The ancient civilization of Arabia was once home to a rich and diverse culture that valued knowledge, trade, and innovation. New research has shed light on one of the most fascinating aspects of their history: the deliberate use of psychoactive and medicinal plants for therapeutic and sensorial practices nearly 2,700 years ago.

Led by Dr. Barbara Huber and Professor Marta Luciani, a team of researchers analyzed organic residues preserved inside Iron Age fumigation devices excavated at the oasis settlement of Qurayyah in northwestern Saudi Arabia. Using advanced metabolic profiling techniques, they detected characteristic harmala alkaloids from the plant Peganum harmala, also known as Syrian rue or harmal.

“This discovery represents chemical evidence for the earliest known burning of harmal not just in Arabia but globally,” says Dr. Huber, lead author of the study. “Our findings shed light on how ancient communities drew upon traditional plant knowledge and their local pharmacopeia to care for their health, purify spaces, and potentially trigger psychoactive effects.”

The integration of biomolecular analysis with archaeology has allowed researchers to identify not just what kind of plants people were using but also where, how, and why. This breakthrough has significant implications for fields such as ethnobotany, medical anthropology, heritage studies, and pharmacognosy – all concerned with the long-term relationship between humans, medicinal plants, and natural resources.

In traditional medicine and household fumigation practices today in the region, Peganum harmala is known for its antibacterial, psychoactive, and therapeutic properties. The new findings underscore its long-standing cultural and medicinal significance.

“This discovery shows the deep historical roots of traditional healing and fumigation practices in Arabia,” adds Ahmed M. Abualhassan, Heritage Commission co-director of the Qurayyah project. “We’re preserving not only objects but also the intangible cultural heritage of ancient knowledge that still holds relevance in local communities today.”

The Earth is home to vast reserves of gold and other precious metals, but they are not stored in a safe or vault. Instead, these treasures lie hidden deep within the planet’s metallic core, surrounded by 3,000 kilometers of solid rock. Recently, researchers from the University of Göttingen made a groundbreaking discovery that sheds new light on the origin of these precious resources.

The scientists found traces of Ruthenium (Ru), a rare metal, in volcanic rocks on the islands of Hawaii. Their analysis revealed that this Ru must have originated from the Earth’s core, rather than the rocky mantle above it. This finding is significant because it suggests that material from the core, including gold and other precious metals, is leaking into the Earth’s mantle.

Dr. Nils Messling, a researcher at Göttingen University, exclaimed, “When we first saw the results, we knew we had struck gold!” The team’s data confirmed that material from the core is rising to the surface, forming ocean islands like Hawaii. Professor Matthias Willbold added, “Our findings not only show that the Earth’s core is not as isolated as previously thought but also prove that huge volumes of super-heated mantle material originate at the core-mantle boundary.”

This discovery has implications for our understanding of the Earth’s evolution and the origin of precious metals. Messling noted, “Whether these processes have been operating in the past remains to be proven.” However, their findings open up a new perspective on the inner dynamics of our home planet.

The revelation that gold and other precious metals may come from the Earth’s core challenges our previous understanding of the planet’s metallic core. It also raises questions about the long-term sustainability of these resources and their value in various sectors, such as renewable energy.

The discovery of a colossal boulder on the island of Tongatapu has shed new light on the Pacific region’s history and the risk of tsunamis. The Maka Lahi boulder, weighing almost 1,200 tonnes, is now recognized as one of the largest known wave-transported rocks in the world.

PhD candidate Martin Köhler from The University of Queensland’s School of the Environment led an analysis that revealed the massive rock was moved by a tsunami around 7,000 years ago. According to Mr. Köhler, the team had been surveying the southern side of Tongatapu when they stumbled upon the boulder.

“It was late in the day, and we were talking to some farmers who directed us to this boulder,” he said. “I was so surprised; it’s located far inland and outside of our field work area, must have been carried by a very big tsunami.”

The team created a 3D model of the original cliff-top location where the boulder once sat. By matching the shape and size of the rock with its new resting place, they estimated that wave heights of around 50 meters lasting about 90 seconds were needed to dislodge it from its origin and transport it over 200 meters inland.

The Maka Lahi boulder is now considered the world’s largest known cliff-top boulder. This remarkable find has significant implications for understanding past tsunamis in the Pacific region, particularly given Tonga’s history of volcanic eruptions along the underwater Tofua Ridge and the Tonga Trench.

Co-author Dr. Annie Lau, a coastal geomorphologist, emphasized that understanding past extreme events is crucial for hazard preparation and risk assessment now and in the future. “Tonga’s most recent tsunami in 2022 killed 6 people and caused significant damage,” she said. “This discovery strengthens our understanding of wave transportation of rocks to improve coastal-hazard assessments in tsunami-prone regions around the world.”