Researchers at Leiden University and Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands suggest that the first cultural revolution in human history took place about 400 thousand years ago, when the ancestors of modern people began to actively light a fire. This was announced in a press release on EurekAlert !.
The earliest evidence of possible fire use is sparse and difficult to distinguish from natural fire residues. On the contrary, later 400 thousand years ago, traces of the deliberate use of fire were found in many well-preserved sites of ancient sites, where archaeological excavations were carried out.
The widespread occurrence of a particular cultural behavior can be explained in several ways: independent occurrence in several places, migration of populations, or the transfer of genes associated with behavior. Due to the lack of widespread environmental changes, as well as genetic or fossil evidence of movements of hominin populations during this period, scientists argue that cultural distribution is the most plausible version.
The spread of stone tool technology occurred at an early stage in human evolution, which is consistent with traces of population migration, for example, in the history of Acheulean hand ax technology. At the same time, about 400 thousand years ago, the active spread of ancient technologies began, which precedes the flourishing of cultures associated with the late Neanderthals and early Homo sapiens.
Watafiti wa Chuo Kikuu cha Leiden na Chuo Kikuu cha Teknolojia cha Eindhoven nchini Uholanzi wanasema kwamba mapinduzi ya kwanza ya kitamaduni katika historia ya binadamu yalifanyika miaka 400,000 iliyopita wakati mababu wa watu wa kisasa walipoanza kuwasha moto. Hii ilitangazwa katika taarifa ya vyombo vya habari juu ya EurekAlert!. Uthibitisho wa mapema zaidi wa uwezekano wa matumizi ya moto ni mdogo na ni vigumu kutofautisha na mabaki ya moto wa asili. Kinyume chake, baadaye, miaka elfu 400 iliyopita, alama za matumizi ya makusudi ya moto zilipatikana katika maeneo mengi ya kale yaliyohifadhiwa vizuri, ambapo uchimbuaji wa akiolojia ulifanywa. Kuenea kwa tabia fulani ya kitamaduni kunaweza kuelezwa kwa njia kadhaa: kutokea kwa kujitegemea katika maeneo kadhaa, uhamiaji wa idadi ya watu, au uhamisho wa jeni zinazohusiana na tabia. Kwa sababu ya ukosefu wa mabadiliko ya mazingira, pamoja na ushahidi wa maumbile au fossil ya harakati za idadi ya hominins wakati huu, wanasayansi wanasema kwamba usambazaji wa kitamaduni ni toleo la uwezekano zaidi. Kuenea kwa teknolojia ya zana za mawe ilitokea katika hatua ya mapema katika mageuzi ya binadamu, ambayo ni sawa na alama za uhamiaji wa idadi ya watu, kwa mfano, katika historia ya teknolojia ya shoka la mkono la Acheulean. Wakati huo huo, karibu miaka elfu 400 iliyopita, kuenea kwa teknolojia za kale zilianza, ambayo ilitangulia kusitawi kwa tamaduni zinazohusiana na Neanderthals ya marehemu na Homo sapiens ya mapema.