Archaeologica.org

http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Displa ... 322518.xml

DOHA • A prehistoric settlement in what is now Qatar may confirm alternative theories on how early humans emigrated from the African continent, a report in a Danish newspaper said.

Danish archaeologists have uncovered a settlement they believe may be over 700,000 years old, making it the oldest organised human community ever found, reported Berlingske Tidende newspaper.

Eight dwellings in the desert region of Qatar indicate that an early human species crossed what is now the Red Sea to leave their origins in Africa, according to the scientists. There is still uncertainty within the scientific community as to which routes early humans used to migrate out of Africa.

The new discovery has only been tentatively dated by the archaeologists, who have estimated the age from types of artefacts found at the site, which include axes and knives.

Other dating tests are necessary to confirm the estimates, but the find can only be carbon-dated with accuracy if organic material, such as bones, are found.

This is an early report from a site in Qater. More news is sure to follow in the future. Hopefully human remains will be found.

Wouldn't a 700,000 year old "settlement" be the very antithesis of what the Club thinks?

Beagle wrote:http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Displa ... 322518.xml

DOHA • A prehistoric settlement in what is now Qatar may confirm alternative theories on how early humans emigrated from the African continent, a report in a Danish newspaper said.

Danish archaeologists have uncovered a settlement they believe may be over 700,000 years old, making it the oldest organised human community ever found, reported Berlingske Tidende newspaper.

Eight dwellings in the desert region of Qatar indicate that an early human species crossed what is now the Red Sea to leave their origins in Africa, according to the scientists. There is still uncertainty within the scientific community as to which routes early humans used to migrate out of Africa.

The new discovery has only been tentatively dated by the archaeologists, who have estimated the age from types of artefacts found at the site, which include axes and knives.

Other dating tests are necessary to confirm the estimates, but the find can only be carbon-dated with accuracy if organic material, such as bones, are found.

This is an early report from a site in Qater. More news is sure to follow in the future. Hopefully human remains will be found.

I imagine a chorus of members of Das Klub singing

The following in falsetto similar to that of gelded chipmunks..........

"Because it
Can’t be now
Oh no
Can’t be now
Oh no
Can’t be now
Oh no
Can’t be now
Oh no
Can’t be now
Oh no
Can’t be this loneliness
Baby, surrounding me.
No, no, no it just can’t be.
No it just can’t be
Oh, baby, baby, baby, baby, just can’t be.
No, no, no
No it just can’t be"

(lifted out of context from Janis Joplin to whom I apologize)


Hmmm........

8 dwellings would indicate an organised group effort.

Call it shared group cognition.

The existence of language comes to mind....

8 dwellings would indicate at least a semi-permanent settlement, which,

In turn would indicate that the shared group cognition had also

Figured out that the surrounding resources of the landscape

Would support the band for an indefinite period of time.

8 dwellings would indicate a previously existing methodology for use of

Construction materials and technique, which, in turn

Means that we have a hope of finding earlier, cruder attempts

At settlement building.


Finally, the citizens of said settlement were without a doubt NOT

Homo sap.


And on that I think I'll pour myself a nice fat

Glass of white bordeaux

And sit grinning for awhile.


hoka hey


john

700,000 years old?!?!
I am sorry, but I am going to have to see some real good dateing done to back that up.
It looks like headline grabbing to me.

kbs2244 wrote:700,000 years old?!?!
I am sorry, but I am going to have to see some real good dateing done to back that up.
It looks like headline grabbing to me.

kbs2244 -

The Danes are a pretty sobersided lot.

This thing has legs; wait and see.


hoka hey


john

In agreement on the Danes.
But I wouldn’t put it past the authorities of Qatar to do a little chest beating.
But even if it is half that old it will be worth watching.

In agreement on the Danes.
But I wouldn’t put it past the authorities of Qatar to do a little chest beating.
But even if it is half that old it will be worth watching.

Yup, totally agree that the Danes are sober-minded.

700kya? Or even 350kya - doesn't matter. This settlment crashes quite a few beliefs. Hopefully, those Danish scientists will eventually be able to determine what type of hominid had the audacity to act like us by erecting eight dwellings. As John stated: eight dwellings require communication (aka language) and thinking ahead (aka cognition). Those people were more like us than many people would like to admit.

And ... I love the fact that this settlement does not fit neatly into the established paradigm. Is it Cool-Aid time yet for OOA? I'll even provide the strychnine free of charge.

It also suggests a family based culture. If it had been an all male hunting party, for example, I would have expected them to have erected a single dwelling.

And there would have been beer bottles in the corner.

Not to mention the HG's would quickly exhaust the food supplies in the area and need to move on.

Perhaps they weren't HGs?

This may help place an interesting context on it.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/5317762.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4526264.stm

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2006/sep/06/uknews

http://www.newscientist.com/channel/bei ... ought.html

http://www.bradshawfoundation.com/anglia-man/

The graph is also interesting as it shows a steady rise in temperature thoughout the entire period.

Good point Digit. The climate was quite warm 700kya and humans were on the move. Java man made it to Java at that time, with his 1,000cc brain. A similar period occurred at about 1.2 million yrs. ago (Dmanasi man).

In every case, when humans stop being H/Gs, they have done so alongside a substantial river, that probably was a reliable food source.

Just about the most reliable food source there is Beag, it's supply of fresh water would also attract animals from some distance around.

Minimalist wrote:

Wouldn't a 700,000 year old "settlement" be the very antithesis of what the Club thinks?

Forget them. Let's logically theorize on what may have happened:

If there was a 700,000 year old settlement in Qatar – which was, then, in a high place, 500 to 600 feet above where most people would have lived, and if it was HE that went out of Africa to conquer the world (as we here assume), then it is probable, imo, that settlement was already a well established place for hundreds of thousands of years! Since it looks to have been the stepping stone, the jump-off point, to Asia and beyond.

"Jumping off point" implies some organization, doesn't it? Like St. Louis was for the wagon trains heading to the American West?

I don't know if I'm ready to embrace that, yet.