Hundreds of stone tools discovered in Saudi Arabia have revealed the presence of ancient human ancestors in the region 190,000 years ago, suggesting they lived on the peninsula around the same time as Homo sapiens.
Archaeologists unearthed more than 500 tools at Saffaqah made in the Acheulean style, which emerged roughly 1.5 million years ago and is said to be the longest-lasting tool-making tradition in the history of our lineage.
The find indicates the Arabian Acheulean ended just before or at the same time as the arrival of Homo sapiens, and experts say it could be among the youngest Acheulean sites ever found.
Hundreds of stone tools discovered in Saudi Arabia have revealed the presence of ancient human ancestors 190,000 years ago, suggesting they lived on the peninsula around the same time as Homo sapiens. The team found handaxes and cleavers, among other artifacts
The Central Saudi Arabian site is the first known Acheulean site on the peninsula, and suggests human ancestors lived there until at least 190,000 years ago, according to a new study published in Scientific Reports.
While the exact population has yet to be identified, researchers say the ancient hominins that lived there used a network of rivers to navigate into Arabia.
At the time, the region experienced increased rainfall; now, the rivers no longer exist.
‘It is not surprising that early humans came here to make stone tools,’ says Dr Eleanor Scerri of the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History.
‘The site is located on a prominent andesite dyke that rises above the surrounding plain.
‘The spot was both a source of raw material as well as a prime location to survey a landscape that, back then, sat between two major river systems.’
Archaeologists unearthed more than 500 tools at Saffaqah made in the Acheulean style, which emerged roughly 1.5 million years ago. A giant Acheulean core from which flakes were struck to create handaxes is shown above next to one of the researchers
The Central Saudi Arabian site is the first known Acheulean site on the peninsula, and suggests human ancestors lived there until at least 190,000 years ago, according to a new study published in Scientific Reports
The team discovered more than 500 stone tools, including handaxes and cleavers, in the Acheulean style.
Ancient hominins likely manufactured stone tools at the site, living on the edge of habitable regions and taking advantage of brief ‘greening’ episodes, the experts say.
‘These hominins were resourceful and intelligent,’ Dr Scerri said.
‘They dispersed across a challenging landscape using technology commonly seen as reflecting a lack of inventiveness and creativity.
‘Instead of perceiving the Acheulean this way, we should really be struck by how flexible, versatile, and successful this technology was.’
WHEN DID HUMAN ANCESTORS FIRST EMERGE?
The timeline of human evolution can be traced back millions of years. Experts estimate that the family tree goes as such:
55 million years ago - First primitive primates evolve
15 million years ago - Hominidae (great apes) evolve from the ancestors of the gibbon
7 million years ago - First gorillas evolve. Later, chimp and human lineages diverge
A recreation of a Neanderthal man is pictured
5.5 million years ago - Ardipithecus, early 'proto-human' shares traits with chimps and gorillas
4 million years ago - Ape like early humans, the Australopithecines appeared. They had brains no larger than a chimpanzee's but other more human like features
3.9-2.9 million years ago - Australoipithecus afarensis lived in Africa.
2.7 million years ago - Paranthropus, lived in woods and had massive jaws for chewing
2.6 million years ago - Hand axes become the first major technological innovation
2.3 million years ago - Homo habilis first thought to have appeared in Africa
1.85 million years ago - First 'modern' hand emerges
1.8 million years ago - Homo ergaster begins to appear in fossil record
800,000 years ago - Early humans control fire and create hearths. Brain size increases rapidly
400,000 years ago - Neanderthals first begin to appear and spread across Europe and Asia
300,000 to 200,000 years ago - Homo sapiens - modern humans - appear in Africa
50,000 to 40,000 years ago - Modern humans reach Europe
The researchers dated the artifacts using a combination of luminescence methods, including the new infrared-radiofluorescence (IR-RF) dating protocol.
With the new estimates, the researchers are hoping we’ll soon be able to better piece together the dispersal of human ancestors through the Arabian Peninsula.
‘One of the biggest questions we have is whether any of our evolutionary ancestors and close cousins met up with Homo sapiens, and if this could have happened somewhere in Saudi Arabia,’ says Professor Michael Petraglia of the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, the director of the project.
‘Future field work will be dedicated to understanding possible cultural and biological exchanges at this critical time period.’
https://textbacklinkexchanges.com/category/the-sun-world/https://textbacklinkexchanges.com/arabian-stone-tools-linked-to-ancient-human-ancestors-were-made-just-190000-years-ago/
News Pictures Arabian stone tools linked to ancient human ancestors were made just 190,000 years ago
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