Kowalewska describe a recently excavated Byzantine-period cathedral at Hippos. Archaeologists revealed a ...
Phys.org / New evidence challenges assumptions of mass feasting at ancient Mongolian burial mounds
Khirigsuurs are Late Bronze Age monuments found across Mongolia and parts of southern Siberia. They are typically thought to be burial monuments or ritual spaces, consisting of a burial mound surrounded by satellite features ...
Phys.org / Ancient predator species discovered in South Africa challenges what we know about gorgonopsians
In a study published in The Anatomical Record, researchers have identified a new species of large-bodied gorgonopsian from the middle Permian. The discovery pushed back the known origins of when these apex predators began ...
Phys.org / Scandinavia's largest 'burial mound' may be a monument to catastrophe, not a king
New LiDAR analysis suggests Raknehaugen may have been built in response to a devastating landslide, not to honor a high-status individual. The study by Lars Gustavsen, published in the European Journal of Archaeology, challenges ...
Phys.org / China's earliest Bronze Age meteoritic iron artifact unearthed at Sanxingdui sacrificial site
In a study published in Archaeological Research in Asia, Dr. Haichao Li and a team of researchers analyzed the earliest Bronze Age meteoritic iron artifact from southwestern China, the largest found to date in the country. ...
Phys.org / Ancient sling bullet delivers a 2,100-year-old taunt: 'Learn your lesson!'
For millennia, sling bullets served as a hand-thrown projectile that could be used to fend off enemies. At Hippos, 70 sling bullets made of lead have been recovered over the course of fieldwork and excavation. However, while ...
Phys.org / The Yamna reused sacred spaces in the north Pontic Steppe, study suggests
According to an article published in Antiquity by Dr. Svitlana Ivanova and her colleagues, the Yamna culture's repurposing of older ritual spaces reflects a deliberate appropriation and continuation of sacred spaces. A case ...
