Archaeology is not only about stones and bones: it is mainly about the people of the past. DNA is one way to get from the stones and the bones to the people and their stories.
Articles on Early ancestors
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A rush of ancient DNA projects in Africa has presented the curators of archaeological skeletons with ethical issues because research requires the destruction of human bone.
Bringing the past into a digital space creates so much more overt space for interpretation and different narratives.
The theory that humankind originated in Europe is an old one. It was abandoned in 1924 when the first Australopithecus was discovered in South Africa.
Evidence of Homo naledi’s age suggests we need to rethink our understanding of human history and evolution.
Good science isn’t rooted in chance. It’s based on people with expertise being in the right place at the right time, equipped with enough knowledge to know what they’re looking at.
An old technique to explore the inside of fossils unfortunately ended up destroying some unique specimens. New technology has been used to reconstruct one such fossil.
Ochre has many uses. It can be used to shed information on the evolution of the modern mind.
Top contributors
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Associate professor in Vertebrate Palaeontology, University of the Witwatersrand
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Curator at the Origins Centre Museum, University of the Witwatersrand
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Paleoanthropologist, University of Wisconsin-Madison
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Professor with Research Focus in Stone Age Archaeology, Palaeo-Research Institute, University of Johannesburg
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Honorary Associate, University of the Witwatersrand
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Professor of Biological Anthropology, University of Cape Town