Long before Ethiopian monks in the 9th century discovered that coffee tree fruit helped them stay awake during evening prayer (according to legend, anyway), communities in Southeast Asia have been chewing betel nuts—the seeds of the areca palm and a stimulant that heightens people’s alertness, energy, euphoria, and relaxation—since antiquity. But new research indicates that […]
Archaeologists Unearth 6-Foot-Tall Bronze Age Warrior Clutching a Spear
In a massive burial mound in the plains of western Azerbaijan, archaeologists discovered the remains of an ancient, towering warrior still clutching a four-pronged spearhead in his hand. The man’s skeleton measures over six feet six inches (two meters) in height and dates back to the Middle Bronze Age, approximately 3,800 years ago. Scientists believe […]
The River Thames Has Been a Dumping Ground for Bodies for at Least 6,000 Years, Study Reveals
The average Londoner might be shocked to hear that, over the past two hundred years, hundreds of human bones have been discovered in the River Thames. As new research shows, a sizable portion of these remains date back to prehistoric times. Researchers in the U.K. have studied the remains of 61 individuals recovered from the […]