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Jan 19, 2024 · Amid growing controversy, museums are grappling with collections from the colonial era – and one issue in particular. What should they do with human remains?
The Smithsonian has acquired human remains for scientific research since 1846, but acknowledges the need to respect and return them with dignity and honor. Learn about the history, policies, and practices of the Smithsonian's human remains collection and care.
Jun 26, 2024 · A UN expert said today that the recovery, protection, documentation, identification and investigation of bodies and human remains of victims of unlawful deaths are not an option but an obligation under international law and inherent to the non-derogable right to life, recognised by all States around the world, both in war and peace times.
- 550,000 to 750,000 Years Ago: The Beginning of The Homo Sapiens Lineage
- 300,000 Years Ago: Fossils Found of Oldest Homo Sapiens
- 300,000 Years Ago: Artifacts Show A Revolution in Tools
- 100,000 to 210,000 Years Ago: Fossils Show Homo Sapiens Lived Outside of Africa
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Genes, rather than fossils, can help us chart the migrations, movements and evolution of our own species—and those we descended from or interbred with over the ages. The oldest-recovered DNA of an early human relative comes from Sima de los Huesos, the “Pit of Bones.” At the bottom of a cave in Spain’s Atapuerca Mountains scientists found thousands...
As the physical remains of actual ancient people, fossils tell us most about what they were like in life. But bones or teeth are still subject to a significant amount of interpretation. While human remains can survive after hundreds of thousands of years, scientists can’t always make sense of the wide range of morphological features they see to def...
Our ancestors used stone tools as long as 3.3 million years ago and by 1.75 million years ago they’d adopted the Acheulean culture, a suite of chunky handaxes and other cutting implements that remained in vogue for nearly 1.5 million years. As recently as 400,000 years ago, thrusting spearsused during the hunt of large prey in what is now Germany w...
Many genetic analyses tracing our roots back to Africa make it clear that Homo sapiensoriginated on that continent. But it appears that we had a tendency to wander from a much earlier era than scientists had previously suspected. A jawbone found inside a collapsed caveon the slopes of Mount Carmel, Israel, reveals that modern humans dwelt there, al...
Learn how modern humans evolved from ancient ancestors in Africa, based on fossils, genes and environmental evidence. See key discoveries and dates of Homo sapiens and their relatives, from 750,000 to 300,000 years ago.
- Brian Handwerk
Aug 14, 2023 · The Smithsonian’s collection of human remains is one of the largest in the world. It includes mummies, skulls and teeth, representing an unknown number of people. It also has a collection...
Dec 15, 2023 · The Smithsonian holds over 30,700 human remains, but never released a full inventory. The Post offers a starting point to learn more about the collection.
Oct 7, 2020 · Human remains preserve a clear record of past life to later generations. These remains, even if dated hundreds or thousands of years ago, maintain their human dignity and force the community to reflect on the ethical issues related to their analysis, curation and display.
