Easter Island heads mystery solved?
A new Binghamton study suggests that the lost civilization of Easter Island may have chosen the location of the iconic moai heads to signal where fresh water was available, Newsweek reports. Read more
We may finally know how Easter Island’s statues got their stone hats
Almost a thousand stone figures dot Easter Island, known also as Rapa Nui. These moai have puzzled generations of Western anthropologists: How were they created? How were they moved from the places where stone was quarried to the points where they’re found today? How did they end up wearing hats made out of different kinds of stone? A new study from a team of American researchers, including Binghamton University scholar Carl Lipo, offers an answer to this last baffling question, Popular Science reports. Read more
Artifacts reveal history of family planning
The archaeological discovery of presumably aborted fetuses in New York outhouses along with pill bottles and historical records led Binghamton University researchers to conclude that many 19th century American women had family-planning concerns similar to those of 21st century women, Forbes reports. Read more
‘Fundamentalist U’
Binghamton researcher Adam Laats discusses his new book on evangelical higher education with Inside Higher Ed. Read more
Scientists find fossil from oldest modern human out of Africa
“The dating had to be rock solid,” Binghamton anthropologist Rolf M. Quam told The New York Times. The team dated the tooth dentin and enamel, the sediment stuck to the upper jaw, and tools found near the fossil. Read more
‘The Weeping Time’ auction destroyed families
Binghamton historian Anne C. Bailey’s new book describes how a slave auction wrenched families apart, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports. Read more
Bio-battery could be powered by your sweaty gym socks
A stretchy, flexible battery developed at Binghamton University could be powered by your sweat, Newsweek reports. Read more
