About 45,000 years ago, in what is now central Germany, early humans and Neanderthals were neighbors.
This fascinating chapter of our history comes from a recent study of old bones found at a site near Ranis, Germany.
Scientists have used the latest technology to uncover evidence that Homo sapiens (that’s us!) were living in Northern Europe much earlier than previously thought, sharing the land with Neanderthals for thousands of years.
This discovery is exciting because it helps us understand more about how modern humans spread across Europe and Asia, and how our presence may have influenced the Neanderthals’ journey to extinction.
Neanderthals had been roaming Europe long before humans arrived, but this new evidence suggests our paths overlapped more than we knew.
The study focused on an archaeological site known for its unique stone tools, shaped like leaves, which were made by the first modern humans in Europe.
For a long time, scientists weren’t sure who had made these tools because they couldn’t find any human bones that were clearly connected to them. Now, thanks to detailed genetic tests on bone fragments from the site, we know for sure these tools were made by Homo sapiens.
Elena Zavala and her team at the University of California, Berkeley, and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, were key players in this discovery.
They analyzed DNA from ancient bones, proving that these remains were indeed from early humans. This finding makes the site near Ranis one of the oldest known places where our ancestors lived in Europe.
Interestingly, some of the bone fragments shared the same DNA, suggesting they came from the same family. This personal touch connects the dots between different finds at the site, linking past excavations to the present.
The tools found at Ranis, and similar sites across Europe, belong to a culture known as the Lincombian-Ranisian-Jerzmanowician (LRJ), thought to be among the earliest modern human settlers in Europe.
The discovery that Homo sapiens made these tools and lived in such cold, northern climates challenges our previous understanding of how adaptable our ancestors were.
The research team didn’t stop at DNA; they also looked at the environment and diet of the time. They found evidence of reindeer, cave bears, wooly rhinoceros, and horses, painting a picture of a harsh, tundra-like landscape.
This suggests that even these early humans were skilled survivors, able to hunt and live in extreme conditions.
The re-examination of the Ranis site, including new digs and modern scientific analyses, has rewritten a piece of human history. It reveals a time when modern humans were making their first inroads into Europe, equipped with sophisticated tools and ready to face the challenges of a new land.
This blend of archaeology, genetics, and environmental science not only tells us about our physical journey across continents but also about our interaction with other species like the Neanderthals.
It’s a story of survival, innovation, and the complex relationships between different human species. As we uncover more about our past, we gain insights into how we became the dominant species on Earth, shaping the world as we know it today.
