Earlier, we wrote about human habitation of Madagascar being pushed back 6000 years. Now that claim is disputed due to lack of evidence besides tools:
“These finds of cut-marked bones seem to predate any evidence of humans. Not only is there an absence of human remains [from that time], but there is an absence of human artefacts.”
Such artefacts should include tools large enough to butcher the giant birds. Aside from small tools, only a single undated axe has ever been found on Madagascar.
Hansford stands by his team’s work.
“This paper will undoubtedly cause some controversy, but it really is very strong evidence,” he says. Dyani Lewis, “Claim for early humans in Madagascar disputed” at Cosmos Magazine
Well now, finding an axe from back then is like finding a cell phone on Mars. We don’t immediately jump to unintelligent causes.
Possibly, the humans only stayed at that site a short period of time? We shall see.
See also: Humans lived in Madagascar 6000 years earlier than thought And probably did not kill off the elephant birds in a mass slaughter, as often claimed, say researchers
and
Earliest known rock drawing at 73,000 years ago Yes, the past is changing so fast we can’t keep up. The crosshatch pattern appears on other artifacts as well