People were in the Americas at least 15,000 years earlier than previously thought

I’ve always thought the peopling of the Americas was more complex than DNA evidence would have us believe. The ice retreated and advanced many times. Who knows how many times various clans wandered into the “New World” and died out when the ice advanced.  Stone tools discovered in Mexico’s Chiquihuite Cave have pushed back the arrival of the first humans in the New World by, at least, 15,000 years.

Dr Ardelean said: “We don’t know who they were, where they came from or where they went. They are a complete enigma. We falsely assume that the indigenous populations in the Americas today are direct descendants from the earliest Americans, but now we do not think that is the case.

“By the time the famous Clovis population entered America, the very early Americans had disappeared thousands of years before. There could have been many failed colonisations that were lost in time and did not leave genetic traces in the population today.”
Earliest humans stayed at the Americas ‘oldest hotel’ in Mexican cave – University of Cambridge

Also read:

Stone tools move back the arrival of humans in America thousands of years
University of Copenhagen the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
July 22, 2020

Humans may have reached the Americas 15,000 years earlier than previously thought
University of New South Wales
July 23, 2020

Eruption of Okmok Volcano in Alaska linked to period of extreme cold in ancient Rome

Detailed records of past explosive volcanic eruptions are archived in the Greenland ice sheet and accessed through deep-drilling operations. Credit: Dorthe Dahl-Jensen

Eruption of Okmok Volcano in Alaska linked to period of extreme cold in ancient Rome
Desert Research Institute
22 Jun 2020

A geochemical analysis of volcanic ash found in ice cores from Greenland and Russia suggests that a massive eruptions of Okmok circa 43 BCE may explain a period of cold and famine at the end of the Roman Republic.

Working with colleagues from the U.K., Switzerland, Ireland, Germany, Denmark, Alaska, and Yale University in Connecticut, the team of historians and scientists gathered supporting evidence from around the globe, including tree-ring-based climate records from Scandinavia, Austria and California’s White Mountains, and climate records from a speleothem (cave formations) from Shihua Cave in northeast China. They then used Earth system modeling to develop a more complete understanding of the timing and magnitude of volcanism during this period and its effects on climate and history.

According to their findings, the summer and fall following the blast may have been as much as 13°F colder than normal. It was, also, a lot wetter. It was also responsible for failures of Inundations of the Nile in late Ptolemaic Egypt, causing widespread famine and disease.

If you’re feeling particularly nerdy, read more at Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Link

Source: Harmful mutations have accumulated during early human migrations out of Africa

Nerdly Things: Neandertals, Denisovans, Music and Fishing

Remember that fossil from Sima de los Huesos who looked something like a Neandertal, but whose mtDNA caused such a stir because it was so Denisovan? Well, while Mama’s family seems to have ummm, played with others, Dad’s side of the family was definitely more closely related to Neandertals than any other species. This is according to an analysis of its nuclear DNA. This has huge implications for the timing of the genetic split between the three species and pushes back the origins of Neandertals as a distinct species as well.

• DNA from Neandertal relative may shake up human family tree – Science Magazine
  September 11, 2015
• Nuclear DNA Obtained From Sima de los Huesos Fossils – Archaeology Magazine
  September 11, 2015
• DNA evidence from massive trove of bones shakes up human evolution – Popular Archaeology
  September 18, 2015

Speaking of Denisovans, it looks like they used the cave which gave them their name longer than previously thought. The initial discovery of a finger bone from a little girl has been dated via DNA to about 50,000 years age. Teeth found in the cave, and also belonging to Denisovans, were those of individuals who died 110,000 and perhaps 170,000 years ago. Moreover, these people don’t appear to have been all that closely related to each other.

• Siberian cave was home to generations of mysterious ancient humans – Science Magazine
  September 15, 2015
• New DNA tests on ancient Denisovan people ‘shows them occupying Altai cave 170,000 years ago’ – The Siberian Times
  September 16, 2015

Apparently, the folk memory preserved in Aboriginal songs goes back a really long time. As in at least 7,000 years. Certain geographical references in the songs point to the fact that they, in their current forms, were being composed just as the Australian coastline was just beginning to take on its modern shape.

• Research shows Aboriginal memories stretch back more than 7,000 years – Past Horizons
  September 18, 2015
• Research shows Aboriginal memories stretch back more than 7,000 years – Science Daily
  September 17, 2015
• Landmark paper shows Aboriginal memories go back more than 7,000 years – Phys.org
  September 18, 2015

People have been fishing for salmon in the Pacific Northwest for at least 11,500 years.

• Earliest evidence of ancient North American salmon fishing verified – EurekAlert!
  September 21, 2015
• North American salmon fishing at least 11,500 years old – Past Horizons
  September 22, 2015
• Earliest evidence of ancient North American salmon fishing verified – Phys.org
  September 21, 2015
• Earliest evidence of ancient North American salmon fishing verified – Science Daily
  September 21, 2015
• Early human use of anadromous salmon in North America at 11,500 y ago – Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)
  September 21, 2015

Philistine impacts on Levantine agricultural practices

There’s been lots of coverage about the changes and adaptations the Philistines made to traditional South Levantine agricultural practices.

“Sycamore fruits” by Eitan f 13:46, 8 July 2006 (UTC) – Own work. Licensed under Public Domain via Commons

• Philistines introduced sycamore, cumin and opium poppy into Israel during the Iron Age – EurekAlert!
  August 28, 2015
• Philistines introduced sycamore, cumin and opium poppy into Israel during the Iron Age – Science Daily
  August 28, 2015
• Philistines introduced sycamore, cumin and opium poppy into Israel during the Iron Age – Phys.org
  August 28, 2015
• Philistines introduced sycamore, cumin and opium poppy into Israel during the Iron Age – Past Horizons
  August 29, 2015
• Philistines Introduced Cumin, Opium Poppy into Levant, Archaeologists Say – Sci-News.com
  August 31, 2015

The actual article all of this is based on is fascinating:

Studying Ancient Anthropogenic Impacts on Current Floral Biodiversity in the Southern Levant as reflected by the Philistine Migration – Scientific Reports
August 25, 2015

“Apricots” by Fir0002 – Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons

In a previous study (Ancient DNA and Population Turnover in Southern Levantine Pigs- Signature of the Sea Peoples Migration? – Scientific Reports), it was determined that European wild boars were introduced into the Southern Levant during the Iron Age, presumably by the
Philistines and/or other elements of the so called “Sea Peoples” migration. This new study focuses on flora instead of fauna. Including the introduction of opium poppies, cumin, and sycamore trees. These plants come from such varied places as Egypt and Mycenaean Greece. The Philistines also gave new uses to plants already found within Israel such as bay trees and coriander.

Just as fascinating was the appearance of apricots and European wild nettle in non-Philistine areas of Israel. Both of these species come from Iran. Who brought them, I wonder? This study opens up all kinds of possibilities in using plant matter discovered during excavations to study ancient migration events.

Some Nerdishness

They’ve discovered a Mycenaean palace near Sparta, complete with “archaic inscriptions.” Always love when new inscriptions are found.  One thing, though:

…excavations in the area have unearthed inscriptions on tablets detailing religious ceremonies and names and places in a script called Linear B, the oldest script to be discovered in Europe. It first appears in Crete from around 1375 BC….

I thought Linear A, also written in Crete, was older than Linear B.

• Archaeologists unearth ancient Greek palace near Sparta – Phys.org
  August 25, 2015

A new study talks about how much more diverse large mammals would be, outside of Africa, if humans never existed. Think about it. In North America alone we had, just off the top of my head, two species of mammoths, at least one of mastodon, and three of bison plus horses and camels, two or three species of lions, cheetahs, dire wolves, cougars, jaguars, short-faced bears, and sloths. Of all of those only cougars, one or two jaguars in Arizona, and one species of bison remain. And the jaguars are a recent development.

• Without humans, the whole world could look like Serengeti – Science Daily
  August 20, 2015
• Without humans, the whole world could look like Serengeti – EurekAlert!
  August 20, 2015
• If modern humans never existed…… – Popular Archaeology
  August 20, 2015

Apparently those odd boulder mortars of the Natufian culture served a funereal function similar to modern church bells. Not sure I entirely agree with this.

• The ceremonial sounds that accompanied our ancestors’ funerals, 15,000 years ago – Science Daily
  August 20, 2015

A huge cache of some 500 cave lion bones belonging to 5 or 6 beasts has been found in a Siberian cave along with a giant cave bear skull pierced with a spear. There were also a few weapons, all Mousterain (a Stone Age tool technology usually associated with Neadertals), found in the cave, but no evidence that people actually lived in it. It’s likely that this cave had some sort of religious significance. Preliminary, guesstimated, dates between 30,000 and 60,000 years ago.

• World’s greatest ever haul of supersize cave lion bones found in Urals – The Siberian Times
  August 23, 2015

Neolithic Warfare and other Nerdly Items

First, a look at those studies on First American DNA published last month from a Siberian perspective.

• America first populated in ‘a single wave of migration from Siberia’ no more than 23,000 years ago – The Siberian Times
  July 22, 2015

Some more early human bones found in yet another Siberian cave not all that far from Denisova.  What type of early human/s has yet to be determined, but researchers are hoping for the full Altai triumvirate of Denisovan, Neandertal, and anatomically modern human.

• Fresh discoveries of ancient man’s bone in Altai Mountains cave – The Siberian Times
  August 14, 2015

More evidence solidifying the overall impression of internecine violence at the end of the Linear Pottery culture (LBK), including evidence of torture (the thing with the teeth) and the mutilation of corpses to cripple the victims in the afterlife, possibly to prevent them from effectively haunting their attackers.

European Middle Neolithic
Image Credit: Joostik, obtained from Wikipedia

• The massacre mass grave of Schöneck-Kilianstädten reveals new insights into collective violence in Early Neolithic Central Europe – Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
  August 17, 2015
• Scientists find evidence of prehistoric massacre in Europe – Phys.org
  August 17, 2015
• Massacres, torture and mutilation: Extreme violence in neolithic conflicts – EurekAlert!
  August 18, 2015
• Mass Grave Suggests Ancient Village Wiped Out by Massacre – Live Science
  August 17, 2015
• Mass grave reveals prehistoric warfare in ancient European farming community – The Guardian
  August 17, 2015
• Evidence of torture and mutilation from Neolithic mass grave – Past Horizons
  August 18, 2015
• Scientists uncover pattern of mass murder in Neolithic times – Popular Archaeology
  August 17, 2015
• Massacres, torture and mutilation: Extreme violence in neolithic conflicts – Science Daily
  August 18, 2015

Nerdishness

A couple of 6,000 year old temples have been discovered. The first in Israel, possibly dedicated to Baal or Anat…

6,000-Year-Old Temple with Possible Sacrificial Altars Discovered – Phys.org
October 16, 2014

… the second in what is now Ukraine.  This temple is located within a large settlement that was part of the Trypillian cultural sphere.  I think the remarks about similarities between this complex and temples in Eridu are a bit far fetched and based on superficialities.  Unless, of course, those similarities go deeper than those this article implies.

6,000-Year-Old Temple with Possible Sacrificial Altars Discovered – Live Science
October 20, 2014

There’s an interesting, very sciency, article in the online journal Nature Communications about cultural transitions in the Greater Hungarian Plain and corresponding changes in the genetic makeup of the population.  What most of the less technical sites got out of it was that Europeans drank milk and ate cheese long before they developed the genetic mutation that lead to lactose tolerance, allowing for maximum use of the nutrition provided by dairy products.

• Genome flux and stasis in a five millennium transect of European prehistory – Nature Communications
  October 21, 2014
• Ancient Europeans intolerant to lactose for 5,000 years after they adopted agriculture – Phys.org
  October 21, 2014
• Ancient Human Skulls Reveal When Europeans Could Drink Milk – Live Science
  October 21, 2014

Lots of coverage of, and different spins on, genomic data gained from a 45,000 year old thigh bone of an anatomically modern human found in Siberia.

• Oldest DNA ever found sheds light on humans’ global trek – Phys.org
  October 22, 2014
• Neanderthals and Humans First Mated 50,000 Years Ago, DNA Reveals – Live Science
  October 22, 2014
• New evidence on Neanderthal mixing – Phys.org
  October 23, 2014
• Ancient human bone reveals when we bred with Neanderthals – Phys.org
  October 24, 2014

In other genomic news, there is evidence that the Polynesian inhabitants of Rapa Nui, better known as Easter Island, interacted, and interbred, with people from South America at a surprisingly early date.  Just as intriguing, was another discovery mentioned in the article:

… a second article that will appear in the same issue of Current Biology by Malaspinas along with Eske Willerslev and their colleagues examined two human skulls representing the indigenous “Botocudos” of Brazil to find that their genomic ancestry is Polynesian, with no detectable Native American component at all.

Genomic data support early contact between Easter Island and Americas – Phys.org
October 23, 2014

A genetic mutation allowing for the efficient use of fatty animal protein that proved advantageous to people of the Arctic during and just after the Ice Age is now having a negative impact on those same populations, leading to a high rate of hypoglycemia and high mortality.

Gene that once aided survival in Arctic found to have negative impact on health today – Science Daily
October 23, 2014

I remember reading about this super-eruption of Campi Flegrei a few years ago.  Now they’re saying that the impacts of the eruptions on the areas inhabited by Neadertal populations was minimal.  Comparable to the environmental impacts of the 1815 eruption of Mt. Tambora on the same areas.  Which, to my mind, seeing as how both eruptions rate 7 on the VEI scale, how Campi Flegrei is considered a super-eruption, and Tambora is not.

Supervolcano Cleared in Neanderthals’ Demise – Live Science
October 24, 2014

Archaeologists have discovered the remains of Ukek, the capital of the Golden Horde.  This Mongol capital is difficult to excavate because it lies beneath a modern city, but they are finding interesting things, regardless.

Ancient City Ruled by Genghis Khan’s Heirs Revealed – Live Science
October 24, 2014

Nerdly Things

First, we have an interesting article on the cultural and social benefits of stories told around ancient (and modern) fires.

Firelight talk of the Kalahari Bushmen: Did tales told over fires aid our social and cultural evolution? – Science Daily
September 22, 2014

This next one is truly fascinating. The artwork on many ancient Greek vases is accompanied by decorative “gibberish”. It turns out that the gibberish means something.

Amazon Warriors’ Names Revealed Amid “Gibberish” on Ancient Greek Vases – National Geographic News
September 23, 2014

Some early signs of habitation have been found in Canada. Underwater, of course. I doubt it’s really the “earliest”, though. I hate when they use unnecessary superlatives. Especially when they’re, probably, untrue and definitely misleading. If you’re going to be that dramatic (and, being the media, of course they will) at least tack on the phrase “yet found”.

Earliest sign of human habitation in Canada may have been found – CBC News
September 23, 2014

A couple of articles on the search of Pre-Clovis people that can be proven to actually have lived, not just hunted and butchered, in what is now Ohio.

• WHO WERE THE VERY FIRST AMERICANS? – Ohio History Connection Archaeology Blog
  September 28, 2014
• Facts not ‘flexible’ in dating earliest Americans – The Columbus Dispatch
  September 28, 2014

They’re using a 3D scanning system to help decipher a Hittite tablet on which most of text has been worn away. If this works, the possibilties are endless! Think of all the inscriptions this could be used on.

Hittite tablet to be deciphered with 3D – Hurriyet Dailey News
September 29, 2014

An interesting article on tracking the earliest inhabitants of South America. Where did people go when they arrived on the continent? What did they do? And when? Now that North American scientists have gotten with the Clovis wasn’t First program and realized that South America has been inhabited for a long time. Monte Verde isn’t a fluke.

The first South Americans: Extreme living – Nature
October 1, 2014

Some impressive finds from the El Argar Civilization in Bronze Age Spain.

• Bronze age palace and grave goods discovered at the archaeological site of La Almoloya in Pliego, Murcia – Science Daily
  October 8, 2014
• Bronze Age Palace & Royal Burial Unearthed in Spain – Archaeology Magazine
  October 8, 2014
• Silver Tiara Among Treasures Discovered in Bronze Age Tomb – Live Science
  October 9, 2014

They’ve discovered some cave paintings in Indonesia that just might be as old as those in Europe. Indonesia has pledged to protect them.

• Asian cave paintings challenge Europe as cradle of art – Phys.org
  October 8, 2014
• Indonesia pledges to protect ancient cave paintings – Phys.org
  October 9, 2014

New C-14 dates have scientists rethinking the end of the Bronze Age in Greece. And that means, because they’re all connected, probable reanalysis of Bronze Age chronology in other parts of the ancient Mediterranean. A reanalysis that is long overdue.

• Greek Bronze Age ended 100 years earlier than thought, new evidence suggests – EurekAlert!
  October 9, 2014
• Greek Bronze Age ended 100 years earlier than thought, new evidence suggests – Phys.org
  October 9, 2014

Really Ancient Geek Stuff

The title for this one just says it all. I mean, how cool is this?

Earth’s water is older than the sun: Likely originated as ices that formed in interstellar space – Science Daily
September 25, 2014

This one, about innovation in ancient humans, is getting a lot of press, but it just screams “Duh!”, to me.  I mean, even ancient humans/hominids were, well, human.  They probably made all sorts of innovations and discoveries where ever they were.  This particular technological leap was just so common sense practical, that people thought of it in several places and it radiated out from those places because of it’s common sense awesomeness.

• Ancient Stone Toolmaking Didn’t Just Spread Out of Africa with Humans – Live Science
  September 25, 2014
• Innovative Stone Age tools were not African invention, research says – Phys.org
  September 25, 2014
• Stone Age tools: Innovation was local, not imported, in Eurasia more than 300,000 years ago – Science Daily
  September 25, 2014

We think of the ecosystems of land and sea as separate entities, but, this study shows that even in the Triassic, this wasn’t so, as monsters from one preyed on monsters of the other.

Tooth buried in bone shows two prehistoric predators tangled across land, sea boundaries – Virginia Tech News
September 29, 2014

An interesting article on the genome of 2,330 year old skeleton from southern Africa. The man, apparently, subsisted on shellfish and routinely dived into the sea to gather it.

Ancient human genome from southern Africa throws light on our origins – Science Daily
September 29, 2014