Quartz tools from the Sibudu Cave site in South Africa. Credit: Dr. Paloma de la Peña
Archaeologists have discovered that a tool, called the “stone knife of the Swiss army” of prehistory, appeared in large numbers over long distances and multiple biomes in southern Africa. This indicates that the first humans shared information and communicated with each other.
In a world first, a team of international scientists, led by University of Sydney archaeologist Dr Amy Way and the Australian Museum, have revealed that the first humans in South Africa made a particular type of tool. stone: a leaf used for many purposes, including hunting. technology (such as hand-thrown spears and possibly bows and arrows), to cut wood, plants, bones, skin, feathers and flesh, in the same way. The researchers reported that this meant that the populations must have been in contact with each other.
Known as the “stone knife of the Swiss army” of prehistory, the Howiesons Poort leaves were made with a similar pattern over long distances and multiple biomes. The study published in Scientific reportsfound that artifacts produced in large quantities in southern Africa about 65,000 years ago were made in a similar way.
The lead author, Dr. Way, from the Department of Archeology at the University of Sydney and the Australian Museum, explained that these tools were made in many different ways around the world, but people in South Africa produced tools that look the same. , which indicates that they must have shared information with each other: they were socially connected.
“People have been leaving Africa for hundreds of thousands of years, and we have evidence of early Homo sapiens in Greece and the Levant about 200,000 years ago. about 60,000 years ago, which involved the ancestors of all modern people living outside of Africa today, “said Dr. Way.
Map of the seven sites analyzed in the study. Credit: Dr. Paloma de la Peña
“Why was this exodus so successful where previous excursions were not? The main theory is that social media was stronger then. This analysis shows for the first time that these social connections were established in South Africa just before the Great Exodus, “added Dr. Way.
Dr Paloma de la Peña, who studies the cultural behavior of the first Homo sapiens at Cambridge University, said the tools have been associated with many different domestic activities, such as cutting and scraping.
“Although the manufacture of the stone tool was not particularly difficult, it was the attachment of the stone to the handle by the use of glue and adhesives, which shows that they shared and communicated complex information between them “, Dr. de la Peña. explained.
“What was also striking was that the abundance of tools made in the same way coincided with major changes in weather conditions. We believe that this is a social response to the changing environment in South Africa, ”added Dr. de la Peña.
Hornfels tools from the Sibudu Cave site. Credit: Dr. Dove of the Rock
Social Networks
The head scientist at the Australian Museum, Professor Kristofer Helgen, said that, like us, early humans relied on cooperation and social media, and this research provides some of the earliest dated observations of this behavior.
“Examining why the first human populations were successful is critical to understanding our evolutionary path. This research provides new insights into our understanding of these social networks and how they contributed to the expansion of modern humans in Eurasia,” he said. say Professor Helgen.
Australian stone tools
Dr. Way said another fascinating fact about this particular tool is that it was made independently by many different groups of people around the world at different times, including here in Australia.
“I compared some of the Australian forms of 5,000 years ago with those of Africa 65,000 years ago (as they may not be related), to show that the similarity seen in South African tools is culturally significant.” said Dr. Way.
In South Africa, previous research by Dr. de la Peña have shown that the leaves or artifacts with the support were used as spikes in hunting technology. In Australia, archaeologist Dr. Val Attenbrow, a senior researcher at the Australian Museum, has shown that in addition to forming armor in spears, these artifacts were also used for a variety of functions and purposes, such as working bones and skin and piercing and shaping wooden objects. .
Experts find communities connected with stone tools
Learn more: Amy M. Way et al, Howiesons Poort-backed artifacts provide evidence of social connectivity in southern Africa during the late Pleistocene, Scientific reports (2022). DOI: 10.1038 / s41598-022-12677-5 Provided by the University of Sydney
Quote: The prehistoric knife of the Swiss army indicates that the first humans communicated (2022, June 9) recovered on June 9, 2022
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