Evidence of 700,000-Year-Old Ancient Humans Found in Philippines
Archeologists found stone tools on the island of Luzon in the Philippines from an ancestor 700,000-years older than modern humans. The tools were used to butcher a rhinoceros by a currently unknown ancestor, though there are a few culprits.
Until now, the oldest fossil evidence of humans found in the Philippines were 67,000-years old coming from Callao Cave on the same island. Now, this new find drastically changes the perceived timeline of our hominin ancestors’ diaspora to southeastern Asian islands.
Though the rhino remains are likely the work of Homo erectus, the mysterious Denisovans, and the less likely Homo floresiensis still have not been ruled out. A lack of any hominin fossil evidence only allows archeologists to speculate which ancestor was so adept at butchering.
The fossilized remains found at the Kalinga site in the Cagayan Valley show it was a spot where many animals were butchered meticulously to reach all the way down to the marrow of the animals’ bones.
The team uncovered 57 stone tools and roughly 400 bones total, belonging to an assortment of animals, including lizards, turtles, deer, stegodons, and rhinoceroses. The bones of larger animals make it less likely that the tools belonged to Homo floresiensis, due to that ancestors’ hobbit-like stature, reaching an average height of 3 feet 6 inches tall. Though it’s presence on nearby Indonesian islands keeps it in the running.
Previously, archeologists only had evidence of hominin migration to southeastern Pacific islands in the Indonesian archipelago dating back 118,000 years ago. This is where Homo floresiensis was found, and some speculate to possibly still exist. Now that timeline has been pushed back more than half a million years.
But archeologists still don’t know how they got there.
One possibility is that a land bridge may have existed back then, or a tsunami may have forced unassuming hominins out to sea, surviving on makeshift rafts, until they wound up on a foreign island. Neither of these theories are proven however, and it may be possible that these ancestors were intelligent and capable of building seafaring vessels, intentionally exploring new islands.
The only finding that can be confirmed for certain is that they were able to travel across distant stretches of ocean. It also shows that our understanding of human evolution is constantly being challenged and is far more complex than we may have imagined.
The Pre-Adamites: Did Humans Inhabit Earth Before Adam and Eve?
The timeline of human existence has captured the attention of philosophers, scientists, and ordinary, curious people throughout the ages. Of course, there is the famous tale of Adam and Eve, but were they truly the first humans to walk the Earth? There is a growing body of research that suggests modern humans were not the first intelligent beings to live on our planet.
Did Pre-Adamites Exist?
There are groups from all belief systems — Christians, conspiracy theorists, alien researchers, evolutionists, and more — who believe pre-Adamites (humans or intelligent beings that walked the Earth before Adam) actually existed.
The idea of the possibility of a pre-Adamite civilization and discussion about the origin of the human race is not a new one. Debates on the topic have been taking place since 170 AD. Over the years, many theories swirled about, enticing logical and romantic thinkers alike to explore further, look deeper, and question what they had been taught.
Utafiti wa miaka 700,000 umefanyika nchini Ufilipino, ambapo wataalamu wa vitu vya kale walipata vifaa vya mawe katika kisiwa cha Luzon, nchini Ufilipino, vilivyotokana na mtu aliyezaliwa miaka 700,000 iliyopita. Vifaa hivyo vilitumiwa kuua panya na mtu fulani asiyejulikana, ingawa kuna watu kadhaa waliohusika. Mawe ya kale zaidi ya binadamu yaliyopatikana nchini Ufilipino yalitoka kwenye pango la Callao, kisiwa cha Philippines. Sasa, ugunduzi huu mpya hubadilisha sana mstari wa wakati wa kuonekana wa wakuu wetu wa hominin 'kijiji cha kusini mashariki mwa Asia. Ingawa mabaki ya panya yaweza kuwa kazi ya Homo erectus, watu wa Denisova wasiojulikana, na Homo floresiensis wasiojulikana bado hawajaondolewa. Ukosefu wa uthibitisho wowote wa visukuku vya homini huwaruhusu tu wataalamu wa vitu vya kale kukisia ni babu gani aliyekuwa stadi sana katika kuchinja nyama. Mabaki ya maiti yaliyopatikana katika eneo la Kalinga katika Bonde la Cagayan yanaonyesha kwamba ilikuwa mahali ambapo wanyama wengi walichinjwa kwa uangalifu ili kufikia mifupa ya mifupa ya wanyama. Watafiti walipata vifaa 57 vya mawe na mifupa 400 ya wanyama mbalimbali, ikiwa ni pamoja na mbawakawa, kasa, nyati, stegodon na panya. Mifupa ya wanyama wakubwa hufanya iwe vigumu kwamba zana hizo zilikuwa za Homo floresiensis, kwa sababu ya ukuaji wa mababu kama wa hobbit, kufikia urefu wa wastani wa futi 3 na inchi 6. Ingawa ni uwepo juu ya visiwa vya karibu Indonesia anaendelea katika mbio. Wataalamu wa vitu vya kale walikuwa na ushahidi wa kuhamia kwa hominin kwenye visiwa vya kusini mashariki mwa Pasifiki katika visiwa vya Indonesia miaka 118.000 iliyopita. Hapa ndipo Homo floresiensis ilipopatikana, na wengine wanadhani kwamba huenda bado ipo. Sasa mstari huo wa wakati umerudishwa nyuma kwa zaidi ya miaka nusu milioni. Lakini wataalamu wa vitu vya kale bado hawajui walikujaje huko. Inawezekana kwamba kulikuwa na daraja la nchi kavu wakati huo, au tsunami iliwafanya watu wa hali ya chini waishi baharini, wakitumia mashua za muda tu, hadi walipofika kwenye kisiwa fulani. Hata hivyo, hakuna mojawapo ya nadharia hizi iliyothibitishwa, na huenda ikawa kwamba mababu hawa walikuwa wenye akili na wenye uwezo wa kujenga meli za baharini, wakichunguza visiwa vipya kwa makusudi. Ugunduzi pekee ambao unaweza kuthibitishwa kwa uhakika ni kwamba waliweza kusafiri katika maeneo ya mbali ya bahari. Pia inaonyesha kwamba uelewa wetu wa mageuzi ya binadamu unashtakiwa daima na ni tata zaidi kuliko tulivyoweza kuwa tumewazia. Watu wa Kabla ya Adamu: Je, Wanadamu Waliishi Duniani Kabla ya Adamu na Hawa? Mstari wa wakati wa kuwepo kwa wanadamu umevutia fikira za wanafalsafa, wanasayansi, na watu wa kawaida wenye udadisi kwa muda mrefu. "Hata hivyo, kuna hadithi maarufu kuhusu Adamu na Hawa, lakini je, kweli walikuwa ""wanadamu wa kwanza kutembea duniani""?" Kuna utafiti unaoendelea kuonesha kwamba wanadamu wa kisasa si viumbe wa kwanza wenye akili kuishi duniani. Je, Watu Waliozaliwa Kabla ya Adamu Waliishi? Kuna vikundi kutoka mifumo yote ya imani - Wakristo, wanatheoria wa njama, watafiti wa kigeni, wanamageuzi, na wengine - ambao wanaamini kwamba watu wa kabla ya Adamu (watu au viumbe wenye akili waliotembea duniani kabla ya Adamu) walikuwapo kweli. Wazo la uwezekano wa ustaarabu wa kabla ya Adamu na mjadala kuhusu chanzo cha jamii ya kibinadamu si jipya. Majadiliano juu ya suala hili yameanza tangu mwaka 170 KK. Kwa miaka mingi, nadharia nyingi zilijitokeza, zikishawishi wasomi wa kimantiki na wa kimapenzi kutafakari zaidi, kutazama kwa undani zaidi, na kuhoji yale waliyofundishwa.