Settlements
Ancient DNA connects large-scale migration with the spread of Slavs
Joscha Gretzinger et al.
Nature, forthcoming
Abstract:
The second half of the first millennium CE in Central and Eastern Europe was accompanied by fundamental cultural and political transformations. This period of change is commonly associated with the appearance of the Slavs, which is supported by textual evidence and coincides with the emergence of similar archaeological horizons. However, so far there has been no consensus on whether this archaeological horizon spread by migration, Slavicisation or a combination of both. Genetic data remain sparse, especially owing to the widespread practice of cremation in the early phase of the Slavic settlement. Here we present genome-wide data from 555 ancient individuals, including 359 samples from Slavic contexts from as early as the seventh century CE. Our data demonstrate large-scale population movement from Eastern Europe during the sixth to eighth centuries, replacing more than 80% of the local gene pool in Eastern Germany, Poland and Croatia. Yet, we also show substantial regional heterogeneity as well as a lack of sex-biased admixture, indicating varying degrees of cultural assimilation of the autochthonous populations. Comparing archaeological and genetic evidence, we find that the change in ancestry in Eastern Germany coincided with a change in social organization, characterized by an intensification of inter- and intra-site genetic relatedness and patrilocality. On the European scale, it appears plausible that the changes in material culture and language between the sixth and eighth centuries were connected to these large-scale population movements.
Radiocarbon dating of Jerusalem’s Siloam Dam links climate data and major waterworks
Johanna Regev et al.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2 September 2025
Abstract:
Using well-established microarchaeological sampling methods, we reached a precise radiocarbon date of 800 BC for the Siloam Pool’s monumental water dam in Jerusalem. This date is a critical link connecting several imposing waterworks constructed at that time. Climate data pointing to droughts and flash floods during the last decades of the 9th century BC provide a logical framework for the reasons behind such endeavors. These included the fortification of the city’s primary water source, the Gihon Spring, and the redirection of the water into the city through a channel to an artificial reservoir created by building the Siloam Dam at the end of the Tyropoeon Valley, which blocked the drainage of rain and redirected spring waters.
Unearthing prehistoric diets: First evidence of horse meat consumption in Early Bronze Age Sicily
Davide Tanasi et al.
PLoS ONE, August 2025
Abstract:
This paper presents the earliest documented evidence for the presence and consumption of horse meat in Early Bronze Age Sicily, significantly revising previous understandings of equid use on the island. Multidisciplinary analyses involving proteomics and lipidomics were performed on ceramic vessels from the Castelluccian settlement at Polizzello Mountain (Caltanissetta), revealing residues consistent with equine-derived substances. Proteomic data unequivocally identified equine serum albumin in multiple pottery fragments, demonstrating active consumption or processing of horse-derived substances within a ceremonial or dietary context. Lipid residues further supported this interpretation, indicating the presence of animal fats and vegetable-derived substances within the pottery. These findings substantially alter existing models of horse domestication, utilization, and dietary practices in prehistoric Sicily, suggesting a far earlier and more complex human-equid relationship. Furthermore, the integration of biomolecular data enhances our understanding of intercultural interactions, ritual behaviors, and economic strategies in the central Mediterranean during the third millennium BCE.
The Last Canaanites: Megiddo during the Iron Age I
Eran Arie
Near Eastern Archaeology, September 2025, Pages 186-193
Abstract:
This article explores the final stages of Canaanite Megiddo during Iron I, focusing on Strata VIB and VIA. Stratum VIB presents evidence for a modest village lacking monumental structures, while Stratum VIA marks the peak of urban development before its catastrophic destruction. The article argues for the architectural and social continuity between the Late Bronze and Iron Age I, highlighting Megiddo’s role as an independent citystate, and emphasizing its economic self-sufficiency, localized production, and Canaanite heritage. The destruction of Stratum VIA was unexpected, rapid, and complete, as there are no signs of crisis behavior.
Converging evidence constrains Late Pleistocene Bering Land Bridge history
Ciara Wanket et al.
Quaternary Science Advances, September 2025
Abstract:
The Bering Land Bridge was an important biotic corridor and climatic modifier during the Pleistocene (2.58 million to 11,700 thousand years ago [ka]). Understanding when the land bridge was most recently exposed reveals insights into past climate, the modern distribution of plants and animals, and potential human migration into the Americas. While the timing of the most recent flooding of the land bridge has been constrained to during the last deglaciation, the timing of its most recent exposure before the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM, 26.5–19 ka) is less clear. Here, we combine data from three disciplines -- paleoceanography, sea level reconstruction, and terrestrial paleogenomics -- to constrain the most recent exposure of the Bering Land Bridge to shortly before the LGM, 30–40 kyr later than previously suggested by comparisons of eustatic sea level reconstructions with the modern Bering Strait Sill depth. These results have implications for understanding the timing and nature of human arrival in the Americas and highlight the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration across paleoclimatology and paleoecology for refining Pleistocene environmental history.
Subsistence strategies in the early Upper Paleolithic of Central Iberia: Evidence from Abrigo de la Malia
Edgar Téllez et al.
Quaternary Science Advances, September 2025
Abstract:
Knowledge of early Anatomically Modern Humans settlements in the interior of the Iberian Peninsula remains limited. Traditional perspectives have long assumed that this region, known as the Iberian Plateau, was abandoned after the disappearance of Neanderthals and remained largely uninhabited until the end of the Last Glacial. In contrast, coastal areas have so far been the primary focus of archeological studies, as they are where the majority of known sites are located and where the most research has been conducted on subsistence practices. The recent discovery of the Abrigo de la Malia rock shelter site (Tamajón, Guadalajara) has challenged this paradigm, providing evidence of occupation in Central Iberia during the Aurignacian and Gravettian periods (36,200–26,260 cal BP). This work is focused on the zooarcheological and taphonomic analysis of the Paleolithic faunal assemblage from the Malia rock shelter, aiming to reconstruct the subsistence strategies of the earliest Anatomically Modern Humans inhabiting central Iberia during the early Upper Paleolithic. The results indicate anthropogenic activities focused on the processing of medium- and large-sized ungulates, with carnivores either playing a marginal role. The combined data suggest that the Malia rock shelter was used for short but recurrent occupations, likely by small groups engaged in hunting expeditions. This study highlights the adaptability of these populations who inhabited this region during MIS-3 as they faced severe climatic conditions while exploiting the available environmental resources.