Latest news with #ArchaeologicalandAnthropologicalSciences
Time of India
01-07-2025
- Science
- Time of India
UAE: Sharjah dig uncovers 80,000-year-old tools confirming 210,000 years of human presence in Arabia
The UAE, which currently has one UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Cultural Sites of Al Ain inscribed in 2011, is now pursuing recognition for Jebel Faya as its second/ Image: Sharjah Archaelogy Authority Archaeologists have made a groundbreaking discovery at Jebel Faya in the Emirate of Sharjah, unearthing 80,000-year-old stone tools that fundamentally reshape our understanding of early human history in the Arabian Peninsula. This discovery provides compelling evidence that early Homo sapiens were not merely transient in Arabia, they lived, adapted, and thrived in the region over tens of thousands of years. In total, the archaeological record at Jebel Faya reveals an unbroken human presence spanning 210,000 years, an extraordinary continuity rare in the Arabian archaeological landscape. The findings were published in February 2025 in the peer-reviewed journal Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, and reported by the state news agency WAM on Wednesday. The artifacts were excavated between 2012 and 2017, then studied, dated, and peer-reviewed before the results were made public. From Ancient Tools to Global Recognition The significance of the discovery has prompted an important administrative step: Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, has issued a formal decision approving the boundaries of the Al Faya site for nomination to the UNESCO World Heritage List. According to the official decree, the location, boundaries, and area of Al Faya, as outlined in the approved map, are now formally nominated as a cultural heritage site. A final decision on the site's inclusion is expected at UNESCO's 47th session, scheduled for July 7–16, 2025, in Paris. Currently, the UAE has one UNESCO World Heritage Site: the Cultural Sites of Al Ain, which were added in 2011. What the Tools Reveal About Early Humans The tools found at Jebel Faya are not ordinary. Researchers identified an advanced technique called bidirectional reduction, a complex method requiring carefully executed strikes at both ends of a stone core to create elongated blades and flakes. 'This wasn't random knapping,' explained Dr Knut Bretzke, a lead archaeologist on the project. 'Bidirectional reduction required foresight. It's like a chef filleting a fish, each strike intentional, each angle calculated. The goal was to maximise material efficiency, preserving the raw stone for future use. It reflects deep environmental knowledge and an extraordinary level of cognitive skill.' These multipurpose tools were designed for: Hunting Butchering animals Processing plant materials Crafting other implements This diversity indicates that for these early human groups, technology was both a survival tool and a form of cultural expression. The presence of such tools during Marine Isotope Stage 5a (MIS 5a), a period of dramatic environmental change when monsoons from the Indian Ocean turned Arabia's deserts into verdant grasslands, lakes, and rivers, shows that humans not only survived but adapted successfully to the shifting climate of the region. Collaboration, Science, and Cultural Vision The excavations at Jebel Faya were part of an international research project led by the Sharjah Archaeology Authority (SAA) in collaboration with universities from Germany and the United Kingdom. The project was funded by the German Research Foundation and the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences. Using luminescence dating, researchers were able to establish a nearly continuous timeline of human presence at the site from 210,000 years ago to 80,000 years ago. This suggests that early humans across this 130,000-year period either remained at the site continuously or returned to it repeatedly, even as environmental conditions fluctuated. 'The discoveries at Jebel Faya show that resilience, adaptability, and innovation are among the most defining traits of humanity,' said Eisa Yousif, Director of the Sharjah Archaeology Authority. 'These tools reflect a profound relationship between people and their land. As we advance our efforts to nominate the Faya Palaeolandscape for UNESCO recognition, we are reminded of how our shared past continues to shape who we are and who we may become.'
Time of India
26-06-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Did humans really live in the UAE 210,000 years ago? Cave discovery at Jebel Faya could rewrite human history
Archaeological discoveries in Sharjah's Jebel Faya rock shelter have unearthed 80,000-year-old stone tools, the oldest Middle Paleolithic assemblage in the region. This finding positions the UAE as a crucial site in early human expansion, revealing a continuous human presence in the Arabian Peninsula dating back 210,000 years. The tools demonstrate advanced cognitive skills and adaptation to favorable climatic periods. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Popular in International 1. Dubai Airport braces for massive summer rush with over 3.4 million travellers expected in just two weeks Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tools that tell a story of innovation and survival When the climate opened a window for life The well-established timeline of human migration is often simple yet confusing: early Homo sapiens left Africa to the north, spread into Eurasia, and settled across the globe. New archaeological discoveries continue to complicate that confusing such revelation has surfaced in the desert landscapes of Sharjah, where researchers at the Jebel Faya rock shelter have unearthed stone tools dating back around 80,000 makes it the oldest-known Middle Paleolithic assemblage in the region, placing the UAE at a critical crossroads in early human expansion, and potentially reshaping what we know about how and where our ancestors provides new evidence of a record of human presence in the Arabian Peninsula that stretches back 210,000 findings were published in Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, a peer-reviewed journal by Springer Nature. The discovery is part of an international project led by the Sharjah Archaeology Authority (SAA), in collaboration with Germany's University of Tübingen and University of Freiburg, as well as Oxford Brookes University in the German Research Foundation and the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences also supported the broader Faya Palaeolandscape, surrounding the Jebel Faya site, has long been known as an essential waypoint in early human migration. But this study confirms it was more than a passing served as a habitable and sustainable environment for early humans during periods of favourable climate, particularly during the climatic phase known as Marine Isotope Stage 5a (MIS 5a), around 80,000 years researcher Dr. Knut Bretzke of the German Archaeological Mission in Sharjah explained that during MIS 5a, monsoons from the Indian Ocean brought rainfall to Arabia's brief, green periods created lakes and grasslands, making the region a suitable home for human life. According to Dr. Bretzke, this environment made long-term human occupation heart of the discovery lies in a unique set of stone tools. Unlike other sites in northern Arabia where triangular tools are standard, the tools found at Jebel Faya show evidence of bidirectional reduction. This method involves striking a stone core from both ends to produce long, efficient blades and flakes.'This shows foresight and planning,' Dr. Bretzke said. 'Each strike was deliberate and designed to conserve material. It shows cognitive skill and environmental knowledge.'These multipurpose tools were likely used for hunting, food preparation, and tool-making. Researchers believe this tool technology signals not only survival strategies but also a level of cultural development among early humans in the Jebel Faya site is one of the few in Arabia with a nearly continuous archaeological record from 210,000 to 80,000 years ago. This uninterrupted sequence offers rare insights into long-term human adaptation to shifting Excellency Eisa Yousif, Director of the Sharjah Archaeology Authority and a contributor to the study, said the discovery reflects the adaptability and resilience of early added that the findings support Sharjah's efforts to nominate the Faya Palaeolandscape as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Gulf Insider
25-06-2025
- Science
- Gulf Insider
Sharjah: 80,000-Year-Old Tools Found, Discovery Reveals 210,000 Years Of Human Settlement
In the rolling desert landscapes of Sharjah, a remarkable discovery is helping rewrite what we know about early human history. A groundbreaking study, recently published in Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, a leading peer-reviewed journal by Springer Nature, has confirmed that early humans once lived in the Jebel Faya region around 80,000 years ago — adding a vital new layer to a much older story stretching back 210,000 years. These new findings go far beyond a timestamp. They reveal how early Homo sapiens didn't just pass through Arabia — they adapted to its unpredictable climate, inhabited its landscapes, and left behind clues that speak of innovation, resilience, and survival. Faya Palaeolandscape: a key site in understanding early Homo sapiens The broader Faya Palaeolandscape, the ancient environment surrounding Jebel Faya, emerges not only as a waypoint in human migration but as a long-term settlement — one that supported life, adaptation, and cultural advancement across millennia. The study is the result of an ambitious international collaboration led by the Sharjah Archaeology Authority (SAA) in partnership with the University of Tübingen and University of Freiburg in Germany, and Oxford Brookes University in the United Kingdom. The project was funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences. Research team uncovers rare, continuous human presence in Arabian Peninsula What makes this discovery especially striking is its timing. The evidence at Jebel Faya ties human presence to the closing chapter of a climatic phase known as Marine Isotope Stage 5a (MIS 5a) — a time of dramatic environmental shifts. 'Think of MIS 5a as a climatic pendulum,' explains Dr Knut Bretzke, lead researcher and head of the German Archaeological Mission in Sharjah. 'Temperatures and rainfall patterns swung wildly. Monsoons from the Indian Ocean brought brief windows of rainfall that turned Arabia's barren deserts into green patches of lakes and grasslands.' In those rare humid phases, life bloomed — and early humans made their mark. Contrary to the long-held belief that the Arabian Peninsula served only as a corridor for migration, these greener interludes provided a habitable refuge, sustaining long-term human presence. Stone tools that tell a story At the heart of the discovery lie stone tools — silent, sharp witnesses to a vanished way of life. What sets the inhabitants of Jebel Faya apart is not just that they used tools, but how they made them. While other sites across northern Arabia have yielded triangular or ovoid tools, the assemblage at Faya is different. Here, early humans crafted elongated blades and flakes using a method called bidirectional reduction — a technique involving precise, strategic strikes to both ends of a stone core. 'This wasn't random knapping,' says Dr Bretzke. 'Bidirectional reduction required foresight. It's like a chef filleting a fish — each strike intentional, each angle calculated. The goal was to maximise material efficiency, preserving the raw stone for future use. It reflects deep environmental knowledge and an extraordinary level of cognitive skill.' The results were multipurpose tools — designed for hunting, butchering, processing plants, and crafting more tools. In this remote corner of Arabia, technology was not only survival — it was culture. Jebel Faya doesn't just offer a glimpse into the past — it preserves it in almost uninterrupted layers. The site holds a near-continuous archaeological record from 210,000 to 80,000 years ago, a rarity in Arabian archaeology. Using luminescence dating, researchers were able to determine the age of sediment layers with remarkable precision, suggesting that early humans either continuously occupied or repeatedly returned to this site across different climate phases. As Sharjah moves forward with the nomination of the Faya Palaeolandscape to the UNESCO World Heritage List, the study provides further weight. It positions the region as one of the earliest known locations in the Arabian Peninsula where humans didn't just survive — they adapted, innovated, and thrived. Eisa Yousif, Director of SAA and one of the study's contributors, the findings carry both scientific and human meaning: 'The discoveries at Jebel Faya show that resilience, adaptability, and innovation are among the most defining traits of humanity. These tools reflect a profound relationship between people and their land. As we advance our efforts to nominate the Faya Palaeolandscape for UNESCO recognition, we are reminded of how our shared past continues to shape who we are — and who we may become.' Beyond the data and dating methods, the study offers a blueprint for how rigorous science can meet compelling storytelling. It invites both academic and general audiences to reimagine the human journey, not as a straight line, but as a layered story written into stone. And through it all, it cements Sharjah's leadership in archaeological research and cultural heritage preservation — not only documenting history but redefining its role in telling it.
Gulf Today
25-06-2025
- Science
- Gulf Today
80,000-year-old tools found in Sharjah's Jebel Faya reveal 210,000 years of human settlement
In the rolling desert landscapes of Sharjah, a remarkable discovery is helping rewrite what we know about early human history. A groundbreaking study, recently published in Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, a leading peer-reviewed journal by Springer Nature, has confirmed that early humans once lived in the Jebel Faya region around 80,000 years ago — adding a vital new layer to a much older story stretching back 210,000 years. These new findings go far beyond a timestamp. They reveal how early Homo sapiens didn't just pass through Arabia — they adapted to its unpredictable climate, inhabited its landscapes, and left behind clues that speak of innovation, resilience, and survival. The broader Faya Palaeolandscape, the ancient environment surrounding Jebel Faya, emerges not only as a waypoint in human migration but as a long-term settlement — one that supported life, adaptation, and cultural advancement across millennia. The study is the result of an ambitious international collaboration led by the Sharjah Archaeology Authority (SAA) in partnership with the University of Tübingen and University of Freiburg in Germany, and Oxford Brookes University in the United Kingdom. The project was funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences. When the Climate Spoke, Humans Listened What makes this discovery especially striking is its timing. The evidence at Jebel Faya ties human presence to the closing chapter of a climatic phase known as Marine Isotope Stage 5a (MIS 5a) — a time of dramatic environmental shifts. 'Think of MIS 5a as a climatic pendulum,' explains Dr. Knut Bretzke, lead researcher and head of the German Archaeological Mission in Sharjah. 'Temperatures and rainfall patterns swung wildly. Monsoons from the Indian Ocean brought brief windows of rainfall that turned Arabia's barren deserts into green patches of lakes and grasslands.' In those rare humid phases, life bloomed — and early humans made their mark. Contrary to the long-held belief that the Arabian Peninsula served only as a corridor for migration, these greener interludes provided a habitable refuge, sustaining long-term human presence. Tools That Tell a Story At the heart of the discovery lie stone tools — silent, sharp witnesses to a vanished way of life. What sets the inhabitants of Jebel Faya apart is not just that they used tools, but how they made them. While other sites across northern Arabia have yielded triangular or ovoid tools, the assemblage at Faya is different. Here, early humans crafted elongated blades and flakes using a method called bidirectional reduction — a technique involving precise, strategic strikes to both ends of a stone core. 'This wasn't random knapping,' says Dr. Bretzke. 'Bidirectional reduction required foresight. It's like a chef filleting a fish — each strike intentional, each angle calculated. The goal was to maximise material efficiency, preserving the raw stone for future use. It reflects deep environmental knowledge and an extraordinary level of cognitive skill.' The results were multipurpose tools — designed for hunting, butchering, processing plants, and crafting more tools. In this remote corner of Arabia, technology was not only survival — it was culture. A Rare Window into a Continuous Human Past Jebel Faya doesn't just offer a glimpse into the past — it preserves it in almost uninterrupted layers. The site holds a near-continuous archaeological record from 210,000 to 80,000 years ago, a rarity in Arabian archaeology. Using luminescence dating, researchers were able to determine the age of sediment layers with remarkable precision, suggesting that early humans either continuously occupied or repeatedly returned to this site across different climate phases. As Sharjah moves forward with the nomination of the Faya Palaeolandscape to the UNESCO World Heritage List, the study provides further weight. It positions the region as one of the earliest known locations in the Arabian Peninsula where humans didn't just survive — they adapted, innovated, and thrived. Sharjah's Legacy in the Making For His Excellency Eisa Yousif, Director of SAA and one of the study's contributors, the findings carry both scientific and human meaning:'The discoveries at Jebel Faya show that resilience, adaptability, and innovation are among the most defining traits of humanity. These tools reflect a profound relationship between people and their land. As we advance our efforts to nominate the Faya Palaeolandscape for UNESCO recognition, we are reminded of how our shared past continues to shape who we are — and who we may become.' Beyond the data and dating methods, the study offers a blueprint for how rigorous science can meet compelling storytelling. It invites both academic and general audiences to reimagine the human journey, not as a straight line, but as a layered story written into stone. And through it all, it cements Sharjah's leadership in archaeological research and cultural heritage preservation — not only documenting history but redefining its role in telling it.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Oldest known human fingerprint discovered on ancient Neanderthal artwork – with help from Spain's forensic police
A unique archaeological find has recently expanded our knowledge of Neanderthals' capacity for symbolic thought. The object in question is a granite stone, on which a red ochre dot was deliberately applied to reinforce the image of a human face. It is, to date, the oldest example of portable art associated with Neanderthals. The most remarkable aspect of this discovery was the identification of a fingerprint in the pigment, at a level we have unequivocally dated to more than 42,000 years ago. The fingerprint means the find is direct evidence of a symbolic action that we can attribute to a Neanderthal human (Homo neanderthalensis). This discovery is the fruit of over two years of research, and was published in May 2025 in Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences. In addition to the team of archaeologists and geologists, our paper was co-authored by members of the Central Identification Unit of the General Commissary of Scientific Police, whose contributions were vital to the work's success. The red-spotted stone was found at the Abrigo de San Lázaro archaeological site – in the Eresma river valley, downstream from the Spanish city of Segovia – where we found remains of occupations of the last European Neanderthals. The stone was in a level where we have previously found Mousterian (Middle Paleolithic) industry. These are stone tools clearly associated with Neanderthal occupations, such as those documented in the known areas of Abrigo del Molino and other nearby sites. In our study, we hypothesise that the object was chosen and collected from the riverbed because of its peculiar natural features. Put simply, it looks like a human face. Facial pareidolia, the psychological phenomenon whereby we perceive faces in inanimate objects, identifies the upper and lower indentations as eyes and a mouth in the stone. The application of red pigment to make a nose reinforces the perception of a face, and acts as a symbolically charged visual marker. The possibility that we are dealing with a symbolic representation of a human face adds a particularly significant interpretative dimension to the archaeological find. Leer más: One of the most remarkable aspects of this research was its cross-disciplinary collaboration between archaeologists, geoarchaeologists and members of the General Commissary of the Spanish Scientific Police. To reach our conclusions, a combination of techniques were applied to the object. First, we performed detailed 3D mapping using high-precision scanners and digital models, which helped to rule out that the stone had served any any functional purpose, such as that of an anvil or hammer. We then carried out non-invasive analyses, such as X-ray fluorescence and scanning electron microscopy. The results confirmed that the red pigment was externally applied ochre, as opposed to a natural mark resulting from the decomposition of minerals in the granite itself. But the most surprising breakthrough came from multispectral analysis. This is a well-known technique that the Spanish General Commissary of Scientific Police developed and adapted specifically for the study of the stone. By using this method, Samuel Miralles Mosquera, a forensic imaging expert, revealed a fingerprint that was invisible to the naked eye, printed directly into the pigment. The image was later analyzed by M° Carmen Sastre Barrio, Encarnación Nieva Gómez, M° Remedios Díaz Delgado and Elena Ruiz Mediavilla, identification specialists of the same team. They confirmed that it matched the fingerprint of an adult human male. Their work allowed for the identification of the fingerprint with a previously unprecedented level of detail in the context of Paleolithic study. Their help made the research a pioneering reference in the field of applying archaeology and forensic identification to prehistoric times. It provides a new window on the symbolic world of the Neanderthals, and opens new avenues for the study of their artistic expression, their visual sensitivity and their capacity for abstraction. Combining these scientific techniques reinforces the authenticity of the find, and underlines its exceptional nature. It is one of the most complete physical testimonies of a symbolic act performed by a Neanderthal, whose fingerprint was deliberately left in the pigment. Who would have imagined that, more than 40,000 years later, not even Neanderthals could escape being identified by forensic scientists. Leer más: The origin of humans' symbolic behaviour – and with it the emergence of art itself – is one of the most hotly debated questions in research on humankind's cognitive evolution. While both phenomena did not emerge simultaneously, they are deeply interconnected, since the capacity for symbolic thought is ultimately the foundation of all forms of artistic expression. For decades, it was claimed that this ability was exclusive to 'modern' or present-day human beings (Homo sapiens). However, the development of new methodologies and the discovery of increasingly solid evidence have challenged this view to the point of refuting it. There is now a growing consensus that Neanderthals also possessed a complex symbolic repertoire, manifested through modified objects, use of pigments, ritual behaviours and other unambiguously symbolic expressions. One of the key milestones in this shift in opinion was the publication – in the journal Science in 2018 – of the dating of several cave paintings found in three Spanish caves: Ardales, La Pasiega and Maltravieso. These were the first paintings with a symbolic character attributed to Neanderthals. They included simple, geometric shapes, including discernible patterns. Their study revealed the ability of this human group to deliberately generate symbolic images charged with shared meaning. While the representations are simple, they appear repeatedly in different places on the walls of the caves. To this list of findings, we can now add the work of another anonymous Neanderthal. This male, one of Europe's last Neanderthal inhabitants, saw a face on a rock collected from the river, intentionally painted a red dot with ochre, and left his mark on history. Este artículo fue publicado originalmente en The Conversation, un sitio de noticias sin fines de lucro dedicado a compartir ideas de expertos académicos. Lee mas: Neanderthals: the oldest art in the world wasn't made by Homo sapiens Neanderthal remains found in France reveals there were not one, but at least two lineages of late Neanderthals in Europe How Neanderthal language differed from modern human – they probably didn't use metaphors Miguel Angel Mate Gonzalez has received funding from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033) via a Ramón y Cajal grant (RYC2021-034813-I), co-financed by the EU's 'NextGenerationEU'/PRTR programme. Andrés Díez Herrero, David Álvarez Alonso y María de Andrés-Herrero no reciben salarios, ni ejercen labores de consultoría, ni poseen acciones, ni reciben financiación de ninguna compañía u organización que pueda obtener beneficio de este artículo, y han declarado carecer de vínculos relevantes más allá del puesto académico citado.
