Birch bark tar was widely used throughout prehistoric Europe for hafting stone tools as well as various other purposes. While previous research has mainly focused on the identification and production ...

Sex estimation based on skeletal dimensions can be an important tool in the case of a missing pelvis, but is population specific. The aim is to present logistic regression models for sex estimation specifically for the Old Kingdom population (2700–2180 BCE) of ancient Egypt. The sample includes the skeletal remains of 162 adult individuals, 95 males and 67 females, from two burial sites (Abusir, Giza), whose sex could be estimated based on pelvic bone measurements and/or morphological features. A total of 38 cranial and 64 postcranial measurements were included. Sex estimation equations were developed using logistic regression to obtain probabilities for sex predictions. 26 final skeletal measurements were selected for use in the multivariate models. A total of 65 best performing models are presented. All are statistically significant at a 0.01 p-level and characterized by a combination of low error, high decisiveness, high accuracy, and sufficient coverage. Models incorporating lower limb measurements perform best, yielding almost no errors on the 95% certainty level. Sexual dimorphism in the lower limbs is best reflected by the physiological length of the talus, and in the upper limbs by the transversal head diameter of the humerus. The main advantages to logistic regression models are reliability and using probabilities to predict sex. Previous models used discriminant analysis and did not target the population of the Old Kingdom. Their comparison with the presented models shows population specificity over time, and the need for models designed specifically for Old Kingdom individuals.

'Oddly shaped head' left in Italian cave 12,500 years ago is Europe's oldest known case of cranial modification, study finds

Combined analysis of new genomic data from 116 ancient hunter-gatherer individuals together with previously published data provides insights into the genetic structure and demographic shifts of west Eurasian forager populations over a period of 30,000 years.

Neuroscientists can predict what colour a person is looking at using a machine-learning tool trained on the brain activity of others.

A new study led by the School of Archaeology at the University of Oxford has revealed what may be the earliest evidence of victory celebrations in European prehistory, offering a striking new

New temporal dimensions of the Linearbandkeramik cemetery horizon in Schwetzingen (Germany)

Archaeologists in Ústí nad Labem in northern Bohemia have made a unique discovery: a mammoth hunting camp from the Old Stone Age.

Combining 131 paleogenomes with bioarchaeological and archaeological data, we studied social organization and gendered practices in Çatalhöyük East Mound (7100 to 5950 BCE), a major Neolithic settleme...