The first human settlements. An ancient human site, ancient human sites. What is a clan, tribe, community?

In the southern part of the Russian Plain, in the area of ​​​​the modern Voronezh region, traces of the oldest site of Homo sapiens - Kostenki - were discovered. In fact, over 60 sites dating back to 50 thousand years BC have been discovered here on an area of ​​about 10 km2. up to 15 thousand years BC

Genetic code of human remains buried at the Kostenki site 26 thousand years BC. corresponds genetic code modern Europeans found in Spain. Also, genetic analysis revealed that the Neanderthal admixture of this person is 2.8%.

At the Kostenki site, the oldest jewelry in Eastern Europe was discovered - piercings with ornaments made from the tubular bones of a bird and pendants from Black Sea shells (indicating a developed exchange with the Black Sea region).

The artifacts were found in a layer of volcanic ash brought to the Russian Plain from the territory of modern Italy around 33-31 thousand years BC. The composition of the ashes turned out to be identical to those found in the bottom sediments of the Adriatic Sea. Ashes of similar composition and age were also found in sections of a number of Paleolithic sites in Central and Eastern Europe, indicating the global impact of a volcanic eruption that provoked a sharp climate change - something like the “nuclear winter effect.” The finds of the Kostenki settlement show that the catastrophic consequence of the eruption was the cessation of the existence of this settlement, like many others in Europe during this period.

In addition, archaeologists came to the conclusion that the Kostenki site changed owners several times: a large number of purposefully broken figurines of deities were discovered. In more ancient cultural layers, the remains of people belong to the Caucasoid type; in younger burials, the skeletons belong to Negroids, and then again to Caucasians.

In the north of the European territory of Russia in Siberia on the Usa River (not far from the mouth of the Pechera River), a Cro-Magnon site was discovered, called Mammoth Kurya, dating back to 38 thousand years BC. This Upper Paleolithic site, located at 66° N. sh., beyond the Arctic Circle, contradicts the concept of continental glaciation in this area. Bones of horses, reindeer, wolves, stone tools, arrowheads, and a mammoth tusk covered with a primitive pattern (age 36-32 thousand years BC) were discovered at the site.

The parking lot near the village of Byzovaya (64° N), is located in the foothills of the Subpolar Urals. Ninety-eight percent of all bones found here are from mammoths. Bones of woolly rhinoceros, reindeer, horse, muskox, wolf, bear, arctic fox and lemming are also present. Judging by the remains of animals, at that time the dry continental climate of open spaces dominated here. The age of the found tools and animal bones is estimated at 32-29 thousand years BC. The tools are made in the style of the Mousterian culture. Probably, the Byzovaya site was perhaps the last refuge of Neanderthals (but not all scientists consider the found tools to be Neanderthal).

It is noteworthy that the sites of Mamontova Kurya and Byzovaya are located on local accumulations of mammoth bones, i.e. Probably the “cemeteries” of mammoths were a kind of resource base for people.

An equally interesting site was discovered within modern Central Russia on the territory of the Vladimir region (Sungir site). Traces of dwellings and households, hearths, utensils, and animal remains were found on it, dating back to 27,000 - 18,000 years BC. The burials of Sungir are unique in their preservation and richness of grave goods. For example, in the burial of a girl and a boy, unusual objects were preserved - three disks (plates) with slots made of mammoth tusk with a diameter of several centimeters. A spear made from mammoth ivory reaching a length of 2.4 m was also found. To make such a weapon, it was necessary to have the technology to straighten tusks! Material from the site

Finds also indicate that already twenty-six thousand years ago, in the area of ​​modern Vladimir, human ancestors walked in leather shoes, wore leather jackets with set-in sleeves and hoods, hats and pants. Everything was sewn according to the figure, that is, patterns were used. Our ancestors of this distant time already knew astronomy, mathematics, and the calendar; occurrence is recorded

Ancient people and their sites on the territory modern Russia

Questions in the text

1. How did primitive people manage to survive and populate the territory of modern Russia?

Some of the most ancient human sites were discovered in central Dagestan and on the Taman Peninsula. Also, the oldest human sites were discovered near the village of Kostenki near Voronezh, Sungir - near Vladimir, in the Southern Urals, in Altai, etc.

People united in small groups. Together it was easier to get food, defend against predatory animals, maintain and protect the fire. All members of the collective were equal to each other, and food, regardless of who and how it was obtained, was shared equally. The formation of clan communities and tribes (several clan communities living in the neighborhood), the division of labor, the improvement of tools, forms of collective hunting and methods of processing materials, as well as the use of fire (obtaining and preserving) determined the survival of people in the Ice Age and the Post-Glacial Period.

After the end of the Ice Age, the Mesolithic period began. Climate change has led to the extinction of large animals (mammoths and woolly rhinoceroses), and, consequently, to a change in the forms of collective hunting - from driven to ambush. People were also forced to pay attention to gathering and fishing. Means of transportation were invented - boats, skis, sleighs. People settled further and further north. They reached the shores of the Baltic Sea, and then the Arctic Ocean.

2. When and on what territory, according to scientists, did the first people appear?

On the territory of modern Russia there are some of the oldest traces of presence ancient man found in central Dagestan and on the Taman Peninsula.

3. Find out who Neanderthals are.

Neanderthals are fossilized ancient people of the Early Paleolithic period. Skeletal remains of Neanderthals have been discovered in Europe, Asia and Africa. The period of existence, according to various estimates, is 300 thousand - 28 thousand years ago. As studies of the genetic material of Neanderthals have established, they are apparently not the direct ancestors of modern humans. The name comes from an early discovery of a human fossil in the Neanderthal Valley, near Düsseldorf (Germany). The bulk of the remains of Neanderthals and their predecessors were discovered in Europe, mainly in France, and date back to the period 70-35 thousand years ago.

4. What is a clan, tribe, community?

A clan or clan community is the first association of ancient people that included blood relatives. The property of the community was considered common property, all its members had equal rights, issues were resolved jointly. At the same time, the oldest, most experienced people enjoyed the greatest influence. A tribe is several clan communities living in the same neighborhood.

Questions for the paragraph

1. When and where did the first people appear on the territory of our country?

Traces of ancient man were found in central Dagestan and on the Taman Peninsula.

2. Give a description of the appropriating economy.

The appropriative economy is an ancient way of organizing life. People do not grow or produce anything, but extract and appropriate what is created by nature. Main activities: hunting animals, catching insects and amphibians, gathering (fruits, berries, edible plants).

3. How did people's lives change during the Ice Age?

With great difficulty, the man managed to adapt to life in harsh conditions. His main occupation was still hunting. They went hunting in small groups. The form of hunting is driven. To escape the cold, people began to constantly use fire, and then learned to make it. Meat food cooked over fire was better absorbed and contained substances important for the human body. Life expectancy increased. The technology of stone processing has become more advanced, and the tools have become more diverse. The stones, chipped along the entire length, had the shape of knives, saws, adzes, and awls. People have learned to process animal horns and bones well. Needles with eyes appeared, and people began to sew clothes from skins using animal tendons or plant fibers. A division of labor appeared between men and women. The need to coordinate one’s actions while hunting and to pass on accumulated experience contributed to the development of speech. Life in the team became more united and organized.

4. Why did ancient people use stone to make their tools?

To make tools, ancient people used not only stone, but also animal bones and wood - materials that were common and accessible. All source materials were amenable to very primitive processing. Stone, unlike bone and wood, has greater strength, and with successful primitive processing it acquired the required weight and sharpness.

5. List the main features of the primitive communal system.

Ancient people lived in clans, had primitive tools in common ownership, worked together and distributed food equally. The clan community included blood relatives. The property of the community was considered common property, all its members had equal rights, issues were resolved jointly. At the same time, the oldest, most experienced people enjoyed the greatest influence. Several clan communities living in the neighborhood formed a tribe.

Working with the map

Show us the oldest human sites on the territory of modern Russia

Showing the oldest sites on the territory of Russia is convenient if we focus on modern Russian cities. For example, Sungir is located near the city of Vladimir, Kostenki is located near Voronezh, and Burst and Malta are just north of Irkutsk.

We think, compare, reflect

1. Using the Internet and additional literature, indicate the names of sites of primitive man on the territory of Russia and other countries, in addition to those named in the paragraph.

Most of the most ancient archaeological finds were made in the territories of Africa, the Middle East and the Caucasus, East Asia (Pakistan, India, China), Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Australia), Russia, Europe and South America.

Thus, one of the largest sites of ancient people is considered to be the site in the Olduvai Gorge in Africa (Tanzania), Diring-Yuryakh (Russia, Yakutia), Karakhach (Armenia). Ancient people lived in them almost 2 million years ago. Also among the most famous are the sites of Ainikab (Dagestan) - 1.95 million years old, Dmanisi (Georgia) - 1.8 million years old, on the Taman Peninsula (Russia) - 1.7 million years old.

In addition, on the territory of Russia, the most famous ancient sites are sites in Kostenki, Sungir, Malta and Buret (Irkutsk region), Mysovaya (Southern Urals, Lake Tashbulatovskoe), Makarovo-4 (Siberia, Lena River), Mamontova Kurya (Siberia, Usa river), Berelekh (Siberia, Indigirka river), Yana (Siberia, Yana river), Denisova Cave (Altai), Ust-Karakol (Altai), etc.

2. Prove that the most ancient people who came to modern territory our country, have gone through the same path in their development as the inhabitants of other territories of the Earth.

The most ancient people in different parts of the world traveled the same path from primitive society, tribes, clans, communities to the emergence of the first states. They had the same technological development. The course of human history was almost the same regardless of the regions in which it took place. The paths of the birth and development of civilization turn out to be common. This is confirmed by archaeological excavations.

3. Find out what ancient sites have been found on the territory of your city, district, region, region, republic. Prepare short message about one of these sites.

Moscow region

The oldest archaeological sites on the territory of the Moscow region belong to the Upper Paleolithic, the late period of the ancient Stone Age, the chronological framework of which is determined by the period from 40-35 to 12-10 thousand years ago. At this time, there was a slow and gradual development by man of the central regions of the Russian Plain, previously occupied by the glacier. The climate then was more severe than today, and the Moscow region was a cold steppe with small copses. Mammoths, woolly rhinoceroses, primitive bulls, and wild horses lived here.

The Zaraisk site is the oldest archaeological site of the Upper Paleolithic era in the Moscow region. The parking lot is located in the very center of the ancient Russian city of Zaraysk, Moscow region. It belongs to the Kostenki-Avdeevka culture. Archaeological excavations at the site have been carried out since 1980. A rich collection of flint products was found, numbering more than 15,000 pieces. Among the tools, two points with a side notch and a large group of knives attracted the most attention.

Homework

1. Write a mini-essay about the life of ancient people who lived on the territory of modern Russia

Ancient people appeared on the territory of modern Russia many millennia ago, back in the Early Paleolithic era. Modern archeology has evidence of the existence of ancient people in Russia almost 2 million years ago. Sites of ancient people have been discovered in the center of Dagestan and on the Taman Peninsula. This confirms the old archaeological theory that humanity originated in the territories of North-East Africa, Asia and in the area of ​​​​the Mediterranean and Black Seas.

However, the discovery of the site of ancient people Diring-Yuryakh, on the territory of modern Yakutia, only 480 km from the Arctic Circle, calls into question the theory of the African origin of man. Indeed, according to recent studies, the age of the Diring-Yuryakh site is more than 2 million years. Scientists will have to debate this issue for a long time.

Newer settlements of ancient people on the territory of modern Russia - Kostenki, Sungir, Denisova Cave - give an idea of ​​how people lived in the Paleolithic era, after the Ice Age about 20-45 thousand years ago. Archaeological finds from these sites show the presence of a developed society and traditional Neolithic technologies. For example, at the excavations of the primitive site of Kostenki, flint tools, spearheads, bone and stone figurines of women and animals were found. A lot of evidence was also found that the local Homo sapiens lived not only by hunting, but also knew many crafts and even practiced artistic creativity In addition, they knew how to build residential structures and made multifunctional tools from bones and stone.

2. Fill out the table “The appearance of people on the territory of modern Russia”

Chronological period Territory of residence Main activities Forms of cohabitation
500 thousand - 1 million years ago Hunting, gathering
80 thousand years ago North Caucasus, Taman Peninsula Hunting, gathering, driven hunting. A man learns to make fire. Primitive human herd
40 thousand years ago Omsk, Voronezh, Vladimir, Tyumen regions. Hunting, gathering, construction of residential structures Clan community, tribe
10-14 thousand years ago From the North Caucasus to the Baltic Sea and the Arctic Ocean Hunting, farming, fishing, cattle breeding, handicrafts Tribal alliances, neighborhood communities

Need to know

Appropriating economy- This is an ancient way of organizing life. People do not grow or produce anything, but extract and appropriate what is created by nature. Main activities: hunting animals, catching insects and amphibians, gathering (fruits, berries, edible plants).

Stone Age- This is the oldest period of human existence. This age lasted for many millennia. The Stone Age is divided into three large periods: the Old Stone Age - Paleolithic, the Middle Stone Age - Mesolithic and the New Stone Age - Neolithic. During the Stone Age, man had not yet learned how to mine, but he already knew how to maintain a fire. The tools are primitive. People made their tools and weapons from wood and bone, but the main material was stone - primarily silicon. Hand axes, scrapers, and pointed points were made from it.

Kostenki- one of the oldest known settlements in Europe was discovered in the area of ​​​​the village of Kostenki near Voronezh. Their age is estimated at 35-45 thousand years. Not only tools were found here, but also numerous jewelry and works of ancient art. These include not only sculptural images of animals, but also the world-famous so-called “Paleolithic Venuses” - small figurines of women made of stone or bone. Some of them show images of women's jewelry.

Sungir- another site of an ancient man, located near Vladimir. Its age is about 25 thousand years. Here archaeologists have discovered numerous fragments of ancient people's products. The inhabitants of Sungiri hunted mammoths, reindeer, bison, horses, wolves and wolverines. Scientists have reconstructed the clothes of these people. It turned out to be very similar to the traditional clothing of the current indigenous northern peoples Europe. The inhabitants of ancient Sungiri richly decorated the surface of their clothes with tiny beads made from mammoth bone. Bracelets were made from the same material. Spears with tips made of mammoth bone were also found in the burials. One of the copies reaches a length of 2.4 m.

glacial period– this is a period that was about 80 thousand years ago. An ice shell shackled the northern territories of Europe, Asia, and North America. Along the edge of the glacier stretched endless tundra, and to the south - cold steppes. Heat-loving animals and plants became extinct. They were replaced by mammoths, bison, woolly rhinoceroses, reindeer, and wild horses. The ice age ended 12-14 thousand years ago.

Driven hunt- This is a type of collective hunting. They went hunting in small groups. Having tracked down their prey, people began to scream loudly, wave fiery torches, and throw stones to drive it into a ravine or a specially dug hole. The hunted beast was finished off with clubs, stones and spears.

Division of labor between men and women appeared as teams and communities formed. Hunting became a man's occupation. Women were engaged in gathering and housekeeping. Children helped adults.

Primitive communal system- this is a structure of society in which ancient people lived in clans, had primitive tools in common ownership, worked together and distributed products equally.

Mesolithic- This is the period that replaced the Ice Age. Climate change has led to the extinction of large animals such as mammoths and woolly rhinoceroses. The number of other large animals has also decreased. People were forced to pay more attention to gathering and fishing. The nature of hunting changed - people began to set up ambushes. Man learned to make composite tools: small, carefully processed pieces of stone plates were inserted into wooden or bone bases. Spear and dart tips, harpoons, boomerangs, bows and arrows, cutters for processing wood and bone, scrapers, and fishing tackle appeared. At the same time, means of transportation were invented - boats, skis, sleighs. People settled further and further north. They reached the shores of the Baltic Sea, and then the Arctic Ocean.

The primitive communal system is the longest period of human history. Scientists divide it into the Stone, Bronze and Iron Ages. The Stone Age itself is divided into Paleolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic. In Greek, "paleo" means ancient, "meso" means middle, "neo" means new, and "lith" means stone. About 2 million years ago, ancient people, leaving Africa, began to settle in Europe and Asia. Studies carried out in ancient human sites located in the Azykh cave in Azerbaijan and in the Borchali region of Georgia (present-day Dmanisi) confirmed that the South Caucasus was also part of this area. The ancient people, who stood upright and walked on their lower limbs, could make scrapers, knives and spearheads from stone. The production and improvement of tools was an important event in the development of primitive man. Mastering fire greatly changed human life: it was used to heat cold caves, cook food, and hunt wild animals. The hearth brought people together who gathered around it. The oldest traces of the use of fire were found in East Africa. Their age is about 1.5 million years.
100 thousand years ago, a sharp climate change occurred on Earth, it became colder, and the last great ice age began. The north of Europe, Asia and America was covered with glaciers for tens of thousands of years. In the summer, for a short period, the ice cover melted and the ground was covered with vegetation. Only a few cold-resistant animals were able to adapt to such a climate - mammoths, rhinoceroses, bison, cave bears, reindeer, saber-toothed tigers. In such harsh conditions, hunting became the main occupation of the more resilient people who lived at that time - the Neanderthals. Their bones were first found in 1856 in the Neanderthal Valley in Germany. Considered by many scientists to be an extinct type of people, the Neanderthals were carriers of the Moustiers culture during the Middle Paleolithic period. Neanderthals lived in natural caves, hunted large game, wore clothing made from animal skins, cared for the sick and elderly, and buried the dead. These ancient people developed primitive ideas about the afterlife. Despite the fact that during the transition from the Middle to Upper Paleolithic, Neanderthals lived for some time along with a new type of people, Cro-Magnons - “homo sapiens,” then they died out for reasons that have not yet been clarified. It is interesting that one of their last habitats was the Cro-Magnons, who appeared about 40 thousand years ago (this name comes from the Cro-Magnon cave in France), whose main occupations were gathering and hunting, and are considered their immediate ancestors modern people. They appearance and brain volume were similar to modern humans. The emergence of primitive art at the end of the Paleolithic period is also associated with them. These ancient people painted animals on the walls of caves and made figurines from bone.

The newest find of Mousterian man in the North Caucasus was the discovery by archaeologist L.V. Golovanova in Mezmayskaya cave in 1993, the skeleton of a child was born. The skull and skeleton were reconstructed by G.P. Romanova, who suggested that the Mezmaian belonged to the circle of Neanderthal forms. Our own analysis revealed features in the long bones of the skeleton that are similar to those of the Near East Mousterian sapiens.

I.V. Ovchinikov analyzed the mtDNA from the rib of the Mezmai man and established that, firstly, we are talking about a Neanderthal, and secondly, the mtDNA sequence from the Mezmai Neanderthal, after phylogenetic analysis, forms one group with the mtDNA of the Germanic Neanderthal (Neander), equidistant on a phylogenetic tree from the mtDNA of all modern humans. The analysis showed that the divergence of mtDNA between Western (Germanic) and Eastern (Caucasian) Neanderthals occurred 151,000 - 352,000 years ago. The analysis did not reveal any traces of Neanderthal mtDNA transmission to modern humans. We can assume that Neanderthals died out without passing on their type of mtDNA (Ovchinnikov et al., 2009).

In the upper Mousterian layer Monastic cave(Gupsky Gorge, Maikop region) individual teeth were discovered, distinguished by a number of archaic features (Belyaeva et al., 1992).

A fossil tooth from a Middle Paleolithic cave site was examined Mother(Northwestern Caucasus). The unique archaeological site of the Middle Paleolithic era allows us to obtain a variety of information about the life of Neanderthals from 130 to 35 thousand years ago. One of the most ancient finds is a fragment of the upper right lateral incisor from the Early Würmian layer 56 of the Matuzka cave. Structural features typical of a Neanderthal were noted. (Golovanova et al., 2006).

Romankovo. In 1957, S.K. Nakelsky on the Paleolithic ancient man's site, discovered during the construction of the Dneprodzerzhinsk hydroelectric power station, a human femur was found. It is synchronous with the fossil fauna and tools of the late Mousterian. According to E.N. Khrisanfova (1965), this bone belonged to a paleoanthropist. The Romankovsky hominid differs from European Neanderthals in a complex of characteristics. It is assumed that the Romankovian belongs to the “ancient group” of paleoanthropes, evolving in the sapiens direction (similar to Krapina, Eringsdorf, Skhul), which are currently designated as archaic sapiens.

Horn. A molar tooth of a paleoanthropus was found at the Rozhok site in the Azov region, on the northern coast of the Taganrog Bay, near the city of Taganrog. The site was examined by N.D. Praslov. The tooth was recovered from a Mousterian layer that appears to date from one of the early interstadials within the Wurm. In the morphology of the tooth, along with archaic features, sapient ones are distinguished.

Dzhruchula. The first upper permanent molar was discovered in the hearth, in the Mousterian layer of the Dzhruchula cave (Western Georgia). The authors of the description (Gabuniya, etc.) came to the conclusion that, based on the significant size of the crown, the characteristics of the relief of the chewing surface, and the sign of taurodontity, the tooth is Neanderthal.

In a cave Bronze(Georgia) in layer 11 the upper left first molar of a 12-13 year old child was found. A number of features indicate the closeness of this hominid to Neanderthals. Its cultural accompaniment is attributed to the early and late Mousterian (Gabuniya, et al., 1961).

Also, a paleoanthropus tooth was found in layer 3a of a cave in the Lower Cretaceous limestones on the left bank of the river. Tskhaltsitely(Western Georgia) (Nioradze, 1982).

Akhshtyrskaya cave. The monument is located in the canyon of the river. Mzymty, within the Sochi district of the Krasnodar region. A second upper left molar and three foot bones were found here. The morphology of the tooth is characterized by a combination of archaic and sapient features, which allowed A.A. Zubov to classify the find as one of the fossil neoanthropes that appeared in Mousterian. V.P. Lyubin noted that the association of the find with Mousterian is not indisputable (Lyubin, 1989).

Barakay. In the Barakai cave in the North Caucasus, archaeologists V.P. Lyubin and P.U. Outlev discovered the lower jaw and teeth of a fossil man (Neanderthals of the Gup Gorge, 1994). The individual age of a hominid based on the state of the dental system can be estimated at 2-3 years. The jaw lacks a mental protrusion, while the mental triangle is more noticeable than in the Neanderthals Teshik-Tash and Zaskalnaya VI. The massiveness of the body is great. Its dimensions exceed those found in modern children of a similar age. In comparison with modern children, a Barakaevite's external relief is less developed, while the internal relief is more developed. The complexes of descriptive characteristics are different in the Neanderthal children Teshik-Tash, Zaskalnaya VI and Barakai. Statistical calculations have shown that the Barakawa hominid, based on a combination of craniometric and cranioscopic features, is more likely to be paleoanthropic Western Europe than to the Middle Eastern or Western Asian variants of the Mousterians. This result also confirms the idea that it is possible to isolate constituent elements among the Neanderthal population that lived in the territory of the former USSR.

The totality of known archaeological and paleoanthropological materials confirm the hypothesis that the Western Caucasus is one of the main routes of settlement of ancient humanity (Lyubin, 1989). In favor of possible crossbreeding of paleoanthropes and neoanthropes in the evolution of the genus No mo evidence of the discovery of Neanderthaloid features in the morphological status of fossil neoanthropes. A special place in this aspect, according to M.F. Nesturkh, is occupied by cranial covers with features of a transitional type, discovered on the territory of the former USSR.

Of greater interest are the Pleistocene finds of Altai. In Northwestern Altai in 1984, teeth and parts of the postcranial skeleton of hominids from the late Middle Pleistocene to Upper Pleistocene were found. The finds were located in layers 22(1) Denisova Cave and 2,3,7- Okladnikov caves. For layer 22(1) the dates were determined: 171+43 thousand years, and 224+45 thousand years, for the 2nd, 3rd and 7th layers of the Okladnikov Cave the following date range was found: 37750+750 - 44800+400 years before modern times . That. the inhabitants of Denisova Cave were (approximately) contemporaries of people from Steinheim in Europe, Letoli 18 in Africa, Chaoxiang in China. The inhabitants of Okladnikov Cave lived at a time when the process of replacing Neanderthals with sapiens populations was taking place in Europe. Note that the stone tools of the 22nd layer of the Denisova Cave belong to the late Acheulian, and layers 20-12 in the Okladnikov Cave belong to the Mousterian. Based on metric indicators and some morphological features, the closeness of the Altai finds with Mousterian odontological samples from Central Asia(Shpakova, Wooden). The study shows that the connections of the region under consideration were predominantly oriented to the west, although it would seem that contact with the neighboring Chinese region is not excluded, where the Chaoxiang population existed at the same time as the population of Denisova Cave. The physical type of the inhabitants of both caves is quite difficult to determine from the available materials. According to A.A. Zubov (2004), Okladnikov Cave was inhabited by “sapient Mousterians,” who probably had similar features to similar groups in Eastern Europe and, perhaps, Western and Central Asia. People from Denisova Cave most likely had a type transitional between Heidelberg and modern views. Neanderthals hardly went so far to the east (Zubov, 2004).

Anthropological materials from the Denisova Cave are represented by two odontological samples from the collection of 1984. According to the definition of E.G. Shlakova, in the deposits of horizon 22.1 the left lower second primary molar of a 7-8 year old child was found, and in the deposits of layer 12 - the left upper medial incisor of an adult subject. This material is extremely important in studying the sequence of settlement of the territory of the Altai Mountains by representatives of the genus Homo. Therefore, tooth samples from Denisova Cave were examined by several specialists. Based on the totality of metric indicators and descriptive characteristics of teeth, E.G. Shpakova established that, despite some archaic features, the odontological material of Denisova Cave most likely belongs to representatives of fossil humans of a modern physical type - early Homo sapiens sapiens.

In 2008, a fossilized phalanx of a finger, presumably of a child, was found in Denisova Cave. From the found phalanx it was possible to extract mitochondrial DNA, the difference between which and the DNA of modern humans was 385 nucleotides (for Neanderthals the difference was 202 nucleotides). Thus, we can say that the remains belong to a hominid Homo altaiensis, representing a special branch in human development, who lived about 40 thousand years ago (Krause, 2010).

Podkumskaya the skull cap was discovered in 1918 near the Podkumok River in Pyatigorsk and described by Professor M.A. Gremyatsky (1922). The researcher identified a complex of Neanderthal features, generally classifying this object as a morphological type of modern man (Gremyatsky, 1948).

Skhodnenskaya The skull cap was discovered in 1936 near Moscow, on the banks of the Skhodnya River. It belonged to a modern human with a number of Neanderthaloid features (Bader, 1936). Apparently, it can be considered that the Skhodnensky skull cap, like the Podkumsky one, demonstrates a morphological transition to neoanthropus (Gremyatsky, 1949). And in a later work (Gremyatsky, 1952), the indicated author included the Skhodnya skull cap in the “Podkumok-Bruks-Skhodnya” group, which, in general, occupies an intermediate position between modern and Neanderthal types, and is geographically widespread in Central and Eastern Europe . In a certain sense, these forms make it possible to represent the later stages of the morphological evolution of hominids.

Khvalynskaya the skull cap was found in 1927 near the city of Khvalynsk on Khoroshensky Island, but was not studied in detail (Bader, 1940). Later work (Bader, 1952) included an analysis of the circumstances of the find (cranial cap and femur), and also suggested that it can be associated with the latest assemblage of the mammoth fauna, and in terms of archaeological periodization, with the period of time between the late Mousterian and the Late Paleolithic. M.A. Gremyatsky (1952) concluded that the fragment of the skull cap belonged to the type of modern man with some Neanderthal features. In evolutionary terms, the object is close to the Podkuma lid and the Skhodnensky fragment.

A completely unusual aspect of the study of the Skhodnensky skull cap is revealed to us in the work of O.N. Bader (1952). It lies in what we are dealing with, apparently , with the only case of displaying the remains of a certain “outer cover” (headdress) on the outer surface of a fossil skull presumed Late Paleolithic age. This may be explained by the preparation and use of threads from plant fibers and wool in the Paleolithic.

Paleolithic(Stone Age) is historical period cultural (technological) development of man, in “absolute” figures of evolutionary chronology, lasted from 2.6 million years ago to 5-10 thousand years ago, and in relation to the relative geochronological scale, approximately coinciding with the Pleistocene era. In terms of supporters of the biblical Creation, the Paleolithic is not a period of formation, but rather of the restoration of humanity after a global catastrophe, the period of which is much shorter than those accepted in the evolutionary version.

Conventionally, the Paleolithic is divided into three periods - lower (early), middle and upper (late). Supporters of evolutionary anthropogenesis sometimes divide the Early Paleolithic into two periods, including the so-called Olduvai period as the initial stage. This is due to the fact that the technology for creating the first most primitive tools, according to the evolutionary hypothesis, does not belong to man, but to his hypothetical evolutionary predecessor, whose role until recently was played by a representative of the ape taxon Au.(H.) habilis. We do not consider this option due to the lack of evidence in its favor and the presence of direct evidence that all tools, including the earliest and most primitive Olduvai ones, were made by representatives of the human race Homo(by which we mean Homo ergaster/erectus , Homo heidelbergensis, Homo neanderthalensis And Homo sapiens). Moreover, today's paleoanthropology is much more cautious about its old thesis about the connection between the level of instrumental technologies and the stages of evolutionary anthropogenesis.

In the above list, any artificially processed stones are considered as evidence of human activity - even if the direct remains Homo there are none nearby. The list below was created based on materials from the site OriginsNet.org(corrected and added to take into account new finds and dating), and generally uses materials from official scientific sources. In order to show the reader the complexity of the real historical picture, so-called anomalous finds in the form of anthropological remains or artifacts have been added to the official “combed” series. For ease of classification, the list uses officially accepted dates, regardless of whether they reflect the real picture.

– Middle East and Caucasus

– Africa

– East Asia (Pakistan, India, China)

– Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Australia)

- Russia Siberia)

– Europe

South America

Early Paleolithic

The period officially characterized by the appearance Homo ergaster And Homo erectus, as well as the invention of instrumental technology called Acheulean. In reality, the picture is much more dramatic - in history both traces of a higher level of weapons and, apparently, traces of Homo sapiens

Kanapoi, Kenya 4.5 million yearsKP 271, Homo sapiens (?) Fragment of the humerus, anatomically indistinguishable from that of modern humans, formally attributed Au. anamensis[link] .

Laetoli, Kenya 3.6–3.8 million years – fossilized footprints in volcanic ash, anatomically close to footprints Homo sapiens , are formally attributed Au. afarensis or an unknown creature with humanoid anatomy of the foot [link].

Kastenedolo,Italy 3–4 million years – fragments of skeletons of several individuals Homo sapiens , found in reliably Pliocene layers in the period 1860–1880. (G. Ragazzoni) with an undisturbed structure, which excludes the possibility of a later burial. After numerous long-term attempts to discredit the findings by representatives of official science, these findings are not mentioned in the scientific press [link].

Savona,Italy 3–4 million years – skeleton fragments Homo sapiens , discovered in the 1850s in Pliocene strata. Blue clay The host layer filled the bone cavities, and the overlying layer of quartzite sand was not disturbed, which excludes the possibility of late burial. Official anthropology also remains silent regarding this find [link].

Yuanmou Basin, China, 3 million years“In the eastern sector of South Asia, the most numerous traces of the ancient Paleolithic are known in China. [...] In Yuanmou... several stone tools were collected, the layers are dated back to 3 million years [Olsen, 1997]" (Laukhin, 2005). Here, in layers 700 thousand years old (or 1.8 million years old; see below), teeth were found Homo erectus (Drobyshevsky, 2004) and traces of the use of fire 1.2–1.3 million years old (Gowlett, 1994).

Olmo,Italy 2–4 million years - a skull cap of almost modern morphology, discovered in 1863 near Tuscany in Italy, while digging a trench for laying a railway, at a depth of more than 15 meters, in a layer dating back to the late Pliocene - early Pleistocene. In this case, it is also unlikely that we are talking about a late burial, since the find was made in sediments formed by an ancient lake, and the skull was filled with blue clay, which makes up the entire sediment. The find is sometimes mentioned in the official scientific literature as an Upper Pleistocene find, no more than 50–60 thousand years old. Radiocarbon analysis, which is unsuitable in this case, and a subjective assessment “based on morphology” are taken into account, and geological evidence is ignored.

Makapansgat, Northern Transvaal 2.6–3.3 million years - a famous South African cave, in the sediments of which in 1936 numerous traces of the use of fire were discovered in the form of layers of soot and ash. Due to the fact that researcher R. Dart tried to attribute the use of fire to australopithecines (Dart, 1948), the very presence of such traces was sharply criticized and forgotten. To this day, official anthropology still hesitates to attribute such an early use of fire to any of the “hominids.” And although a pebble culture was found in the same sediments, which by definition belongs to humans, traces of fire are still interpreted today as soil oxidation, or as traces of natural fires, or as bat droppings (Oakley, 1954; Drobyshevsky, 2004).

Yiron Israel, 2.5–2.8 million years – here, in the clays under the basalt, whose Ka/Ar age is 2.51 million years, there are lenses of pebbles. In one of the lenses 30 m below the base of the basalt, artifacts - stone tools - were repeatedly collected. For clays above the artifacts, a date of 2800 ± 700 thousand years (RTL-717) was obtained, which confirms the exceptional antiquity of the site (Laukhin et al., 2005).

Kada Gona Ethiopia, 2.4–2.6 million years – pebble tools made from pre-selected raw materials, as well as traces of tools on animal bones. It is clear that finds of this age in the evolutionary community cause serious difficulties in terms of identifying their manufacturer.

Marimar, Argentina, South America, 2–3 million years– numerous stone tools, flint points, throwing hunting bolo balls, traces of fireplaces, burnt slag (Amegino, 1912, 1921 after: Cremo and Thompson, 1999). The anomaly of the find lies in the fact that, according to modern ideas, the first people in America appeared no earlier than several tens of thousands of years ago. Numerous attempts to discredit the finds, additional studies and a commission of competent specialists of that time (Boule, Romero, Bohmann, etc.) could not refute the discovery of Amegino, but for today’s official science, the Miramar finds are a figure of silence [link].

Foxhall,England, 2.5 or more million years – jaw, anatomically close to Homo sapiens , found in 1855 (R. Collyer) in the Upper Pliocene formation; and 2–2.5 million years – stone tools, traces of fire (R. Collyer, 1867, J.R. Moir, 1927 after: Cremo and Thompson, 1999). Leading scientists of the time (Lyell, Huxley, Owen, Busk, etc.), having studied the jaw, did not accept the find in principle. No one went to the place where the find(s) were discovered. The jaw itself disappeared after some time [link].

Red Crag,England, 2.0–2.5 million years – drilled shark teeth (E. Charlesworth, 1872; references here are from Cremo and Thompson, 1999), a carved shell depicting a stylized human face (H. Stopes, c. 1912), numerous bone tools (J.R. Moir, c. 1912) [link].

Bouri, ethopia, 2.5 million years– traces of tools on animal bones.

Omo, Shungura, Ethiopia:

area D, 2.4–2.5 million years – Homo sp. indet. (i.e. gender Homo, species not identified. The remains found may theoretically not belong to a true person (since such a formal classification of remains according to the old tradition can extend to “ Homo» /Au. habilis), but stone tools in any case mark the presence of true Homo).

section E, 2.3–2.4 million years – stone tools and Homo sp. indet.

Lokalalei 1, 2C, West Turkana, Kenya, 2.34 million years- stone tools.

Kada Hadar Ethiopia, 2.2–2.33 million years – stone tools and Homo sp. indet.

Senge 5 Zaire, 2.0–2.3 million years – stone tools with double-sided processing.

Renzidong, China, 2.0–2.5 million years – numerous stone tools. The presence of stone tools outside Africa (Israel, China, Pakistan, Georgia, etc.) during the period of simultaneous and even earlier existence than Au. habilis, refutes the evolutionary thesis about the habilis toolmaker, as well as the origin from him Homo erectus (ergaster). It also poses serious problems to the hypothesis of the African origin of humanity [link].

Pabbi Hills, Rawalpindi, Pakistan, 1.9–2.5 million years – stone tools, more than 350 items.

Riwat, Rawalpindi, Pakistan, 1.9 million years or more - stone tools.

Xiaochangliang, Nihewan Basin, north China, 1.9–2.0 million years or more (old dating - 1.36–1.7 million years) - stone tools, including scrapers, awls, etc.

Longgupo, China, 1.78–1.96 million years – stone tools, jaw fragment Homo ergaster (?) [link] .

Koobi Fora, East Turkana, Kenya. The total thickness of the Koobi Fora sediments is 650 m. The rich fauna indicates the existence here in ancient times of all possible types of landscape, including both forest and savanna.

plot KBS , 1.88–3.18 million years Homo ergaster (ER 1593, 2598, 3228, 3734) etc., as well as stone tools. Two femurs ER 1481 (with fragments a-d) and ER 1472, which in their anatomy are closest to Homo sapiens . “The old dating of this group of finds: 2.7-3 million, the new one is 1.6–3.18 million.”, writes S. Drobyshevsky. In this case, the KBS tuff is a marker for the human remains found underneath it, whose age is too ancient for the reason. evolutionism is unacceptable. Drobyshevsky himself believes that the most likely age of the finds is 1.89–1.95 million years (Drobyshevsky, 2004), however, it seems that in this case the average figure was taken taking into account the Australopithecus/Habilis skull ER 1470 found here, which is older than that Homo ergaster, according to evolutionism, there simply shouldn’t be; [link 1 and

plot Okote , 1,6 –2,42 million years – Homo ergaster ER 1593(fragment of the skull), ER 2598 (fragment of the occipital bone), ER 1476 (fragment of the tibia of modern morphology), ER 1823 (fragment of the femur), ER 3733 (the most complete skull of Homo ergaster), ER 3883 (fragment of the skull), ER 1466 (fragment of the skull), ER 3892 (fragment of the skull), ER 820 and ER 992 (mandibles from different individuals, in which the shape of the alveolar arch is almost identical to the modern one), ER 730 (mandible with some semblance of a mental protuberance!), ER 1507 (lower jaw), ER 819 (massive lower jaw), ER 731 (gracile lower jaw, showing traces of severe periodontal disease), ER 803 a-t (dated 1.53 million years, parts of the skeleton of one individual), ER 1808 (fragments skeleton of an adult woman. All bones are deformed due to severe hypervitaminosis), ER 1809 (fragment of the femur, 1.6–1.77 million years old) and ER 737 (fragment of the femur, 1.5 million years old);

plot Chari-Karari , order 1.5 million years– developed industry for the production of stone tools, controlled use of fire; the tools bear traces of cutting soft tissues of animals, plants, cleaning tree bark and sawing trees (Keeley and Toth 1981).

Olduvai,Tanzania. It is located in the southeastern part of the Serengeti plateau, near the Ngorongoro volcanic crater. The location is a gorge several tens of kilometers long, cutting through a layer of lacustrine and continental sediments about a hundred meters thick, intersected by many layers of volcanic tuffs and ash. The geological layers are composed of five main layers, of which the lower two contain the remains of australopithecines and Homo. First layer, lying on basaltic lava, has a thickness of about 12 m at the site of hominid finds, the fauna of the layer is archaic, more than half of the mammal species are extinct. Habitats were a mosaic, from open steppes and swamps to riverine forest-steppes and copses, there was no dense tree cover in Olduvai, the habitats were more open than in Koobi Fora, the climate was colder and drier than at present, temperature and humidity decreased towards the end time of formation of the first layer. Bottom part second layer in terms of fauna and archaeological context it is close to the upper part of the first layer; the climate was relatively humid. The area at the time of formation of the second layer was a grassy forest-steppe (Drobyshevsky, 2002).

Olduvai horizon I, 1.75–2.0 million years (level where it was found Au. habilis OH 7, in the evolutionary scenario “first toolmaker”), found: Olduvai tools, hunting bolo throwing stones, a bone tool (presumably a flare for processing leather), stone circular structures for strengthening the perimeter of the dwelling, as well as stone with artificial ornaments and engravings , known as "baboon head" (M. Leakey, 1971). Despite the fact that Louis Leakey tried to connect the remains of the habilis with tools found nearby, a number of tools, stone buildings and a piece of art from the I-th horizon do not correspond to the possibilities Au. habilis.

lower level of the second horizon, 1.6–1.75 million years – Olduvai tools of the most advanced technology (“advanced Olduvai”).

Sterkfontein, South Africa, horizon 5: 1.7–2.0 million years Homo ergaster Stw 80, stone tools, traces of the use of fire, processed animal bones (Loy, 1998); tools made from animal horns for digging up termite mounds; Paranthropus skull with traces of damage from a stone tool; in the horizon 6 years old more than 2 million years Homo ergaster Stw 84, which, based on definable characteristics, can even be attributed to Homo sapiens(Drobyshevsky, 2004).

Swartkrans,South Africa, 1.2–2.0 million years – in layers 1–3: ground animal horns for digging out termite mounds; in layers 1 and 2: Homo ergaster SK 80 (upper jaw), SK 846 (fragment of the skull), SK 847 (fragment of the facial part of the skull), SK 74 (lower jaw), SK 15 (lower jaw), SK 45 (fragment of the lower jaw), etc. In layer 3 dated 1.5 million years 270 animal bones were found, burned at a temperature of 400–800 ° C, which corresponds to the flame of a hearth (Bower, 1998; Brian, 2004).

Erqel-Ahmar, Israel, 1.78-1.96 million years - pebble tools.

Karahatch, Armenia, >1.8–1.94 million years - Early Acheulean tools. Finds made by the Russian-Armenian expedition led by S.A. Aslanyan, are not inferior in age to or even precede the appearance of the earliest Acheulean in Africa. For the evolutionary model, they raise new questions - both about the time and place of the origin of the Acheulean proper, and about the fact of the existence of a technologically advanced Homo erectus outside of Africa.

Chilhac I,France, 1.8 million years and area Chilhac III 1.5 million years– on both – stone tools of the Olduvai type.

Diring Yuriah, Siberia, Russia, 2.9–1.8 million years–260,000 years – a site 480 km from the Arctic Circle with numerous Olduvai-type tools made of quartzite pebbles, discovered in 1982. The author of the discovery, Yuri Mochanov, makes a convincing case for the age of Diring-Yuryakh to be at least 1.8 million years old, which is comparable to the earliest African sites, but most scientists do not accept this date because of its extraordinary nature. Based on thermoluminescent analysis of quartzite samples, American researchers (M. Waters et al, 1997) gave a date of 260–370,000 years, which in any case is anomalous from the point of view of existing views on human history. In the same year, the Americans Huntley and Richards (1997), in the journal Ancient TL, criticized the dating of the Waters group, concluding that Deering's age is much older. And in 2002, in a specialized laboratory of Moscow State University, O. Kulikov’s group conducted new analysis for more modern method RTL, obtaining the age of the Deering order artifacts 2.9 million years, which poses a serious challenge to the so-called African model of the origin of humanity.

Ulalinka (Ulalinka), Siberia, Russia, 2.3–1.8 million years or 1.5 million years according to TL analysis (old dating - 700 thousand years or more) - tools made of quartzite pebbles. Choppers predominate; there are scrapers, points, and cores with a spout (Okladnikov and Ragozin, 1982; Klyagin, 1996).

Xihoudu, Ruicheng county, China, 1.6–1.8 million years – stones with traces of processing, chopped bones and traces of the use of fire.

Dmanisi,Georgia, 1.77 million yearsHomo ergaster D2700, D2280, D2282 etc., stone tool production industry. Altruistic relationships within a group - using the example of caring for a helpless old man (D3444).

Ain Hanech and El-Kherba Algeria OK. 1.8 million years- Olduvai type guns.

Peninj, West Natron, Tanzania, 1.4–1.7 million years – tools of the Olduvai and Acheulian type; traces of working with wood - sharpening the sharp ends of sticks, cutting down bushes for building houses; in this case, the tools are used at a considerable distance from the home (Dominguez-Rodrigo et al., 2001). The site is one of the earliest examples of the technological strategy of pattern making of Acheulean bifaces (symmetrical double-sided handaxes).

Melka Conture, Eritrea:

local location Gombore I (Gombore I), 1.6-1.7 million years Homo ergaster (Homo sapiens?) IB-7594, distal fragment of the humerus. Pebble tools of the Olduvai type have been discovered in sediments containing Pleistocene fauna. Interestingly, the artefacts were concentrated on a raised earthen platform 2.4 m in diameter (Gowlett, 1993), likely to have been the base of a dwelling; There are also indications of the use of fire in Melka Kontur (Drobyshevsky, 2004). [link]

local location Garba IV (Garba IV), 1.4-1.5 million years Homo ergaster IVE, the right half of the lower jaw, belonging to a child aged 3 to 5 years.

Mojokerto,Java, 1.81 million years(by Ar/Ar)/ – 1.1 million years (palaeomagnetic analysis) – skull Homo erectus (1–MJ 1 ). The maximum date is 2.3 million years (Gulotta, 1995).

Sangiran,Java, 1.66 million years(by Ar/Ar)/ –1,1 (palaeomagnetic analysis) – remains of more than 40 individuals Homo erectus (the most famous Sangiran-17 skull).

Nihewan, Nord China, 1.66 million years- stone tools. A number of researchers note their similarity with 1.77 million. summer guns Homo erectus, found in Dmanisi (Georgia), although in reality they are closer to the Acheulean culture. This “misrecognition” is associated with the common cliche of paleoanthropologists, which says: “there was no Acheulian in China.”

Nariokotome III, West Turkana, Kenya, 1.6 million years – Homo ergaster WT 15000. Paleontological materials allow the reconstruction of forested and edaphic steppes, as well as damp, swampy lowlands covered with swampy vegetation (Reed 1997). An almost complete skeleton of a teenager was found here H. ergaster, dubbed Turkana Boy. [link]

Ubeidiya, Israel, lower horizons 1.6 million years Homo ergaster , Olduvai tools of the most advanced technology, in the upper layers of age 1.4 million years- one of the earliest examples of Acheulean culture, bifaces (tools with symmetrical bilateral processing). It is worth paying attention to this early Middle Eastern Acheulian, which is actually contemporaneous with the African one.

Orce Ravine, Spain, Andalusia. The locations are located along the shores of an ancient lake. The rich faunal remains include both large animals (southern elephant, fossil hippopotamus, Etruscan rhinoceros, bear) and small ones.

• Barranco León BL5. The Barranco Leon site is dated faunally and paleomagnetically to the same time as Fuentinueva 3, 1.07–1.78 million years, or even 1.6–1.8 million years (Oms et al., 2000). More than 60 artifacts of the Olduvai and advanced Olduvai types, as well as a fragment of a molar BL5-0 were found here Homo sp. indet.

• Venta Micena , 1.07–1.78 million years. The location is of an open type, lake sediments form 7 layers here, in the 3rd of which hominid remains were discovered Homo sp. indet.(Gibert et Palmqvist, 1995). Found: VM-0 (fragment of a skull, 1.6-1.65 million years), VM 1960 and VM 3961 (fragments of humerus bones, 1.2-1.4 million years) (Gibert et Palmqvist, 1995). Although all three finds may be human, stone tools were also found alongside them.

• Fuente Nueva FN3, 1.07–1.78 million years, most likely 1.4 million years (Drobyshevsky, 2004) - the third location of hominids in Orsay, unlike the previous two, is located in a karst cave. Here were discovered: a fragment of the humerus CV-1 and a phalanx CV-2, identified as belonging to Homo sp. indet.(Palmqvist et al., 1996; Gibert et al., 1999). However, about 100 artifacts were found here, classified as products of advanced Oldowan (Navarro et al., 1997).

Konso-Gardula, South Africa, 1.4-1.9 million years Homo ergaster (KGA10-1, lower jaw), early Acheulean stone tools.

Gadeb Ethiopia, 1.4 million years– controlled use of fire.

Azikh (Azykh), foothills of Karabakh, Azerbaijan, 1.5 million years– the cave has 10 layers belonging to different stages of the Lower and Middle Paleolithic. In the lowest layers (1.5–1.8(?) million years old) a pebble culture reminiscent of Olduvai was discovered - more than 300 stone products, incl. choppers, choppers, scrapers, gigantolites - crude tools weighing 3-5 kg, etc. Below the 6th layer, the remains of large fire pits were found, at least 700 thousand years old. A fragment of a jaw was discovered in the Middle Acheulean layer Homo heidelbergensis (the so-called “Azykhanthropus”, 350-400 thousand years old), and in the Mousterian - a cache of Neanderthals with skulls of cave bears, which is believed to have had cult significance.

Kozarnika, Bulgaria, 1.2–1.4 million years - symbols carved on a stone tool.

Lantien, China, 1.15 million years – Homo erectus (RA 1051-6).

Hazorea, Esdraelon, Israel, 1.3–1.5 million years– 5 fragments of skulls were found from 5 individuals, formally assigned to Homo erectus(Hazorea 1-5). The upper cultural layer contains tools from the early Acheulean to the present; the layer in which human remains were found is synchronous with Olduvai layer II. The problem is that the Hazorea 1 and 3 skull fragments are morphologically archaic Homo Sapiens (comparable to, but much older than, specimens such as Swanscombe and Fonteshevad), they are therefore sometimes referred to in the literature as “progressive paleoanthropes.”

Olduvai Gorge,Tanzania:

Upper and middle part of layer II 1.3–1.5 million years – Homo erectus OH 9 (cranium, dates vary from 360 thousand years to 1.48 million years, with the most probable limit of 0.9-1 million years (Pilbeam, 1975) or 1.3-1.5 million years . – paleomagnetic and 40Аr/39Аr methods (Tamrat et al., 1995), the layer contains steppe fauna - giant herbivores and horses; in the same layer, tools of the most developed Oldowan were found - cleavers and hand axes (early Acheulian?).

Bed III, 0.8–1.2 million years , Homo erectus OH 34(fragments of the femur and tibia), OH 51 (lower jaw), tools of the developed Oldowan (or early Acheulian) - cleavers and hand axes.

Bed IV, 0.8–1.2 million years , Homo erectus OH 28(pelvic and femur bones) , OH 22 (lower jaw), OH 12 (skull fragment), Middle Acheulian tools. Some levels of layer IV are believed to have been deposited in the Lower Neopleistocene, and their dates have been from 370 to 780 thousand years (McBrarty et Brooks, 2000). The stone tools are diagnosed as Acheulian and "Middle Stone Age". Finds come from these layers Homo erectus OH 2, OH 11, OH 20 and OH 23. These are fragments of the upper and lower jaws, as well as the femur (Day, 1971; Leakey, 1971).

Olorgesailie, Kenya, sections 1-5, 950,000–1.0 million years and sections 9-14, 500,000–750,000 years Acheulean tools.

Le Vallonet,France, 0.99–1.07 million years - stone tools.

Soleihac, France, Jaramillo 900–970,000 years- stone tools.

Bose, China, 803.000±3000 years– tools for which there is an evolutionary formulation "similar to Acheulean bifaces", because it is believed that there was no Acheulean in East Asia.

Job Jannine II, Israel , 800–900,000 years, Acheulean tools.

Evron-Quarry Israel, 600,000 years–1 million years , Acheulean tools.

Gesher Benot Ya"aqov Israel, 780,000 years – Homo erectus (2 fragments of two femurs), Acheulean tools.

Latamne,Syria, 500.000 to 700.000 years . Acheulean tools.

Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain. Here, many artifacts and anthropological remains have been discovered in huge caves. The most ancient of the caves is Gran Dolina. In it, out of 11 levels, 7 are rich in fossils, and of the latter, layer TD 6 contains stone tools of the Olduvai appearance (about 200) and the remains of more than 80 people, some of which have almost modern anatomy (skull fragments ATD6-15 and ATD6-69) [link ] . The find received a new taxonomic name Homo antecessor. Some evolutionary scientists consider this form to be ancestral for two lines - sapiens and Neanderthals, others - only for Neanderthals. A problem for evolutionary anthropology is the fact that Atapuerca people are more sapiens than even later African forms.

Gran Dolina (TD 6), 780,000–990,000 years – Homo antecessor , stone tools.

Gran Dolina (TD 4), 750,000–1.6 million years - stone tools.

Isernia la Pineta,Italy:

• 780,000–990,000 years - stone tools.

• 500,000–800,000 years - stone tools.

Dorn-Dürkheim, Germany, DD31, more 800,000 years- stone tools.

Ceprano,Italy 800–900,000 years – Homo erectus (Ceprano-1). Along with the finds from Atapuerca, he is among the first known Europeans.

Flores, Indonesia, Mata Menge , 840.000 years - Acheulean type stone tools. The presence of traces of human presence on the Indonesian island in the early Pleistocene means that at that time man (presumably Homo erectus) was an experienced navigator.

Yuanmou Basin, China, 700,000 years (1.8 million years?), two incisors Homo erectus [link] . “...The Danawu site...is a small hill, the numerous layers of which are inverted so that the older fauna appears in the upper layers, and the younger ones in the lower ones (Liu et Ding, 1984). [...] The dating of the layer containing hominid remains has not been reliably determined. Based on paleomagnetic studies and analysis of fauna, dates of 500-600 thousand years were assumed. (Liu et Ding, 1984), 700 thousand l. or 1.8 million l. (Pan et al., 1991), 1.7 million l. (Qian, 1985) and others. It has now been shown that hominids lived here no later than 780 thousand and no earlier than 1.1 million years ago. (Hyodo et al., 2002)" (Drobyshevsky, 2004). However, it is worth recalling that stone tools were discovered in layers dating back 3 million years (see above, Laukhin, 2005). Also, according to J. Gowlett (1994), traces of the use of fire 1.2–1.3 million years ago were found here.

Karama, Anui river valley, Altai, Russia, 550–800.000 years - in the red-colored deposits of the Lower Pleistocene, large pebbles with an unevenly chipped sharp edge were found, which served as primitive stone tools - scrapers, choppers and choppers, making up the pebble-type industry characteristic of the Early Paleolithic era.

Misovaya (Cape)(Urta-Tube), Southern Urals, Russia, 700,000. years - multi-layered settlement of the Acheulean and Mousterian cultures. Traces of a dwelling in a rocky crevice date back to the Early Paleolithic. Pebble choppers and Acheulean bifaces were found at the bottom of the dwelling (G. Matyushin, 1959, 1961). The latest period (10-12 thousand years) includes numerous microliths and composite (wood plus stone) tools.

Nanjing, Tangshan Cave, China, 580,000 or 620,000 yearsHomo erectus .

Bodo, Ethiopia 550–640,000 years– Late Acheulean tools; Homo heidelbergensis ; Dating of the Bodo layers was carried out repeatedly and gave figures from 70–125 thousand years ago. (Conroy et al., 1978) up to 500–740 thousand liters. (McBrearty et Brooks, 2000). The accepted date today is 640 thousand years. (Clark et al., 1994). A variety of tools have been discovered at Bodo, classified as Acheulian or Oldowan and Levallois. Found: 2 fragments of skulls (Bodo 1 and Bodo 2) and a fragment of a humerus.

Ndutu, Tanzania, from 200 before 900,000 years (600,000?) Homo heidelbergensis (Ndutu 1); Acheulean tools.

Mauer,Germany, 500–700,000 years , Homo heidelbergensis; tools from Oldowan to advanced Acheulean.

Kent's Cavern, Devonshire, England, 500–660,000 years – Acheulian tools, Abbeville bifaces (“Abbeville culture” is an archaeological culture of the Early (Lower) Paleolithic in Europe, named after the city of Abbeville, France; the old name is Chelles culture).

Abbeville, Somme River, France, level III, 600,000 years– Acheulian, Abbeville bifaces.

Fordwich, Kent, England, Cromerian, 600,000 years– Acheulian tools, Abbeville bifaces.

Boxgrove, Cromerian, England, 474–528,000 years, Homo heidelbergensis ; Acheulean tools.

Fontana Ranuccio, Italy, layer 10, K-Ar analysis 458.000±5700 years – Acheulean bifaces.

Zhoukoudian, China, sections 2-4: 400–500,000 years – Homo erectus (so-called Sinanthropus), areas 5-10: 500–800,000 years – Homo erectus [link] .

Daraki-Chattan Cave,India, 400–500,000 years– engraving; more than 500 bowl-shaped depressions on a quartzite rock surface (Kumar, 2003).

Auditorium Cave,India, 400–500,000 years – petroglyphs (a cup-shaped depression and a sinuous line) on the surface of a quartzite boulder (Bednarik, 2002).

Sima de los Huesos, Atapuerca, Spain, 350–500,000 years – Homo heidelbergensis ; the first known intentional burial, the remains of more than 30 people (the most famous specimen is Atapuerca 5), ​​a stone tool was inserted into the burial, which has not a practical, but an aesthetic value.

Chichibu, north of Tokyo, Japan, 500,000 years– the remains of two huts and 30 stone tools of the Acheulean culture.

Swanscombe, Kent, England, 500,000 years – Homo heidelbergensis ; Middle Gravels site, 360–400.000 – Acheulean tools; Upper Loam site – stone hand ax of high artistic level.

Caune de l'Arago, Tautavel, France, 320–470,000 years, Homo heidelbergensis , the remains of at least 60 people (the most famous of which so-called Tautavel Man, Arago XXI), as well as microliths and large pebble tools.

Terra Amata, Nice, France, 400,000 years– hut, hearth, Acheulian tools, 73 pieces of hematite (mineral) paint.

Bilzingsleben,Germany, 320–412,000 years, Homo erectus , remains of three huts, a paved area of ​​9 m2, traces of the use of fire, geometric designs on bone plates, microliths, a wooden spear, large pebble tools.

Tan Tan,Morocco, 300–500,000 years– Middle Acheulian tools, a female stone figurine made of quartzite, the so-called. "Venus from Morocco."

Ambrona Upper Level and Torralba Spain, 300–400,000 years - Acheulian tools.

Tabun Cave, Israel, lowest layer E, dated. ESR (electron spin resonance method) and U-series (uranium series) 387,000 thousand years orTL (thermoluminescent) 340,000 thousand years – Acheulean-Dzhabrudian tools (“Dzhabrudian” layers are Mousterian layers, distinguished mainly by the abundance of so-called angular side scrapers). Human remains were found in the upper layer C (see below).

Hoxne, England, lower level AAR: 300–350,000 years– a sharpened stone hand axe.

Furze Platt, Stoke Newington, Cuxton, Baker's Farm sites, England, 300–350,000 years– large sharpened hand jibs (cleavers) made of stone.

Wolvercote Channel, England, Hoxnian, 300–350,000 years – sharpened stone axes with a convex profile.

Gaily Hill, England, no less 330 thousand years– skeleton fragment Homo sapiens , found in 1888 in the suburbs of London, at a depth of 2.5 m, in undisturbed sediments of the Holstein Formation. The instance is included in the so-called group. anomalous European finds, also including specimens from Moulin Quinon, Clichy, La Denise and Ipswich (see below). It is curious that these finds, if classified as archaic sapiens, according to modern paleoanthropological criteria may well be considered consistent with the official scheme, but once removed from scientific consideration, they continue “by tradition” to remain figures of silence [link]

Moulin Quignon, Abbeville, France – no less 330 thousand years , Homo sapiens - an anatomically modern jaw, found in 1863 near the city of Abbeville in France, in sandstone of the same Holstein formation. [link]

Clichy, France, no less 330 thousand years– skeleton fragment Homo sapiens , found in 1868 in the Clichy quarry in Paris, equal in age to the two previous mentioned finds. [link]

La Denise, France – fragments of the skull Homo sapiens , found in the 1840s between two volcanic deposits, Upper Pleistocene and Pliocene, i.e. the find has an age ranging from several thousand/tens of thousand years to 2 million years. [link]

Ipswich,East England, 330–600 thousand years – skeleton fragment Homo sapiens , found in 1911 in sediments ice age. [link]

Repolusthöhle,Austria, 300,000 years– decoration made of a wolf tooth with a drilled hole.

Isimila Tanzania 260,000 years, Late Acheulean tools in Africa.

Berekhat Ram Israel, 230,000–470,000 years – Late Acheulean tools, female figurine.

Hungsi Valley,India, 200–300,000 or >350,000 years – Acheulian, red ocher.

Yabrud I, Oumm Qatafa, Levant, 200,000 years– end of Acheulian = so-called. “Acheulean-Jabroudian” style of tools.

Qesem Cave, Israel, Users 200,000–382,000 years – “Acheulian-Jabroudian” style of tools.

Holon Israel, 200,000 years– Late Acheulean tools.

Hamburg–Wittenbergen,Germany, 190–250,000 years- Paleolithic art.

Kalambo Falls,Zambia, OK. 180,000 years(U-series) – late Acheulian.

Cys-la-Comune, Aisne, France, 70,000–126,000 years – Late Acheulian.

Middle Paleolithic

The Middle Paleolithic period (“Middle Paleolithic” or MR ) in evolutionary anthropology is associated with the appearance Homo sapiens archaic (Homo heidelbergensis) and a new type of tool series of higher technology (in Europe, the tool culture of the Middle Paleolithic (Mousterian) is also associated with Homo neanderthalensis). The Middle Paleolithic of Africa stands out in a separate category and is called the “Middle Stone Age” or M.S.A. ), and representatives of African archaic sapiens ( or Homo heidelbergensis) that are associated with this culture are sometimes called H. rhodesiensis or H. helmei

Ethiopia, Central Kenya, 400,000–120,000 years – MSA tools.

Elandsfontein, Saldhania, South Africa, OK. 350,000 years – Homo heidelbergensis (Hopefield 1).

Eyasi Tanzania more 130,000 years Homo heidelbergensis , tools of the Sangoen type (so-called. “Sangoen bifaces” - extremely elongated, dagger-shaped or long-pointed weapon pikes; the base is practically absent, the cross-section is diamond-shaped, triangular, parallelogram-shaped or biconvex; name named after the city of Sango Bay, Uganda), blades, pikes.

Kapthurin Formation, Kenya OK. 280,000 years– tools of the African Middle Paleolithic (hereinafter MSA), blades; 75 pieces of red ocher.

Guomde, Kenya, Chari Form., 270–300,000 years – Homo heidelbergensis .

Malewa Gorge, Kenya 240,000 years– MSA tools.

Valsequillo, Mexico, South America, 250,000 years– tools of the Aurignacian type. The find is considered anomalous, since the appearance of people in America dates back to a period no earlier than 50 thousand years ago [link]

La Cotte de St. Brelade,France, 238,000 years– Middle Paleolithic tools from non-African regions, hereinafter referred to as MR technology.

Maastricht–Belvedere,Netherlands, 238,000 years– MR guns.

Gademotta, Ethiopia, c . 235.000 ±5000 years– MSA, blades.

Bir Tarfawi and Bir Sahara East,Egypt, OK. 230,000 years– MSA tools.

Weimar–Ehringsdorf,Germany , 200–230,000 years– “early” Homo neanderthalensis , MR guns.

Various MP sites in Levant, 210 –24 0.000 years– MR guns.

Kabwe, Broken Hill, Zambia. 200,000 years – Sangoen tools; 30.000–300.000 years (?) – skull and skeletal fragments of archaic Homo sapiens (3 individuals), the stratigraphic position of which is unclear, as well as the connection with them of the found tools is unclear. Based on its "archaic" morphology, as well as concerns about the problem of missing African forms in the Middle Pleistocene, skull BH-1 is now assigned an age of 150-300 thousand years.

Twin Rivers, Zambia, more 200,000 years– “Lupemban” MSA tools, 300 variants of various mineral dyes (hematite (red iron ore), specularite, etc.).

Omo Kibish I, Ethiopia, about or 200,000 years Homo sapiens (Omo I). After the original dating of 130 thousand years (1967) was refined by new methods (2005), Omo I is considered one of the first anatomically modern humans. Interestingly, another skull found nearby (and also dated in 2005 to 200 thousand years) has clearly defined features Homo erectus (Omo II), which may indicate joint temporary and territorial residence H. sapiens And H. erectus. On the other hand, the increasing age of humans poses new problems for evolutionary anthropogenesis. Why did anatomically modern man not show his intellectual abilities for so long? And this despite the fact that Homo erectus, according to a recognized point of view, was already a navigator more than 800 thousand years ago.

Kalambo Falls, Zambia, U-series: 180,000 years– “Lupemban” MSA -guns, red ocher.

Border Cave, South Africa, > 195,000 years, upper limit for Ox7 238,000 years– MSA tools.

Vertesszollös, Hungary, 185 350,000 years- so-called "Buda" industry, - Homo heidelbergensis with features Homo erectus.

Bau de l'Aubesier,France, 170,000–190,000 years – Homo heidelbergensis , an example of caring for helpless individuals in one's community.

Florisbad,South Africa, 160,000 years (?) – Homo sapiens (Florisbad), MSA-guns.

Herto, Ethiopia, Ar/Ar 154–160,000 years – Homo sapiens idaltu ; finale of Acheulean culture and MSA; the skulls bear traces of post-mortem scalping (perhaps for ritual purposes).

Singa, Sudan, 130–190,000 years – Homo heidelbergensis ; MSA(?).

Dali, China, 150.000 – early Homo sapiens , MR guns.

La Chaise,France, 151,000 years – “ early » Homo neanderthalensis ; MR guns.

Krapina,Croatia, 130,000 years– burials Homo neanderthalensis . It is believed that from this time people began to bury their dead, based on their formed ideas about the afterlife. Evolutionary anthropologists (A. Marshak, 1975 and others) believe that the population Neanderthal And Cro-magnon since that time there were between 1 and 10 million people, that is, over 100 thousand years, our predecessors should have buried about 4 billion bodies with accompanying artifacts. A significant portion of these 4 billion burials should have been preserved. However, only a few thousand have been found.

Ngaloba, Laetoli, Tanzania, 90 –150,000 years – Homo sapiens (LH 18, LH 29). MSA guns

Jebel Irhoud,Morocco, 90–125,000 or 105–190,000 yearsHomo heidelbergensis ; MSA guns (Levallois-Mousterian type).

Haua Fteah, Libya, > 90 or >130,000 years – Homo heidelbergensis ; MSA (Levallois-Mousterian).

Abdur,Eritrea, 125.000±7000 years– MSA tools, hand axes of the biface type, flakes and blades of the so-called. "intermediate" industry, active development of the coastal zone.

La Chaise,France, 126,000 years– classic Homo neanderthalensis ; MR guns.

Tabun, Israel, layer C Homo neanderthalensis (Tabun 1 and 2), 50–122,000 years.

Bukit Jawa, Lenggong, Perak, Malaysia, more than 100,000 years – MR guns.

Dakleh Oasis,Egypt, 90–160,000 years– MP (“Aterian”) guns.

Mugharet el Aiya,Morocco, 65–90,000 years – Homo heidelbergensis ,MSA is presumably aterian.

El Guettar, Libya, 65–90,000 years or 130–140,000 years – MSA (aterian).

Dederiyeh Cave, Syria, level 8, OK. 50–70,000 years – Homo neanderthalensis , MR tools similar to the Tabun B type, burial of an infant with a sandstone slab and a triangular flint placed on the chest.

Kebara Cave, Israel, TL 60.000±4000, ESR 62.000±8000 Homo neanderthalensis burials, MR tools, animal bones with engraved symbols, lines and patterns.

Ngandong, Indonesia, Solo-River, 53,000–27,000 years – Homo erectus (at least 14 individuals, the finds are represented by skull caps and femurs). Mousterian and Azil tools are represented by small, rough chalcedony flakes, plates, a stone ball, as well as bone tools: a knife with a polished edge, a harpoon and a pointed tool made of deer antler.

Shanidar, Iraq 50,600 years – classical Homo neanderthalensis , Mousterian tools.

La Chapelle,France, 56–47,000 years – classical Homo neanderthalensis .

Le Moustier, France, 55.800 - Mousterian tools, 40,300 years – classical Homo neanderthalensis .

Skhul Israel, 9 0–120,000 years – Homo sapiens .

Qafzeh, Israel, levels XVII-XXIV, 90–120.000 , accepted average age 97,000 years±3000 – Homo sapiens , MR tools, ritual burials, joint burial of an adult woman and a child; engraving of lines with a triangular pattern, the use of red ocher.

Staroselye, Crimea, Ukraine, 40–80,000 years– “Micoquian” MP culture, tools equipped with a handle, devices for throwing a stone projectile and a wooden spear. It is worth noting that the remains of a 1.5-2 year old child undoubtedly belong to Homo sapiens . Paleontologist V.P. Alekseev writes: “The only convincing exception (to the rule that European sapiens are no older than 40 thousand years. A.M.) is made in 1953 by A.A. Formozov found in Staroselye near Bakhchisarai (Crimea). In general, the modern appearance of a baby discovered in the Mousterian layer at the age of approximately one and a half years does not raise the slightest doubt, although Ya.Ya., who examined it. Roginsky quite rightly noted several primitive features on the skull: moderate development of the chin protrusion, developed frontal tubercles, large teeth. The dating of this find in absolute terms is unclear, but the inventory found with it shows that it is significantly older than the Upper Paleolithic sites with bone remains of modern people. This fact firmly establishes the synchronicity of the most ancient forms of modern man and the latest groups of paleoanthropes, their coexistence over a fairly significant period of time" (V.P. Alekseev, "The Making of Humanity")

Upper Paleolithic

The Upper Paleolithic era is officially considered the time when anatomically modern humans appeared in history. Homo sapiens (modern), which had its own culture, distinguished from others by the production of fine works of art and high instrumental technology. For Africa, this period is classified as the “Late Stone Age” (“Later Stone Age”, or, further, LSA).

Hoedjies Punt,South Africa, 71–300,000 years – Homo sapiens ; M.S.A.

Tongtianyan Cave, Guangxi, south China, 111–139.000 or 153,000 years– Liujiang hominid, anatomically modern , bone awls and other bone tools, organized fishing, bone engraving and coloring of engraved parts; the most famous find is beads made from drilled shells with traces of ocher.LM 1.3 50,000 years- human footprints.

Boker Tachtit Israel, from 33.105±4100 to 45.000 years – IUP.

Kostenki, Voronezh region, Russia, 45–52,000 yearsH. sapiens. The village of Kostenki is the richest concentration of Upper Paleolithic sites in Russia (there are over 60 sites on an area of ​​about 10 km 2). Dwellings made from mammoth bones were discovered and explored here, and numerous works of art were found, including world-famous female figurines - the so-called “Paleolithic Venuses.” In 1984, the oldest, IV cultural layer was discovered here, which today is perhaps the most ancient monument of the Upper Paleolithic era in Europe.

Üçagizh, Turkey, c. 41,000 years– IUP.

Border Cave,South Africa, 39.000±3000 years– early LSA guns.

Bohunician Moravia, from 36,000 to 43,000 years – IUP.

El Castillo Cave Spain, 40.000±2000 years- Aurignacian tools.

Mladec, CZ, 40,000 years – H. sapiens and Aurignacian tools.

Mamontova Kurya, R. Usa, Siberia, Russia, 40,000 years– stone tools, stone arrowheads, mammoth tusk covered with a primitive pattern. The presence of an Upper Paleolithic site at 66 degrees north latitude, beyond the Arctic Circle, contradicts today's ideas, according to which 20–15 thousand years ago the north of Eurasia up to the Carpathians and the Dnieper region was completely covered with continental ice and no life here was in principle possible . The same applies to the other three sites listed below.

Makarovo-4 (Makarovo-4), R. Lena, Siberia, Russia, more 39,000 years – IUP.

Bereleh (Bereleh), R. Indigirka, Siberia, Russia, 30,000 years– discovered in 1970, considered one of the most anomalous Siberian sites of the Late Paleolithic (located just south of 71° N).

Yana (Yana), mouth of the Yana River, Siberia, OK. 30 thousand years– opened in 2004 by V.V. Pitulko, the world's northernmost Late Paleolithic site. It is located 120 km from the mouth of the Yana River, north of 71° N, beyond the Arctic Circle. The archaeological material is homogeneous: it is a well-defined pebble industry; a variety of scrapers, flake cores, rough double-sided choppers and choppers, and a rich bone industry are represented. “It is not clear whether the Yan culture is the result of local development or its appearance was caused by the penetration of population from Transbaikalia and southern Siberia into northeast Asia. All these objects are associated with the settlement of a genetically single wave of the Caucasoid (Caucasian) population, which moved 40–50 thousand years ago in the latitudinal and then meridional directions” (Laukhin, 2007).

See also reconstruction), in another - a boy 12–14 years old (Sungir-2, see reconstruction) and a girl 9–10 years old (Sungir-3), lying with their heads facing each other. On the boy's head, just like the man, beads and pendants with arctic fox fangs were found, with which the cap was apparently decorated. The girl's head may have been covered with a loose hood-type headdress decorated with beads. A ring made of mammoth ivory was found on the boy’s crown, a pendant in the shape of a horse was found on his chest, and a mammoth figurine was found under his left shoulder. In the burial of a girl and a boy, unusual objects were preserved - three disks (plates) made of mammoth tusk, several centimeters in diameter, which have four or eight slots. Also found were wands, darts and spears made of mammoth tusks, and flint tips. The largest spear made from a single piece of tusk reaches 2.4 m. To make such a weapon, it was necessary to have the technique of straightening tusks. The beads also required special production methods. The decorations on outer and lower clothing, bracelets (under the knees and above the feet), as well as solid rings on the fingers are no less impressive than the sheer number of beads made from mammoth ivory - about 10 thousand. ( "In the world of science", 03.2006).

Rose Cottage Cave,South Africa, 26,000 years– microlithic MSA.

Pech Merle Cave,France, 24,700 years– wall painting “Spotted Horses”.

Cougnac Cave,France, 23,000 or 25,000 years – wall painting “Deer”.

Lascaux Cave, 17,000 years– cave wall painting, early Madeleine. 14C dating showed her age at 2,200 years. Since this was not consistent with the theory that the paintings were very ancient, the radiocarbon dates were rejected with the note that they only reflected the relatively recent occurrence of the cave. However, after 15,000 years of fumigation from fire smoke, the drawings would hardly look so bright.

Altamira Cave Spain, 13,000–15,000 years (at 14 C) – the most significant Paleolithic wall painting in terms of artistic richness (Middle Madeleine). It was opened in 1869, but only in 1879 was a huge multicolor painting on the ceiling of the side hall noticed. This fresco depicts a herd of bison and other animals (the length of the figures is up to 2.25 m) of the Upper Paleolithic fauna. The subsequent drama was determined by the dogmatic ideas of evolutionism about the “meaninglessness” of glacial prehistory. At the World Archaeological Congress of 1880 in Lisbon, under the leadership of E. Cartalhac with the support of G. De Mortillier, Altamira’s painting, without any discussion, was considered a remake and even a deliberate falsification, allegedly executed to discredit evolutionist science. “Rehabilitation” and, moreover, the “cult of Altamira” date back to the beginning of the 20th century.

Niaux Cave,France, 13,000–13,800 years – cave wall painting, middle madeleine.

Le Portel Cave,France, 12,000 years– cave wall painting, late Madeleine.

Flores, Indonesia, Liang Bua, 12,000–18,000 years – in Ling Bua Cave in 2004–2005. the remains of 9 people of unusually miniature shape were found, as well as perfect stone tools Mousterian type (M. Morwood et al, 2004). The most complete preserved individual is LB1, Homo floresiensis ("last" Homo erectus ); woman 30 years old, height 90 cm [link].

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