New study suggests early humans 250,000 years ago were more advanced than thought.

Ancient tools offer new clues to skills of early humans

TUESDAY, Aug. 9, 2016 -- A new study suggests early humans who lived in the Middle East about 250,000 years ago were more advanced than thought.

Based on the discovery of animal proteins on stone tools in modern-day Jordan, researchers believe that Stone Age humans used the tools to butcher animals like horses, rhinoceros, wild cattle and ducks.

"Researchers have known for decades about carnivorous behaviors by tool-making hominins dating back 2.5 million years," but this is the first direct evidence that specific animals were used for food, said lead researcher April Nowell. She is a professor of anthropology at the University of Victoria in Canada.

"The hominins in this region were clearly adaptable and capable of taking advantage of a wide range of available prey, from rhinoceros to ducks, in an extremely challenging environment," she said in a university news release.

Yet.

Supposedly...

We just blossomed about 10,000 BCE, into agriculture, math, writing, etc etc etc.

But!

We stayed primitive far longer than previously thought. I mean, were more 'Advanced' earlier than previously thought. Then we blossomed 240,000 + or - years later. I guess it's a matter of perspective?

That could be a politician posing for a photo shoot.

Why is his skin coloring so light. Hardly likely especially considering the location of the dig.

I mean, Jesus is one thing, always pale. But our ancestors back this far, hardly likely in this part of the world.

As for the loin cover ... really?

As usual, great thread. Thanks Slayer.

P

a reply to: pheonix358

Oh, come on, Get over it!

Loin clothes were worn by all 'Ancient People' Pyramid builders, Those who sailed the seas in prehistory, Those that constructed great engineering achievements in antiquity.

All the 'Ancient Cool Kids' wore them.

It was the "in thing"

originally posted by: SLAYER69

Yet.

Supposedly...

We just blossomed about 10,000 BCE, into agriculture, math, writing, etc etc etc.

But!

We stayed primitive far longer than previously thought. I mean, were more 'Advanced' earlier than previously thought. Then we blossomed 240,000 + or - years later. I guess it's a matter of perspective?

I mean this is some pretty advanced stuff for Stone Age people, but it still doesn't compare to the invention of writing that happened around 10,000 BCE and propelled society to what it is today.

a reply to: pheonix358

We've been covering the dangly bits for a while. Don't want things exposed when spears and sharp horns are waving around. Although I have no idea what a little piece of hide would do against a rhino horn. Ouch.

a reply to: SLAYER69

The dates seem to keep pushing further and further back. I'd like to know your opinion on the natives of South America, Slayer. The current thought seems to be that native North American groups started migrating from Eastern Asia/Siberia during the last ice age. The migration was continual; eventually thousands of people made their way South. But with dates like the 250,000 years in your OP, is it safe to assume that North, Central, and South America all had native inhabitants well before the last ice age? How about a reality where people had been living in the Americas for 100s of thousands of years and the post-ice age migration simply caused the meeting of groups of people who had been separated by time and space for thousands of years?

If we can't accept the Americas having a population prior to 12-14,000 years ago, does this then mean that the Natives that settled furthest south in the Americas perhaps arrived far sooner than some of the last people to cross from East Asia? I'd like to see more genetic comparisons done by legitimate laboratories. If you can show me that the DNA of native americans found in say Argentina is a near match to the DNA of say native american remains found in coastal Maine that would tell me something about the spread of humans in the Americas.

a reply to: SLAYER69

"Advanced" happened when people learned to write. That and whatever drove domestications beginning.

There are crafty animals within any species. The heron that learned to fish using a piece of bread....that is a stroke of animal genius. But the inability to communicate that to others, and transfer/store that information in a meaningful way, is what keeps that heron from making all herons crafty.

Side note: "wild cattle"....aka, the Auroch. Just thinking about having to hunt/kill an auroch with stone spears makes me feel queasy.

a reply to: SLAYER69

I'm kind of surprised you are surprised. I don't mean that in any conspiracy theory way, I'm just not sure what this says that wasn't really accepted knowledge. I'm fairly sure we were aware of hominims prior to homo sapien using sharpened stone for cutting?

As for the comment in the piece saying "but this is the first direct evidence that specific animals were used for food", well, that's massively disingenuous isn't it? Does it mean they discounted other available sources of meat for a reason, if so, what? Taste? easier to hunt? Or were they just more abundant and available than other sources?

I'm not seeing anything here that challenges our currently known timeline - would be interested in what you think is challenging?

ETA - I need to correct myself a little here as having took a few minutes out to go back to my references, I have to challenge that 250,000 date for the Middle East. Could very well be completely wrong, but that just doesn't sound right. The rest of the post though I still stand by.

a reply to: Imhotepic

There are a few 'Controversial' sites in the Americas that indicate earlier habitation by man.

Remember though, most of 'North America' was under huge amounts of ice. If there were upright man in the Americas in prehistory he would have settled in the lowest of the lower US 48, Central and South America. Which is exactly where we find some of the oldest, both accepted and controversial, sites.

The jungles of Central and South America are notoriously brutal on fossil creation. Doesn't mean there are none there just means it's less likely to occur.

I'm just waiting for some day, hopefully soon, some Cave diver in Mexico or elsewhere to surface with an ancient hominid skull that'll just blow the doors wide open.

a reply to: SLAYER69

I thought the oldest fire pits were around 800'000 years old - meaning we were advanced enough to cook then..........

So i raise you by 550'000 years!

As to the loincloths, all the cool kids were indeed wearing them, unless they lived on / near ice caps (guessing it's to do with "shrinkage" issues!).

originally posted by: bigfatfurrytexan
a reply to: SLAYER69

"Advanced" happened when people learned to write. That and whatever drove domestications beginning.

I actually read a report that basically stated that "advanced" followed the advent of the needle, as that allowed clothes to be made, nets to be made, etc. It argued, very reasonably, that when you reach that stage you are no longer simply a "hunter-gatherer", you are on the first steps to society and, therefore, civilization. For example, even within hunter gatherer societies, the needle allowed animal skins to be made into clothes and storage bags. This, in turn, allowed more extensive hunting and allowed the development of food storage. This, in turn, frees up time to do everything from religion to mathematics to astronomy to postulating on animal husbandry, etc. Basically, no needle = still stuck in caves sat around fires.

I think animal skins covering various parts of Human anatomy was to protect against sunburn and or frostbite, Those not quick enough to dodge the deer antler did not pas on their 'slow' gene to offspring.

originally posted by: pikestaff
I think animal skins covering various parts of Human anatomy was to protect against sunburn and or frostbite, Those not quick enough to dodge the deer antler did not pas on their 'slow' gene to offspring.

But don't forget that the portly human was much appreciated and sought after in ancient times as a sign of prosperity and for breeeding purposes.

a reply to: Flavian

now that sounds like something worth looking up. Thanks.

That spear 'shaft' is crooked, poor choice for a hunter. But whomever made these points was surely skilled. Selecting suitable tool stone, how to knap, develop a tool kit to carry along on hunting forays plus the hunt itself, not very 'primitive' if you ask me.

When was the last time we snuck up on a herd of deer close enough to hit one with a thrown stick?

Hunting tasks were addressed with a large and varied flaked stone tool kit usually made from high quality tool stone. (Paleoindian) tool kits would be designed to undertake a variety of large and small tasks and likely include fluted projectile points, fluted and un-fluted knives, prismatic blades from cores, large bifaces that doubled as flake tool cores during the early stages of reduction and a selection of robust scrapers, borers, cutters, burins and other tools made with a particular task in mind.

Clovis points

a reply to: intrptr

I doubt the spears were simply thrown in all cases. There is a great chance that the natives had already learned how to make and use the atlatl which offers some serious take down power when compared to a thrown spear.

a reply to: SLAYER69

Totally overlooked. Ancient Societies of North America. I lived in the Drift-less Area of Wisconsin for years (a place where the last Ice Age went around and left it) by La Crosse. The Upper Mississippi Valley is peppered with ancient Pyramids... They swing into the Root River as well. So old they are basically hills... this was before the Oneida, but, you never hear a peep. Not conducive to the modern dialogue. I believe Trempleau Park has one, there is another by Hokum, MN, another by Red Mound, WI... I have found Aztec looking rock walls (no mortar) in a valley in Wisconsin... and what looked like the ramparts of a Pyramid entrance on the edge of a field, going toward a very very triangular hill (Red Mound).. So basically from Marquette, Iowa (where the Effigy Builders lived) to about Red Wing, MN/Diamond Bluff, WI you can spot all sorts of ancient stuff like stone birds on hillsides (the Phoenix outside Red Wing), mounds, ancient holy sites on the Black River... but you hear nothing.

The old farmers know it but they never say anything because they do not want to loose their land to an Archeology Dig.

History truly does lay buried in a grave.

originally posted by: Imhotepic
a reply to: intrptr

I doubt the spears were simply thrown in all cases. There is a great chance that the natives had already learned how to make and use the atlatl which offers some serious take down power when compared to a thrown spear.

The point is the most important feature, imo. It has to be strong and sharp enough to reliably fly straight and penetrate thick hides, doing damage to internal organs without breaking.

A sharp stick, even thrown with an 'atlatl' won't do it. A speer thrust to finish game once down was also accomplished by hand.

originally posted by: SLAYER69
a reply to: Imhotepic
There are a few 'Controversial' sites in the Americas that indicate earlier habitation by man.

Those are, of course, becoming less controversial. (was gonna pay Topper a visit earlier this summer)
But South America really is the wild card. I get the sense that 50kya is quietly regarded as a gimme in some knowledgeable circles.

originally posted by: Newt22
a reply to: SLAYER69

Totally overlooked. ancient Societies of North America. I lived in the Drift-less Area of Wisconsin for years (a place where the last Ice Age went around and left it) by La Crosse. The Upper Mississippi Valley is peppered with ancient Pyramids... They swing into the Root River as well. So old they are basically hills... this was before the Oneida, but, you never hear a peep.

Dude, you need to do just a little bit of research about the Mississippean cultures, Hopewellian sphere of influence, etc. Not overlooked at all!