The earliest testimonies of the use of alcohol and drugs suggest that inebriation is a long-
established habit, the origins of which can be traced back to prehistory. Traces highly …

Cereal grasses of the Triticeae tribe have been the major food source in temperate regions
since the dawn of agriculture. Their large genomes are characterized by a high content of …

Chemical analyses of ancient organic compounds absorbed into the pottery fabrics from
sites in Georgia in the South Caucasus region, dating to the early Neolithic period (ca. 6,000 …

Abstract Firestone et al., 2007, PNAS 104 (41): 16,016–16,021, proposed that a major
cosmic impact, circa 10,835 cal. BCE, triggered the Younger Dryas (YD) climate shift along …

Knowledge of the origin and spread of farming has been revolutionised in recent years by
the application of new scientific techniques, especially the analysis of ancient DNA from …

Evidence of grand burials and monumental construction is a striking feature in the
archaeological record of the Upper Palaeolithic period, between 40 and 10 kya (thousand …

Beer is one of the oldest alcoholic beverages and is produced by the fermentation of sugars
derived from starches present in cereal grains. Contrary to lager beers, made by bottom …

In a lively gastronomical tour around the world and through the millennia, Uncorking the
Past tells the compelling story of humanity's ingenious, intoxicating search for booze …

The first publication to outline the complex global story of human migration and dispersal
throughout the whole of human prehistory. Utilizing archaeological, linguistic and biological …

What makes us human? How did we develop language, thought and culture? Why did we
survive, and other human species fail? The past 12,000 years represent the only time in the …