Ancient Tools Contradict Civilization Timeline

A long-standing question has stumped researchers: How did humanity come to inhabit the Islands of Southeast Asia (ISEA) such a long time ago?

The thought is that doing so would have required seafaring advancements beyond that considered likely during the Paleolithic era (Old Stone Age). But research shows that the ancient people of the Philippines and ISEA may have mastered seafaring before anyone else.

The evidence is stone tools excavated in the Philippines, Indonesia, and Timor-Leste. As far back as 40,000 years ago, there existed a technological sophistication in these ancient seafarers that rivals that of much later civilizations. The researchers say this challenges the believe that Paleolithic technical progress was centered in Africa and Europe.

Proving seafaring history is a trick endeavor. Organic wood and fiber—likely used in constructing seacraft—rarely survive in the archaeological record. But stone tools do. The most recent discovery shows traces of plant processing for the extraction of fibers. The fibers would have been used to make ropes, nets, and bindings, which are essential for building boats and open-sea fishing.

When you add in the discovery of fishing hooks, gorges (a fish book alternative), net weights, and the remains of tuna and sharks, it seems obvious a robust seafaring culture existed.

The presence of large open-sea fish at these sites indicate advanced seafaring techniques and knowledge of the time and routes of the migration of those species. There was a need for strong, well-crafted ropes and fishing lines.

The archaeologists believe these ancient seafarers made boats held together with ropes. The same rope technology would have been adapted for fishing.

Fossils and artifacts across the island proves that early humans moved across the open sea. But these scientists do not accept the theory that the prehistoric migrations were passive, that people drifted on bamboo rafts. Instead, they think the movement came from skilled navigators. They feel that direct or indirect evidence of boat-building is vital to understand human movement across island environments.

Such advanced maritime technology in prehistoric ISEA shows ingenuity. Their boat-building knowledge probably made the region a center for technological innovations tens of thousands of years ago. It would have laid the foundation for the maritime traditions that still thrive there today.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/archaeologists-found-ancient-tools-that-contradict-the-timeline-of-civilization/ar-AA1QBNgO?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=693f6c4211d9422bb32ac5d9db0e778e&ei=29

A 400,000-Year-Old Hearth

Humans may have tamed fire earlier than we thought, according to a 400,000-year-old hearth discovered in England.

Researchers found evidence of the ancient hearth, along with flint tools and bits of iron pyrite, at what used to be a woodland and pond site where Neanderthals are known to have lived or camped. It may be evidence that our ancestors knew how to strike the pyrite with flint to make sparks and start blazes.

The discovery was made at the Barnham site. It suggests human ancestors were making fire roughly 350,000 years earlier than thought. But they aren’t sure what the fire was used for. It might have been for cooking, carving tools, or sharing stories. Knowing when our ancestors learned to use fire could unlock mysteries of human evolution and behavior.

There are two theories that try to explain why the ability to make fire led to an increase in the size of the brain (over evolutionary time). One is that cooking increases calorie intake because cooked food is easier to digest. Another idea is that having a fire helped create a gathering space at night, which increased human sociality, prompting a cognitive evolution.

However, the finding does not show the start of humans making fire. It is the earliest known example of using fire that the researchers are confident about. There are earlier suggestions that our ancestors used fire in such places as South Africa, Israel, and Kenya, but those examples are not as definitive as this discovery. In archaeology, it’s difficult to know if a fire was started by nature or if humans had made it.

Did they collect it from natural sources? Carry it around and curate it? Or did they make it? The Barnham site is a compelling case that they knew how to make fire. The researchers found sediments that contain fire residue, as well as stone tools such as fire-cracked flint hand axes, and fragments of iron pyrite. Geologic analysis suggests the pyrite was extremely rare, so it was probably brought to this site to make fire.

But not all researchers are convinced. One stated that other Neanderthal sites, dated to around 50,000 years ago, featured flint tools that showed traces of having been struck by pyrite to make sparks. But not at this much older site.

Fire would have been useful for staying warm, nutrition, keeping predators away, and melting resin into glue, as well as other things.

It is important to realize that learning to make fire was not a linear process. It was a scattered process, with many different groups learning on their own. There’s also evidence that some groups of our ancestors learned to make fire and then lost the ability or stopped using fire for some reason. Some of those may have rediscovered how to make fire and possibly lost it again. It seems to be a complicated history.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/in-a-400-000-year-old-hearth-hints-of-humans-taming-fire-earlier-than-thought/ar-AA1S5WuY?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=693a2c55b82340d7890331455cdc1239&ei=24

Ancient City in the Clouds

Rio Abiseo National Park is over 10,000 feet above sea level in Peru’s Andes Mountains. It is known to hold ancient artifacts, which archaeologists are still uncovering. In 2025, they located over 100 structures that had previously been unknown. They are part of the Chachapoya civilization from between the seventh and sixteenth centuries.

The area was first found in the 1960s, and the national park was founded in 1983. During the 1980s, archaeological teams found 26 ancient structures. This new discovery of so many structures expands the knowledge of the Chachapoya civilization, known as the people of the cloud forest.

This civilization had sophisticated urban centers, ceremonial platforms, cliffside burial structures, and agricultural terraces. It also had a distinctive architectural and artistic language, which is displayed in circular buildings, geometric decorations and decorated burials.

Researchers used various forms of analysis to create a map of this site from 2022 through 2024. The site contained ceremonial buildings with high-relief friezes, views of the cloud forest, and mosaics depicting humans. Technology allowed them to see through the forest, map the area, and interpret construction techniques and layout.

Investigations confirm the Chachapoya presence as far back as the 14^th century with hints the site was used even earlier. A nearby network of pre-Hispanic roads connects the site to others in the region. It seems the civilization was part of a well-connected territory.

The remote location means that the site has been subject to minimal human intervention, which helps protect the history. Like many other sites in the region, however, this one is fragile and overgrown by vegetation.

While the team was there, it undertook conservation interventions to stairs and stone reliefs, as well as a partial reassembly of a perimeter wall. If enough archaeological teams started doing the same to site that they explore, these ancient cities might become habitable again.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/archaeologists-were-searching-a-forest-in-the-clouds-and-found-100-structures-from-an-ancient-city/ar-AA1Rzymu?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=692f2832a33a4d0c831eff647f741d05&ei=37

Mystery Foot

Remember Lucy, the fossilized skeleton of an ancient hominid found in 1974 in Ethiopia? Now the discovery of a mystery foot in Ethiopia suggests another unknown ancient relative lived in the same general area at about the same time.

The Burtele foot was named after the place where it was discovered in 2009. It was unmistakably different from Lucy, with an opposable big toe that somewhat resembled a human thumb. The fossilized foot indicates that its owner was skilled at climbing and spent more time in the trees than Lucy did.

Lucy’s species was more closely related to humans than chimpanzees. For a long time, this species was believed to be the ancestor of all hominids that came later.

The Burtele foot was a puzzle until scientists found new fossils, including a jawbone with 12 teeth, found at the same site. After identifying those fossils as belonging to Australopithecus deviremeda, they realized the Burtele foot was from the same species. So they had strong evidence that two closely related—but distinctly different—species lived in the same region at virtually the same time.

How did they share the same environment? Researchers concluded that Australopithecus deviremeda species spent much of its time in the forest. Meanwhile, Lucy and her ilk (Australopithecus afarensis) probably roamed the ground. It is likely that the two species had different diets and used their environment in different ways. Examination of the newly found teeth indicated that the Burtele foot species was more primitive than Lucy’s, with a diet of leaves, fruit, and nuts. They were unlikely to be competing for the same resources.

This discovery should remind us that human evolution was not a straight ladder. One species did not turn into the next. Instead, evolution should be viewed as a family tree with several “cousins” alive at the same time. Each species had a different way of surviving. We will likely never know if these particular species interacted.

As this family tree keeps growing with new species being added, it is hard to say which species were our ancestors and which were close relatives. Human evolution has a growing number of paths it might have taken.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/mystery-foot-suggests-a-second-early-human-relative-lived-alongside-lucy/ar-AA1Rha7w?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=6928fae6b3a04bd585a20b944d8846b3&ei=50

3,000-Year-Old Gold Mine

Archaeologists have discovered an ancient Egyptian gold mine in the Sukari Mountains. The gold enticed the creation of a gold-mining camp 3,000 years ago. The multi-year archaeological project didn’t stop at finding the site.

This robust gold mine meant a mining camp was created around it. When it was found, the ancient camp was moved about two miles away so it wouldn’t interfere with the modern Sukari Mine.

The remains of the ancient processing complex included a facility for extracting gold from quarts veins, grinding and crushing stations, filtration and sediment basins, and clay furnaces to smelt the gold into a pure product. It indicated a highly orchestrated mining operation.

The gold miners developed an entire residential district on the site, which included houses, workshops, temples, administrative buildings, and bathhouses. Architectural remains from both the Roman and Islamic periods were found. Evidence shows that this space was used well after its creation.

The find expands our understanding of ancient Egyptian mining techniques and adds insight into the social, religious, and economic lives of the gold miners.

Artifacts found on the site include 628 pieces of broken pottery. Many of these were inscribed with hieroglyphic, ancient Egyptian cursive, and Greek scripts, showing a linguistic diversity in the region.

Other finds included bronze coins, terracotta figurines, small stone statues of deities, pottery vessels that held such items as medicines and incense, beads made of semi-precious stones, decorative items made from seashells, and five Ptolemaic offering tables.

Crews built a full-scale replica of the mining complex on 6.3 acres located approximately 2 miles from the active mine. This center includes exhibits and lots of information about the site and the life of ancient Egyptian gold miners.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/archaeologists-discovered-a-3-000-year-old-egyptian-gold-mine-and-another-world-around-it/ar-AA1Rcq0v?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=6927488fa04e4b7fb9572d1e90909288&ei=23

1,700-Year-Old Roman Burial

Beneath Budapest, archaeologists have discovered a remarkably well-preserved Roman sarcophagus that is 1,700 years old. This offers a window into the life of the young woman inside and the world she lived in.

The limestone coffin was discovered during an excavation in a northern district of the city that once was part of a bustling Roman settlement on the Danube frontier. The sarcophagus was untouched by looters and the stone lid sealed by metal clamps and molten lead. Inside was a complete skeleton surrounded by artifacts.

The coffin was among the ruins of houses vacated in the 3^rd century. The area was later repurposed as a burial ground. The researchers also uncovered a Roman aqueduct and 8 simpler graves.

This sarcophagus held many objects, including two intact glass vessels, bronze figures, and 140 coins. Artifacts that indicated the grave belonged to a young woman were a bone hairpin, amber jewelry, and traces of gold-threaded fabric.

During Roman times, much of Hungary formed the province of Pannonia. This frontier ran along the right bank of the Danube River less than a mile from the excavation site. Nearby was a legionary camp meant to guard the empire’s border. The newly found structure were probably part of a civilian settlement that grew around the camp.

Anthropologists will examine the young woman’s remains to reveal more about her age, health, and origins. But the grave’s placement and artifacts offer clues. The coffin and its contents probably means the deceased was well-to-do and/or of a high social status. During the 4th century, it was a common practice to reuse earlier sarcophagi, but this coffin was made specifically for the woman who lay within.

A layer of mud about 1.5 inches thick was removed from inside the coffin and could contain more treasures, such as earrings or other jewelry.

The care and artifacts involved in the burial of this young woman give an indication of how much she was loved.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/archaeologists-lift-the-lid-on-a-1-700-year-old-roman-sarcophagus-hidden-beneath-budapest/ar-AA1R3JbA?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=6925e0b54aa545f1a3e6fc8f7416ef8d&ei=55

Digging Beneath Britain’s Houses of Parliament

The Palace of Westminster in London houses Britain’s Parliament. While digging beneath this palace, archaeologists have discovered several artifacts, including a 19^th-century beer jug, a fragment of a 2,000-year-old Roman altar, and 6,000-year-old prehistoric flint flakes.

Excavations were commissioned by the Houses of Parliament Restoration and Renewal Program. The digs are part of an ongoing archaeology project to illuminate Westminster’s history and inform restoration work.

Westminster has been a central part of Britain’s national story for at least a thousand years. It has been the location of momentous events in the U.K.’s history. While planning for restoration and renewal, scientists must also protect and learn from the history below the building.

60 prehistoric flint fragments (which date to about 4300 BCE) are evidence of toolmaking in the late Mesolithic or early Neolithic periods. Tools were made from flint by chipping the stone until it had a sharp edge. They were discovered in sand deposits that once formed part of Thorney Island, where prehistoric inhabitants fished, hunted, and gathered food. Finding prehistoric remains in central London is rare.

Researchers also discovered remains of Lesser Hall, also known as the White Hall. As a medieval two-story building built in 1167, it originally was a royal dining area. Later, it accommodated the Court of Chancery, the Court of Requests, the House of Commons, and the House of Lords during certain time periods. This was an unexpected discovery found below the present-day courtyard and car park.

When Lesser Hall housed the House of Lords in 1834, a fire started in the basement furnace room and became the Great Fire of 1834. These excavations showed the hall’s stone walls survived the fire. The building was reroofed and used until 1851, when it was demolished. The discovery of Lesser Hall provides insights into the layout of historic structures. The remains of Lesser Hall and other pre-1834 structures were documented (and some recreated in 3D models) before being reburied.

The Roman altar fragment was likely repurposed in another structure built later. Other artifacts included 800-year-old shoe soles, straps, a leather boot, and a lead badge shaped like a flowering heart from the 14^th or 15^th century.

Several artifacts from the 19^th century included fragments of clay tobacco pipes, which were probably smoked by the stonemasons working after the 1834 fire. Also found was a five-pint beer jug bearing the words “Ship and Turtle Tavern”. It also said “Geo Painter”, which likely referred to George Painter, the owner of the tavern.

I’ve been to London. I found it to be a very busy place. And all these artifacts show that it has been a busy place for a very long time.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/archaeologists-digging-beneath-britain-s-houses-of-parliament-discover-6-000-year-old-flint-artifacts-and-a-2-000-year-old-roman-altar-fragment/ar-AA1RAb5x?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=692f561f60da44d0807bb72e64e341b3&ei=37

Ancient Tools Contradict the Timeline of Civilization

When studying the proliferation of humanity across the globe, researchers have been stumped by how the islands of Southeast Asia (ISEA) became well-inhabited so long ago.

It was thought that technological seafaring advancements to make this possible were unlikely during the Paleolithic era. But research now shows that the ancient people of the Philippines and ISEA may have mastered seafaring well before anyone else.

The evidence is stone tools excavated in the Philippines, Indonesia, and Timor-Leste, which indicates that 40,000 years ago, ancient seafarers had technological sophistication that rivals much later civilizations.

Proving seafaring history is tricky because wood and fiber that would have been used to construct Paleolithic seacraft rarely survive in the archaeological record. These stone tools show traces of plant processing to extract fibers used for making ropes, nets, and boatbuilding bindings. When you also discover fishing hooks, gorges, net weights, and the remains of deep-ocean fish (tuna and sharks), it is plain these archeological sites are of a robust seafaring culture.

The remains of large predatory fish indicate advanced seafaring capabilities as well as knowledge of those fish species’ migration routes. The fish and tool remains show a need for strong and well-crafted cordage for ropes and fishing lines.

It seems that ancient seafarers constructed boats from organic materials and held them together with ropes. The rope technology was then adapted for fishing.

Up until now, the prevailing theory is that prehistoric migrations were passive sea drifters on bamboo rafts. These researchers posit that such migrations were made by highly skilled navigators who had the knowledge and technology to travel over deep water to remote locations.

This advanced maritime technology highlights the ingenuity of early ISEA peoples. Their boat-building knowledge probably made the region a center for technological innovations thousands of years ago, laying the foundation for maritime traditions that still thrive there today.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/archaeologists-found-ancient-tools-that-contradict-the-timeline-of-civilization/ar-AA1QBNgO?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=6920dbd5e422464a91ca37688bfb70ec&ei=40

New Timeline of Life on Earth

Evidence of ancient life on Earth is tough to find. But some scientists think they’ve found some of the oldest. Previously, it was estimated that the oldest biomolecules known by man were about 2.5 billion years old. However, the oldest biosignatures are actually 3.3 billion years old.

The authors of a new study claim to have deepened our understanding of Earth’s earliest biosphere and, at the same time, will provide new avenues for potentially finding past life on Mars and other planets.

The team studied the world’s oldest rocks. High-resolution chemical analysis broke down organic and inorganic materials from the rocks, producing molecular fragments. An artificial intelligence system was used to recognize the chemical fingerprints left behind by life. The system learned how to do this by analyzing 406 samples of plants, animals, fossils, and meteorites. The AI can distinguish between biological and non-biological material with over 90% accuracy.

The biggest splash was the detection of photosynthesis in 2.5-billion-years-old rocks. It seems that ancient life leaves more than fossils. It also leaves chemical echoes, which the AI can now reliably interpret. Computers have been trained to recognize any molecular trace left by living organisms, even after the biomolecules were gone.

Earth’s earliest life hasn’t left many traces behind, since ancient cells have been swallowed by Earth’s crust. This has pretty much obliterated clues about the origins of life. But the researchers hope ancient rocks can reveal glimpses of that history.

Most organic molecules from the past have been altered by geological processes but are still useful to study. And this process isn’t restricted to Earth-formed rocks, either. It could help guide the search for life on other planets.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/scientists-just-upended-the-timeline-of-life-on-earth/ar-AA1RczqG?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=6927488fa04e4b7fb9572d1e90909288&ei=71

Why This Ancient Civilization Vanished

The ancient Indus River Valley civilization had gridded streets, multistory homes, flush toilets, and bustling shops. It traded gold, precious stones, and bronze carts with other areas along the region’s waterways. Some people carved human figurines and others made toys of clay. Crops included wheat, barley, and cotton. Tools were made to bring water from nearby rivers for crops.

The valley is largely located in Pakistan and northwest India. It hosted one of the most advanced societies at the time, rivaling Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt. And then it disappeared.

Scientists have been looking at the environmental conditions in an attempt to explain the downfall of Harappa, one of the valley’s largest cities. Using paleoclimate data and computer models, they re-created the climate during the civilization’s existence, which was between 3000 and 1000 BC. During that time, four intense droughts dried up waterways and soils. This probably caused the Harappan residents to relocate frequently.

Harappa’s decline was partially caused by repeated, long, and intensifying rivers droughts that lasted centuries. It is thought that if there is less food and a weak government, such droughts can push a civilization over the brink. Despite the persistent droughts, this civilization lasted a long time.

Over 2,000 years, Harappan settlements became more concentrated closer to water.

Scientists determined that vigorous monsoons across the region created much wetter conditions than today. That was between 3000 and 2475 BC. But then drier conditions and increased temperatures came in. And droughts.

There were four droughts—each lasting more than 85 years—between 2425 and 1400 BC. The third drought was the worst and it peaked around 1733 BC. It lasted for 164 years and affected most of the region.

The rainfall changes meant lakes and shallow waterbodies shrank, river flow decreased, and the soil dried up. Lower rivers meant that trade boats and barges could only move at certain times. Agriculture also became tougher in areas away from waterways.

This pushed people to move, which may have contributed to the society’s decline.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/scientists-may-have-solved-why-this-ancient-advanced-civilization-vanished/ar-AA1RhqRG?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=6928fae6b3a04bd585a20b944d8846b3&ei=14

Unknown Letters

Archaeologists have found an ancient tablet. That happens frequently, but this tablet is different. It contains 39 letters and they don’t belong to any known language. So they can’t read it to find out what it says.

The tablet is made of basalt and is about the same size as a piece of paper. The unknown script characters have been expertly etched onto its surface. It was discovered in the Bashplemi Lake region of George. This is the same site where a 1.8-million-year-old hominin was discovered.

Their study revealed the tablet measured 9.4 inches by 7.9 inches and was made from local basalt. It contained 7 rows of writing for a total of 60 characters, 39 of them different.

The initial comparison to over 20 languages revealed that the characters have some similarities with Semitic, Brahmani, and North Iberian languages. Most of the symbols resemble ones found in the Middle East, as well as from geographically remote areas such as India, Egypt, and West Iberia.

It is believed that some of the characters are numbers and punctuation marks, so the tablet may contain an alphabet.

The tablet was found in an archaeologically rich location. Adding an unknown language only enhances the intrigue of Bashplemi Lake. The characters showed intensely skilled craftsmanship, and were made with advanced tools for the time.

Speculation on what it says is all there is to go on for now.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/archaeologists-found-an-ancient-tablet-with-39-letters-that-don-t-belong-to-any-known-language/ar-AA1QX5mP?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=69221bfae7f04677b263e2f08d519fc2&ei=85

Tiny Humanoids

It is believed that a small species of human (homo floresiensis) lied on the island of Flores, Indonesia, around 50,000 years ago. But one professor believes that—evolution or not—the apelike humanoids could still live there. He has studied homo floresiensis for about 4 decades and wrote a book about them in 2022. He believes in what the locals call the lai ho’a.

The lai ho’a is described as being small but still alive. There are even people who claim to have seen them. These creatures are said to have a human-like upright gait, are hairier than humans but not as hairy as an ape, and have an ape-like face.

Roughly 20 years ago, fossils were found that seemed to be of the lai ho’a. The professor’s book proposes that these creatures lived at least into modern times and that there’s chance that a small population still exists.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/a-tiny-apelike-humanoid-may-still-be-living-in-plain-sight-scientist-says/ar-AA1QKAz9?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=691e741d9cd246519c7482a68285db14&ei=30

A Space Barrier Around Earth

A human-made space barrier around Earth was first observed by NASA in 2012. This zone of space weather has been caused by radio waves that we’ve been blasting into the atmosphere for decades. Experts say it helps protect humankind from dangerous space radiation.

NASA sends probes to different parts of our solar system, including the Van Allen Belts. This donut shaped area of radiation follows the equator, leaving the Poles free. The Van Allen Belts react to the magnetosphere created by the bombardment of radiation.

When spaceflights pass through areas of the Van Allen Belts, they must include radiation shielding to protect the crew and equipment.

Now we have a new protective barrier. Probes launched in 2012 detected it, and 2017 probes gave us evidence of a radio-wave barrier emanating from Earth. It seems very low frequency (VLF) radio communications are far more common now than in the 1960s and they can influence how and where certain particles move in space.

It turns out that very low frequency waves can cancel out or repel the radiative advances of the Van Allen Belts. The military usually use very low frequencies, which were the first frequencies used for broadcasting. Since then, private and recreational users have been pushed up the spectrum. AM waves are pretty low, but FM is farther up. Different wavelengths are used for different purposes.

VLF waves blanket the Earth without interfering with other radio signals or other kinds of waves flowing around the Earth. But VLF waves travel far enough into space to push away harmful radiation.

This could mean that space flights could use VLF technology to punch holes to travel through radiation fields.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/whoops-humans-made-a-space-barrier-around-earth/ar-AA1SC5bf?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=69446e95433043ca8ed260af6652d221&ei=73

7,000-Year-Old Sunken City

They may not have found Atlantis yet, but another sunken city has been found. Like Atlantis, this city also inspired a myth. An island that was partly submerged off the coast of the Ile de Sein of France gave the Brittany region its own local lore for thousands of years.

It was here that marine archaeologists spotted the remains of a 7,000-year-old wall about 30 feet below the surface. It belonged to a stone age civilization and is thought to have been one of two things; either a fence to collect fish or a dike built to protect against rising waves.

LIDAR data found eleven structures at the bottom of the ocean. Sea level data reflecting changes in the sea level and vertical land movement indicate they dated back to between 5,800 and 5,300 BCE. This was a time of transition from the hunter-gatherer lifestyle to permanent settlements. At that time, the shoreline was several miles out to sea.

This find predates the first Neolithic megaliths in Brittany by at least 500 years. But little archaeological work has been done in the deep areas of the Brittany coast because of difficulties in accessing such sites.

Shell middens near the short and megaliths further out give evidence of coastal human populations in the region, but the ocean has not given up many artifacts. Fragments of this wall weigh 3,300 metric tons, which might support the idea that it was built to prevent flooding when the sea level rose.

Whatever the purpose of this wall, it was designed to withstand storms and erosion. Standing stones within the structure are similar to others found in inland Brittany and parts of Stonehenge, the largest being nearly 10 feet high. This structure’s arrangement of monoliths, slabs, blocks, and boulders suggests a complex architecture, which has not been found in nearby fish fences. The community that built the megalith must have had technical skill and social organization.

There may also be a link to the City of Ys, which involves a Breton legend passed down through centuries by oral tradition. Ys is thought to have been submerged in the Bay of Douarnenez, which is just east of Ile de Sein. So this legendary city might have actually existed in prehistory.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/archaeologists-found-evidence-of-a-7-000-year-old-sunken-city/ar-AA1SBj2I?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=69446e95433043ca8ed260af6652d221&ei=28

Gigantic Prehistoric Creature Discovered

Quarries offer a glimpse into Earth’s deep past by revealing fossils of creatures that once roamed the Earth. A discovery in a Russian quarry had revealed a colossal carnivore that lived millions of years ago.

A rich fossil site is the Kosyakino quarry near Stavropol, Russia. The quarry was discovered in 1938 and gained recognition for its concentration of ancient vertebrates. Fossils found there include birds, reptiles and amphibians from roughly 5.5 to 6 million years ago. In 1961, the quarry was closed to industrial use to safeguard its paleontological treasures.

A jawbone was among the early findings there. It was initially believed to be from a large hyena-like bear. It remained in storage, labeled with that assumption, for decades. But eventually, the specimen was revisited, which sparked a reevaluation.

Closer inspection revealed that the fossil represented a new type of massive bear, later named Huraca borissiaki. Though incomplete, it displayed a deep, sturdy structure, widely spaced teeth, and massive carnassial teeth. These pointed to an apex predator unlike any other bear at the time.

Huracan borissiaki rivaled the size of the largest bear ever recorded. This means it ranked among the greatest carnivorous bears to have ever lived.

The history of the Huracan genus stretches back approximately 6 million years ago. The earliest fossils were uncovered in China, but they spread widely, reaching North America, East Asia, and Europe (although they disappeared from Europe soon after their arrival).

Stavropol is north of the Caucasus Mountains, a region that bridges Europe and Asia. This location reinforces the idea of a prehistoric migration route of ancient megafauna.

The Miocene lasted from about 23 to 5 million years ago. During it, forests receded, grasslands expanded, and animals adapted to new ways of life.

This reconstructed jaw implies an animal of immense strength. Its teeth could shear through muscle and crack bone, which would indicate a diet of large prey. It was a specialist in survival.

A debate has arisen about where Huracan borissiaki fits in the bear lineage. Its features suggest it was a branch that evolved and vanished before modern bears appeared.

In addition, the quarry’s sediments tell a story. Layers of ash, pollen, and minerals indicate fluctuating climates and ancient rivers, so that Huracan borissiaki lived in a landscape that was constantly changing.

Why this titan disappeared remains unclear. It’s possible that changing climate, new predators, or dwindling prey led to its extinction.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/gigantic-prehistoric-creature-discovered-in-russian-quarry-is-a-new-species/ss-AA1OZdep?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=690d5eedff2e4e36a861e6a01db38aae&ei=75#image=19

Ancient Civilization Could Rewrite History

Archaeologists are uncovering something that challenges what we thought we knew about early human civilization. Deep in the Amazon rainforest, they have discovered an advanced settlement predating known civilizations by thousands of years. The sophistication of the tools, structures, and agricultural systems suggests that our ancestors were far more advanced than previously imagined.

Metal artifacts recovered from the site show bronze-working capabilities that shouldn’t exist for another millennium. The alloy compositions demonstrate a knowledge of tin-copper ratios considered sophisticated.

The discovery is particularly intriguing as tools show evidence of multiple heating and cooling cycles, indicating an understanding of complex tempering processes. The implications stretch far beyond South America and could connect ancient trade networks we never knew existed.

Stone monuments in the settlement align with celestial events with precision that rivals such observatories as Stonehenge. They track solstices, equinoxes, and even predict eclipses, which requires advanced geometric calculations.

Carbon dating places these structures centuries before similar structures appeared elsewhere in the world. They suggest not only astronomical knowledge but knowledge of the Earth’s axial tilt and seasonal variation. Such sophisticated calculations indicate a formal educational system and scientific methodology.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/archaeologists-say-newly-unearthed-civilization-could-rewrite-human-origins/ss-AA1MgmpH?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=6917e2e9c68742688399dcc33fea5152&ei=66#image=10

First People in the Americas

Apparently, the first people in the Americas didn’t walk here over the Beringia land bridge. For decades, common knowledge said that the first Americans arrived in Alaska about 13,000 years ago. But that narrative is unraveling as radiocarbon dating, DNA analysis, and ancient tool discoveries say they arrived thousands of years earlier, and they came across the water. It appears that the earliest people may have sailed along the Pacific coast, revealing early seafaring ambition.

In 2021, at the White Sands National Park, researchers uncovered fossilized human footprints dating between 21,000 and 23,000 years ago, which makes them thousands of years older than when the Bering land bridge might have been passable. This discovery forced a reconsideration of when humans first arrived on the continent.

In addition, stone tools found in Idaho closely resemble ancient blades from Japan’s Upper Paleolithic period. This suggests that early travelers might have island-hopped to America by small boats. The Pacific Rim was full of resources, such as fish, kelp, and sea life, which could sustain a slow coastal migration.

A genetic study published in 2024 traced indigenous ancestry to several distinct migrations, some possibly predating the Beringian land bridge. Genomic patterns in early American remains and East Asian populations show many separate lineages arrived over thousands of years. This implies that multiple groups used different routes, which dismantles the notion of a single mass migration.

Geological models say that much of Beringia was submerged or glaciated during the Last Ice Age. Even if small areas of land did connect Asia and Alaska, they would have been barren, cold deserts that would be inhospitable to travelers.

Archaeological sites along the Pacific coast reveal human activity that dates back 17,000 years or more. These include sites in British Columbia and southern Chile. Such settlements occurred before inland routes opened. If humans followed a marine corridor, this could explain how they reached both North and South America so quickly after their initial arrival.

At a time when much of northern North America was covered by two enormous ice sheets that blocked any land route from Alaska to the interior, coastlines offered abundant food and mobility.

When the Ice Age ended, the sea levels rose more 120 meters, drowning the coastlines. Countless early camps and villages could now lie underwater along the Pacific shelf. Archaeologists are only beginning to explore such hidden landscapes with sonar and submersible drones.

Indigenous oral traditions told stories of ocean crossings and shoreline living. If taken seriously, these oral traditions reveal an ancestral memory of seafaring that was long ignored by Western scholars.

Humans reach Australia 65,000 years ago. If they could sail open ocean to there, they could certainly make shorter voyages along the North Pacific. Boat-making and navigation became part of human innovation tens of thousands of years earlier.

All this evidence—footprints, tools, genetics, and submerged landscapes—suggests the Americas were peopled earlier and by more complex routes than trudging across an icy bridge. It creates a portrait of maritime travelers who adapted with intelligence and courage. Each new discovery reveals that the first Americans charted their own course across a world still locked in ice.

Darn! I was sure the land bridge was the answer.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/tripideas/new-evidence-shows-america-s-first-people-didn-t-walk-here-after-all/ss-AA1PIGkD?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=690d5eedff2e4e36a861e6a01db38aae&ei=28#image=11

A New Type of T Rex

A remarkably complete tyrannosaur specimen was unearthed in the middle of Montana. It may finally settle one of the most contentious arguments in paleontology. While it’s at it, it might also upend our understanding of Tyrannosaurus rex, one of the most famous extinct animals on Earth.

The new fossil, along with others that had been assumed to be teenaged T. rex, are actually part of a distinct group called Nanotyrannus. Researchers had discovered differences in the bones, as well as evidence that the new fossil was a mature adult that had stopped growing, not an immature T. rex. The study also creates a more diverse picture of predators of the late Cretaceous by making the case that there were two species of nanotyrannus.

Originally, nanotyrannus were first identified as a separate species in the mid-1940s, but many came to believe they had been misclassified. They said the smaller versions were simply T. rex teenagers.

But if these were not teenagers, other questions arose: Did these different species interact? Did they hunt different prey? What did T. rex adolescence look like?

This paper states that Nanotyrannus is a distinct tyrannosaur species. Which indicates a reassessment of tyrannosaur classification is needed. Which is how science works.

For decades, nanotyrannus proponents had been marginalized by scientific consensus that they were young tyrannosaurs.

In a paper published in 1946, Smithsonian paleontologist Charles Gilmore described a new carnivorous dinosaur whose skull was found in Montana. At the time, he described it as a Gorgosaurus, a slightly smaller species of tyrannosaur. Four decades later, the skull was reanalyzed and a new paper proclaimed it a nanotyrannus.

Nanotyrannus lancensis was less than half the length of T. rex, although it was a relatively long-limbed animal. It is thought it would have been more graceful, not like the stocky, stomping brute of a T. rex.

Thomas Carr suggested in 1999 that nanotyrannus were simply youthful T. rex, and that explanation took hold.

In 2021, a North Carolina Museum acquired a 30,000 pound slug of bone and rock. They thought it contained a juvenile T. rex and a triceratops that had been buried together in Montana. Soon, they realized it was not a juvenile because its hand was really big. Far bigger than the hand of a fully grown T. rex.

A detailed analysis of the fossil found distinctive differences, such as the way cranial nerves threaded through the skull and the patterns of sinuses in the skull. Then, they cut into a limb bones, where the growth rings showed it to be about 20 years old, and it was a mature individual that had stopped growing… at less than half the length of a full-grown T. rex.

So they reexamined 120 existing fossils. One (called Jane) was assumed to be a young T. rex. She was a nanotyrannosaur, but a different species than the others they were studying.

So, kids can still have a favorite dinosaur, even a favorite tyrannosaur. It just might not be the well-known tyrannosaurus rex.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/one-of-science-s-biggest-dinosaur-debates-may-finally-be-settled/ar-AA1PvttY?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=6904de58713a4fa5aca269a56dd9bb74&ei=71

Ancient Humans in Antarctica

For decades, Antarctica was thought to be untouched by ancient humans. It was too cold, too remote, and too unforgiving. But a recent discovery shattered that misconception.

Along the Antarctic Peninsula, researchers have uncovered bone fragments embedded in permafrost. They have been dated to nearly 6,000 years ago, which is before any known human presence. This suggests that ancient seafaring cultures may have ventured farther south than imagined. The remains have been carbon dated, their DNA analyzed, and archaeologically mapped.

The DNA analysis closely matched the lineage of Indigenous populations from southern Chile and Argentina. These groups were known for advanced maritime travel and seasonal movement across the Drake Passage, which is the body of water between the southern tip of South America and Antarctica.

Conventional reasoning said the early seafaring civilizations stayed within warm, resource-rich regions. But this evidence suggests ancient explorers mastered polar navigation long before compasses or maps existed. They must have understood ocean currents, seasonal weather, and animal migrations. Since these remains were found alongside marine mammal bones, they may have followed their food supply.

Found scatter near the remains were stone blades, carved bone tools, and traces of pigments. The suggest planned travel and possibly ritual practices. The tools are similar to those used by early South American coastal tribes for seal processing and navigation. It’s likely this journey wasn’t a fluke or a storm-driven drift, but a deliberate venture.

About 6,000 years ago, sea ice along the Antarctic Peninsula had retreated farther than today, which could have allowed ancient navigators to reach new hunting grounds. The Antarctic environment was less hostile, with milder summer and exposed coastlines. Such windows of opportunity might explain how humans reached Antarctica so long ago.

Finding humans so far south means migration wasn’t limited by temperature or geography but was driven by adaptability.

Radar imaging and satellite mapping have noted irregular formations beneath coastal ice layers, which may be more archaeological sites. Researchers are targeting zones once exposed during early Holocene warm periods. Each new site could rewrite another fragment of human history.

For centuries, legends in South America spoke of southern lands rich with seals and icy seas. These tales were dismissed—until now. Those stories may have been ancestral memories of real journeys.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/the-oldest-human-remains-in-antarctica-just-changed-what-scientists-thought-they-knew/ss-AA1OTxa5?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=6906581e6d084590bb311d75d21e1da4&ei=71#image=10