When early Homo sapiens set out of Africa and began their long and arduous journey towards Eurasia, their path was far from straightforward. Without modern-day indulgences like GPS navigation, our early human ancestors pretty much had to wing it. While historians have managed to trace quite a bit of their convoluted tracks, a rather large gap remained — a 20,000-year period where their whereabouts were a mystery. New research, however, has unearthed their surprising whereabouts.
The study, published in Nature Communications, suggests that before fanning out across Europe, East Asia, and beyond, humans spent a lengthy stretch of time between 70,000 and 45,000 years ago in the Persian Plateau of all places.
Home to present-day Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Turkmenistan and Pakistan, this arid landscape nestled between towering mountains has long been overlooked. But a recent multidisciplinary investigation, combining genetics, paleoecology, and archaeology changes things. The Persian Plateau, it turns out, wasn't just a stopover on the human migration route, it was a full-fledged staycation.
Several key findings support this exciting theory. Firstly, genetic analysis, using a novel technique to untangle millennia of mixed ancestry, identified a distinct genetic signature in the region. This signature, present in both ancient and modern populations, suggests a long-term presence of humans on the plateau.
Furthermore, paleoecological modelling indicates that the plateau offered a surprisingly swanky (by early human standards) environment compared to the surrounding areas, making it a more hospitable environment capable of sustaining larger populations.
This discovery has profound implications. Professor Michael Petraglia, co-author of the study, highlights the need for further archaeological exploration: "The Persian plateau emerges as a key region." Imagine the potential: unearthing settlements, tools, and remnants of daily life that could illuminate a missing chapter in human history.
The impact extends beyond archaeology. Lead author Leonardo Vallini emphasises, "The discovery elucidates a 20,000-year-long portion of history." This period witnessed interactions with Neanderthals — who may or may not have been thrilled at the arrival of these new tenants — and the diversification of Eurasian populations.
Professor Luca Pagani, another co-author, says that this discovery enriches our understanding of our species' journey across continents. The once-overlooked plateau now stands as a testament to the adaptability and resilience of early humans, a testament to a vibrant crossroads that shaped our past.
The findings of this study have been detailed in Nature Communications and can be accessed here.
**
For weather, science, space, and COVID-19 updates on the go, download The Weather Channel App (on Android and iOS store). It's free!