Silence Is Not Neutral: An Archaeological Update from Lebanon by Nelly P. Abboud On April 1, 2026, in the context of Israel’s illegal invasion of Lebanon and criminal targeting of the country’s civilian populations and heritage sites, the UNESCO c…

🚨🏺🩸🇱🇧 NEW: "Silence Is Not Neutral: An Archaeological Update from Lebanon" by Nelly P. Abboud: everydayorientalism.wordpress.com/2026/04/02/s...

Eastern Neanderthals who lived ~120,000 years ago and Western Neanderthals ~60,000 years ago were as genetically differentiated as the most divergent modern human populations today.

A lot from one “unremarkable” bone!

Here's the full publication:
doi.org/10.1073/pnas... 4/4

D17's genome reveals gene flow from Denisovans and (very) early modern humans, and falls within the Eastern Neanderthal lineage.

Eastern and Western Neanderthal lineages split ~150,000 years ago, and evolved separately for a long time.

D17 lived in small group of <50 individuals.

The result? 3/4

Neanderthal illustration (c)Tom Björklund

D17 is an ~110,000-year-old Neanderthal male. His full genome was sequenced by our colleagues(@mpi-eva-leipzig.bsky.social & @massilanilab.bsky.social) at 37× coverage using a *single* library with ~70% endogenous DNA!

This must make him the best genetically preserved Neanderthal to date! 2/4

A few years ago, using palaeoproteomics, we identified a tiny hominin bone from Denisova Cave and named it Denisova 17 (D17).

A rather unremarkable sliver.

At the time, I wondered, could it be Denny’s sibling (the Neanderthal/Denisovan hybrid we had just reported)?

Well, turns out: no. 🧵1/4

There is still time to apply!💼📝Deadline: April 6, 2026⌛
#jobalert #Humanevolution #academia

This was a beautiful talk Stephan! Thank you for communicating it so clearly! And soon online in HEAS' @heasvienna.bsky.social YouTube channel!

I am old enough to remember the vitriol directed at random humanities scholars' work complaining about the totalizing tendencies of capitalism to corrupt, colonize, or co-opt everything. I also lived long enough to read long term coverage of the literal attempt to privatize thinking in the newspaper

"On behalf of the Society for American Archaeology (SAA), I am very pleased to inform you that you have been selected as the 2026 recipient of the SAA's Book Award—Popular category for “Native America: The Story of the First Peoples” published by Princeton University Press."

Wow! No words.

The artwork that illustrated our PNAS paper on the oldest wooden tools was made by Gleiver Prieto, who has also worked with me on illustrations for previous projects, including the paleoenvironmental reconstruction of Marathousa 1.
Gleiver's art really brings Pleistocene Megalopolis to life ✨ 🤩

🚨 Job alert! The University of Tübingen announces a W3 (Full) Professorship in Early Hominin Evolution in the framework of the DFG Cluster of Excellence 'HUMAN ORIGINS':

uni-tuebingen.de/universitaet...

Application deadline: 11.03.2026 🚨

Hands-on thinking through ancient and historical mosaic practice

We’ve still got a few open places for this brilliant hands-on mosaic making training event next week at @ics.bsky.social in London!

Come along to have fun making, while thinking about ancient/modern practice and research with leading experts Ruaidhri Ryan and Will Wootton.

@sas-news.bsky.social

Cradled by architecture: infancy and delayed personhood in Neolithic Anatolia and the Balkans Children, especially infants, are integral to human communities, but how they are perceived varies across societies. This study examines infancy at the late seventh millennium Neolithic sites of Ba...

Full article: Cradled by architecture: infancy and delayed personhood in Neolithic Anatolia and the Balkans www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

SMBE2026 Symposium L01 | Insights into the past through the lens of palaeoproteomics

SMBE2026 Symposium L01 | Insights into the past through the lens of palaeoproteomics

📨 Abstract submission
smbe2026.org/abstracts

📋 Programme details
smbe2026.org/programme

#SMBE2026

New Publication!

New Article by #HEASVienna members #AnnetteOertle, @katerinad.bsky.social et al. on 'New collagen peptide markers from New Guinea fauna: identifying archaeological bone in the tropics'

#HEASPublications

www.heas.at/research/pub...

📣 The ERC Starting Grant call results are out!

Find out which early-career researchers will receive funding this year, what they will be investigating, where they will be based... plus lots of other #ERCStG facts & figures for 2025!

➡️ buff.ly/IsafuFh

#FrontierResearch 🇪🇺#EUfunded #HorizonEurope

New insights from the application of ZooMS to Late Pleistocene fauna from Grotta di Castelcivita, southern Italy - Scientific Reports Scientific Reports - New insights from the application of ZooMS to Late Pleistocene fauna from Grotta di Castelcivita, southern Italy

New paper led by Annette Oertle out today focusing on our work at Castelcivita in Italy. A pleasure to work with our wonderful Italian colleagues.
@katerinad.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Newly identified taxa from originally unidentified fragmented bones. (a) CLC0043 Canid from spit 14, (b) CLC536 Canid from spit 30, (c) CLC372 Ursid from Spit 27, (d) CLC400 Ursid from spit 28, (e) CLC534 Ursid from spit 30, (f) CLC476 Rhino from spit 24, (g) CLC503 Rhino from spit 25.

Biomolecular approaches to Pleistocene bones

New insights from the application of ZooMS to Late Pleistocene fauna from Grotta di Castelcivita, southern Italy🏺🧪
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Annette Oertle, Stefano Benazzi @boneslab.bsky.social @tommyhigham.bsky.social @katerinad.bsky.social et al

We had a lovely time at ISBA in Torino and almost managed to gather everyone from Vienna in one pic @heasvienna.bsky.social @isbarchaeology.bsky.social @katerinad.bsky.social

Frontiers | Collagen peptide markers for three extinct Australian megafauna species Recent advancements in biomolecular archaeology, such as stable isotope and ancient DNA research, have expanded our understanding of megafauna extinction pro...

Our latest paper is out now in Frontiers in Mammal Science: www.frontiersin.org/journals/mam...

We characterized ZooMS peptide markers for three extinct Australian megafauna species 🦴🧪

Screenshot of Instagram post, showing exhibition extension poster, with fuschia pink background, yellow writing "Stereotypes: Neanderthalerin", small yellow line drawn simple images of four female Neanderthals of different ages. A blue sticker across the poster saying it's been extended in date.

Text for post: "Over 55,000 guests in the first months - and most importantly: so much great feedback. That's why our special exhibition Stereotypes Neanderthalerin will remain until the 2nd. Opening November 2025! We say thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your visits for open conversations and discussions for the wonderful feedback we have received so far! The exhibition hits a nerve - because it manages to make a relationship between current issues and our history. We look forward to many more meetings and inspiring conversations with you! "

🏺🧪🦣 The Neanderthal Museum is KILLING IT with their social media responses to complaints because we created a feminist exhibition centering #Neanderthal women... Well +55,000 people have already visited & it's now extended to 2nd November!
www.instagram.com/neanderthalm...

You know what the world absolutely does not need? Yet another definition for domestication. Get over yourselves people. C'mon!

Ok, maybe just one more. So much fun working with @elinork.bsky.social, Kathryn and Robin. www.pnas.org/doi/full/10....

Really exciting news from the Ozarks! A bag of seeds dating to the Pre-Contact Period in North America was found and donated to the University of Arkansas museum. Absolutely amazing find and you can read more about it here:
www.reddit.com/r/missouri/c...

Current approach at S. #Čuka as new @heasvienna.bsky.social proteomics study: Anstasia is sampling Neolithic bone tools for isotopes, aDNA & radiocarbon w/ new methods 😊 fancy 🥳
@oeai.bsky.social @katerinad.bsky.social

New Zooarchaeology Resource Pack - Archaeology for you Zooarchaeologist, Clare Rainsford, and Michelle Feider from the University of York, have created a bumper resource pack of activity ideas based on zooarchaeology on behalf of the Young Archaeologistsr...

Absolutely blooming stoked to announce that the zooarchaeology resource pack that I wrote with Dr Michelle Feider for YAC has been published! Aimed at kids 8-16yo, four activities for learning about bones in the past with no skeles needed. Except your own.

www.yac-uk.org/news/new-zoo...

🏺🧪 Oh this is FASCINATING - and a site that was already in #Matriarcha!

Mammoth soup anyone? 🦣🍜🦣 it is pretty amazing 😍

Screenshot of the text: This module explores how artificial intelligence (AI), particularly machine learning, predictive analytics, computer vision, large language models (LLM) and generative AIs, can be employed within Archaeology and Cultural Heritage. As a fast-moving suite of technologies, we will introduce you to the field's cutting-edge and examine best practices for data gathering, data management, algorithmic decision-making and interpretation using these tools. Students will gain insights into the potential and challenges of AI for archaeological research. The module will also critically assess ethical considerations surrounding algorithmic bias, intellectual property and responsible stewardship of archaeological information in the context of the ‘AI Revolution’

We are excited to launch Archaeology & AI. It is offered as part of our Digital Archaeology and Digital Heritage MScs, students from any of our Master's courses can enrol. 🏺

We will be offering critical, practice-based projects based on real world case studies.

www.york.ac.uk/students/stu...

An introduction to essential resources for Classics and Archaeology research

Dissertation season is starting 😬 so we are repeating our researcher training event:
An Intro to Essential Resources for #Classics & #Archaeology Research 🏺

🗓️ 23 April, 2pm (London, BST)
📍 Online via Zoom

Share, especially w/ UG & PG students!

Info+Register: ics.sas.ac.uk/events/intro...

Phylogenetic signal in primate tooth enamel proteins and its relevance for paleoproteomics Abstract. Ancient tooth enamel, and to some extent dentin and bone, contain characteristic peptides that persist for long periods of time. In particular, p

A new study evaluates the reliability of enamel proteins for reconstructing primate phylogeny through paleoproteomics. By analyzing genomic data from 232 primate species, researchers find that enamel protein sequences can provide robust phylogenetic insights, even with fossil fragmentation: