[ad_1]
The earliest evidence suggesting that modern humans were capable of symbolic thinking and complex behavior – the use of ocher pigments, paints, and decorative objects – comes from coastal sites in Africa dating back to around 70,000. at 125,000 years. These types of objects give us insight into the human mind as they suggest a shared identity.
Archaeologists had speculated that many of the innovations and skills that make Homo sapiens unique evolved in groups living on the coast before spreading inland. Predictable marine resources like shellfish and a more forgiving climate may have enabled more primitive humans in these regions to thrive. Additionally, a diet high in seafood, which contains omega-3 fatty acids important for brain growth, may also have played a role in the evolution of the brain and human behavior.
However, new discoveries at 600 kilometers (about 370 miles) inland in the southern Kalahari Desert contradict this view, and a new study suggests that the early modern humans living in this region were not lagging behind their counterparts living on the coast.
It is believed that 22 calcite crystals and ostrich shell fragments – found in the Ga-Mohana Hill North Rockshelter in South Africa and dated to around 105,000 years ago – were deliberately collected and brought to the site. The crystals have no obvious use, and the researchers suggested that the ostrich shells could have been used as a water bottle.
“They are really well formed, white and visually striking and beautiful. Crystals from all over the world are really important for spiritual and ritual reasons at different times and in different places,” said Jayne Wilkins, paleoarchaeologist at the Australian Research Center for Human. Evolution at Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia, and lead author of the study published Wednesday in the journal Nature.
“We tried very hard to find out whether or not natural processes could explain how they entered archaeological deposits, but there is no explanation.
Wilkins said that in light of these findings, ideas linking the emergence of Homo sapiens and coastal environments “need to be rethought.” It suggested that humans the origin story was more complex, involving different places and environments in Africa and different groups of people interact with each other and contribute to the emergence of our species.
“Previously, the Kalahari was not considered an important region for understanding the origins of the complex behaviors of Homo sapiens, but our work shows it. Ultimately, this means that models focusing on a single center of origin, like the South African coast, are too simplistic, ”she told CNN in an email.
Pamela Willoughby, a professor in the anthropology department at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada, who was not involved in the research, agreed with this assessment.
“The objects they found suggest that it is time to revisit current thinking about the emergence of cultural innovations among early human populations,” she said in a comment published alongside the study.
The climate in the Kalahari 100,000 years ago would have been very different from the arid climate it is in today.
The newly discovered artifacts are believed to have been in human hands during a time of increased rains. The researchers said that the greater availability of water could have led to a greater population density, which could have influenced the origin and diffusion of innovative behaviors.
Willoughby said part of the problem with unraveling the complex history of human origins is that only a few parts of Africa have been studied in detail.
She said that the fossil record in Africa “now indicates that there does not appear to be a single pattern of technological and social development over time.” Launching inquiries and excavations in lesser-known areas will help clarify what made our immediate ancestors. truly modern, both biologically and culturally. “
[ad_2]
Source link