Articles by

Bruce Bower

These South American cave paintings reveal a surprisingly old tradition

Near the southernmost tip of South America, people may have started cave painting nearly 8,200 years ago,...

A four-holed piece of ivory provides a glimpse into ancient rope-making

A mammoth ivory tool unearthed in central Europe has offered a peek at how teamwork enabled Stone...

Cold, dry snaps accompanied three plagues that struck the Roman Empire

For those who enjoy pondering the Roman Empire’s rise and fall — you know who you are...

How ancient herders rewrote northern Europeans’ genetic story

Ancient herders, who rode horses and drove ox-drawn carts west out of their grassy homelands in southwest...

Ancient Maya power brokers lived in neighborhoods, not just palaces

Pots with fancifully molded eyes, noses and mouths were one of the tip-offs. Adrian Chase already had...

A mysterious ancient grave with a sword and mirror belonged to a woman

A roughly 2,000-year-old woman with a potentially violent streak has emerged from skeletal rubble found on...

Surprisingly long-lived wild female chimps go through menopause

Female chimps living in an East African forest experience menopause and then survive years, even decades, after...

What did Homo sapiens eat 170,000 years ago? Roasted, supersized land snails

Slow-motion large land snails made for easy catching and good eating as early as 170,000 years ago....