Course: Homo Floresiensis Uncovered: The Science of ‘the Hobbit’

Archaeochemists play a crucial role in applying chemical techniques and methods to archaeology. In broad terms, molecular archaeology and archaeochemistry focus on the study of ancient molecules to piece together …

“Contamination is around us all the time…” (Prof. Bert Roberts) Numerous types of contamination can be introduced into archaeological records, but there are two main types that are particularly significant. …

Once excavated, artefacts are carefully air-dried and wrapped to avoid being touched. Similarly, when they are delivered to the lab, gloves are worn, so that the artefacts remain untouched and …

In this video, geoarchaeologist Dr Mike Morley explains particular features of sediments from Liang Bua as we view them under a microscope. Taking a close look at the slides helps …

New findings that shed light on when the Hobbit lived and disappeared have shaken the scientific world… Findings recently published in an article called ‘Revised stratigraphy and chronology for Homo …

Luminescence dating encompasses a range of methods that seek to determine when mineral grains were last exposed to sunlight or heat. Taking the Sediments to the Lab In the wet …

Dating methods continue to evolve and improve over time… Prior to the development of radiocarbon dating in the late 1940s, archaeologists relied primarily on historical records and the position of …

Dating methods help us answer the question “When did it happen?” Dating methods and techniques continue to improve over time and shed light on mysteries buried deep in the past. …

What do stone artefacts reveal about the life and times of the Hobbit? Stone artefacts recovered from the Homo floresiensis layers at Liang Bua show evidence of tool-making techniques and …

Stone tools provide information about the ways that early humans lived and interacted with their surroundings over time… Click on each of the following images to view and manipulate 3D …

The stone tools used by Homo floresiensis were mostly ‘flakes’ and ‘cores’. Flakes Flakes are stone chips produced by striking the edge of a stone with another hard material (called …

Stone artefacts (also known as “lithics”) are tools that are partially or completely made from stone and show evidence of human use. Stone tools accumulate various kinds of use-wear and …

Faunal remains at Liang Bua provide information about the impact that humans have had on the ecosystem and environment of Flores over the last 100,000 years. Once faunal remains have …

Foster’s rule (also known as the “island rule”) is a hypothesis that mammals change their size on islands depending on resources available in their environment. In 1964, a biologist named …

The discovery of ecofacts at Liang Bua reveal that Flores was home to a distinct range of animals before modern humans inhabited the island. Most of the wild mammals that …