Denyse O’Leary writes:
Recent findings suggest that some things we take for granted in human civilizations are much older than thought. Now, these findings are provisional but they are worth looking at.
Some owl stones from 5,500 and 4,750 years ago may be children’s art:
But new research suggests the palm-sized plaques decorated in geometric patterns and with two engraved circles at the top might be the work of children.
Numbering in the thousands and made from slate, the owl-like objects — previously dated the stone objects to be between 5,500 and 4,750 years old — may be “the archaeological trace of playful and learning activities carried out by youngsters,” according to the team of Spanish researchers behind the new study…
They suggest kids would have been able to easily engrave slate using pointed tools made of flint, quartz, or copper, creating ‘body’ patterns that emulate the streaked plumage of owls, and the circles for eyes are unmistakably owl-like, casting an unwavering stare straight at the observer.
The “owliness” of the designs is comparable to the drawing skills of modern school children who depict owls in much the same way.
Now, About Cooking … 70,000 Years Ago
Neanderthals were not just downing raw hunks of meat 70,000 years ago, as many of us have assumed…
Homo Naledi Used Fire, Say Researchers
Now let’s go waaay back to Homo naledi — first unearthed in 2015 in the Rising Star cave system in South Africa. The remains of the 15 individuals date to between 335,000 and 236,000 years ago. It turns out that they may have lit fires in their caves…
Let’s just say, the Neanderthals have gotten smarter as we have gotten to know them better.
Homo Naledi Used Fire, Say Researchers
Now let’s go waaay back to Homo naledi — first unearthed in 2015 in the Rising Star cave system in South Africa. The remains of the 15 individuals date to between 335,000 and 236,000 years ago. It turns out that they may have lit fires in their caves…
One hitch is that the charred wood, bones, etc. have yet to be dated, to see if they come from the same layers as the Homo naledi fossils. But there are currently no other known groups that could have made the fires.
It’s interesting to note that the basics of human culture seem to undergo much less development than we think. The culture may appear at about the same time as the humans.
You may also wish to read: Why is Neanderthal art considered controversial? It makes sense that whenever humans started to wonder about life, we started to create art that helps us think about it. Science writer Michael Marshall reports that some researchers are accused of banning others from taking samples that would prove a Neanderthal was the artist.
Cross-posted at Mind Matters News.
Complete article at Evolution News.
Many details, even whole chapters, in the early history of humans have probably left no discernable evidence. As brought forth in the article, however, the evidence that has come to light seems to suggest that the distinction between modern and ancient humans is more external than intrinsic.