▁Africa , ▁arch a ic ▁M SA ▁sites ▁appear ▁to ▁persist ▁until ▁very ▁late , ▁down ▁to ▁the ▁Hol oc ene ▁boundary ▁( 1 2 ▁k ya ), ▁pointing ▁to ▁the ▁possibility ▁of ▁late ▁surv ival ▁of ▁arch a ic ▁humans , ▁and ▁late ▁hy brid ization ▁with ▁H . ▁s api ens ▁in ▁West ▁Africa . ▁ ▁Early ▁northern ▁Africa ▁dispers al ▁ ▁Pop ulations ▁of ▁H . ▁s api ens ▁migr ated ▁to ▁the ▁Lev ant ▁and ▁to ▁Europe ▁between ▁ 1 3 0 , 0 0 0 ▁and ▁ 1 1 5 , 0 0 0 ▁years ▁ago , ▁and ▁possibly ▁in ▁earlier ▁waves ▁as ▁early ▁as ▁ 1 8 5 , 0 0 0 ▁years ▁ago . ▁These ▁early ▁migr ations ▁do ▁not ▁appear ▁to ▁have ▁led ▁to ▁last ing ▁colon isation ▁and ▁re ced ed ▁by ▁about ▁ 8 0 , 0 0 0 ▁years ▁ago . ▁There ▁is ▁a ▁possibility ▁that ▁this ▁first ▁wave ▁of ▁expansion ▁may ▁have ▁reached ▁China ▁( or ▁even ▁North ▁America ) ▁as ▁early ▁as ▁ 1 2 5 , 0 0 0 ▁years ▁ago , ▁but ▁would ▁have ▁died ▁out ▁without ▁leaving ▁a ▁trace ▁in ▁the ▁gen ome ▁of ▁contemporary ▁humans . ▁ ▁There ▁is ▁some ▁evidence ▁that ▁modern ▁humans ▁left ▁Africa ▁at ▁least ▁ 1 2 5 , 0 0 0 ▁years ▁ago ▁using ▁two ▁different ▁routes : ▁through ▁the ▁N ile ▁Valley ▁heading ▁to ▁the ▁Middle ▁East , ▁at ▁least ▁into ▁modern ▁Israel ▁( Q af ze h : ▁