Ancient tools in China challenge Europe's technological monopoly
Archaeologists have discovered stone tools from the Middle Paleolithic era in China, challenging the current understanding of human history.
Archaeologists in southwestern China have unearthed stone tools dating back 50,000-60,000 years. This is the first such find in East Asia, which challenges the theory that the skill of creating useful items from stone was limited to Europe and Western Asia. The age of the artifacts was determined using innovative optical dating techniques.
A new perspective on history
The discovery suggests that advanced technology for creating stone tools existed in East Asia, similar to what was known in Europe. The tools were made in a style called Quina, which is attributed to Neanderthals. This indicates similarities in human behavior across different regions.
Among the items discovered were scrapers, stone points, and tools resembling saws. Pollen analysis from Longtan indicated that the climate at the time was similar to that of Europe, which could have facilitated similar technological developments.
Who created these tools?
There are two theories regarding the creators of the tools. One proposes the eastward migration of Neanderthals, while the other suggests that another human species might have independently developed similar technology. The discovery opens new research paths concerning migration and the evolution of technology in Asia.
According to research, Neanderthals lived from around 400,000 to 24,500 years ago. Depending on the researcher, they are considered either a subspecies of Homo sapiens – Homo sapiens neanderthalensis – or a separate species – Homo neanderthalensis. Neanderthal remains have been found in Spain, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, Croatia, Israel, Iraq, Portugal, Romania, the Czech Republic, and Poland.
Professor Bo Li from the University of Wollongong emphasizes that this discovery forces a reconsideration of human migration models and technology development in East Asia. This groundbreaking find may rewrite the prehistory of the region.
Details of the discoveries have been published in the scientific journal "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences".
