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Mask of Xiuhtecuhtli: A 600-year-old mask of the Aztec fire god taken as treasure by conquistadors
By Kristina Killgrove published
This stunning blue mask may represent the Aztec cycle of death and renewal.
Aztec 'death whistles,' used to prepare sacrifice victims to descend to the underworld, scramble your brain, scans reveal
By Kristina Killgrove published
Brain scans of modern listeners suggest that Aztec whistles sound like human screams, which may have prepared sacrifice victims for their journey to the underworld.
Neanderthals and early Homo sapiens buried their dead differently, study suggests
By Charles Q. Choi published
Neanderthals tended to bury their dead in caves, while early modern humans buried their dead in the fetal position, new research finds.
2 Stone Age circles discovered on English moorland may have been part of a 'sacred arc'
By Tom Metcalfe published
Two previously unknown Neolithic stone circles have been found in England, and they may have been part of a "sacred arc," an archaeologist says.
65,000-year-old hearth in Gibraltar may have been a Neanderthal 'glue factory,' study finds
By Kiona Smith published
Neanderthals may have used specialized hearths to make tar around 65,000 years ago, a new study finds.
Lucy's last day: What the iconic fossil reveals about our ancient ancestor's last hours
By Kristina Killgrove published
Fifty years after a fossil skeleton of Australopithecus afarensis was unearthed in Ethiopia, we know so much more about how this iconic species lived and died.
Ancient human ancestor Lucy was not alone — she lived alongside at least 4 other proto-human species, emerging research suggests
By Kristina Killgrove published
Lucy lived in a wide range of habitats from northern Ethiopia to northern Kenya. Researchers now believe she wasn't the only australopithecine species there.
1,600-year-old amulet depicting King Solomon spearing the devil found in Turkey
By Margherita Bassi published
The "King Solomon" pendant likely belonged to a cavalry soldier stationed at the ancient Byzantine city of Hadrianopolis.
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