780,000-year-old charcoal from Gesher Benot Ya’aqov reveals that early hominins may have chosen their campsites partly for firewood access. Even the wood they burned tells us how they read their landscape. #Paleoanthropology #Acheulian #HumanEvolution www.anthropology.net/p/the-wood-t...
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New paper: heated chert from Australia +45 Ka, poss. > 55 Ka.
15% of analysed #lithics were heated and later knapped.
I would have liked more on technological aspects, to refine whether pieces worked before & after heating show differences in reduction etc.
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Since 2019, HERI has run women-focused field camps for archaeology & geology students.
Female-led and hands-on, they provide field skills, mentorship, and safe spaces—building confident, resilient researchers ready to study #Africa’s rich heritage.
Come and share your Palaeolithic research in London this June! Unravelling the Palaeolithic is coming to the @uclarchaeology.bsky.social and we're looking forward to seeing you there.
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They've *always* been very good dogs...
Latest evidence unearthed at @liverpooluni.bsky.social excavation sites reveals dogs were domesticated much earlier than previously thought.
15,800 years ago/10 @weratedogs.com
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Setting up for filming our YouTube video on the new fire evidence from Barnham. I will explain the role magnetics and hydrocarbon analysis played in differentiating human from natural fire 🔥 www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/new...
Interested in research like this?
Join us June 19-20th for more at Unravelling the Palaeolithic 2026
Call for papers below:
sites.google.com/view/unravel...
Deadline moved to March 20th! Go submit your pyroarchaeology abstract and join us in Poznań to talk fire! #pyroarchaeology #UISPP2026
E-mail us and join the mailing list at MCRHumNetwork@gmail.com if you are a jobbing researcher with a pre-2019 PhD. We will give peer support and advice. #MCRHumNetwork
There's still time to sign up to this afternoon's talk, given by Dr Rosa Huguet!
If you'd like to join, please register here: events.teams.microsoft.com/event/3195e0...
We hope to see you there!
🔥Wood, Smoke and Science!
#LivUni’s Dr Ceren Kabukcu was a guest on BBC Radio 4’s Inside Science podcast.
Drawing on her archaeobotany expertise, she explained how carbonised plant remains and dental evidence reveal how fire shaped human diets and eating habits.
🎧 www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
Join us in Poznań for the XXI #UISPP2026 congress: Session S -1F: Multi-method, multi-proxy: promoting multidisciplinary approaches in #pyroarchaeology organized by @segovandevelde.bsky.social Chris Miller and myself. Abstract submission deadline Feb 28th! uispp2026.syskonf.pl
New paper out!
Does fire erase use-wear?
Using experimental burning and 3D confocal analysis, we show that heating modifies surfaces but does not erase use-wear signals.
@hcelab.bsky.social
Almost ready to start sampling for analyses from this amazing stalagmite from Wookey Hole Caves. Fingers crossed for nice results.
After a major grant rejection this week only one thing for it. Sack it all off and go climbing Instead! At least I understand the grading system in climbing 😂
Unravelling the Palaeolithic 2026!
Join us for two days of all things Palaeolithic, Pleistocene and Early Human Origins at UCL Institute of Archaeology 19-20th June.
Call for papers is now open and tickets are on sale! Check out our website for more information.
sites.google.com/view/unravel...
MatrixERC StG works across archaeological sites from all over Europe, following the microscopic traces of late Neandertals and the first modern humans. We study intact sediment samples, checking whether the archaeological layers are truly preserved and looking for ancient DNA, proteins, and lipids.
We are delighted to announce our timetable of talks for Semester 2 of the 2025/26 academic year! 🥳🤩
As always, all of our talks will be streamed online and are open to anyone. Our first talk will be on the 12.02.26. More details will be released closer to the time.
We hope to see you there!
Breaking News! ✨
@annemiekemilks.bsky.social , @katharv.bsky.social , @harvatilab.bsky.social and colleagues publish important artefacts from the MIS12 cold stage in Greece.
Great forensic work and a little glimpse of what we are missing from sites without the preservation of wood. 🌳🦣🏺1/3
Science article on the discovery here from @andrewcurry.com with great recon art by G. Prieto www.science.org/content/arti... 3/3
Some inspiration for a cold day during bleak times.
Half million year old handaxes from Boxgrove, Sussex, laid out for a photoshoot with Dr Claire Harris at the @britishmuseum.bsky.social
#MondayMotivation
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More Breaking Palaeo-news!
🐘 Boxgrove preserved oldest Elephant Bone beyond Africa.
🐘 Early Neanderthals using bone to shape beautiful tools.
🐘 New research from Simon Parfitt @uclarchaeology.bsky.social Silvia Bello of the @nhm-london.bsky.social.
🦣🏺🐘https://share.google/20WUjY5TybDAr4QoT
The earliest confirmed evidence of an adult cremation pyre has been discovered in Malawi! 🔥
theconversation.com/oldest-known...
Enjoy the Caves and have a great Christmas and New year!
Nice, where are you going to sample?
Another of my excellent colleagues, trained by the very lovely Emeritus Prof. John Gowlett.
Featuring the flame-tastic work of the Faculty's Dr Sally Hoare @sallygeoarch.bsky.social 🔥
Hopefully soon!
