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From 3 million years ago to the dawn of our era: archaeological discoveries, palaeogenetics, cave art and the great transformations of human societies.

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Palaeogenetics · 24/06/2026

DNA from 27 Neanderthals reveals a connected population in north-western Europe

By sequencing DNA from 27 Neanderthals across ten caves in Belgium and France, a Max Planck team shows they formed a well-connected regional population , free from inbreeding, with no genetic deterioration, and no gene flow from Homo sapiens despite millennia of coexistence.

Palaeoanthropology · 20/06/2026

Es-Skhul: the oldest sapiens–Neanderthal hybrid?

A re-examination of a 120,000-year-old fossil child reveals a mosaic of sapiens and Neanderthal traits, one more piece in the case for ancient, complex interbreeding.

Peopling · 12/06/2026

White Sands: 23,000-year-old footprints in the Americas

Some sixty footprints fossilised in gypsum push back human arrival in North America by several millennia.

Neolithic

Neolithic · 05/06/2026

Karahan Tepe: a T-pillar carved with a human face

At this twin site of Göbekli Tepe, a monolith nearly 12,000 years old bears a sharply defined human face. Never seen before.

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