Anthropology: Cultures Archaeology: General
Published

High-status Danish Vikings wore exotic beaver furs      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Beaver fur was a symbol of wealth and an important trade item in 10th Century Denmark, according to a new study.

Anthropology: Cultures Anthropology: Early Humans Archaeology: General
Published

DNA from ancient population in Southern China suggests Native Americans' East Asian roots      (via sciencedaily.com) 

For the first time, researchers successfully sequenced the genome of ancient human fossils from the Late Pleistocene in southern China. The data suggests that the mysterious hominin belonged to an extinct maternal branch of modern humans that might have contributed to the origin of Native Americans.

Anthropology: Cultures Anthropology: Early Humans
Published

New genetic research on remote Pacific islands yields surprising findings on world's earliest seafarers      (via sciencedaily.com) 

New genetic research from remote islands in the Pacific offers fresh insights into the ancestry and culture of the world's earliest seafarers, including family structure, social customs, and the ancestral populations of the people living there today.

Anthropology: Cultures Anthropology: Early Humans Archaeology: General
Published

The heat is on: Traces of fire uncovered dating back at least 800,000 years      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists reveal an advanced, innovative method that they have developed and used to detect nonvisual traces of fire dating back at least 800,000 years -- one of the earliest known pieces of evidence for the use of fire. The newly developed technique may provide a push toward a more scientific, data-driven type of archaeology, but -- perhaps more importantly -- it could help us better understand the origins of the human story, our most basic traditions and our experimental and innovative nature.

Anthropology: Cultures
Published

Developmental dyslexia essential to human adaptive success      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers say people with developmental dyslexia have specific strengths relating to exploring the unknown that have contributed to the successful adaptation and survival of our species.