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In Zoroastrianism, the dog is regarded as an especially beneficent, clean and righteous creature, which must be fed and taken care of. The dog is praised for the useful work it performs in the household, but it is also seen as having special spiritual virtues. A dog’s gaze is considered to be purifying and to drive off daevas (demons). It is also believed to have a special connection with the afterlife: the Chinwad Bridge to Heaven is said to be guarded by dogs in Zoroastrian scripture, and dogs are traditionally fed in commemoration of the dead. Ihtiram-i sag, “respect for...

An international team of researchers has found the DNA of Y. pestis in a 4,000-year-old domesticated sheep from the fortified Bronze Age settlement of Arkaim, in the southern Ural Mountains in present-day Russia, which marks the first confirmed case of a Bronze Age plague infection in a non-human host. It proves that livestock played a role in prehistoric plague dynamics.The sheep was associated with the Sintashta-Petrovka cultural complex, which was known for its sophisticated metallurgy, horse riding, and large, mobile herds. Genetic studies indicate that the bacterium found in the sheep belongs to the Late Neolithic–Bronze Age plague lineage that...

There is a surprising, and little known, history connecting goats and the US Navy. But, then again, goats themselves have a surprising history. This is original content based on research by The History Guy. Images in the Public Domain are carefully selected and provide illustration. As very few images of the actual event are available in the Public Domain, images of similar objects and events are used for illustration. Note: Just because you can think up a reason to criticize doesn't mean that you are obligated to do so. Pedantic is not a compliment folks. Goats: A History | 18:17...

The paw prints and hoof prints of a few meddlesome animals have been preserved for posterity on ancient Roman tiles recently discovered by archaeologists in England... The artifacts, which could be nearly 2,000 years old, were found in the Blackfriars area of Leicester... Wardell Armstrong Archaeology was brought in to dig at a site where a construction company plans to build student housing. At least one of the tiles is tainted with dog paw prints, and one is marked with the hoof prints of a sheep or a goat that trampled on the clay before it was dry... The tiles...

The 2,000-year-old remains of a dog with its fur still intact have been found at a Roman fort. The rare find was made at Vindolanda, Hexham, near Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland, and has been sent for analysis to determine the dog's breed... Other finds included an 1,800-year-old skull of a beheaded native Briton that was stuck on a spike... The top part of the human skull also found showed evidence of numerous wounds including sword injuries... Another artefact found during this year's dig was a solid silver brooch in the shape of a duck dating back more than 1,800 years....

When metal detectorists searching a field on northern Norway's Senja Island discovered two ancient metal brooches and human rib bones, they notified the authorities. Science Norway reports that an archaeological team from the Arctic University Museum of Norway was sent to investigate the site and learned that the two small pieces of jewelry belonged to an elaborate Viking Age burial dating to between a.d. 900 and 950. Given the presence of the oval brooches and other items such as spindle whorls and weaving tools that are typically only associated with women, experts believe the grave belongs to a high-ranking Viking...

For some scientists, there’s no place more romantic than a cheese cave. When Tufts University biologist Benjamin Wolfe, then a biology postdoc, shepherded his colleague Rachel to a surprise rendezvous with her boyfriend in a Vermont cheese cave, a marriage proposal ensued. And, according to Wolfe and his colleagues’ new paper in Current Biology, so did a discovery about evolution. Some cheese varieties are ripened in caves where they attract microbes—yeast, bacteria, and fungi (molds)—which form a rind on the cheese surface. Molds like Penicillium (the same genus that produces the human antibiotic, but a different species) spur the ripening...

Most modern dog breeds have small amounts of wolf ancestry from long after dogs were domesticated, according to a new study. The wolf DNA isn't left over from when dogs and wolves diverged; instead, it most likely came from interbreeding in the past few thousand years. That wolfish influence may be linked to certain characteristics, such as size and personality traits, in different dog breeds, researchers reported Nov. 24 in the journal PNAS. "Dogs are our buddies, but apparently wolves have been a big part of shaping them into the companions we know and love today," study co-author Logan Kistler,...

The dog may have protected its owners from bears. Exploring new caves during the Upper Palaeolithic was fraught with danger, which is why one group of ancient humans in Italy made sure to take their trusted four-legged companion with them when they stepped into the darkness. Analyzing the fossilized foot and paw prints left behind during this subterranean excursion, researchers say that these 14,400-year-old tracks represent the world’s oldest direct evidence of humans living alongside a domesticated dog. A total of 25 preserved canid prints were discovered in various chambers of the Grotta della Bàsura in northwest Italy. In some...

A pair of Ice Age “puppies” preserved in Siberian permafrost for over 14,000 years have turned out to be wolves, not early domesticated dogs. A recent study of two ancient “puppies” dating back more than 14,000 years suggests they were actually wolves, not early domestic dogs as once believed. Genetic testing revealed that the cubs were sisters, around two months old. Like modern wolves, they ate a combination of meat and plants. What surprised researchers most was the discovery of woolly rhinoceros remains in their stomachs, since such a massive animal would have been a difficult target for wolves to...

According to a statement released by Peking University, researchers led by Huang Yani and Pang Yuhong of Peking University analyzed the complete genomes of 58 individuals whose remains were recovered from central China's Baligang site. This Neolithic site is situated between the Yellow River basin to the north, where early farmers grew millet, and the Yangtze River basin to the south, where people planted rice. The DNA study suggests that in the early Neolithic period, the Baligang population comprised a mix of northern and southern East Asian ancestry. Then, some 4,200 years ago, there was an increase in people bearing...

Parmesan, formally known as Parmigiano-Reggiano, hails from Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region and has been crafted for over 900 years. True Parmesan is protected by DOP status, ensuring traditional, regional production. Rich in protein, calcium, phosphorus and essential vitamins like B12 and K2, Parmesan can support bone, muscle and immune health. It’s low in carbs and lactose, making it keto- and lactose-intolerant-friendly.

According to a statement released by The University of South Florida (USF), a new study has upended previous assumptions about when horses first arrived on the island of Sicily. Until recently, archaeologists had thought that the animals were not present there until the early first millennium b.c. New research led by USF archaeological scientist Davide Tanasi indicates that not only did horses live there at least 1,000 years earlier, they were also an integral part of Early Bronze Age Sicilian ceremonies. The evidence comes from a site near Polizzello Mountain where Tanasi and his colleagues recovered a large assemblage of...

BUENOS AIRES - They look like ordinary foals, docile with honey brown coats and white facial patches, content to spend their days munching alfalfa in a cordoned-off pasture in rural Buenos Aires province. But these five 10-month-olds are the world’s first genetically edited horses: cloned copies of a prize-winning horse named Polo Pureza, or Polo Purity, with a single DNA sequence inserted using CRISPR technology with the aim of producing explosive speed. Kheiron Biotech, the Argentine company that created the horses, says gene-editing has the potential to revolutionize horse breeding. While cloning creates a genetically identical copy, CRISPR functions as...

There are still many mysteries that surround Stonehenge, but one element that archaeologists generally agree upon is the origin of some of its monolithic stones. A study conducted in the 2010s indicated that the standing bluestones were quarried around 140 miles from the legendary monument, at two locations in Wales. According to a statement released by the British Geological Survey (BGS), new research has further strengthened the ties between Stonehenge and that region, and revealed how the megaliths were transported. During excavations at Stonehenge in 1924, archaeologists discovered a cow's jawbone near the south entrance, and dated it to the...

Violet, 5, wants to know: what was life like before refrigerators? And Ellinor, 6, asks: how did they make ice in the old times? In this episode, we learn about the history of ice harvesting and the industry that built up around it, where ice cut from lakes in New England was shipped to as far away as India and the Caribbean.

Archaeologists have re-examined a 2500-year-old residue found in bronze jars at an underground shrine in Paestum, Italy, previously identified as a wax/fat/resin mixture. Using a multianalytical approach, the authors have detected lipids, saccharide decomposition products, hexose sugars, and major royal jelly proteins supporting the hypothesis that the jars once also contained honey/honeycombs. Paestum honey: (A) underground shrine in Paestum, Italy; (B) one of the hydrias on display alongside a Perspex box containing the residue at the Ashmolean Museum in 2019; (C) graphic representation of the arrangement of the bronze jars inside the shrine; (D) sample from the core of the...

High-resolution imaging of tattoos found on a 2,500 year old Siberian "ice mummy" have revealed decorations that a modern tattooist would find challenging to produce, according to researchers. The intricate tattoos of leopards, a stag, a rooster, and a mythical half-lion and half-eagle creature on the woman's body shed light on an ancient warrior culture. Archaeologists worked with a tattooist, who reproduces ancient skin decorations on his own body, to understand how exactly they were made. The tattooed woman, aged about 50, was from the nomadic horse-riding Pazyryk people who lived on the vast steppe between China and Europe. Credit:...

During the Neolithic Revolution, the development of agriculture led to an epic shift in the way human societies lived. As agricultural technology spread out from the Near East, traditional hunter-gatherer lifestyles diminished in favor of more sedentary farming communities. This transition was usually accompanied by a dramatic shift in diet. However, according to a statement released by the University of York, this was not necessarily the case in Japan. Agriculture, rice, and millet were introduced to the Japanese islands from the Korean Peninsula around 3,000 years ago. Research conducted by archaeologists from the University of York, the University of Cambridge,...

What does it really mean to have German ancestry? If you’ve taken a DNA test and seen the "Germanic" label, your story is far richer, older, and more dynamic than any single result. Groundbreaking genetic research reveals that Germans descend from a tapestry of Ice Age hunters, early farmers, horse-riding steppe migrants, Celtic warriors, and global travelers. Each left its enduring mark, blending survival, innovation, and migration into the DNA of modern Germans. Why German Genetic Origins is Different | 22:17 Evo Inception | 52.4K subscribers | 47,642 views | July 18, 202500:00 – Introduction: Beyond the "Germanic" Label 00:21...