Researchers from the University of Tübingen and the University of Athens announced Wednesday that they have identified the most ancient modern human remains discovered outside of Africa.
Apidima 1 – a skull fragment of Homo sapiens discovered in a Greek cave in the 1970s – would be 210,000 years old. The research team used advanced computer modeling and dating of uranium to identify the age of the fragments.
Neanderthalian skull fragments – a distant cousin of Homo sapiens – were also found in the cave and called Apidima 2. However, it was discovered that he had 40 000 years younger than the fragment of Homo sapiens.
The reconstruction of Apidima 2, on the left, and the skull fragment, on the right, have typical Neanderthal features
"This shows that the early dispersal of Homo sapiens out of Africa is not only produced earlier, 200,000 years ago, but has also spread geographically up to ## 148 ## 39 in Europe, "said Katerina Harvati, paleoanthropologist at the University of Tübingen.
"It's something we had not suspected before and that has implications for the population movements of these old groups," she added.
Read more: Iraq's drought unveils a palace of a mysterious 3,400-year-old empire
& # 39; Multiple dispersions & # 39; out of Africa
While some expressed skepticism about the data, including Warren Sharp at the Berkeley California Geochronology Center, others said it made sense to find past migration routes to the US. Africa.
"Rather than a single African homininos outing to populate Eurasia, there must have been several dispersions, some of which have not resulted in permanent occupations. said Eric Delson, an anthropologist at City University in New York.
Read more: Ancient Egypt has priceless treasures to discover
Every evening, DW editors send a selection of hard news and quality journalism. You can register to receive it directly here.
-
The German Archaeological Institute celebrates 190 years
A meeting of the spirits
For its 190th anniversary, DAI organized an event in Berlin bringing together its agencies from around the world to present their most innovative projects. Many had unique visual aids, including rendering 3D projects and even virtual reality installations, while others showed films of their discoveries, such as this spectacular wooden tomb complex dating back to 1800 BC. discovered by the DAI in Luxor in 2004.
-
The German Archaeological Institute celebrates 190 years
A long-term project in Egypt
For 50 years, the office of the German Institute of Archeology (DAI) in Cairo and Swiss partners are conducting excavations on the Elephantine Island of Egypt (see above). With discoveries of clay, pottery, bone, stone and organic materials, the collaboration shows all the knowledge that a long-term project can reveal. The team also helped restore the damaged beard on King Tutankhamen's mask.
-
The German Archaeological Institute celebrates 190 years
Open-source history
The Palmyra GIS project explores what can happen when years of data on Palmyra, Syria, are presented in digital form and made available to the public online. The DAI has digitized maps and other information to show the evolution of the city over time. He also works with students in Lebanon to transfer information to the region. The photo shows program data projected on a 3D model of the actual site.
-
The German Archaeological Institute celebrates 190 years
Bring lions
Among other things, the Roman branch of the institute studied one of the wildest technical aspects of the Colosseum: the gear used to bring animals into the arena to meet their enemies gladiators . The group recently completed a reconstruction project of "lifts" from a series of elevators and pulleys, which allowed the animals to get out of their detention area under the famous fighting circle.
-
The German Archaeological Institute celebrates 190 years
Old Chinese fashion
These pants discovered by the DAI branch in Beijing would not be totally out of place in the fashion world of today. They belong to a collection of artifacts worn between 3,000 and 1,000 years ago that were discovered in western China, where the dry climate contributed to the preservation. The pants presented is a reproduction of the original and illustrates the intricate weaving techniques used at the time.
-
The German Archaeological Institute celebrates 190 years
An old melody
The Seikilos stone (standing on the left) bears one of the oldest melodies in the world. Written by a man named Seikilos and discovered in present-day Turkey, he wears a poem and composition in ancient Greek. This was part of the project "Archaeomusica", in which DAI archaeologists, musicians and others presented reproductions of the oldest musical instruments of Europe.
-
The German Archaeological Institute celebrates 190 years
Assistance from above
DAI is working on a project in southern Hungary that uses the latest developments in drones. It focuses on "tell" sites, mounds that form when years of settlements are superimposed, in this case from the Bronze and Neolithic ages. The photos and videos taken by drones help archaeologists make 3D models to better understand the landscape surrounding these sites.
-
The German Archaeological Institute celebrates 190 years
let the games begin
Many DAI projects focus on the world's most famous historical sites, such as Olympia in the Greek Peloponnese Peninsula, site of the first Olympic Games, in 776 BC. This digital drawing shows the finished interior of the Leonidaion, the largest guesthouse in the complex, as it will be once the reconstruction is complete.
Author: Sarah Hucal
ls / sms (AFP, AP)
