This week in anthropology, archaeology, bioarchaeology, biological anthropology, human evolution

Representation and perception of death in Neolithic Near East site Tell Qarassa examining funerary site, human image, and similar iconographic conventions

3 million year old fossil skeleton Little Foot (or Australopithecus prometheus) oldest most complete Australopithecus ever found; also believed to be oldest Homo skeleton found (see Archaeology Magazine and Science Now)

australopithecine “little foot”

New study shows that Native Americans and Russians share same language traits, dialects reveals how ancestors migrated 13,000 years ago 

Archaeologists want to explore human origins, Georgia wants to mine gold, which is worth more? 

Archaeologists tired of unearthing unspeakable ancient evils 

Billionaires with big ideas are privatizing American science 

1600 year old basilica dedicated to St Neophytus discovered in Turkey’s Lake Iznik architecturally similar to Hagia Sofia 

Burials in Greece linked to Macedonian kings 

Learn how archaeologists in the rural highlands of Peru are supporting the local schools by providing young boys and girls with opportunities (read more about the field school PIARA at the wordpress blog the Ancash Advocate)

Egyptians may have domesticated cats around 6,000 years ago based on cat skeletons found in cemetery, see also Live Science 

3200 year-old skeleton has oldest known example of cancer (metastatic carcinoma) associated with modern lifestyle  (such as environmental–carcinogens from wood fire smoke, genetic or from the parasite schistosomiasis), for more information see Archaeology Magazine and great photos visit Popular archaeology 

Graduate students should be encouraged to explore jobs outside academia and seek advice through campus career services 

Evolutionary fitness is not the most important determinant of success 

Classical archaeologist looks to shipwrecks and harbors to examine economic networks during Roman Empire 

“An anthropologists walks into a bar…” beer company hires social anthropologists to figure out why business is waning 

20+ skills that make PhDs employable 

Architecture analysis offers new clues to Petra’s culture 

Styloid process, an osteological genetic mutation that may have enabled humans to make tools, found in ancient fossil

Shocking facts from the scaffold 

Grad student deciphers 1800 year old letter from Egyptian solider 

What is plaque? 

Footless body with sheep bones discovered in UK 

Thinking more about teeth, dental anthropology

Study shows that race determines earwax scent

Why dark chocolate is good for your heart 

Cavities (tooth decay) causes, symptoms, and treatments 

Archaeologists use lasers to map site of Angkor, heart of SE Asia’s Khmer Empire 

Human nose can distinguish between a trillion smells

Amazon Warrior Women: Any truth behind the myth? 

High demand for underwater archaeology in Vietnam 

Conche shells evolved to be smaller because of hungry humans 

Vatican library to digitize its archive and put it online 

Epigenetics: the controversial science behind ethic and racial health disparities

Archaeologists are learning more about the Roman baths between Mġarr to Gћajn Tuffieћa in Malta 

A lot is known about Colonial India, but less about Ancient India 

Primatologists study infant chimps to get at root of gender differences in humans