Discovery of 45,000-year-old artifacts in China reshapes understanding of human migration

The Shiyu region has long been known as an area of major archaeological interest. Over tens of thousands of years, numerous layers of sediment have accumulated to approximately 98 feet, facilitating the discovery of an array of tools used by the region's ancient inhabitants.

Given the area's high potential for significant archaeological finds, excavations have been taking place since the 1960s. In 1963, scientists unearthed 15,000 stone artifacts, bones, teeth, and notably, a Homo sapiens skull fragment. Regrettably, this critical artifact has since gone missing.

The loss of this skull has curtailed attempts to firmly establish the identity of Shiyu's ancient inhabitants. However, renewed excavations launched in 2013 have allowed scientists to accurately characterize the region, while systematically collecting many artifacts. The archaeologists extensively studied the unearthed bones using modern archaeological techniques, like radiocarbon dating and optically stimulated luminescence, to determine the age of the findings. These studies verified that the oldest layer examined dates back to 45 thousand years.

Added to that, the analysis of the artifacts led to the identification of the Levallois stone-shaping technique, which originated in Europe 250 thousand years ago. Some blades showed signs of impact fractures, indicating that the Asian region's populace had developed proficient hunting skills. The researchers observed that the discovery in Shiyu sheds light on human migration and culture convergence. It also "expands our knowledge of our ancient origins and the remarkable adaptability of Homo sapiens".

Evidence of human migration also arose in the form of artifacts sourced from regions as far as 621 miles away. Scholars highlight that this sheds light on the migration capacity of Homo sapiens and illustrates their sophisticated resource acquisition strategy.