Articles by Sandee Oster
Phys.org / Mysterious boat burial practices on the desert's edge: Study sheds light on ancient Xiaohe funerary rites
The Bronze Age Xiaohe culture (ca. 1950–1400 BCE) is renowned for its distinctive funerary practices and exceptional organic preservation, largely due to its location in a hyperarid environment. Burials feature boat-shaped ...
Phys.org / Lead isotope analysis debunks legend of Dutch basin made entirely from Spanish treasure fleet silver
A study by Dr. Joosje van Bennekom and her colleagues aimed to determine the provenance of the famed silver basin supposedly made of Spanish treasure fleet silver captured by the Dutch West India Company (WIC) in 1628. The ...
Phys.org / New study uncovers brutal punishment and public display of medieval woman on Thames foreshore
In 1991, the remains of a woman were discovered on the early medieval foreshore of the Thames River. The skeletal remains were moved to the London Museum, where they were curated. However, the analysis of the remains and ...
Phys.org / Ancient Maya burial study challenges human sacrifice theory, points to acts of placemaking
A recent study by Dr. Angelina Locker published in the Journal of Anthropological Archaeology implemented bioarchaeological methods to determine if the secondary burial remains found within a non-elite Late Preclassic (300 ...
Phys.org / Mysterious Syrian artifacts reidentified as ancient baby rattles
A recent study by Dr. Georges Mouamar and his colleagues investigated the largest assemblage of securely identified rattles in the Near East. The findings are published in the journal Childhood in the Past.
Phys.org / Study provides new insights into medieval sex workers and childcare
In 1998, excavations were conducted in advance of the construction of the Oude Vismarkt square in Aalst, Belgium. During excavations, archaeologists uncovered a 14th-century brothel. Unusual for the time, they also discovered ...
Phys.org / Ancient Patagonian fossil sperm whale may have been active predator, reanalysis indicates
A recent study, published in Papers in Palaeontology, discusses the reanalysis of the only known Idiorophus patagonicus specimen.
Phys.org / Ancient Maya tattooing tools identified for the first time in Belize cave
From ethnographic accounts and ancient Mayan imagery, we know that the Maya engaged in various forms of body modification, including piercing, body painting, scarification, and tattooing. However, no Mayan remains with tattoos ...
Phys.org / Paleontologists identify 12 new dinosaur teeth in China's Nenjiang Formation
A recent study by Keifeng Yu and his colleagues, published in Acta Geologica Sinica, describes the discovery and identification of 12 new dinosaur teeth from the Upper Cretaceous Nenjiang Formation. The Cretaceous dinosaurs ...
Phys.org / Study of a 16th-century Ethiopian monk's account provides insights into ancient Dongola
A recent study by researchers Dr. Dorota Dzierzbicka and Dr. Daria Elagina re-examined and translated a rare first-hand account of a 16th-century Ethiopian monk visiting old Dongola, Sudan.
Phys.org / New Jurassic mammalian fossil discovered with an unusual tooth replacement pattern
A recent study published in Papers in Palaeontology describes the discovery and identification of a new species of pinheirodontid multituberculate based on the preserved hemimandible from the Upper Jurassic (Tithonian) Freixial ...
Phys.org / New Holocene Aboriginal rock art style identified in recent study
A recent study conducted by Dr. Ana Paula Motta and her colleagues, in collaboration with the Balanggarra Aboriginal Corporation, has identified a new mid-to-late Holocene rock art style in Australia's northeastern Kimberley ...
Phys.org / Radiocarbon dating reveals Mongolia's earliest pottery predates previous estimates by 2,000 years
Following a recent study, Dr. Przemysław Bobrowski and his colleagues published new radiocarbon dates on Holocene (11,700 years ago to the present) sites located in the Tsakhiurtyn Hundi (Flint Valley) region of Mongolia. ...
Phys.org / Modified human remains in prehistoric South Texas reveal ancient cultural practices
A study by Dr. Matthew S. Taylor, published in the Journal of Osteoarchaeology, reports on the reanalysis of modified human bones discovered at several prehistoric South Texas archaeological sites.
Phys.org / 12th-century bronze coins reveal role of Northern Mozambique in Swahili trade history
A recent study by Dr. Ignacio Montero-Ruiz and his colleagues examined the provenance of ancient copper artifacts discovered on the Island of Ibo off Mozambique's coast. The study, published in Azania: Archaeological Research ...
