Posts Tagged ‘archeology’

Avoiding Bed Bugs


12 Dec

No one likes bugs in their bedding. Not even people living 77,000 years ago wanted bugs in their beds.

So that’s probably not the most important scientific takeaway that will come from the stack of bedding found in a South African cave. The oldest of the mats are 50,000 years older than the previously known oldest plant bedding. And the use of these particular plants reveals that the inhabitants had a strong understanding of the world around them.

All of this is fascinating, but my favorite parts it that they used a plant whose crushed leaves are naturally insect repellant.

The Arabian Route


03 Dec

Every once in a while, I regret my decision not to follow through and become a trained “historian”. The truth is, I wouldn’t have been involved in this kind of expedition anyway, since Paleolithic would not have been my era, and I hate the heat, so tramping around the deserts of Arabia would have been totally off the list.

But still, how cool is this that they are finding a trail of breadcrumbs that indicates humans started leaving Africa earlier than expected and by a different route than most theorize.

The story of humanity is being written before our eyes.

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