An international research team has sequenced the genomes of the oldest securely dated modern humans in Europe who lived around 45,000 years ago in Bacho Kiro Cave, Bulgaria. By comparing their genomes to the genomes of people who lived later in Europe and in Asia the researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, show that this early human group in Europe contributed genes to later people, particularly present-day East Asians. The researchers also identified large stretches of Neandertal DNA in the genomes of the Bacho Kiro Cave people, showing that they had Neandertal ancestors about 5-7 generations back in their family histories. This suggests that mixture with Neandertals was the rule rather than the exception when the first modern [...]

The National Archaeological Institute with a Museum at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (NAIM at BAS) is going to present the fourteenth national archaeological exhibition "Bulgarian Archaeology 2020" from 12 February to 2 May 2021. Traditionally, the exhibition shows the most interesting finds and rich illustrative material from the field work of Bulgarian archaeologists in the previous year. It is organized on the occasion of the Archaeologist's Day, 14 February. "Despite the serious difficulties caused by the spread of the coronavirus in Bulgaria, 2020 was a very important and successful year for Bulgarian archaeology. Our work covered large-scale rescue excavations and numerous planned studies throughout the country. We received funding for more than 100 projects," said the director of NAIM at BAS, Assoc. Prof. Dr. [...]