Archaeologists Find Neanderthal Tools Dating Back 55,000 Years
Researchers from the University of Washington excavating a site in China have found Neanderthal tools dating back almost 55,000 years. Their findings were published March 31 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
According to the study, scientists found at the site, known as Longtan, 'compelling evidence of core exploitation, production of large and thick flakes, shaping and maintenance of scrapers exhibiting the whole Quina concept, typical of contemporary European Middle Paleolithic technologies developed by Neanderthal groups.'The site dates back roughly 55,000 years, which is when researchers believe the Longtan community was incorporated. It also lines up with similar tools discovered throughout Europe. This particular type of manufacturing has long been associated with Neanderthals, but it wasn't believed to have moved into the borders of Eastern Asia. The discovery challenges the popular belief that China was slower to develop than other regions.
'This is a big upset to the way we think about that part of the world in that period of time,' Ben Marwick, co-author and a professor of archaeology at the university, told Ancient Origins. 'It really raises the question of, what else were people doing during this period that we haven't found yet? How is this going to change how we think about people and human evolution in this area?'
Marwick believes this discovery is just being made because of recent advancements in archaeology throughout China. As local archaeologists become more aware of finds around the globe, they're able to more easily recognize what they uncover. 'The idea that nothing has changed for such a long time in East Asia also has a tight grip on people,' he said. 'They haven't been considering the possibility of finding things that challenge that. Now maybe there are some scholars who are interested in questioning those ideas.'The excavation will continue until, Marwick hopes, human remains are discovered. 'That could answer the question of whether these tools are the product of a modern human like you and me,' he asserted. 'There have never been any Neanderthals found in East Asia, but could we find a Neanderthal? Or, more likely, could we find a Denisovan, which is another kind of human ancestor? If we can find the human remains associated with this period, we might find something surprising — maybe even a new human ancestor that we don't know about yet.'
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