🧐 Ancient Beat #165: Gene pools, early plant processing, and hominins in Britain

It’s downright chilly in my neck of the woods, folks, and I object. But I do love autumn.

Time to gear up for issue #165 of Ancient Beat:
✅ Steamy cup of tea
✅ Comfy sweats
✅ Blanket for good measure
✅ Piping hot archaeological discoveries

Here’s the latest ancient news. 👇

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🗞 Ancient News: Top 5

• Traces Of Blue Indigo On 34,000-Year-Old Grinding Tools Suggest New Paleolithic Plant Use Scenarios — At Dzudzuana Cave in Georgia’s Caucasus foothills, researchers identified traces of indigotin, a blue dye compound derived from woad (Isatis tinctoria), on stone grinding tools dating to about 34,000 years ago. This marks the earliest known evidence of deliberate plant processing for non-dietary purposes in the Upper Paleolithic. Microscopic and spectroscopic analyses revealed blue fibrous residues and starch grains concentrated on worn tool surfaces, indicating the plant was intentionally crushed, possibly for dyeing fabrics, treating materials, or medicinal use. Controlled experiments with woad confirmed its ability to produce the same residues, suggesting early Homo sapiens exploited plants for complex technological and cultural activities far beyond food, revealing advanced resource knowledge and innovation during this period.

• “House of the Dead” Unearthed at Çatalhöyük — In the dense and always interesting Neolithic settlement of Çatalhöyük in Turkey, excavators exposed a non‑domestic structure amid repeating house layers—dubbed the “House of the Dead.” Under its floor lay the ritual placement of 20 individuals’ remains, likely brought in after death. This shifts our understanding of funerary custom at one of the world’s earliest urban centers, pointing to specialized mortuary architecture and practices separate from daily living spaces.

• Human Ancestors Braved England’s Ice‑Covered Northlands 440,000 Years Ago — Evidence shows that around 440,000 years ago, long before modern humans, hominins re‑entered parts of Britain despite widespread glaciation. Sediment dating indicates they adapted to icy landscapes and harsh climates, demonstrating resilience and innovation in frontier environments.

• How the Slavic Migrations Reshaped Europe’s Genetic and Cultural Landscape — Genetic evidence from early medieval Europe suggests that Slavic expansion was less about conquest and more about demographic migration—entire families relocating, intermarrying, and contributing equally to local gene pools. 😳 Jeez, archaeologists, let’s tone it down… making me blush over here. In regions like eastern Germany, Poland, Ukraine, and Belarus, modern populations bear clear continuity with sixth‑ and seventh‑century settlers; in places such as Croatia and Moravia, mixture with local groups produced regional variation. This nuanced view emphasizes flexibility and integration as engines of cultural and genetic change.

• 9,750‑Year‑Old ‘Street’ Found in Central Anatolia’s Canhasan 3 Mound — Archaeologists uncovered a remarkably well-preserved passageway dating to the Pre‑Pottery Neolithic, about 9,750 years ago. Stretching roughly 26 feet long (8 meters), the carefully constructed “street” and systematic access routes suggest sophisticated urban planning at Canhasan 3 in Central Anatolia. The find pushes back evidence of organized settlement layouts far earlier than previously thought, offering a rare glimpse into early human community design.

That’s it for the free Top 5! If you’re a free subscriber, sign up for the paid plan for another 29 discoveries and 4 recommended pieces of content covering coins, hoards, and ritual offerings.

Until next time, thanks for joining me!

-James
Twitter: @jamesofthedrum

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🗞 Ancient News: Deep Dive