Published 19:32 IST, February 3rd 2021
Human activity dating 2 million years ago discovered in Tanzania: Study
Study shows that human activity discovered in Tanzania dating back to 2 million years. Read on to know what the scientists actually found there.
According to a new study published recently, an investigating team discovered stone tools, fossil bones, and chemical proxies at the riverbed near Serengeti Plains in Tanzania. These were all derived from plant and dental materials. As per Newsbreak.com, the principal investigating teams from Tanzania and Canada, along with their partners in Europe, Africa, and North America, were working together to describe this collection that was found. The scientists found microscopic amounts of silica that were left behind by ancient pollen, ancient plants, and airborne charcoal. These findings may help scientists to find about human activities before 2 million years in Tanzania.
These were the result of natural fires that broke out on the Earth. The collection found in Tanzania was derived from the riverbed and the lake outcrops on the Serengeti plains.
The scientists pointed out that this data gives evidence that human beings roamed in the Olduvai Gorge. This means that human beings can be dated back to 2 million years ago. This is an important step according to the researchers. They feel that with this step they will be able to fill the existing gap between fossils, cultural items, and environmental context left behind by the extinct humans. The data that was used by the researchers was obtained from the survey of an unexplored west part of an ancient river in an area called Ewass Oldupa.
Did ancient humans roam on the Earth?
The stone tools that were found at the excavation site belonged to a culture known as Oldowan. This discovery points out the fact that the ancient humans who roamed on the earth used tools of different types millions of years ago. The stone tools and the animal fossils point out that the humans, as well as the fauna, were gathering around different water bodies. It also proved that the earliest humans had the habit of carrying rocks with them. They used these rocks as tools. These rocks were obtained from the basin located 12 kilometres east of the place.
The research also points out that these humans could survive in changing environments. These humans came to Ewass Oldupa for using the local resources for 200,000 years despite great changes happening to the landscape. The artefacts found by the researchers show this can be dated back to the Early Pleistocene Era that is about 2 million years ago. No hominid fossils were discovered in the study of these researchers. They were also not clear about the fact as to which species made those tools. Younger sediments that were discovered at a site 350 meters away had the presence of Homo Habilis fossils.
Updated 19:32 IST, February 3rd 2021