http://www.sciencemag.org/
Early Neanderthal constructions deep in Bruniquel Cave in southwestern
France.
Very little is known about Neanderthal cultures, particularly early
ones. Other than lithic implements and exceptional bone tools, very
few artefacts have been preserved. While those that do remain include
red and black pigments and burial sites, these indications of
modernity are extremely sparse and few have been precisely dated, thus
greatly limiting our knowledge of these predecessors of modern
humans5. Here we report the dating of annular constructions made of
broken stalagmites found deep in Bruniquel Cave in southwest France.
The regular geometry of the stalagmite circles, the arrangement of
broken stalagmites and several traces of fire demonstrate the
anthropogenic origin of these constructions. Uranium-series dating of
stalagmite regrowths on the structures and on burnt bone, combined
with the dating of stalagmite tips in the structures, give a reliable
and replicated age of 176.5 thousand years (ą2.1 thousand years),
making these edifices among the oldest known well-dated constructions
made by humans. Their presence at 336 metres from the entrance of the
cave indicates that humans from this period had already mastered the
underground environment, which can be considered a major step in human
modernity.
http://www.nature.com/nature/
Pandora
Early Neanderthal constructions deep in Bruniquel Cave in southwestern
France.
Very little is known about Neanderthal cultures, particularly early
ones. Other than lithic implements and exceptional bone tools, very
few artefacts have been preserved. While those that do remain include
red and black pigments and burial sites, these indications of
modernity are extremely sparse and few have been precisely dated, thus
greatly limiting our knowledge of these predecessors of modern
humans5. Here we report the dating of annular constructions made of
broken stalagmites found deep in Bruniquel Cave in southwest France.
The regular geometry of the stalagmite circles, the arrangement of
broken stalagmites and several traces of fire demonstrate the
anthropogenic origin of these constructions. Uranium-series dating of
stalagmite regrowths on the structures and on burnt bone, combined
with the dating of stalagmite tips in the structures, give a reliable
and replicated age of 176.5 thousand years (ą2.1 thousand years),
making these edifices among the oldest known well-dated constructions
made by humans. Their presence at 336 metres from the entrance of the
cave indicates that humans from this period had already mastered the
underground environment, which can be considered a major step in human
modernity.
http://www.nature.com/nature/
Pandora
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