1,00,000-year-old burial site in Israel is changing what we know about early humans
'This is an amazing revolutionary innovation for our species,' said Yossi Zaidner, one of the directors of the Tinshemet excavation and a professor of archaeology at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. 'It's actually the first time we are starting to use this behavior.'Archaeologists working at Tinshemet since 2016 have discovered the remains of five early humans that date to around 110,000 to 100,000 years ago, according to various technologies.The skeletons were discovered in pits and carefully arranged in a fetal position, which is known as a burial position, said Zaidner. Many were found with objects, such as basalt pebbles, animal remains or fragments of ochre, a reddish pigment made from iron-rich rocks.These objects, some sourced from hundreds of kilometers (miles) away, had no known practical use for daily life, so experts believe they were part of rituals meant to honor the dead.A window into early human burialsTinshemet Cave is a dark slash in central Israel's rolling hills filled with squeaking fruit bats. Inside and around the cave is an unassuming stone mound which Zaidner calls 'one of the three or four most important sites for study of human evolution and behavior during the Paleolithic time.'The Paleolithic era, also known as the Stone Age because of the onset of stone tools, lasted from as early as 3.3 million years ago until around 10,000 years ago. Tinshemet Cave is from the Middle Paleolithic era, roughly between 250,000 to 30,000 years ago.Some of the Tinshemet researchers' core findings were published in March in Nature Human Behavior. A key discovery were the remains of five early humans, including two full skeletons and three isolated skulls with other bones and teeth. Also of note were more than 500 differently sized fragments of red and orange ochre, a pigment created by heating iron-rich stones to a certain temperature — evidence that early humans had the means to create decorative objects.advertisement'Here we see a really complex set of behaviors, not related to just food and surviving,' Zaidner said.Using hand chisels and delicate, pen-sized pneumatic drills that resemble dental tools, archaeologists will need many more years to excavate the site. The field work, which started in 2016, is usually done over the summer months. This year, a dozen archaeology undergraduate and graduate students fanned out across the site, painstakingly documenting and removing each fragment of tool, object or bone.At the entrance to the cave, the skull of one of the early humans is slowly emerging from the rock sediment; it will be years before it is fully excavated.Tinshemet is exceptionally important to archaeologists because the local climate preserved the bones, tools, and ornaments in good condition, unlike many other parts of the world where these items were lost to time, said Christian Tryon, a professor at the University of Connecticut and a research associate at the Human Origins Program at the Smithsonian Institution, who was not involved in the study.The skeletons and objects were so well preserved because of ash from frequent fires, likely for rituals. This large amount of ash mixed with rainfall and Israel's acidic limestone, creating optimal conditions for perseveration. One skeleton was in such good condition archaeologists could see how the fingers were interwoven, hands clasped beneath the head.advertisementA window into a little-known periodTryon said the Tinshemet findings are bolstering earlier discoveries from two similar burial sites dating to the same period in northern Israel — Skhul Cave and Qafzeh Cave. Skhul Cave was excavated almost 100 years ago, and Qafzeh Cave mostly around 50 years ago, when archaeological practices were more haphazard.'There were so many uncertainties with those sites, but this is confirming it's a pattern we know, and they're really nailing down the dates,' Tryon said.Tinshemet has helped archaeologists conclude that burial practices started to become more widespread during this time, representing a shift in how early humans treated their dead.Some archaeologists believe intentional burials started earlier. In South Africa, the Homo naledi species — an ancient cousin of Homo sapiens — may have been intentionally placing their dead in caves as early as 200,000 years ago. But many archaeologists said the findings are controversial and there is not enough evidence to support the claim of intentional burials.A bridge between peoplesadvertisementIn ancient times, Israel was a bridge between Neanderthals from Europe and Homo sapiens from Africa. Archaeologists have identified other subgroups of early humans in the area, and believe the groups interacted and may have interbred.Experts have been studying the two full skeletons brought from Tinshemet for years, but it's still unclear if they were Neanderthals, Homo sapiens, a hybrid population or another group altogether.The mix of subgroups created opportunities for different groups of early humans to exchange knowledge or express identity, said Zaidner. It's around this time that archaeologists first see examples of early jewelry or body painting, which could be ways early humans started outwardly belonging to a certain group, drawing boundaries between 'us' and 'them,' he said.Israel Hershkovitz, a physical anthropologist at Tel Aviv University and the co-director of the Tinshemet site, said the concept of cemeteries in prehistoric life is important because it symbolizes 'a kind of a territory.'He said that same kind of claim over land where ancestors are buried.- EndsTrending Reel
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The Hindu
18 hours ago
- The Hindu
Why is it becoming harder to lose weight? And should Ozempic step in where willpower fails?
Find it hard to stop at exactly one potato chip or cookie? And why does a bar of chocolate fill you up in ways that fruit cannot, when you are craving a sweet treat on a stressful work day? Going by Food Noise: How weight loss medications & smart nutrition can silence your cravings, a new book by Jack Mosley, which delves into the GLP-1 drug landscape, the reason is more sinister than you think. According to it, the big food industry, which took off around the same time as the Beatles, 'began processing food in clever ways to entice us to buy and eat more,' around then, which in turn led to an acceleration of both their bottom lines and the obesity epidemic. 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'Willpower is somewhat overrated, and, if you look back at the last sixty years, we've not had a collective collapse of willpower,' he says. Instead, we live in a food environment in which we are surrounded by an abundance of ultraprocessed foods that are designed to be overeaten, leading to persistent food noise, 'your cravings…that voice that tells you to grab the extra slice of cake, crisps or chocolate bar,' says Dr. Mosley. 'So, it is very difficult in today's age to lose weight.' This is where GLP-1 drugs, aka glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, a class of medications primarily used to treat type 2 diabetes, which are now also being used to manage obesity, can help. 'They work on three areas,' he says, listing them out. Firstly, he says, they reduce blood sugar levels, which is why they've been used to treat diabetes for nearly 20 years. They also act on the gut, slowing down your digestive tract and keeping you full longer. 'Thirdly, and this is where they're so interesting and have a big impact on weight loss, they act on the brain, reducing appetite,' he says. Since these drugs, which include Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus, Mounjaro and Zepbound, seem to regulate the brain's reward centres and regulate cravings, 'they are so effective at silencing that food noise. That is one of the reasons why people lose a lot of weight,' says Dr. Mosley, who thinks of them as a tool in the toolbox to combat obesity, and not a replacement for other traditional weight-management strategies, such as a healthy diet, hydration, adequate sleep, stress management and exercise. Genesis The idea for Food Noise emerged from a conversation between Dr. Mosley and his mother, Clare Bailey Mosley, while they were travelling on a busy train from Austria to Germany. While not a magic fix, 'these are really powerful drugs', and he also could see how valuable they could be for certain people, he says. He has been closely following GLP-1s and was struck by the lack of information available about them. 'I felt that people should be well-informed about them. So, I kind of said, 'why don't I write a book about it?' 'It is the Wild West out there. I don't think people are provided that much information about how they work, their risks and rewards, their side effects and how to manage them,' he says. Also, because they are expensive and there is such a massive demand for them, 'there are a lot of sharks and cowboys out there who are providing fake GLP-1s as well,' he says. Another concern he has is that, since they're so accessible, they may be misused by people who don't need them: those who are metabolically well with a healthy BMI, trying to drop a few vanity pounds or people with eating disorders for whom 'they could be really, really dangerous.' The Mosley mission Son of the late writer, television presenter and health maverick, Michael Mosley, best known for his frequent forays into self-experimentation and popularising the 5:2 diet, Dr. Jack Mosley admits that his father significantly influenced his interest in metabolic health and weight management. Michael Mosley, who would do all these 'weird whacky things… in the name of science', including ingesting tapeworms, keeping a pet leech and even undergoing a colonoscopy on camera, had also been deeply interested in these new weight loss drugs, he says. 'My dad and I talked about these GLP1s quite substantially. They were clearly going to make a massive impact on the diet and weight loss world, but we also discussed the risks that were emerging,' says Dr. Mosley, adding that carrying his father's legacy forward, 'whether it was helping people reverse Type 2 diabetes, lose weight or even making one or two small changes in their habits', was important to him. 'I wanted to continue this Mosley mission. That has been really important to me in the aftermath of his death.' In addition to offering a nuanced take on these drugs, neither proclaiming them to be a magic bullet nor deriding them as an easy shortcut to weight loss, Food Noise also contains a selection of recipes created by Dr. Mosley's mother, Clare, which appear to be primarily influenced by the Mediterranean diet, 'the most evidence-based dietary pattern in the world,' he says of the diet, which is packed with plenty of vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes, some oily fish and plenty of olive oil. 'It is a dietary pattern in that it is good for your health and easier to stick to,' he says.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Time of India
Behind the barriers: Myths and mysteries of 10 forbidden places on Earth
Throughout history, humanity's most secretive and off-limits places have captivated our imaginations not just for their mystery, but the legends that swirl around them. From haunted forts to islands sealed away from human contact, these forbidden spots aren't just about security or preservation—they pulse with stories that blur the line between fact and folklore. Let's journey into the myths that cloak the world's most inaccessible places, adding a dash of drama and quirk to the tales they tell. 1. The Svalbard Global Seed Vault, Norway Deep inside a cold mountain on the remote Arctic island of Spitsbergen lies the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, a fortress built to protect the future of humanity's food. Housing over 1.3 million samples of seeds from nearly every country, it is the world's largest conservation site for crop biodiversity, designed to safeguard against catastrophes like war, climate change, or disease outbreaks. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category MCA Data Analytics Project Management MBA Others Data Science Management Healthcare Leadership others Degree CXO Cybersecurity Data Science Design Thinking Technology Artificial Intelligence Public Policy Product Management Operations Management healthcare Digital Marketing PGDM Finance Skills you'll gain: Programming Proficiency Data Handling & Analysis Cybersecurity Awareness & Skills Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning Duration: 24 Months Vellore Institute of Technology VIT Master of Computer Applications Starts on Aug 14, 2024 Get Details Often called the 'Doomsday Vault' or a modern 'Noah's Ark,' it inspires dramatic myths about a secret bunker for global elites or a post-apocalyptic sanctuary. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like If you have a mouse, play this game for 1 minute Navy Quest Undo 2. North Brother Island, USA Just off the coast of New York City, abandoned since the mid-1900s, this island is said to be haunted by spirits of tuberculosis patients and typhoid victims who were quarantined there during epidemics. Locals speak of eerie cries echoing over the water and shadowy figures wandering broken hallways. The island's silence and decay fuel ghost stories that have earned it the nickname 'America's Island of the Dead.' 3. Lascaux Caves, France Live Events Housed in southwestern France, the Lascaux Caves protect some of the most remarkable Paleolithic art ever discovered, with murals of animals painted some 17,000 years ago. To prevent damage caused by exposure to modern air and visitors' breath, the original caves have been closed since 1963, replaced by exact replicas open for public viewing. Legend holds that these vibrant paintings were not mere art but spiritual channels created by ancient shamans to commune with unseen worlds, invoking protection and fertility. 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Lake Natron , Tanzania The stark beauty of Lake Natron, with its reddish, caustic waters and lethal alkalinity, conceals a deadly nature. Its extreme chemical properties preserve the remains of animals in petrified forms, inspiring local myths of a vengeful spirit turning intruders to stone. Yet, the lake remains ecologically vital, supporting massive breeding colonies of lesser flamingos. The interplay of natural science and eerie folklore creates a place both mesmerizing and forbidding to human visitors. 10. Snake Island (Ilha da Queimada Grande), Brazil Often described as the deadliest island on Earth , Brazil's Snake Island teems with lethal golden lancehead vipers, whose venom evolved for swift killing. Government restrictions ban all human landing except for essential scientific research, under strict supervision and safety protocols. 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India Today
25-07-2025
- India Today
1,00,000-year-old burial site in Israel is changing what we know about early humans
Archaeologists believe they have found one of the oldest burial sites in the world at a cave in Israel, where the well-preserved remains of early humans dating back some 100,000 years were carefully arranged in findings at Tinshemet Cave in central Israel, published in an academic journal earlier this year, build on previous discoveries in northern Israel and add to a growing understanding of the origins of human particular interest to archaeologists are objects found beside the remains that may have been used during ceremonies to honour the dead and could shed light on how our ancient ancestors thought about spirituality and the afterlife. 'This is an amazing revolutionary innovation for our species,' said Yossi Zaidner, one of the directors of the Tinshemet excavation and a professor of archaeology at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. 'It's actually the first time we are starting to use this behavior.'Archaeologists working at Tinshemet since 2016 have discovered the remains of five early humans that date to around 110,000 to 100,000 years ago, according to various skeletons were discovered in pits and carefully arranged in a fetal position, which is known as a burial position, said Zaidner. Many were found with objects, such as basalt pebbles, animal remains or fragments of ochre, a reddish pigment made from iron-rich objects, some sourced from hundreds of kilometers (miles) away, had no known practical use for daily life, so experts believe they were part of rituals meant to honor the dead.A window into early human burialsTinshemet Cave is a dark slash in central Israel's rolling hills filled with squeaking fruit bats. Inside and around the cave is an unassuming stone mound which Zaidner calls 'one of the three or four most important sites for study of human evolution and behavior during the Paleolithic time.'The Paleolithic era, also known as the Stone Age because of the onset of stone tools, lasted from as early as 3.3 million years ago until around 10,000 years ago. Tinshemet Cave is from the Middle Paleolithic era, roughly between 250,000 to 30,000 years of the Tinshemet researchers' core findings were published in March in Nature Human Behavior. A key discovery were the remains of five early humans, including two full skeletons and three isolated skulls with other bones and teeth. Also of note were more than 500 differently sized fragments of red and orange ochre, a pigment created by heating iron-rich stones to a certain temperature — evidence that early humans had the means to create decorative we see a really complex set of behaviors, not related to just food and surviving,' Zaidner hand chisels and delicate, pen-sized pneumatic drills that resemble dental tools, archaeologists will need many more years to excavate the site. The field work, which started in 2016, is usually done over the summer months. This year, a dozen archaeology undergraduate and graduate students fanned out across the site, painstakingly documenting and removing each fragment of tool, object or the entrance to the cave, the skull of one of the early humans is slowly emerging from the rock sediment; it will be years before it is fully is exceptionally important to archaeologists because the local climate preserved the bones, tools, and ornaments in good condition, unlike many other parts of the world where these items were lost to time, said Christian Tryon, a professor at the University of Connecticut and a research associate at the Human Origins Program at the Smithsonian Institution, who was not involved in the skeletons and objects were so well preserved because of ash from frequent fires, likely for rituals. This large amount of ash mixed with rainfall and Israel's acidic limestone, creating optimal conditions for perseveration. One skeleton was in such good condition archaeologists could see how the fingers were interwoven, hands clasped beneath the window into a little-known periodTryon said the Tinshemet findings are bolstering earlier discoveries from two similar burial sites dating to the same period in northern Israel — Skhul Cave and Qafzeh Cave. Skhul Cave was excavated almost 100 years ago, and Qafzeh Cave mostly around 50 years ago, when archaeological practices were more haphazard.'There were so many uncertainties with those sites, but this is confirming it's a pattern we know, and they're really nailing down the dates,' Tryon has helped archaeologists conclude that burial practices started to become more widespread during this time, representing a shift in how early humans treated their archaeologists believe intentional burials started earlier. In South Africa, the Homo naledi species — an ancient cousin of Homo sapiens — may have been intentionally placing their dead in caves as early as 200,000 years ago. But many archaeologists said the findings are controversial and there is not enough evidence to support the claim of intentional burials.A bridge between peoplesadvertisementIn ancient times, Israel was a bridge between Neanderthals from Europe and Homo sapiens from Africa. Archaeologists have identified other subgroups of early humans in the area, and believe the groups interacted and may have have been studying the two full skeletons brought from Tinshemet for years, but it's still unclear if they were Neanderthals, Homo sapiens, a hybrid population or another group mix of subgroups created opportunities for different groups of early humans to exchange knowledge or express identity, said Zaidner. It's around this time that archaeologists first see examples of early jewelry or body painting, which could be ways early humans started outwardly belonging to a certain group, drawing boundaries between 'us' and 'them,' he Hershkovitz, a physical anthropologist at Tel Aviv University and the co-director of the Tinshemet site, said the concept of cemeteries in prehistoric life is important because it symbolizes 'a kind of a territory.'He said that same kind of claim over land where ancestors are buried.- EndsTrending Reel
