Interactive Map: Migrations of Homo sapien

DIRECTIONS

Interactive Map: Migrations of Homo Sapiens

Human Ancestors in Asia

Extinct Homo erectus fossils were found near Zhoukoudian, China in the 1920s. Known as the Peking Man fossils, the discovery included a skull and fragmentary bones. Artifacts show that the Peking man used stone tools. Site dating indicates that these hominids lived as early as 750,000 years ago. In Dmanisi, in the Republic of Georgia, scientists found an area rich in fossils in 1991. Oddly, these remains suggest a more primitive being. They had small brains and bodies, with hands still useful for tree climbing.

The human species has migrated over time, leaving Africa to eventually inhabit most of the world. They used land bridges and water routes to explore and settle new regions. Evidence of their movement can be seen at archaeological sites around the world. Select each hotspot to learn more about human migrations out of Africa. After, you will synthesize what you've learned by answering the question: How have the discoveries in Africa and around the world helped anthropologists understand early Homo sapiens?

Directions

Ancient North Americans

Remnants of an ancient culture, the Clovis complex, have been found scattered across North America. The first archaeological findings from this group were discovered near Clovis, New Mexico, in 1929. Scholars believe that people crossed the Bering land bridge from Asia into Alaska. Recent evidence suggests the Clovis culture lasted from about 9050 to 8800 B.C. The Clovis people crafted tools from bones. Pointed bone projectiles, from 1.5 to 5 inches long, have been found. The human skeletons show them to be Homo sapiens.

Migrations to Europe

Some of the earliest human remains have been found in Sierra de Atapuerca in Northern Spain. Water erosion created a vast cave system in which animals and humans dwelt. These hominids used simple stone tools. Otzi the Iceman was found preserved in the glacier ice of the Italian Alps, thousands of years after his death. Artifacts discovered in the area showed that Otzi probably lived in the Neolithic era, most likely after the transition to a more settled, agrarian life.

Monte Verde—Before or After Clovis?

Scholars debate whether the Clovis or the Monte Verde people were the first in the Americas. Some believe the Monte Verde site dates back to 10,500 BC, making it the oldest in the Americas. This area in southern Chile is wet, which makes progress and dating a challenge. Artifacts from the site, like wooden tools and roping materials are fragile and require preservation treatments. Scholars agree that humans came to the Americas earlier than once thought. These early Americans were hunters who may have built huts using wooden posts.

Discoveries in Africa

Most scholars agree that our human predecessors were originally from Africa. One of the most famous fossils, ‘Lucy,’ was discovered in Hadar, Ethiopia, in 1974 by Donald C. Johanson. She stood upright and had long, dangling arms. Turkana Boy, the first nearly complete Homo ergaster skeleton to be reconstructed, was found in Kenya in 1984. Using dating methods, scholars believe he lived about 1.6 million years ago. His structure indicated an upright stance and an ability to run long distances.