this post was submitted on 23 Jan 2026
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Archaeology

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Archaeology or archeology[a] is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscapes.

Archaeology has various goals, which range from understanding culture history to reconstructing past lifeways to documenting and explaining changes in human societies through time.

The discipline involves surveying, excavation, and eventually analysis of data collected, to learn more about the past. In broad scope, archaeology relies on cross-disciplinary research. Read more...

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Oldest cave painting could rewrite origins of human creativity (www.bbc.com)
submitted 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) by HellsBelle@sh.itjust.works to c/archaeology@mander.xyz
3 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

It shows a red outline of a hand whose fingers were reworked, researchers say, to create a claw-like motif which indicates an early leap in symbolic imagination.

The painting has been dated to at least 67,800 years ago – around 1,100 years before the previous record, a controversial hand stencil in Spain.

The find also strengthens the argument that our species, Homo sapiens, had reached the wider Australia–New Guinea landmass, known as Sahul, by around 15,000 years earlier than some researchers argue.

Professor Adam Brumm of Griffiths University in Australia, who co-led the project, told BBC News, that the latest discovery, published in the journal Nature, adds to the emerging view that there was no awakening for humanity in Europe. Instead, creativity was innate to our species, the evidence for which stretches back to Africa, where we evolved.

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[–] acockworkorange@mander.xyz 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I'm glad they increased contrast and saturation, the untreated image made it impossible to discern anything.

[–] Catoblepas@piefed.blahaj.zone 3 points 1 week ago

I can sort of see it, but the enhanced version is much more obvious for sure. I assume it’s easier to perceive in person as well.

[–] JohnnyEnzyme@piefed.social 2 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

The find also strengthens the argument that our species, Homo sapiens, had reached the wider Australia–New Guinea landmass, known as Sahul, by around 15,000 years earlier than some researchers argue.

67Kyrs ago there were SIX human species living at the time. Do they know for sure it was indeed Sapiens who made this..?