About 37,000 years ago in southeast Australia, Budj Bim and another nearby volcano formed through a rapid series of eruptions, perhaps inspiring a story that may be the oldest still being told today. Image: peacay
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Ancient Egyptians took their board games seriously. Over nearly 2 millennia senet evolved into a game with deep links to the afterlife, played on a board that represented the underworld. A version of the game sitting in a California museum might reveal when this dramatic transformation took place. Image: Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum
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The story of that first alphabet has long been a mystery, but over the past 25 years we have made enormous progress towards pinpointing when and where it was invented. Most astonishing, the consensus today is that the alphabet didn’t emerge from a state-sponsored initiative as was long believed. Image: byorori.t
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A handful of oak-lined water wells built by Europe’s first farmers have earned the title of the world’s oldest surviving wooden architecture. Now, one of the earliest of the oak structures has been precision dated using the tree rings in the wood, and it provides evidence that Europe’s first farmers may also have been keen on recycling. Image: Rinet IT
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A handful of oak-lined water wells built by Europe’s first farmers have earned the title of the world’s oldest surviving wooden architecture. Now, one of the earliest of the oak structures has been precision dated using the tree rings in the wood, and it provides evidence that Europe’s first farmers may also have been keen on recycling. Image: Michal Rybní?ek/Mendel University
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