The geochemistry of basalt millstones and mixers from the city of Volubilis suggests a local origin—and that rocks were picked for specific purposes, from crushing olives to mixing dough.
history
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Māori Arrival in New Zealand Revealed in Antarctic Ice Cores
A new study shows smoke from fires set by the first inhabitants of Aotearoa from around 1300 left a mark in the ice 6,000 kilometers away, on an island off the Antarctic Peninsula.
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State-of-the-Art Technology, Serendipity, and Secrets of Stonehenge
The first comprehensive analysis of what the sarsen stones are made of came about with new technology—and good old-fashioned luck.
Posted inScience Updates
Recognizing Geology’s Colonial History for Better Policy Today
The Minnesota Geological Survey has contributed to the dispossession of homelands from Indigenous Peoples. The agency is creating more just policies.
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Rebecca Charbonneau: The Future of Scientific History
Historian finds the liberal arts support a deeper study of science.
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Cosmological Tool Helps Archaeologists Map Earthly Tombs
A new study employs a method originally developed to help map stars and galaxies to describe how ancient tombs are clustered. The research helps archaeologists studying remote or inaccessible sites.
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Food Security Lessons from the Vikings
Scandinavian societies of the first millennium adapted their farming practices to volcano-driven climate changes.
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Scientists Mine 16th Century Ship Logs for Geophysical Research
Compass measurements held a key to unlocking the mystery of Earth’s magnetic field and its changes over time. A historian-turned-geoscientist found the measurements in an unlikely place—merchant ship logs.
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Holy Water: Miracle Accounts and Proxy Data Tell a Climate Story
In 6th century Italy, saints were said to perform an unusual number of water miracles. Paleoclimatological data from a stalagmite may reveal why.
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Ancient Maya Made Widespread Changes to Wetland Landscape
A system of canals 2 millennia old sustained a local population after the collapse of its neighbors, and it continues to affect local ecology today.