Articles by Sandee Oster
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 ...
Phys.org / Researcher uncovers Zoroastrian 'ripples' in Jewish documents from ancient Egypt
In a study published in the journal Iran, researcher Gad Barnea has uncovered new evidence suggesting that Zoroastrian religious practices were more prevalent and left a deeper imprint on surrounding communities than previously ...
Phys.org / Ancient Filipino skeleton reveals a rare hip condition further complicated by scurvy
The growing paleopathological literature shows that scurvy was not a rare problem among people living in the ancient Asia-Pacific tropics. Scurvy is increasingly identified throughout the region, primarily in children but ...
Phys.org / Largest known Mesozoic crocodyliform egg clutch discovered in Brazil
In a study published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, researchers Dr. Giovanna M. X. Paixão and her colleagues analyzed the fossilized remains of three Upper Cretaceous egg clutches. One of these clutches, totaling ...
Phys.org / Brazilian fossil site yields smallest rhynchosaur fossil ever recorded
A study published in the Journal of Systematic Palaeontology describes the smallest rhynchosaur fossil ever recorded from the Brazilian Triassic, with the reconstructed skull only measuring around 2.5 cm (~1 inch). Additionally, ...
Phys.org / Arabic document from 17th-century rubbish heap confirms existence of semi-legendary Nubian king
A recent study published in Azania: Archaeological Research in Africa explores new historical evidence of one of pre-colonial Dongola's earliest rulers. Previously considered semi-legendary, the discovery of a document in ...
Phys.org / First plesiosaurian fossil discovered in Algeria fills a Cretaceous gap
In a study published in Historical Biology, Dr. Mohammed Naimi and his colleagues report the discovery of the first plesiosaurian remains from Algeria. Additionally, the fossil, dated to the Late Coniacian, is one of only ...
Phys.org / Ant queen frozen in time: New ant species found in Dominican amber
A study by Dr. Gianpiero Fiorentino and his colleagues, published in the Journal of Paleontology, describes the identification of a new species of ant, Hypoponera electrocacica, belonging to the genus Hypoponera and representing ...
Phys.org / 5,000-year-old bureaucracy: Over 7,000 prehistoric seal impressions uncovered in western Iran
In the journal Antiquity, Dr. Shokouh Khosravi published preliminary findings of the largest known corpus of prehistoric seal impressions in the entire ancient world. The corpus, made up of over 7,000 seal impressions, more ...
Phys.org / The Princess of Bagicz: Dendrochronology settles debate over age of rare Roman-era wooden coffin
Dr. Marta Chmiel-Chrzanowska and her colleagues conducted a multidisciplinary analysis of the only known preserved wooden coffin from the Roman Iron Age, the Princess of Bagicz. The study, published in Archaeometry, used ...
Phys.org / Ancient cone-shaped vessels may have served as beeswax lamps during ritual processions, study finds
Chalcolithic cornets are conical ceramic vessels produced exclusively during the Chalcolithic period, recovered in abundance at some archaeological sites but absent at others. Their function has long been debated. However, ...
Phys.org / Scent analysis reveals the composition of ancient Egyptian embalming materials
In a recent study published in the Journal of Archaeological Science, Wanyue Zhao and her colleagues used volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to analyze the composition of scents given off by mummies and their embalming materials. ...
Phys.org / Lahontan Basin cave burials 'neither rare nor uncommon,' says new study
In a study published in American Antiquity, Dr. David Madsen and his colleagues address the proposition that the lower Lahontan drainage basin (LLDB), located in the Intermountain West, is "unique" for the use of caves and ...
Phys.org / Petra aqueduct survey uncovers rare 116-meter lead conduit beside terracotta pipe
In a recent study, Niklas Jungmann from the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin conducted a survey and investigation of the 'Ain Braq aqueduct of the ancient city of Petra. It was discovered that, unlike previously believed, the ...
