History from the world

Albania is located at the crossroads of the eastern Adriatic and was known as Illyria and Epirus throughout the Classical era. It played a strategic role in ancient times and was a point of contact between Illyrian, Greek, and Roman civilizations. Even though Albania is off the mainstream tourist trail, the country is now emerging as one of the most enchanting corners of Europe. More tourists visit Albania every year, drawn to its spectacular and unspoiled natural wonders, its rich history, and extraordinary archaeological heritage. Dubbed the “Pearl of the Balkans”, Albania offers a captivating journey through time, with 3,000 years of untouched archaeological heritage. Archaeological sites such as Apollonia, Antigoneia, and Byllis hide a wealth of historic value, while the Butrint National Park, famed for its ruins and beauty, was recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1992 CE. If you happen to travel to the lands of Southern Illyria and Northern Epirus, read on for som...

LEIDEN, THE NETHERLANDS—UPI reports that hundreds of butchered animal bones, some 20,000 stone artifacts, and evidence of fire building have been discovered at a 125,000-year-old Neanderthal site in the Neumark-Nord lake basin in central Germany’s Geisel Valley by a team of researchers led by Wil Roebroeks of Leiden University. Samples of ancient pollen at the site indicate that the area had been cleared of trees, while pollen counts in the nearby Harz Mountains show that they were forested. Neanderthals and other early humans, Roebroeks concluded, were a factor in shaping the vegetation in this environment. “We might expect to find other examples of this, especially since Neanderthals and their contemporaries were skilled in fire technology,” he said. Read the original scholarly article about this research in Science Advances. For more on Neanderthals, go to "Neanderthal Hearing."

DENVER, COLORADO—According to a Gizmodo report, paleoanthropologist Jamie Hodgkins of the University of Colorado, Denver, and his colleagues have analyzed the remains of an infant discovered in a cave in northwestern Italy in 2017. The study included radiocarbon dating of the bones, DNA and protein analysis, and microscopic examination of the teeth. The tests revealed that the baby, who has been nicknamed Neve, was a girl who died some 10,000 years ago at about two months of age. Her grave itself was covered with dozens of pierced shell beads and pendants, in addition to an eagle owl talon. “Protein and DNA analyses are allowing us to better understand the diversity of human personhood and status in the past,” Hodgkins said. “Without DNA analysis, this highly decorated infant burial could possibly have been assumed male.” To read about the remains of the earliest known identical twins, go to "A Twin Burial."

NEW YORK, NEW YORK—BBC News reports that a team led by Lorelei Curtin of the University of Wyoming and William D’Andrea of Columbia University detected fragments of sheep DNA and chemical residues of sheep feces in sediments from a lake on Eysturoy, one of the Faroe Islands that are located about halfway between Iceland and Norway in the North Atlantic.  Dating of the evidence indicates that livestock were carried to the remote spot around A.D. 500. It had been previously thought that Scandinavians were the first to reach the islands in the ninth century, when the Vikings began to sail long distances. “We still really don’t know who the people were and why they chose to go to the Faroe Islands,” D’Andrea said.  Read the original scholarly article about this research in Communications Earth & Environment. To read about DNA extracted from a 1,600-year-old mummified sheep leg uncovered in an Iranian salt mine, go to "Salty Snack."