Why did Clovis toolmakers choose difficult quartz crystal? New study offers clues

Quartz crystals are difficult to knap due to size, hardness, and crystalline structure, making them a “low-quality” raw material. However, the Clovis people of North America sometimes made points and other tools from this material despite its drawbacks. To determine whether the quartz crystal points of the Clovis were functionally comparable to those made from…

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Astronomers just mapped one of the largest structures in the universe, long hidden behind the Milky Way’s ‘Zone of Avoidance’

Astronomers have finally mapped out a mysterious galactic “supercluster” that has been almost completely hidden from Earth since it was discovered 10 years ago. The results reveal that the structure is far larger than we realized, and it now ranks among some of the most massive objects in the known universe. The Vela Supercluster is…

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