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47-887: The Initial Upper Paleolithic (also IUP , c.  50,000–40,000 BP ) covers the first stage of the Upper Paleolithic , during which modern human populations expanded throughout Eurasia. Modern humans of the Initial Upper Paleolithic (IUP) wave are suggested to have expanded from a population hub through a star-like expansion pattern (>45kya), and are linked to " East-Eurasian " lineages, broadly ancestral to modern populations in Eastern Eurasia and Oceania, notably East Asian peoples , Aboriginal Australians , and Papuans . While ancient samples found in Central Asia and Europe , such as

94-409: A Homo erectus skull. Two other expeditions in 2011 and 2012 also unearthed ancient hominid fossils at the site. Archaeologists have uncovered large quantities of animal fossils and lithic tools in the area. Surveys and excavations of the region have led to the identification of hundreds of fossils and artifacts. Much of the artifacts found in the area are acheulean or oldowan . Following

141-509: A genus of fish, were also identified. Hundreds of trace fossils were identified in Buya. These fossils can be divided into two categories. One is rosette -shaped trace fossils, the other is ring-shaped fossils. These fossils were likely made by oolitic sand filling in imprints left by the original object. It is unclear what organisms could have made it. It can be inferred that soft-bodied organisms with radial symmetry were responsible for

188-754: A 1994 prospection of the region, surveys were carried out in 1995. These surveys were conducted by the Asmara Department of Mines, the Department of Earth Sciences , the Eritrean Ministry of Energy and Mines, and the University of Florence . Buya was excavated from 1995 to 1997 by a team of Eritrean and Italian paleontologists from the National Museum of Eritrea , and the University of Florence . The material they uncovered

235-450: A basalt pebble used as a hammer. Most of the choppers from this area were unworn, with only having patina . The axes are also mostly unworn and are primarily made from schist and basalt. Although marble was used for one of them. The one core is made from marble, and the one hammer is made from an elongated oval-shaped basalt pebble . Only 12 artifacts were found in area three. These consist of 8 flakes, 2 transverse choppers, 1 hand-axe, and

282-470: A core. The choppers were made from elongated marble pebbles, the hand-axe from a basalt flake, and the core was made from a thick basalt pebble. 6 of the flakes were made from quartz and 2 were made from basalt. There were a small number of objects identified in between these areas. These include 3 basalt flakes, 1 quartz flake, 1 quartz arenite flake, 1 cordiform axe , and a quartz arenite hammerstone. Numerous remains of flora and fauna have been found at

329-450: A lithic tool and intended to decapitate the animal. Another waterbuck fossil shows oblique, short, and straight scratch marks likely also made by a lithic tool, to skin the animal. Another mammalian hip pelvis fossil and a crocodile femur fossil also contain scratch marks indicating that it was skinned. V-shaped cutmarks probably made by a lithic tool were found on the femur of a hippopotamus fossil. They were likely an attempt to detach

376-408: A long and narrow braincase, round parietooccipital area, bulging occipital lobes , a constricted postorbital area, and a volume of 995 cubic centimeters . It has a more pronounced bossing , large and deeper orbits , larger zygomatic bones with maxilla, a slightly more curved frontal profile, and a thinner endocranium than other archaic human fossils. According to research published in 2022,

423-688: A new wave of modern humans emerged, creating a single founder population, which became ancestral to modern Europeans, exemplified by individuals such as Kostenki-14 . The Initial Upper Paleolithic corresponds to the spread of a particular techno-complex in Eurasia, to which possibly relates the European Châtelperronian . But the Aurignacian complex (Protoaurignacian and Early Aurignacian) with its famous Cave art seems to correspond to another, later, human wave which spread through

470-489: A specific purpose. The early modern humans who expanded into Europe, commonly referred to as the Cro-Magnons , left many sophisticated stone tools, carved and engraved pieces on bone, ivory and antler , cave paintings and Venus figurines . The Neanderthals continued to use Mousterian stone tool technology and possibly Châtelperronian technology. These tools disappeared from the archeological record at around

517-728: A village populated by the Saho people and the Afar people . This town has an economy sustained by irrigation , goat-herding , and trade . In 2000 a camp for people displaced by the Eritrean–Ethiopian War . The archaeological site is located within the Dandiero basin, which is the northern part of the Danakil depression. It is named after the Buya village which is located 100 kilometers south-southeast of Massawa . The excavated site

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564-528: A way to convey seasonal behavioural information about hunted animals. Lines (|) and dots (•) were apparently used interchangeably to denote lunar months, while the (Y) sign apparently signified "To give birth". These characters were seemingly combined to convey the breeding period of hunted animals. The climate of the period in Europe saw dramatic changes, and included the Last Glacial Maximum ,

611-610: Is based on a cave lion skeleton found in Seigsdorf, Germany which has hunting lesions. 14,000 BP Fertile Crescent : Europe : Africa : Siberia : The Upper Paleolithic in the Franco-Cantabrian region : Buya, Eritrea Buya or Buia is an archaeological site in the Danakil Depression of Eritrea . It is known for the discovery of Madam Buya, a one million-year-old fossil of

658-721: The Giraffa pygmaea . One potential new species of bull , Bos buiaensis , may have been identified at the site. Bovid fossils found at Buya contain characteristics of aurochs and pelorovis . This indicates that humans may have had a relationship with cattle since the Late Pliocene. Other remnants of extant animals such as the White rhinoceros , goat , Grévy's zebra , Sitatunga , waterbuck , Cane rat , Kori bustard , Old World monkey , Spotted hyena , and an unspecified Gazella species have been identified. Most of

705-840: The Balkans , parts of the Iberian Peninsula and areas around the Black Sea . This period saw cultures such as the Solutrean in France and Spain. Human life may have continued on top of the ice sheet, but we know next to nothing about it, and very little about the human life that preceded the European glaciers. In the early part of the period, up to about 30 kya, the Mousterian Pluvial made northern Africa, including

752-654: The Levant area . In effect Aurignacian (42,000-28,000 BP) layers generally postdate late Mousterian and Initial Upper Paleolithic assemblages. Aurignacian seems to have emerged out of the Initial Upper Paleolithic around 43,000 to 42,000 cal BP, in a process that is yet to be determined. Upper Paleolithic Anatomically modern humans (i.e. Homo sapiens ) are believed to have emerged in Africa around 300,000 years ago. It has been argued by some that their ways of life changed relatively little from that of archaic humans of

799-570: The Middle Paleolithic , until about 50,000 years ago, when there was a marked increase in the diversity of artefacts found associated with modern human remains. This period coincides with the most common date assigned to expansion of modern humans from Africa throughout Asia and Eurasia, which contributed to the extinction of the Neanderthals . The Upper Paleolithic has the earliest known evidence of organized settlements , in

846-833: The Sahara , well-watered and with lower temperatures than today; after the end of the Pluvial the Sahara became arid. The Last Glacial Maximum was followed by the Allerød oscillation , a warm and moist global interstadial that occurred around 13.5 to 13.8 kya. Then there was a very rapid onset, perhaps within as little as a decade, of the cold and dry Younger Dryas climate period, giving sub-arctic conditions to much of northern Europe. The Preboreal rise in temperatures also began sharply around 10.3 kya, and by its end around 9.0 kya had brought temperatures nearly to present day levels, although

893-672: The Sapienza University of Rome made another expedition. This project was coordinated with the University of Padua , National Museum of Natural History in Paris , and the University of Turin . They found another million-year-old fossil and some lithic objects. Because of this discovery, the site was nicknamed the "Shrine of the Amygdales" for its large quantity of important archaeological sites. In addition, six traces of 800,000-year-old human footprints have been found in

940-725: The Ust'-Ishim man , Bacho Kiro , or Oase 2 , used inland routes, the ancestors of Eastern Asians and Oceanians used a southern dispersal route through South Asia , rapidly diverging there. Initial Upper Paleolithic sites are considered as forming the earliest culture of modern humans in Europe. However, these people do not appear to have been the ancestors of later Europeans as the very few ancient DNA (aDNA) samples recovered from this period are not related to later samples. They ended in Bacho Kiro cave and Oase , but this wave of colonization did not go as far as Western Europe and apparently

987-439: The fish hook , the oil lamp , rope , and the eyed needle . Fishing of pelagic fish species and navigating the open ocean is evidenced by sites from Timor and Buka ( Solomon Islands ). The changes in human behavior have been attributed to changes in climate, encompassing a number of global temperature drops. These led to a worsening of the already bitter cold of the last glacial period (popularly but incorrectly called

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1034-497: The mammals found at Buya are water-dependent species that inhabit grassland or savanna environments. For example, taxa found at Buya such as the hippopotamus , waterbuck, sitatunga, crocodile , African rock python , Nile monitor lizard , and pelomedusidae are all creatures that rely on water and live in grassland or savanna environments. This indicates that the region consisted of moist grassland or savanna habitats situated near water. Stratigraphic evidence also suggests

1081-726: The Americas by about 15 ka. In Western Eurasia, the Paleolithic eases into the so-called Epipaleolithic or Mesolithic from the end of the LGM, beginning 15 ka. The Holocene glacial retreat begins 11.7 ka ( 10th millennium BC ), falling well into the Old World Epipaleolithic, and marking the beginning of the earliest forms of farming in the Fertile Crescent . Both Homo erectus and Neanderthals used

1128-487: The ages of 25-30. The fossil bears characteristics of both Homo erectus skeletons and Homo sapiens skeletons. It has a large brow ridge , oval neurocranium , and wide cheekbones . These traits are all characteristics of a Homo erectus fossil. It also has a cranium which is widest high on the vault , which is a human trait. The fossil contains features of both Early Pleistocene human fossils and Middle Pleistocene fossils, providing archaeologists with evidence of

1175-761: The climate was wetter. This period saw the Upper Paleolithic give way to the start of the following Mesolithic cultural period. As the glaciers receded sea levels rose; the English Channel , Irish Sea and North Sea were land at this time, and the Black Sea a fresh-water lake. In particular the Atlantic coastline was initially far out to sea in modern terms in most areas, though the Mediterranean coastline has retreated far less, except in

1222-457: The coldest phase of the last glacial period , which lasted from about 26.5 to 19 kya, being coldest at the end, before relatively rapid warming (all dates vary somewhat for different areas, and in different studies). During the Maximum, most of Northern Europe was covered by an ice-sheet , forcing human populations into the areas known as Last Glacial Maximum refugia , including modern Italy and

1269-708: The form of campsites, some with storage pits. Artistic work blossomed, with cave painting, petroglyphs , carvings and engravings on bone or ivory. The first evidence of human fishing is also found from a 125,000 years old artefacts in Buya , Eritrea and in other places such as Blombos cave in South Africa . More complex social groupings emerged, supported by more varied and reliable food sources and specialized tool types. This probably contributed to increasing group identification or ethnicity . The peopling of Australia most likely took place before c. 60 ka . Europe

1316-399: The imprints. Abiogenic origins have also been considered, although, the complexity of the patterns strongly suggest that they have biogenic origins. Cutmarks in fossilized bones and flesh indicate that a Pleistocene human population may have practiced the butchering of animal carcasses. One bovid fossil bears deep cuts on the neck, near the jugular vein . These cuts were likely made by

1363-505: The initial phase of their expansion in the Middle East, and they carried ~2–9% Neanderthal ancestry in their genomes. It is also considered that the early modern human coexisted with Neanderthals in Europe for a period of about 3,000–5,000 years. Among the earliest modern humans which have been directly dated to this period are: These individuals (except Tianyuan) did not contribute substantially to modern humans, but from around 37,000

1410-513: The last ice age ). Such changes may have reduced the supply of usable timber and forced people to look at other materials. In addition, flint becomes brittle at low temperatures and may not have functioned as a tool. Some notational signs, used next to images of animals, may have appeared as early as the Upper Palaeolithic in Europe circa 35,000 BCE, and may be the earliest proto-writing : several symbols were used in combination as

1457-487: The leg from the body. Three short and arched cutmarks were identified on the fossil of a hippopotamus tibia . They appear to have been made by stone tools and to have been intended to separate the leg from the joints . Bitemarks found on other fossils and coprolites found at the site indicate the presence of carnivores . The Buya basin is located in the northwestern part of the Afar Triangle . This area contains

Initial Upper Paleolithic - Misplaced Pages Continue

1504-454: The maxilla of this fossil are larger than any other known Early Pliocene hominin fossil. Two fossils of permanent teeth with dental crowns and roots, as well as a hip bone fragment, were uncovered in 1995. In 2003 archaeologists uncovered a pubic symphysis fragment at the site. These fossils are all thought to belong to the same individual. Analysis of the pubic symphysis suggests that the skeleton may have belonged to an individual between

1551-595: The north of the Adriatic and the Aegean . The rise in sea levels continued until at least 7.5 kya ( 5500 BC ), so evidence of human activity along Europe's coasts in the Upper Paleolithic is mostly lost, though some traces have been recovered by fishing boats and marine archaeology , especially from Doggerland , the lost area beneath the North Sea. The first direct evidence for Neanderthals hunting cave lions . This

1598-417: The original imprints. They likely used a pedal disc to create the imprint. Sea anemones were considered as a potential origin of the fossils, however, sea anemone appear in the ocean, whilst these fossils occurred on land. Other species such as scyphoza have been considered, however, the patterns in the ichnofossils are unlike other known animals. It is possible that two new ichnotaxa were responsible for

1645-564: The reach once was a grassland or savanna located near water. Rare examples of pre-Middle Pleistocene Nile crocodiles have been found in Buya. Very few examples of this species dating back to before the Middle Pleistocene have been identified in Africa. Examples of bird species such as anhinga or burhinus were found in the area. These imply that the region had open water with reed beds near dry areas. Fossils of clarias ,

1692-420: The region. Archaeologists have uncovered 213 lithic objects at Buya. According to a 2004 study of the site, they found 133 flakes , 26 choppers , 13 hand-axes , 9 hammerstones , 6 cores , 2 hammers , and 1 trihedral pick . These objects were found across three areas. Area one is located along a gully in the northern part of the region. Area two is located on elevated ground in the northeastern part of

1739-651: The region. Area three is located along the western borders of Buya. 98 flakes, 15 choppers, 8 hammerstones, 4 cores, one hand-axe, one pitted pebble, and one trihedral pick were all found in area one. 78 of these objects contained unworn edges, with only 37 having any wear. The axes and choppers were made from pebbles. The hammerstones were made of quartz arentine . Some of the axes and the pick were made from basalt . The flakes were primarily made from quartz , although marble , basalt, and quartzite were also utilized. 98 total artifacts were recovered from area two. These materials consist of 22 flakes, 10 hand-axes, 9 choppers, and

1786-709: The same crude stone tools. Archaeologist Richard G. Klein , who has worked extensively on ancient stone tools, describes the stone tool kit of archaic hominids as impossible to categorize. He argues that almost everywhere, whether Asia , Africa or Europe , before 50,000 years ago all the stone tools are much alike and unsophisticated. Firstly among the artefacts of Africa, archeologists found they could differentiate and classify those of less than 50,000 years into many different categories, such as projectile points, engraving tools, knife blades, and drilling and piercing tools. These new stone-tool types have been described as being distinctly differentiated from each other; each tool had

1833-421: The same time the Neanderthals themselves disappeared from the fossil record, about 40,000 cal BP. Settlements were often located in narrow valley bottoms, possibly associated with hunting of passing herds of animals. Some of them may have been occupied year round, though more commonly they appear to have been used seasonally; people moved between the sites to exploit different food sources at different times of

1880-536: The site. Massimo Delfino, one of the paleontologists, found the artifact while conducting a routine survey of the area. Another excavator, Husein Omar, discovered a set of 650,000 to 1.4 million-year-old molars . According to Medin, this discovery provided a vital source of information about human development during this time period and an opportunity for further research in Eritrea. In 2012 archaeologists working for

1927-627: The site. These fossils have been revealed due to erosion , climate changes, and volcanic activity . The type of animals found at this site are typical for East African Early Pleistocene faunas. Remains of extinct species from this time period found at the site include the Theropithecus oswaldi , Pelorovis oldowayensis , Giraffa jumae , Hexaprotodon , Hippopotamus gorgops , Palaeoloxodon recki , Palaeoloxodon recki ileretensis , Kolpochoerus olduvaiensis , Kolpochoerus majus , Metridiochoerus modestus , and potentially

Initial Upper Paleolithic - Misplaced Pages Continue

1974-541: The transition between these two periods. For these reasons, the discovery is considered an important source of information about the development of modern humans . The fossils found at the site were dated to be one million-years-old . Fission-track dating of the fossils dated them to be 0.75±0.16 million years old. Further research led to an estimated age of 1.3±0.3 million years old. Another team of Italian, French, and Eritrean paleontologists conducted an excavation in 2011. They found another Homo erectus fossil at

2021-486: The year. Hunting was important, and caribou/wild reindeer "may well be the species of single greatest importance in the entire anthropological literature on hunting". Technological advances included significant developments in flint tool manufacturing, with industries based on fine blades rather than simpler and shorter flakes . Burins and racloirs were used to work bone, antler and hides . Advanced darts and harpoons also appear in this period, along with

2068-446: Was found inside of ancient lake sediments located within the Danakil Depression . This skeleton consisted of a nearly complete cranium , two fragments of a pelvis , and two incisors . It lacks a mandible and has no remaining dental crowns . Most of the root canals were missing, although a few were preserved in the maxilla . The root canals show occlusal wear , dentine accumulation, and loss of enamel . The cranium has

2115-400: Was not successful. Ancient East Eurasians and Ancient West Eurasians diverged around 46,000 years ago, with Ancient East Eurasians rapidly further diverging since 45,000 years ago, which aligns with the timeframe of the Initial Upper Paleolithic. These early Eurasian populations probably mated episodically with Neanderthals in the period between 50,000 and 60,000 years ago, probably during

2162-487: Was peopled after c. 45 ka. Anatomically modern humans are known to have expanded northward into Siberia as far as the 58th parallel by about 45 ka ( Ust'-Ishim man ). The Upper Paleolithic is divided by the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), from about 25 to 15 ka. The peopling of the Americas occurred during this time, with East and Central Asia populations reaching the Bering land bridge after about 35 ka, and expanding into

2209-588: Was stored in the Asmara Department of Mines. Archaeological work was temporarily halted from 1998 to 1999 by the Ethiopian-Eritrean conflict . Research began again in 2000. They established a laboratory in 2001 within the National Museum of Eritrea for the safekeeping of the fossils. One of the paleontologists, Lorenzo Rook, unearthed fragments of the Homo erectus fossil Madam Buya. The fossil

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