history, neanderthal hunting, new discoveries, rock caves

Stone Tool Tells the Story of Neanderthal Hunting

A newly discovered leaf point from the UNESCO World Heritage site of Hohle Fels Cave documents the evolution of Neanderthal hunting. The Museum of Prehistory in Blaubeuren presents the “Find of the Year”, a leaf point from the University of Tübingen’s excavation at Hohle Fels Cave. Sixty-five thousand years ago, Neanderthals from the Swabian Jura ...

Troy Oakes

Archaeologists working in Hohle Fels.

The History of Foot Binding in China

Imagine massaging your 3-year-old daughter’s feet, then you grab her little toes and curl them under her foot, then you press with excessive force downward and squeeze them into the sole of the foot until her toes break. There is one country where this was practiced — China; this practice was called foot binding or ...

Troy Oakes

An old chinese woman with bound feet in small shoes sitting in front of the house.

Present-Day Descendants of the Last Chinese Dynasty

The Qing Dynasty was the last Chinese dynasty, a period where royals ruled China before the country was declared a republic. Toward the start of the 1900s, the Chinese elites began to feel that there was a need for political reform in the country to bring China and its people into the modern age. Exposure ...

Michael Segarty

Flag map Qing Dynasty.

The Origin and Nuances of Bonsai Trees

People enjoy gardening in many ways. Some choose their backyards or terraces for gardening, while others choose pots and tubs for indoor gardening. However, there are those with an artistic bent of mind and a penchant for esthetic aspects. These types of people may enjoy exploring the art of bonsai. Making bonsai trees requires dedication, ...

Max Lu

A juniper bonsai tree.

Earth’s Meteorite Impacts Over Past 500 Million Years Tracked

For the first time, a unique study conducted at Lund University in Sweden has tracked Earth’s meteorite impacts over the past 500 million years. Contrary to current theories, researchers have determined that major collisions in the asteroid belt have not generally affected the number of impacts with Earth to any great extent. Researchers have been ...

Troy Oakes

A meteor headed toward Earth.

After Mao Seized Power in China, It Was Anything but Liberating

In 1949 when the communists and Mao seized power in China, propagandists painted it as an act of liberation and the country’s first steps into modernity. This year, such views are being pushed harder than usual as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) marks the 100th anniversary of its founding in July. As part of the ...

Rory Karsten

Mao proclaiming the People's Republic of China.

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.

Melting Glaciers Contribute to Alaskan Earthquakes

In 1958, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake triggered a rockslide into Southeast Alaska’s Lituya Bay, creating a tsunami that ran 1,700 feet up a mountainside before racing out to sea. Researchers now think the region’s widespread loss of glacier ice helped set the stage for the quake as well as other Alaskan earthquakes. In a recently published ...

Troy Oakes

The Yakutat Glacier.

Ancient Tree Points to a Turning Point in Earth’s History 42,000 Years Ago

An ancient tree shows the temporary breakdown of Earth’s magnetic field 42,000 years ago that sparked major climate shifts that led to global environmental change and mass extinctions, a new international study co-led by UNSW Sydney and the South Australian Museum shows. This dramatic turning point in Earth’s history — laced with electrical storms, widespread ...

Troy Oakes

A brilliant green aurora.

Chopsticks: History, Legend, and Myth

You have heard that Chinese people are good at mathematics or good at numbers. It is believed that this aptitude has some connection with the tradition of using chopsticks. Does this theory have any scientific proof? In this article, we share some glimpses into the intriguing world and history of these eating utensils. It has ...

Emma Lu

You have heard that Chinese people are good at mathematics or good at numbers. It is believed that this aptitude has some connection with the tradition of using chopsticks. Does this theory have any scientific proof?