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Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ

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The cranial remains of Vittrup Man, who ended up in a bog after his skull had been crushed by at least eight heavy blows. Source: Stephen Freiheit / Fischer et al., 2024, PLOS ONE / CC-BY 4.0

Research Reveals Complex Life of the Vittrup Man’s Danish Bog Body

An international team of scientists recently completed a comprehensive analysis of the remains of a body extracted from a peat bog in Denmark. Using DNA testing, plus various types of chemical...
Representational image of human teeth used to analyze details about Native American migration. Source: ia_64 / Adobe Stock

Study of Ancient Teeth Shows Single Native American Migration from Asia

The analysis of human teeth recovered during archaeological excavations has remained a standard means of investigating ancient migration patterns for the last five decades. In fact, this tried-and-...
Image from the Philips Sonicare toothbrush advertisement. Source: CM Dental.

Romans Used Powdered Mouse Brain and Human Urine in Their Toothpaste

Romans were particularly meticulous about their oral care, but their toothpaste recipes were anything but ordinary. A primary ingredient in Roman toothpaste was powdered charcoal, derived from...
The teratoma tumor, including teeth, which was discovered within the Amarna crypt. Source: A. Deblauwe / Amarna Project

3,000-Year-Old Ovarian Tumor with Teeth Unearthed from Egyptian Tomb

A new study has highlighted the oldest documented instance of a teratoma discovered within the 3,000-year-old burial chamber of a young woman found in an ancient Egyptian cemetery. Teratomas are a...
Scarborough Gristhorpe Man.  Source: Emőke Dénes/CC BY-SA 4.0 By Ḏḥwty

The Gristhorpe Man: A Bronze Age Skeleton with a Story to Tell

On July 10, 1834, William Beswick excavated a barrow on his land in Gristhorpe, North Yorkshire, England. What he found gave him quite the surprise. Beswick discovered a coffin in the shape of a...
Until they discovered the true location of its tooth-swirl, there were several theories for how Helicoprion once looked. An outdated Helicoprion reconstruction. (public signage, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, Illinois, USA). James St. John / CC by SA 2.0.

Ancient Sea-Creature Helicoprion Had Terrifying Chainsaw-Like Teeth

Had you lived 270 million years ago, you may have thought twice before taking a dip in the ocean. For one of the most terrifying prehistoric monsters from the underwater world was the owner of a set...
Gold inlaid teeth of the Bolinao Skull.  Source: National Museum of the Philippines

Unveiling the Secrets of the Bolinao Skull: A Journey into Ancient Human History

In the world of modern archaeology, the Bolinao Skull stands as an intriguing discovery, shrouded in mystery and absolute uniqueness. This enigmatic human skull, discovered in the idyllic coastal...
Dentistry in the Middle Ages. Source: Archivist / Adobe Stock.

Dental Hygiene in the Middle Ages (Video)

Medieval dental hygiene debunked the misconception of poor oral health . Contrary to popular belief, our ancestors prioritized tooth care and believed that diseases could be spread through bad breath...
Upper ivory denture with human teeth. Source: Science Museum, London / CC BY 4.0

Teeth Scavenged from Fallen Soldiers at Waterloo Were Used as Dentures

Get ready to sink your teeth into a little-known fact about the infamous Battle of Waterloo! While many of us have heard of this bloody European battle that sent Napoleon Bonaparte packing, what you...
The Skull of Anne d’Alegre, countess of Laval (1565-1619) equipped with hippo bone dental prostheses and gold wire. Source: Rozenn Collator / Inrap

Anne d’Alegre and Her Dirty Dental Secret

Like many LA celebrities today, serious dental work was carried out in 17th century France to protect the smiles of perceived social elites. This statement is based on new research into the well-...
Allegorical portrait of an elderly Elizabeth I, who is said to have suffered the effects of poor dental hygiene and black teeth. Source: Public domain

Queen Elizabeth I Had Beggarly Black Teeth

Queen Elizabeth I of England was particularly fond of sugar. This was a time of great conquests and explorations to the New World for the royal houses of Europe, accompanied by expanding trade and...
Neanderthal Diet Was Carnivorous, Shows Study of Tooth Enamel

Neanderthal Diet Was Carnivorous, Shows Study of Tooth Enamel

A team of scientists from the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), in collaboration with colleagues from several scientific institutions in Germany, have just published a new study...
Thousands of bone fragments litter the floor of the Maya Midnight Terror Cave in Belize. Representative image.

Child Sacrifice Victims at Maya ‘Midnight Terror Cave’ Gagged Before Slaughter

Archaeologists studying Belize’s “Midnight Terror Cave” have discovered mysterious blue fibers in the tooth plaque of sacrificed teenagers, which suggests the young sacrifice victims had been gagged...
Researchers Find Evidence that Teeth Evolved from The Scales of Sharks

Researchers Find Evidence that Teeth Evolved from The Scales of Sharks

When it comes to determining the origin of various body parts and systems in mammals and other creatures, evolutionary scientists are confronted with an endless number of complex puzzles to solve...
Maya teeth were turned into jeweled teeth by skilled ancient dentists, but a recent study suggests that this also benefited oral hygiene!		Source: Gary Todd / CC0

Ancient Maya Tooth Bling Was Also Good for Oral Hygiene!

The Maya loved their bling and often decorated their teeth with gemstones. But maybe these weren’t all just for show. A new study conducted by the Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the...
While today we flush our urine away without giving it a second thought, in ancient times it was considered a valuable commodity. Urine contains a wide array of important minerals and chemicals such as phosphorus and potassium. The Romans believed that urine – both human and animal - would make their teeth whiter and keep them from decaying, so they used it as a mouthwash and mixed it with pummis to make toothpaste. In fact, urine was so effective that it was used in toothpastes and mouthwashes up until the

Ancient Romans Brushed Their Teeth with Urine

While today we flush our urine away without giving it a second thought, in ancient times it was considered a valuable commodity. Urine contains a wide array of important minerals and chemicals such...
This undated photo provided by Ludovic Slimak shows scientists working at the entrance of the Mandrin cave, near Montelimar, southern France where the oldest modern human remains in Europe were found.	Source: Ludovic Slimak / CNRS)

French Rock Shelter Changes Story of Neanderthals and Sapiens In Europe

Archaeologists have discovered evidence of Europe’s first Homo sapiens in Grotte Mandarin rock shelter in southern France. The considerable range of evidence found in the rock shelter cave at Grotte...
A Neanderthal boy looking at his reflection not knowing that Neanderthal development was faster than that of modern humans. Some kids have it easier!		Source: EmotionPhoto / Adobe Stock

Neanderthal Child Development Was Faster than Humans, Study Reveals

Neanderthal development was faster than the maturation process in modern humans according to the latest study. This means Neanderthal children were able to reach physical maturity at earlier ages,...
Even Viking warriors used body modification to stand out. Source: Fotokvadrat / Adobe Stock

From Tattoos to Elongated Skulls: A History of Body Modification

Since emergence of humankind, people have been fascinated by art. They began by painting intricate pieces upon cave walls, and then carved statuettes and symbols out of stone and antler. Soon after,...
The skull of the Homo naledi child named Leti found in the lowest levels of South Africa’s Rising Star cave system.		Source: University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg

Skeleton of an Archaic Homo naledi Child Found in Rising Star Cave

A team of South African and American archaeologists exploring the Rising Star cave system in central South Africa discovered something that seems quite anomalous. In the deepest, darkest recesses of...
Portrait of Native American man. The study of Native American origins has long obsessed archaeologists and anthropologists. Source: Chinnachote / Adobe Stock

Study of Ancient Teeth Reveals Native American Origins Lie in Siberia

A team of researchers has launched another attempt answering questions about Native American origins, in other words when and how the Americas were first populated. By analyzing DNA samples and a...
An ancient woman from Romania shows an edgeto-edge bite (left). A Bronze Age man from Austria had a slight overbite (right). Source: D. E. Blasi et. al. / Science

“V” and “F” Sounds Were Birthed in the Neolithic Overbite Revolution

At the dawn of the Neolithic revolution , which occurred around 10,000 years ago, humans began eating less raw wild foods and more processed meals. A study published in Science shows how this...
A modern-day giant hippo (Hippopotamus amphibious) in water. Source: jwjarrett / Adobe Stock

Discovery of Tooth Reveals When Giant Hippos Roamed Britain

Hippopotamus antiquus , or the European hippopotamus, is a now extinct species of giant hippo that once roamed Europe much before the last glacial period. In the much explored Westbury Cave, in...
At one of the entrances to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area in Tanzania stands a monument to human evolution: the huge and heavy Paranthropus skull (left) next to a Homo Habilis skull (right).       Source: Иван Грабилин / Adobe Stock

Paranthropus “Nutcracker” Teeth Theory Debunked in New Study

Living approximately between 2.6 million years ago and 0.6 million years ago, the Paranthropus genus is closely related to our genus, Homo sapiens , serving as a long-standing close fossil relative...

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