archaeology

A study has analysed around 10,000 teeth from 139 archaeological sites in Europe dating from around 1200 AD in the Middle Ages. The differences between the teeth of men and women make it possible to establish who had better living conditions and received more attention in each place. Comparing the data with the contemporary situation, they conclude that greater gender discrimination in the past correlates with greater inequality today. According to the authors, this persistence is most likely due to intergenerational transmission, as it is interrupted when there is a large population replacement. The results are published in the journal PNAS.

Some 4,000 engraved slate plaques resembling owls have been found in tombs and graves on the Iberian Peninsula dating back to the Copper Age. It has been speculated that they may have had a ritual significance. Spanish scientists have analysed 100 of these plaques and propose, in an article published in Scientific Reports, that they may have been carved by children for play.