They discover a mysterious and advanced culture that lived in China 40,000 years ago

• 140,000 years ago From Homo de Nesher Ramla to the Dragon Man: the Middle East and Asia take center stage in human evolution

The Nihewan Basin in northern China is a region rich in prehistoric settlements.

Its deposits testify to the presence of hominids in the Far East for almost two million years and offer one of the best research fields to understand the technological evolution of

and their ancestors.

An international team of archaeologists reveals this week the existence of an unknown culture, a population of

that lived there 40,000 years ago and that provides new clues about the process of cultural diversification that occurred in Asia in a period of genetic hybridization between sapiens and other species.

Their findings are described in a paper published Wednesday in the journal

.

Scientists have found traces belonging to one of the earliest groups of

anatomically modern

Specifically, the authors describe the discovery at the Xiamabei site of unique stone tools (thin blade-like blades) and the earliest known evidence of ocher pigment manufacturing in East Asia.

The authors emphasize that the use of ocher is one of the most significant cultural features found at Xiamabei, in particular two pieces with a different mineral composition, as well as an elongated limestone slab with smoothed areas and pigment stains.

The analysis of these objects, carried out by researchers from the University of Bordeaux, indicates that different types of mineral were brought to Xiamabei and that they were processed through a combination of crushing and abrasion, until producing powders of different color and consistency whose use impregnated the ground. of the room.

says Daniela Rosso, postdoctoral researcher at the University of Valencia and co-author of the

.

Color plays an essential role in our perception of the world and in the transmission of information, which is why scientists associate the use of pigments with complex and, in some cases, symbolic behavior.

"Mineral dyes can be used for utilitarian functions, such as protection against insects, against the sun, to produce adhesives or tan leather, but also for symbolic functions such as body painting or making strokes or motifs," he adds.

unique tools

The evolution of early lithic industries in East Asia is a largely unknown process.

unto

The Nihewanans did not use such microblades, but instead made handle tools and multiple uses, which already demonstrates a complex technical system of transformation of raw materials, which is not observed in older or slightly later sites.

Analysis suggests they were used for drilling, scraping hides, carving plant material, and cutting meat.

These Xiamabei stone tools represent a unique cultural adaptation and provide important insights into toolmaking in a key transition period in northern China 40,000 years ago.

Tools found at the Chinese site Fa-Gang Wang / Francesco d'Errico

On the other hand, although

the presence of fossils of modern

in the nearby Tianyuandong sites and those of Salkhit and the Upper Cave of Zhoukoudian, lead the authors to think that the inhabitants of Xiamabei were

.

"A varied lithic technology and the presence of certain innovations -such as handled tools and ocher processing- but not others -such as bone tools or ornaments- may reflect a first attempt at colonization by modern humans" , the authors estimate.

Hybridization

This period of initial colonization would have included

, before being replaced by new waves of Sapiens that used more modern technologies (the aforementioned microblades).

"Everything seems to indicate that there were several episodes of dispersion of populations of

which surely had contacts and exchanges with Neanderthals and Denisovans in Eurasia", explains Rosso.

"However, we still have very little data on these cultural interactions and adaptations, and very little information exists on how and when they arrived on the Asian continent. This study allows us to bring new data to the debate."

Given the unique nature of the Xiamabei finds, the authors believe that the archaeological record contradicts the idea of ​​a linear cultural innovation or a fully formed set of technological adaptations that would have been brought by groups of humans leaving Africa and dispersing throughout the world. everyone.

They argue that it is more likely that it was a mosaic of innovation patterns, mixing previous technologies, local traditions and the invention of new practices, in a continuous process of transitions and evolution.

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