The skeleton of an eleventh-century man who appears to have been executed has been unearthed in central Sicily. When archaeologists led by Roberto Miccichè of the University of Palermo found the remains in a shallow grave, they immediately realized they had an unusual case on their hands. The man had been buried facedown, in a manner that did not follow any of the religious practices common in Sicily at the time. This suggests that he was an outlaw.

As Miccichè studied the bones using CT scans and a 3-D reconstruction, he recognized that the victim had been stabbed in the back at least six times, most likely while kneeling with his feet bound together. This is evidence of “someone very familiar with human anatomy carrying out a kind of ‘surgical operation’ intended to kill a person in a very effective and rapid way,” says Miccichè. He points out that the execution likely took place just after the Norman conquest of Sicily in 1061, a time of social upheaval when violence on the island was common.

Four foxes buried alongside women at prehistoric sites in northeastern Spain offer insight into the value Bronze Age Iberians placed on their animal companions. The animals were unearthed in three graves dating to the end of the third to the beginning of the second millennium B.C. at the Catalan sites of Can Roqueta and Minferri. More than 30 dogs were also found. Isotope analysis of the foxes’ bone collagen suggests that they were regularly fed by villagers, most likely women, whose diet sometimes differed from that of men. For example, at Can Roqueta, men ate more meat than women. “Foxes are associated with women, not only in the grave but also in what they ate,” says Aurora Grandal-d’Anglade of the University of A Coruña. “The foxes show isotopic signatures consistent with a diet similar to those of women and children.” While dogs at both sites appear to have been bred for daily tasks such as bearing loads, the foxes were likely free to wander. “I think the foxes were probably friendly animals used to humans,” Grandal-d’Anglade says. “It’s possible that women and children found it entertaining to attract and feed them.”

Kakadu National Park in Australia’s Northern Territory, a roughly three-hour drive southeast from the territory’s capital, Darwin, is one of the greatest rock-art landscapes in the world. Recent archaeological excavations have pushed back the earliest dates of human presence in the region to around 65,000 years ago. More than 5,000 sites with petroglyphs have been recorded within the park’s 8,000 square miles. Pinning down the precise date of some of Kakadu’s rock art is challenging, as many of the mineral pigments used in the area are not datable using radiocarbon methods. Therefore, says Samantha McLean of Kakadu’s research and permits office, archaeologists and art historians have constructed timelines for the art using a combination of thermoluminescence dating, which can determine when mineral elements of paint or ceramics were first heated or fired, and representations of flora and fauna, which have changed over time along with the climate. Some of the most stunning images in Kakadu are found on or near Nourlangie Rock, a massive sandstone formation about a half-hour drive south from Jabiru, the park’s largest hub, which has facilities such as hotels and welcome centers. Another of the rock art sites, called Nanguluwur, was used as a campsite by ancestors of the Bininj/Mungguy people for millennia, and features an array of paintings and hand stencils ranging from several thousand to fewer than 100 years old. “Here you can see powerful depictions of ancestral spirits, animals, as well as fascinating early illustrations of contact between Aboriginal people and Europeans,” says McLean.

THE SITE

To experience the park fully can take several days. Visitors should begin their journey at the Warradjan Aboriginal Cultural Centre, where interpretive displays and presentations share the culture of Kakadu’s people. From there, it’s about a 45-minute drive east along the Kakadu Highway following signs for Nourlangie Rock, which is also known as Burrunggui. There are no shuttles around the park, so visitors are encouraged to sign up with one of the many commercial tour operators or to explore in their own vehicles. From May to November, the park offers guided tours, talks, and activities, which are included in the entrance fee. A range of hotels, cabins, and campsites can be found near the park’s four main hubs. Once you reach Nanguluwur, the site and the nearby Anbangbang rock shelter have well-marked walking tracks and are protected by guardrails.

WHILE YOU’RE THERE 

Nanguluwur is a short walk to the entrance to the Anbangbang billabong, the wetlands habitat of an impressive array of birdlife. Spread out your lunch on one of many picnic tables and raise your binoculars to catch sight of magpie geese, combcrested jacanas, cormorants, and redtailed black cockatoos, to name only a few of the avian species you might see.