african ancestors, glass beads, history, trade

Beads Show European Trade in African Interior Used Indigenous Routes

Tiny glass beads discovered in mountain caves about 25 miles from the shores of Lake Malawi in eastern-central Africa provide evidence that European trade in the continent’s hinterland was built on Indigenous trade routes from the coast to the interior that had existed for centuries, according to a study co-authored by Yale anthropologist Jessica Thompson. ...

Troy Oakes

A large and a small glass bead.

Discarded Ostrich Eggshells Provide Timeline for African Ancestors

Archaeologists have learned a lot about our ancestors by rummaging through their garbage piles, which contain evidence of their diet and population levels as the local flora and fauna changed over time. One common kitchen scrap in Africa — ostrich eggshells — is now helping unscramble the mystery of when these changes took place, providing ...

Troy Oakes

An ostrich just hatched from an egg.