2026 News from the MPI of Geoanthropology

The discovery that remote Mediterranean islands were colonized before the invention of agriculture has upended long-standing views about the maritime capabilities of Europe’s last hunter-gatherers. New evidence from Malta now shows that these hunter-gatherers were engaging in repeated long-distance sea journeys of at least 100 kilometers (km), likely between Sicily and Malta for at least a millennium.  more

New study helps resolve one of South American archaeology's longest-running debates: the role of maize in precolonial societies. Evidence reveals that large villages in central Brazil were supported by polyculture maize farming while neighboring societies maintained diversified food production strategies.  more

The Otto Hahn Medal is awarded in recognition of outstanding achievements of young scientists more

New study highlights the need to connect research into the uniqueness of cities with research on their similarities  more

New research shows pre-agricultural intensification of plant use in Pleistocene Sri Lankan rainforests more

A new study suggests that for the last 74,000 years, malaria shaped where early humans could live in Africa—fragmenting populations and influencing patterns of exchange long before recorded history. more

Prof Jürgen Renn is coauthor of a newly published position paper examining geological hydrogen as a potential resource for the transition toward a climate-neutral energy system. The publication will be released as part of the digital Berlin Energy Days. more

From the Perspectives from the Global South on the Anthropocene research team more

The General Assembly of the Tipping Points Modelling Intercomparison Project (TIPMIP) took place at Tokyo University, organized by the TIPMIP team and local research partners. more

Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology researchers  Prof. Ricarda Winkelmann and Lena Nicola have concluded a successful field season in Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica, in cooperation with Monash University, Australia (SAEF). more