Category
Archaeology
Explore the 7 entries currently assigned to this category. These counts describe this curated catalogue, not the size or rate of change of the field itself.
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Not a fact anymore
Chickens were first domesticated in the Indian subcontinent.
What we know now
The earliest unambiguous domestic chickens currently come from central Thailand, dating to about 1650–1250 BCE. The archaeological record no longer supports the Indian subcontinent as the first center of domestication.
- Status
- Overturned
- Category
- Archaeology
- Accepted for
- Not quantified
- Changed approximately
- 2022
Not a fact anymore
Widespread domestic-horse mobility was a major driver of the Yamnaya expansion into Europe around 3000 BCE.
What we know now
The Yamnaya were mobile pastoralist communities of the Pontic-Caspian steppe whose ancestry spread widely into Europe around 3000 BCE. Ancient horse genomes place the rapid spread of the lineage that dominates modern domestic horses around 2200 BCE, several centuries later, so large domestic-horse herds cannot explain the earlier expansion in the form once proposed.
- Status
- Overturned
- Category
- Archaeology
- Accepted for
- Not quantified
- Changed approximately
- 2021–2024
Not a fact anymore
The Clovis people were the first inhabitants of the Americas, arriving about 13,500 years ago.
What we know now
People were present in the Americas before the Clovis culture. Most specialists accept at least some pre-Clovis occupation, although the timing, routes, and number of migrations are still debated.
- Status
- Superseded
- Category
- Archaeology
- Accepted for
- ≈62 years
- Changed approximately
- 1990s–present
Not a fact anymore
Before European contact, Amazonia was largely pristine wilderness occupied only by small, scattered groups with little effect on the landscape.
What we know now
Many parts of Amazonia were substantially shaped by Indigenous societies before European contact. Archaeologists have found settlements, roads, canals, raised fields, large earthworks, engineered soils, and long-term forest management. The scale of occupation varied greatly across the enormous basin.
- Status
- Narrowed
- Category
- Archaeology
- Accepted for
- ≈45 years
- Changed approximately
- 1990s–present
Not a fact anymore
Classic Maya civilization was largely peaceful and centered on priests, astronomy, and ritual rather than warfare.
What we know now
Classic Maya societies were politically diverse states whose rulers fought wars, took captives, formed alliances, destroyed rival centers, and used violence in dynastic and territorial competition.
- Status
- Overturned
- Category
- Archaeology
- Accepted for
- ≈65 years
- Changed approximately
- 1960s–1990s
Not a fact anymore
Stonehenge was built by Druids.
What we know now
Stonehenge was constructed in stages by Neolithic and Bronze Age communities, with the principal stone settings raised around 2500 BCE. Historically documented Druids lived much later.
- Status
- Overturned
- Category
- Archaeology
- Accepted for
- ≈265 years
- Changed approximately
- Late 19th–20th century
Not a fact anymore
Ancient Greek and Roman marble statues were intentionally displayed as pure, unpainted white stone.
What we know now
Many classical sculptures were painted, gilded, inlaid, or otherwise colored. Some received full polychromy, while others used selective color to emphasize skin, hair, clothing, eyes, or attributes.
- Status
- Overturned
- Category
- Archaeology
- Accepted for
- ≈265 years
- Changed approximately
- 19th century–present
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