SCIENCE IN THE NEWS WEEKLY
Chinese Monsoons, Australian Rocks, Israeli Pottery
Researchers reported last week that chemical analysis of an ancient stalagmite from a Chinese cave has suggested that changes in the strength of monsoon rains long ago may have had a profound impact on agriculture in Asia, leading to the demise of several imperial Chinese dynasties.
In other news, new analysis calls into question whether chemical biomarkers in ancient Australian rocks are the oldest known evidence of complex life on Earth, or actually infiltrated the rocks long after the sediments were laid down.
Archaeologists reported finding the oldest Hebrew text ever discovered—five lines in black ink on a pottery shard—while excavating a city in Israel. It overlooks the valley where the Bible says David slew Goliath.
And DNA analysis has helped scientists retrace the migrations of the ancient, seafaring Phoenicians. The study has revealed the genetic legacy they imparted to modern populations in the Mediterranean.