News and stories

Jenny Macalli, scientist at SapienCE Collecting data loggers inside Bloukrantz cave, February 2023

Decoding Past Climates through Dripstones

A recent study demonstrates how dripstones can be crucial for reconstructing past climates. The new approach can provide a detailed picture of the climate around early human occupations in South Africa.

Image of SapienCE researcher Karen van Nierkerk excavating in Blombos Cave

New study shows signs of early creation of modern human identities

Our early ancestors were collecting eye-catching shells that may have been used as personal ornaments 100 000 years ago. The discoveries possibly also show the creation of identity that gradually, but radically changed the way we look at ourselves and others.

Top left: location of the site; top right: view of Porc-Epic Cave (photo: A. Herrero); bottom: ochre pieces found in the archaeological layers and analysed in the study

Tracing Early Human Cultural Evolution

SapienCE’s Francesco d’Errico and his international team have published their analysis of the largest known collection of Middle Stone Age ochre, which reveals how ochre use evolved over a period of 4500 years. The new study is essential to understand how complex cultures arose and diversified in...

Image showing Francesco d'Errico with student Jasmin Culey looking at ochre

Ranked as number 1

SapienCE scientist Francesco d’Errico is ranked as number 1 in Social Sciences and Humanities in Norway by Research.com.

Discovery of 80 000 year old bone tools from SA. Pictures showing experimental methods to find out how the tools were used.

UiB scientists discover 80 000-year-old bone tools

An international team of archaeologists, led by a UiB scientist, has identified the oldest bone tools from southern Africa. The tools are 60,000 to 80,000 years old and were likely used for debarking trees and to dig into the ground.

Showcasing Fascinating Discoveries about Early Modern Human Behaviour

The SapienCE Early Human Behaviour Exhibition offers a unique opportunity to explore fascinating discoveries and insights into the behaviours of our early, shared, ancestors.

Bilde fra utstillingen The Origins of Early Southern Sapiens Behaviour exhibition i Cape Town

The lives of our early ancestors on display at Cape Point

The Origins of Early Southern Sapiens Behaviour exhibition is launched at Cape Point, South Africa. The exhibition showcases remarkable discoveries from SapienCE main excavation sites augmented by Sea Change Project contribution.

Member of The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters

The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters has elected Professor Christopher Henshilwood as new member.

Count – and I know who you are

Humans are the only species that uses symbols to express quantities, and researchers now want to find out why number systems vary so much between cultures.

Inside Henshilwood’s Cave

The archaeologists who found the World's oldest man-made drawing are back in Blombos Cave in search of new discoveries. Professor Henshilwood welcomes us to the cave to show us his team at work as they dig for clues that can tell us how early humans lived.

Mother Afica welcome home Exhibition from Blombos

Recreating the lives of our ancestors

New digital technology makes it possible to recreate the lives led by our ancestors 100,000 years ago.

The origin of sewing technology. Palaeolithic eyed needles from France (left and centre) and China (right)

UiB researcher sheds new light on the origin of sewing technologies

The earliest known bone awls, suitable to produce skin clothing, are 73 000 years old and come from Blombos Cave, a site investigated by the researchers of the UiB Centre for Early Sapiens Behaviour. However, little is known about the origin of the sewing techniques necessary to produce tailored...

Working through the pandemic

Daily excavations, surveys, sampling and archaeological experiments. The SapienCE team were right in the middle of their yearly field expedition in South Africa, when the pandemic became a reality forcing the world into lockdown.

Ranked as number 1

SapienCE scientist Francesco d’Errico is ranked as number 1 in Social Sciences and Humanities in Norway by Research.com.

Experimenting with heat and fire

The archaeologists who found the world's oldest man-made drawing are back in the South African fields in search of new discoveries. Follow their day-to-day blog and see what happens when they experiment with heat and fire to get a better understanding of how humans lived 100 000 years ago.

The lives of our early ancestors on display at Cape Point

The Origins of Early Southern Sapiens Behaviour exhibition is launched at Cape Point, South Africa. The exhibition showcases remarkable discoveries from SapienCE main excavation sites augmented by Sea Change Project contribution.

The stone reader

" Archeology is a fascinating way to learn about human evolution because it opens up to all disciplines and allows us to look at human behavior from a holistic perspective".

EU-ambassador Thierry Béchet said when he was visiting the SapienCE Centre

EU Ambassador visits the SapienCE team

“You really could go on and on about this! It is very interesting to learn a bit about you work here”, EU Ambassador Thierry Béchet said when he was visiting the SapienCE Centre.

Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are

New research proves that our ancestors cooked starchy rhizome 170 000 years ago. The study also implies that the food was shared as a social act around the fire.

Shines new light on human evolution

Groundbreaking research puts human evolution in a new perspective as significant archaeological findings reveals sign of modern human behavior 300 000 years ago.

UiB scientists discover 80 000-year-old bone tools

An international team of archaeologists, led by a UiB scientist, has identified the oldest bone tools from southern Africa. The tools are 60,000 to 80,000 years old and were likely used for debarking trees and to dig into the ground.

Goldsmith turned archaeologist

UiB researcher Karen van Niekerk's road to (a Centre of) excellence.

– A proud day

UiB's new Centre of Excellence is officially open.

UiB archaeologists find the world’s oldest drawing

Archeologist from UiB discovered the earliest known drawing in a cave in South Africa. The abstract drawing displays a red cross-hatched line pattern, created with an ochre crayon 73 000 years ago.