News
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Archaeological excavations in Romania show life of earliest modern humans in Europe 23 August 2022
In a new article in the journal Scientific Reports, Leiden archaeologist Wei Chu and colleagues report on recent excavations in Western Romania at the...
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In Memoriam: Katharine MacDonald (1976-2022) 18 August 2022
Our dear colleague and friend Kathy MacDonald passed away unexpectedly on August 9th, 2022, a few days after her 46th birthday. Her sudden passing cam...
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Faculty of Archaeology ranks 7th in QS World University Ranking 08 April 2022
It is the sixth year in a row that the Faculty of Archaeology is placed in the top ten of archaeological institutes worldwide. The QS World University...
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Prestigious Gutenberg Research Award for archaeologist Wil Roebroeks 23 February 2022
Leiden archaeologist Professor Wil Roebroeks receives the 2021 Gutenberg Research Award of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU). "By granting Wil...
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Three Leiden papers in top 10 most cited of Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 14 January 2022
At the start of the year a lot of journals publish lists of their most cited papers of the previous year. Three papers published by Leiden archaeologi...
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New research indicates Hunter-Gatherer impact on prehistoric European landscapes 06 January 2022
The starting point of human-induced landscape changes has been under permanent debate. It is widely accepted that the emergence of agriculture strongl...
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Neanderthals changed ecosystems 125,000 years ago 15 December 2021
Hunter-gatherers caused ecosystems to change 125,000 years ago. These are the findings of an interdisciplinary study by archaeologists from Leiden Uni...
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Archaeologists receive funding for science communication: ‘We want to change the public image of archaeology’ 10 May 2021
A diverse team of Leiden archaeologists applied for, and was awarded, the KNAW ‘Appreciated!’ grant, meant to further their science communication ende...
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Archaeology in eighth position worldwide in QS World University Rankings 2021 09 March 2021
It is the fifth year in a row that the Faculty of Archaeology is placed in the top ten of archaeological institutes worldwide. The QS World University...
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Shift in scientific consensus about demise of Neanderthals 01 March 2021
It is still unclear how the Neanderthals died out. For long, one theory seemed most likely: the emergence of the highly intelligent Homo sapiens, or m...
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Prehistoric hunters from the North Sea used human bones as weapons 02 December 2020
Over the years, many spectacular archaeological finds have been washed ashore on the Dutch coast. Among these a large assemblage of barbed points made...
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Unravelling prehistoric fire use: ‘Variation in fire conditions equals variation in human behaviour’ 21 October 2020
Building a fire involves many variables, such as size, choice of fuel, temperature, and burn time, that affect the way the generated heat can be used,...
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New investigation of South African rock shelter sheds light into Middle and Later Stone Age modern human behaviour 21 October 2020
In the eighties the Umhlatuzana rock shelter in Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa, was excavated. Results from this excavation led to an understanding when...
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Archaeological fieldwork in corona times: professor Marie Soressi's story 26 August 2020
From July 25th till August 7th, a team led by Professor Marie Soressi went to France and worked at La Grande Roche de Quinçay, a cave site located in ...
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New insights into Neandertal knowledge from the mass-spectrometry analysis of plastic containers 11 May 2020
The analysis of protein residues extracted from the storage containers of circa 50,000 year old bone-tools reveals Neandertal strategic selection of b...