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50,000-Year-Old Needle Found in Siberian Cave AND It Was Not Made by Homo Sapiens

50,000-Year-Old Needle Found in Siberian Cave AND It Was Not Made by Homo Sapiens

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By The Siberian Times reporter

A sensational discovery in Denisova Cave is at least 50,000-years-old BUT it wasn't made by Homo sapiens. The 7-centimeter (2 3/4 inch) needle was made and used by our long extinct Denisovan ancestors, a recently-discovered hominin species or subspecies.

Scientists found the sewing implement - complete with a hole for thread - during the annual summer archeological dig at an Altai Mountains cave widely believed to hold the secrets of man's origins. It appears to be still useable after 50,000 years.

Professor Mikhail Shunkov, head of the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography in Novosibirsk, said: 'It is the most unique find of this season, which can even be called sensational.

It appears to be still useable after 50,000 years.

It appears to be still useable after 50,000 years. Picture: Vesti

'It is a needle made of bone. As of today it is the most ancient needle in the word. It is about 50,000 years old.'

The needle is seen as providing proof that the long-gone Denisovans - named after the cave - were more sophisticated than previously believed. It predates by some 10,000 years an intricate modern-looking piece of polished jewelry made of chlorite by the Denisovans.

It was made of the bone of a large and so far, unidentified bird.

The 7 centimeter (2 3/4 inch) needle was made and used by our long extinct Denisovan ancestors, a recently-discovered hominin species or subspecies.

The 7 centimeter (2 3/4 inch) needle was made and used by our long extinct Denisovan ancestors, a recently-discovered hominin species or subspecies. Pictures: Russia 24, Vesti

Dr Maksim Kozlikin, head of the excavations at Denisova cave, said: 'The length of this needle is 7 centimeters, 6 millimeters. It is the longest needle found in Denisova cave. We have found needles before, but in 'younger' (archeological) layers.'

The needle rewrites history since the previous oldest such object dates to some 40,000 years ago, according to Russian scientists. It is assumed that the newly-found needle was made by Denisovans, as it was found in the same layer where Denisovan remains were previously found.

Dr Maksim Kozlikin, head of the excavations at Denisova cave: 'It is the longest needle found in Denisova cave.'

Dr Maksim Kozlikin, head of the excavations at Denisova cave: 'It is the longest needle found in Denisova cave.' Picture: Vera Salnitskaya

The cave has provided a succession of revelations about ancient man. It was here in 2008 that Siberian scientists discovered a finger bone fragment of 'X woman', a juvenile female believed to have lived around 41,000 years ago.

Analysis showed she was genetically distinct from Neanderthals and modern humans. In 2010 analysis on an upper molar from a young adult, found in the cave ten years previously, showed the tooth was also from a Denisovan.

The cave lies in the Altai Mountains around 160 kilometers (100 miles) south of the city of Barnaul.The cave lies in the Altai Mountains around 160 kilometers (100 miles) south of the city of Barnaul.
The cave lies in the Altai Mountains around 160 kilometers (100 miles) south of the city of Barnaul.

The cave lies in the Altai Mountains around 160 kilometers (100 miles) south of the city of Barnaul. Picture: Vera Salnitskaya

Layers of the cave's flooring show that it has been occupied by humans for 282,000 years. Scientists believe that Denisovan remains date back up to 170,000 years ago.

The bracelet was discovered in 2008, and scientists have since suggested it showed the Denisovans to be more technologically advanced than Home sapiens or Neanderthals.

Scientists found that a hole had been drilled in part of the bracelet with such precision that it could only have been done with a high-rotation drill similar to those used today.

It was also carefully polished and grinded, with a heavy pendant added in the center, probably hanging from a short leather strap. The cave has also provides evidence of cross-breeding between modern Homo sapiens with both Neanderthals and Denisovans.

Additionally, it has provided proof that early man surged out of Africa some 35,000 years earlier than was assumed by experts.

'It is the first genetic evidence of modern humans outside Africa,' said Sergi Castellano, a scientist at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, earlier this year.

The bracelet was carefully polished and grinded, with a heavy pendant added in the centre, probably hanging from a short leather strap.
The bracelet was carefully polished and grinded, with a heavy pendant added in the centre, probably hanging from a short leather strap.

The bracelet was carefully polished and grinded, with a heavy pendant added in the centre, probably hanging from a short leather strap. Pictures: Vera Salnitskaya, Anastasia Abdulmanova

The cave lies in the Altai Mountains around 160 kilometres (100 miles) south of the city of Barnaul. Prof Shunkov said: 'We can confidently say that Altai was one of the cultural centres... the modern human was formed.'

Scientist Svante Paabo, from the Max Planck Institute, in Leipzig, Germany, has said: 'The one place where we are sure all three human forms have lived at one time or another is here in Denisova Cave.'

The Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography is part of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Top image: Main: Denisova Cave. Inset: The needle is seen as providing proof that the long-gone Denisovans - named after the cave - were more sophisticated than previously believed. Picture: Vesti

The article ‘ World's oldest needle found in Siberian cave that stitches together human history ’originally appeared on The Siberian Times and has been republished with permission.

 

Comments

True history is beginning to reveled the truth. When something important is created, THEY left it to interbreed with THEIR other creation to mixed the DNA. So the more superior race evolved and propagate
passing the right genome to one another to its offspring, we humans today is not yet done combining and passing the good DNA. Maybe where just starting.

I have also been playing with Lapidary most of my life and in reality this Needle could be reproduced in Stone with an inclusion free sample and a lot of patience using only Stone to Stone Techniques. Been doing some Knapping the last few years to help preserve this art and what Modern Man can now do with Stone and a few simple Prehistoric Tools is absolutely incredible! There are some very talented Artists out there!

I Post this link only to share with those who study Lithics to show what this Craft has evolved into by those who are preserving this Ancient Skill!

http://flintknappers.com/

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I don't believe English is the authors primary language ...

And you don't need a high speed drill to drill a hole like that, you need an abrasive and the equivalent to a fire bow ... and then more abrasive to polish the overall bracelet. Actually, a high speed drill tends to cause more issues with various types of stone than a lower speed drill [sorry, my field - my original skillset training was as an inside/outside mechanic [machinist to english speakers] and I took finesmithing and jewelry making classes for entertainment and have ground shaped and polished semiprecious stones. As a matter of fact, lapis lazuli shapes and polishes beautifully using nothing more than abrasive cloth that could be replaced by animal hide, animal fat and fine river sand, and a coarser rock as a rasp.]

Grinded?

How about "ground," people?

I'm nervous that when people began using low fire pottery dinnerware they weren't aware of the scourge of botulism. I believe because of death from food poisons and botulism people began burying the low-fire pots with the dead. It seemed to end the curse. Eating food from low-fire pottery is a recipe for death.

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