Find in southern France puts humans in Europe 200,000 earlier

Experts on prehistoric man are rethinking their dates after a find in a southern French valley. The remains found show people where in France 1.57 million years ago, 200,000 years earlier than previously thought.

By News Wires (text)

AFP - Experts on prehistoric man are rethinking their dates after a find in a southern French valley that suggests our ancestors may have reached Europe 1.57 million years ago: 200,000 earlier than we thought.

What provoked the recount was a pile of fossilised bones and teeth uncovered 15 years ago by local man Jean Rouvier in a basalt quarry at Lezignan la Cebe, in the Herault valley, Languedoc.

In the summer of 2008, Rouvier mentioned his find to Jerome Ivorra, an archaeological researcher at France's National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS).

The subsequent dig uncovered not just a large variety of ancient animal bones but, about 10 metres (yards) down and under the basalt layer, 20 or so tools, most of which bore traces of use.

The surprise came when argon dating showed the site went back 1.57 million years -- substantially older than many other prehistoric sites -- according to a paper published in the specialist journal, Comptes Rendus Palevol.

It is older, for example, than the Spanish site at Atapuerca, which dates back a mere 1.2 to 1.1 million years.

And as the paper pointed out, the existence of such man-made objects in Europe was extremely rare in this period.

In comparison, the first such tools in East Africa date back to 2.5 million years ago, while human settlements in the Transcaucasia region date back to a 1.8 million years ago.

"A discovery as rich as the one in the Herault Valley offers a real opportunity to better understand the Europe of this period," said a statement from the CNRS, France's Museum of National History and the College de France.

More digs were planned for 2010 to discover more about the site, the statement added.

Date created : 15/12/2009

Comments (6)

Archaeology

by George Gosling (not verified) - 11/03/2011 - 11:42

It is extremely interesting to find the bounds of human existence in Europe go back further than previously thought.

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Findings

by Anonyme - 22/02/2010 - 17:52

Maybe the other findings in other countries should also be checked.

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bordeaux

by Anonyme - 05/02/2010 - 01:07

and that is why french have superb wines,an early start.

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would like to hear more of finds of this nature

by Anonyme - 18/12/2009 - 11:40

it would tend that they would eat more greens and uses of things tht would make it a seemingly sweet smell so other animals would not go near them , I hope I can find some more readings on these types of finds ,I heard of even drinking manmade soaps would cure the temperred body in time to save the flesh that is of old to a newer level of greatness for it is nicer to beleive in without smells of any animals left inside our body and would lead to a superHuman strwength and fitness , if it all was true thats how we are here today , wishing on people finding blessings within things people have done with their own lives and not left themselves or family within any dung of sorts that we never need. at all.

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Pehistoric finds

by Anonyme - 17/12/2009 - 14:24

If one referes to the Vedic Sanskrit writings civiliations have been on Planet Earth for many many Millions of Years and also on other planets. within the cosmic egg. jai.cosmic john.