Nexus - 0706 - New Times Magazine-pages

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THE TWILIGHT ZONE of occupation, from 4000 to 3700 BC, it of how mankind developed in the "cradle found that early humans belonging to the was spread out over at least 500 acres, _ of civilisation" between the two great species Homo erectus traversed the corri- making it comparable in size to some of | Middle Eastern rivers. Historians have dor between Africa and Eurasia 780,000 the largest ancient cities in the Middle _ theorised that the Sumerians established years ago, bringing with them new tech- East, though Gibson said "the entire 500 the oldest known "modern" civilisation in _ nologies. acres were probably not inhabited at any —_ about 3500 BC. According to co-author Craig Feibel, a one time". According to Maktash, "...we don't know _ geologist and assistant professor of anthro- During the second habitation phase who the people were who lived at _ pology and geology at Rutgers University, around 3700 to 3500 BC—still before any | Hamoukar. If they were here first, the big the findings indicate this migration evidence of Uruk colonists or the introduc- question is: where did the Sumerian civili- occurred some 250,000 years earlier than tion of writing—it was a well-organised, sation come from—from nothing? It's pos- _ had been suspected. prosperous town of about 30 acres, appar- sible they came from Hamoukar. This will They also confirm that the site's abun- ently enclosed by a defensive wall 10 feet change many things in our understanding _—_dant trove of stone tools, including hand- high by 13 feet wide. There is evidence of _ of history." axes and cleavers, reflects a higher level of food preparation on an institutional scale, (Sources: Associated Press, 23 May 2000; _ skill and sophistication than scientists with large ovens and cooking pots. It's Independent, 3 July 2000; University of thought existed at that time. believed the population may have reached Chicago Chronicle, 25 May 2000, website Feibel, who was one of two geologists 25,000 there in the Mesopotamian period. http://chronicle.uchicago.edu/000525/ on the team, reconstructed the geological Dr Mouhammed Maktash, director of the —_ civilization.shtml) sequence from sediments at GBY. The Syrian-American joint excavation, com- sediments showed clear evidence dating mented: "There is no question this is the GEOMAGNETIC DATA CONFIRMS them to the most recent reversal in the most exciting find I have come across. Of EARLIER "OUT OF AFRICA" Earth's magnetic field 780,000 years ago. course you can find older individual pieces MIGRATION "Until this recent work, we didn't have a between a small village and a city." ancient shift in the Earth's magnetic —_ ed the technology and associated flora and Dr Maktash, who is director of antiqui- field, scientists working in Israel fauna at a half-million years, but that was ties at the regional museum at Raqqa, told have significantly pushed back the date of conservative," Feibel said. "This time we the London Independent newspaper that an “out of Africa" migration of early were fortunate to find in the sediments a one of the most astonishing finds was of | humans that brought new technologies to __ record of the shift in the Earth's magnetic living quarters, double-walled "to encour- _ Eurasia in the midst of the early Ice Age. field, which is a well-dated phenomenon." age air flow, suggesting the inhabitants had Their findings also indicate that our Feibel noted the discovery was a designed their own air-conditioning system —_ancestors' tool-making skills were more __ serendipitous one that solved a longstand- to combat summer temperatures of more sophisticated for that time than previously — ing mystery regarding the site's true age. than 40 degrees Centigrade". believed. (Sources: Science, vol. 289, no. 5481, 11 The excavation team has also unearthed A team, working at the archaeologically August 2000; ABC News, www.abcnews.go. stone god icons and other artefacts, such as __rich site of Gesher Benot Ya'aqov (GBY) —_com/sections/science/DailyNews/hominid-00 porcelain figurines of lions, leopards, bears in the Dead Sea rift of northern Israel, 08//.html) and horses, together with pottery and 7,000 [artefacts], but there is a big difference | sing geological clues from an clear age-estimate. Scientists had estimat- bead. ti f eads, suggestive o . an advanced culture. c las SIC, 3 brand "From the begin- fer death ay and 7, ning, we knew that Hamoukar was very old; but when we excavated, we found things we have never — seen before," said Dr ty Maktash. ie g ce a Surface indications and excavations show that the area was occupied at various i [ Y \. times, and include more recent A\_-& Hellenistic and early Islamic material. The discoveries will s power. hha. promnt a reassessment the dama jolitare cras of how mankind developed in the "cradle of civilisation" between the two great Middle Eastern rivers. Historians have theorised that the Sumerians established the oldest known "modern" civilisation in about 3500 BC. According to Maktash, "...we don't know who the people were who lived at Hamoukar. If they were here first, the big question is: where did the Sumerian civili- sation come from—from nothing? It's pos- sible they came from Hamoukar. This will change many things in our understanding of history." (Sources: Associated Press, 23 May 2000; Independent, 3 July 2000; University of Chicago Chronicle, 25 May 2000, website http://chronicle.uchicago.edu/000525/ civilization.shtml) found that early humans belonging to the species Homo erectus traversed the corri- dor between Africa and Eurasia 780,000 years ago, bringing with them new tech- nologies. According to co-author Craig Feibel, a geologist and assistant professor of anthro- pology and geology at Rutgers University, the findings indicate this migration occurred some 250,000 years earlier than had been suspected. They also confirm that the site's abun- dant trove of stone tools, including hand- axes and cleavers, reflects a higher level of skill and sophistication than scientists thought existed at that time. Feibel, who was one of two geologists on the team, reconstructed the geological sequence from sediments at GBY. The sediments showed clear evidence dating them to the most recent reversal in the Earth's magnetic field 780,000 years ago. "Until this recent work, we didn't have a clear age-estimate. Scientists had estimat- ed the technology and associated flora and fauna at a half-million years, but that was conservative," Feibel said. "This time we were fortunate to find in the sediments a record of the shift in the Earth's magnetic field, which is a well-dated phenomenon." Feibel noted the discovery was a serendipitous one that solved a longstand- ing mystery regarding the site's true age. (Sources: Science, vol. 289, no. 5481, 11 August 2000; ABC News, www.abcnews.go. com/sections/science/DailyNews/hominid-00 0811.html) GEOMAGNETIC DATA CONFIRMS EARLIER "OUT OF AFRICA" MIGRATION | sing geological clues from an ancient shift in the Earth's magnetic field, scientists working in Israel have significantly pushed back the date of an "out of Africa" migration of early humans that brought new technologies to Eurasia in the midst of the early Ice Age. Their findings also indicate that our ancestors’ tool-making skills were more sophisticated for that time than previously believed. A team, working at the archaeologically rich site of Gesher Benot Ya'aqov (GBY) in the Dead Sea rift of northern Israel, more recent Hellenistic and early Islamic material. The discoveries will NEXUS - 69 prompt a reassessment OCTOBER — NOVEMBER 2000