"When, how, and why did humans disperse into Europe? Recent discoveries
suggest that humans reached Europe at least 1 million years ago (my).
Localities older than 500 thousand years (ky) include Korolevo VIII and VII
(Ukraine), Le Vallonet (France), Soleilhac (France), Isernia La Pineta
(Italy), Monte Poggiolo (Italy), Ceprano (Italy), Fuentenueva 3 (Spain),
and Gran Dolina TD4 and TD6 (Atapuerca, Spain). All these localities
yielded techical systems called Oldowan by Leakey and Mode 1 by Clark. The
traditional hypothesis for the first colonization of Europe by humans with
more developed technical systems, such as Acheulean (Mode 2), and has to be
reconsidered in the light of this new evidence." Eudald Carbonell, Marina
Mosquera, Xose Pedro Rodriguez, Robert Sala, and Jan van der Made, "Out of
Africa: The Dispersal of the Earliest Technical Systems Reconsidered,"
Journal of Anthropological Archaeology, 18(1999):119-136, p. 119
This article appears to mark the beginning of the general acceptance of
mankind in Europe by 1 million years ago. The Cepranosite, in Italy,
yielded the remains of a Homo erectus and appears to be those of a Homo
erectus 900 kyr ago. (Rick Gore, "The First Europeans," National
Geographic, July, 1997, p. 96) To my knowledge, this is the oldest man in
Europe.
There are two sites which speak of an even older habitation of Europe
(although Vincenta Micena may never be accepted.
"Several models have been proposed for the earliest colonization of
Europe. Some scholars have argued for an ancient presence (> 1.5 my) of
humans at the sites of Saint Eble in France and Venta Micena (Orce) in
Spain. Others recognize a short chronology (ca. 500 ky) for the human
occupation of Europe." Eudald Carbonell, Marina Mosquera, Xose Pedro
Rodriguez, Robert Sala, and Jan van der Made, "Out of Africa: The Dispersal
of the Earliest Technical Systems Reconsidered," Journal of Anthropological
Archaeology, 18(1999):119-136, p. 120
In the following, the tool type Mode 1 are Oldowan tools, tools made by the
earliest toolmakers. Mode 2 tools are Acheulian and are those
traditionally associated with Homo erectus after 1.6 myr. The Acheulian
tools is the tool tradition which is dominated by the hand-axes. But the
interesting thing is to note the large number of pre-500,000 year sites.
Site Tool type Date (myr) method
Dmanisi (Georgla) Mode l <1.8 ± 0.1 K/Ar
1.95-1.77 or 0.99-1.077 PM
Le Vallonnet (France) Mode l >0.91 ± 0.06 ESR
1.07-0.98 PM
Karlich A (Germany) Mode l 1.07-0.99 PM
Soleilhac (France) Mode l 1.07-0.99 PM/BS
Korolevo VIII (Ukraine) Mode l >0.85 ± 0.1 TL
>0.78 PM
Korolevo Vil (Ukraine) Mode l >0.78 PM
<0.85 ± 0.1 TL
Azykh 7-10 Mode l >0.78 PM
(Aserbadjan)
Monte Pogglolo (Italy) Mode l >0.78 PM
Gran Dolina 4 (Spain) Mode l >.078 PM/BS
Gran Dolina 6 (Spain) Mode l >0.78 PM/BS
Isernia La Pineta (Italy) Mode l >0.78 PM
>0.73 +/- 0.04 K/Ar
>0.55 ± 0.05 K/Ar
>0.47 +/-.05 K/Ar
Agnani-Colle Marino Mode l >706 K/Ar
(Italy)
Kārlich Bb (Germany) Mode 1 <780 PM
Prezietice (Czech Mode l 0.64-0.59 PM
Republlc)
Carričre Carpentier Mode 2 0.69 ± 0.90 ESR
Notarchirico G H Mode l >0.64 ± 0.07 TL
(Italy) >0.304 ± 0.05 TL
Notarchirico F (Italy) Mode 2 >0.64 ± 0.07 TL
>0.304 ± 0.05 TL
Notarchirico E (Italy) Mode l >0.5 ± 0.15 IE
<0.64 ± 0.07 TL
< 0.304 ± 0.05 TL
Notarchirico A,B,C,D Mode 2 >0.5 ± 0.15 IE
(Italy) <0.64 ± 0.07 TL
<0.304 ± 0.05 TL
Notarchirico a (Italy) Mode l >0.23 ± 0.05 TL
>0.359 ± 0.154-0.097 U
0.5 ± 0.15 IE
Kąriich G (Germany) Mode l >0.618 ± 0.013 Ar/Ar
-0.5 BS
Kirlich H (Germany) Mode l > 0.456 ± 0.008 Ar/Ar
<0.618 ± 0.013 Ar/Ar
Fontana Ranucclo (Italy) Mode 2 0.458 ± 0.0057 K/Ar
Loreto (Italy) Mode l -0.45 BS/PM
Arago E (France) Mode l 0.45 ESR
Boxgrove (England) Mode 2 -0.45 BS
Kārlich Seeufer Mode 2 0.396 ± 0.020 Ar/Ar
(Germany)
Korolevo VI (Ukraine) Mode 2 >0.36 ± 0.05 TL
<0.65 ± 0.09 TL
Ar, argon; BS biostratigraphy; ESR, Electron spin
resonance; IE isoleucine epimerization; Ar/Ar, argon/argon; PM,
paleomagnetism; TL, thermoluminiscence; U, uraniium series.
Eudald Carbonell, Marina Mosquera, Xose Pedro Rodriguez, Robert Sala, and
Jan van der Made, "Out of Africa: The Dispersal of the Earliest Technical
Systems Reconsidered," Journal of Anthropological Archaeology,
18(1999):119-136, p.123
WE should not underestimate the abilities of these early hominids. To
inhabit cold (and occasionally glacial) Europe required fire, clothing and
tents. Naked beings wouldn't survive a glacial winter.
glenn
Foundation, Fall and Flood
Adam, Apes and Anthropology
http://www.flash.net/~mortongr/dmd.htm
Lots of information on creation/evolution