Shar

Archaeological breakthrough at Canterbury reveals Homo heidelbergensis survived the brutal Anglian glaciation, rewriting assumptions about early human resilience and adaptation in prehistoric Europe.

A revolutionary archaeological discovery has shattered long-held beliefs about early human survival during Ice Age Britain. Excavations at Old Park, Canterbury, have uncovered compelling evidence that Homo heidelbergensis not only inhabited Britain over 700,000 years ago but remarkably survived one of northern Europe's most extreme ice ages around 440,000 years ago.

The research, published in Nature Ecology and Evolution by archaeologists from the University of Cambridge, presents the first concrete proof that early humans could endure the harsh conditions of the Anglian glaciation - a discovery that fundamentally challenges previous assumptions about human adaptability in prehistoric Europe.

International research team uncovers oldest evidence of indigo dye processing on paleolithic stone tools from a Georgian cave, revolutionizing understanding of early human plant use.

A latest discovery has pushed back the earliest known use of indigo blue by over 30,000 years. An international research team coordinated by Ca' Foscari University of Venice has identified traces of indigotin (the chemical compound responsible for indigo's distinctive blue color) on stone grinding tools dating back 34,000 years from Dzudzuana Cave in Georgia's Caucasus Mountains.

This remarkable find, published in the scientific journal PLOS One, represents the first time the indigotin molecule has been detected on such ancient artifacts. The discovery fundamentally challenges our understanding of early Homo sapiens' relationship with plant resources, demonstrating sophisticated botanical knowledge and processing techniques far earlier than previously imagined.

• Stone Age people were eating porridge 32000 years ago
• 40000-year-old Tools Used by Ancient Humans Unearthed In North China

The spread of the Slavs stands as one of the most formative yet least understood events in European history. Starting in the 6th century CE, Slavic groups began to appear in the written records of Byzantine and Western sources, settling lands from the Baltic to the Balkans, and from the Elbe to the Volga. Yet, in stark contrast to the famous migrations of Germanic tribes like the Goths or Langobards or the legendary conquests of the Huns, the Slavic story has long been a difficult puzzle for historians of the European Middle Ages.

This is partly because early Slavic communities left behind rather little for archaeologists to find: they practiced cremation, built simple houses, and produced plain, undecorated pottery. Perhaps most significantly, they did not leave behind written records of their own for several centuries. As a result, the term “Slavs” itself has been ambiguous, sometimes imposed by outside chroniclers and often mis-used in later nationalist or ideological debates. Where did these people come from, and how did they so thoroughly change the cultural and linguistic map of Europe?