Latest news with #huntergatherers
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Science
- Daily Mail
Scientists give 10,000-year-old woman a face: Incredible reconstruction reveals lady with 'lighter skin than most' and BLUE eyes
At first glance, it looks like a photo of an modern-day tribesperson, wearing a decorative headdress and an earnest expression. But this is actually an eerily-realistic synthetic reconstruction of a woman from Belgium who lived and died 10,500 years ago. Scientists and artists have reconstructed the face of the Margaux woman, whose remains were found in a cave in Belgium's Meuse Valley. Part of an early civilization of hunter-gatherers, she had 'average skin colour', much lighter than expected, and light blueish-grey eyes. The eerily-realistic bust also sports a shaven head, a leather feathered hairband and decorative markings on her shoulders made with ochre and charcoal. A homo sapien just like us, she would have roamed the densely-forested lands and rivers in the search for food shortly after the last ice age. For now, she's known as the Margaux woman, but the public are invited to choose a proper name for her. Experts say she belonged to the same Western European hunter-gatherer population as the famous Cheddar Man from Gough's Cave, Somerset. Skeletal remains of the Mesolithic woman were originally discovered in 1988 in the Margaux cave near the Belgian city of Dinant. Around 35 years later, researchers were able to extract well-preserved DNA from the skull to learn more about her appearance, including eye and skin colour. Like the Cheddar Man, the Belgian woman had blue eyes, but her skin was slightly lighter than that of many other individuals from the same period. 'This indicates greater diversity in skin pigmentation than we previously thought,' said Maïté Rivollat, chief geneticist of the project. Two Dutch twin brothers – Adrie and Alfons Kennis, described as 'palaeo-anthropological artists' – then used the insights to create the reconstruction, mostly made of a combination of resin and silicone. The Kennis brothers have made many previous reconstructions of Neanderthals and other prehistoric hominids, including Ötzi the Iceman. Professor Isabelle De Groote, project leader and researcher in human origins at Ghent University, said this woman was about 35 to 60 at time of death. 'In anthropology, it is difficult to be more accurate than this with just a preserved skull and jaw,' she told MailOnline. Who was the Margaux woman? The Margaux woman was a hunter-gatherer who lived and roamed Europe 10,500 years ago. Skulls of her and an estimated eight other women were found in the back of Margaux Cave, Belgium in the 1980s. There were also other parts of their skeletons found but these were all commingled so experts could not assign them to the different individuals. But it is unclear what the ancient lady died of, as the skull does not reveal 'an obvious sign of death'. 'It is rare that we see this in a skeleton because most causes of death do not show on the skeleton but we do not see a blow to the head in her, for example,' Professor De Groote added. Naturally, around 10,000 years ago, Europe was a very different place to what it is today, the academic explained. 'The Mesolithic people of Belgium, around 10,000 years ago, lived as hunter-gatherers in forested landscapes,' she told MailOnline. 'They settled in campsites such as Abri du Pape, where they built hearths and crafted flint tools. 'Their diet was diverse, including wild game like deer and boar, fish, birds, and plant foods such as hazelnuts, which were a key resource. 'They used animal parts for clothing, tools, and bindings, and may have domesticated dogs. 'Their lifestyle was closely tied to the natural environment, relying on seasonal resources and skilled foraging and hunting. 'They would have moved around a lot, but returned to their favourite campsites and the burials caves.' Through an online poll, the public are invited to choose a name for the woman out of three options – Margo, Freya and Mos'anne. Margo refers to the cave in which she was found, while Freya and Mos'anne refer to the hills and river basin in which the caves are located, respectively. People can vote for their favourite name until the end of June by clicking 'vote' at the top of the project's website. Then from September, she will be visiting museums across Belgium as part of a travelling exhibition. The full list of locations includes University of Ghent, Andenne Museum Space and Gallo-Romeins Museum in Tongeren. The Neolithic Revolution was the world's first verifiable revolution in agriculture. It began in Britain between about 5000 BC and 4500 BC but spread across Europe from origins in Syria and Iraq between about 11000 BC and 9000 BC. The period saw the widespread transition of many disparate human cultures from nomadic hunting and gathering practices to ones of farming and building small settlements. The revolution was responsible for turning small groups of travellers into settled communities who built villages and towns. Some cultures used irrigation and made forest clearings to better their farming techniques. Others stored food for times of hunger, and farming eventually created different roles and divisions of labour in societies as well as trading economies. In the UK, the period was triggered by a huge migration or folk-movement from across the Channel. Today, prehistoric monuments in the UK span from the time of the Neolithic farmers to the invasion of the Romans in AD 43. Many of them are looked after by English Heritage and range from standing stones to massive stone circles, and from burial mounds to hillforts. Stonehenge, the most famous prehistoric structure in Europe, possibly the world, was built by Neolithic people, and later finished during the Bronze Age. Neolithic structures were typically used for ceremonies, religious feasts and as centres for trade and social gatherings.
Times
4 days ago
- Science
- Times
DNA from 10,000-year-old skull gives woman of Meuse a face
The first hunter gatherers of the Meuse river valley moved with the rhythm of the seasons. The tribes, who predated the Neolithic and Bronze Age builders of Stonehenge by 5,000 years, left little trace they ever roamed northern Europe. What little we did know about our ancient ancestors, who lived more than 10,000 years ago, was that they were likely to have had dark skin and, as evidenced by Cheddar Man, found in 1903 — the most complete prehistoric remains to be discovered in Britain — they probably had blue eyes. Then along came the woman of Meuse. She was among the remains of 30 to 60 females from the Mesolithic period discovered in 1988 in the Margaux caves near Dinant, a picturesque town on the Meuse in Belgium. Now, after decades of study, scientists have been able to reconstruct her face. • Could Neanderthal fingerprint be the world's oldest portrait? 'We were able to extract very well-preserved DNA from the skull. That's how we learnt more,' said Professor Isabelle De Groote, who led the team of scientists from Ghent University, revealing for the first time that Meuse woman had lighter skin than prehistoric remains found at other sites, although they share blue eyes and dark hair. 'We know that she had blue eyes and an average skin colour. That's striking; until now, most finds from that time indicated a darker skin,' said De Groote. 'This indicates that there was a greater diversity in skin pigmentation than we previously thought.' The difference in skin colour is thought to have been influenced by factors such as diet, migration and climate. 'They moved around,' said De Groote. 'They left fewer traces than the early farmers who came later.' The woman, who had lighter skin than was expected, lived in the Meuse River valley during the Mesolithic period The society of women seems to have had religious rituals. 'We noticed that the skulls were scalped and manipulated with ochre, possibly as a burial ritual. It is also striking that only women were buried there,' said De Groote. 'We know what the woman ate, based on animal remains. Remains of poles indicate camps. Remains of hazelnuts show that there were hazel forests.' There is an online poll to give the face a name, with three options: Margo, Freya or Mos'anne. The first refers to the Margaux cave in which the skull was found. Freya is the name of the hills in which the caves are located and Mos'anne is the French name of the Meuse valley.
The Sun
07-06-2025
- Science
- The Sun
Archaeologists find 6,000-year-old skeletons from Colombia with ancient DNA which could rewrite human history
ARCHAEOLOGISTS have found 6,000-year-old skeletons from Colombia with ancient DNA that could rewrite human history. The incredible remains belonging to hunter-gatherers at the ancient preceramic site of Checua don't have DNA that matches any known Indigenous population in the region today. 3 3 3 Their bombshell genetic signature has revealed a distinct - and extinct - lineage. This could have descended all the way from the earliest humans to reach South America. This lineage diverged early on and remained genetically isolated for thousands of years. Researchers have managed to reconstruct a rare genetic timeline by anaylysing DNA from 21 people who lived in the Bogota Altiplano between roughly 6,000 to 500 years ago. Extracted from bones and teeth, the DNA samples showed that the oldest people at Checua carried a distinctive ancestral signature. This has completely disappeared from the modern gene pool. Kim-Louise Krettek, lead author and a PhD student at the Senckenberg Center for Human Evolution in Germany said: "This area is key to understanding how the Americas were populated. "It was the land bridge between North and South America and the meeting point of three major cultural regions: Mesoamerica, Amazonia, and the Andes." Early people weren't related to other ancient groups in South America genetically. They also didn't share ancestry with early North American populations. Catholics flock to see preserved body of 'God's Influencer' teen entombed in glass as he's made 'First Millennial Saint' Krettek added: "Our results show that the Checua individuals derive from the earliest population that spread and differentiated across South America very rapidly. "We couldn't find descendants of these early hunter-gatherers of the Colombian high plains, the genes were not passed on. "That means in the area around Bogotá there was a complete exchange of the population." Roughly a whopping 2,000 years ago, the genetic landscape of the Bogota highlands shifted. The distinctive lineage discovered in the earliest Checua remains had vanished and replaced by a new population. Their DNA bear close similarity to the ancient Panamanians and modern Chibchan-speaking groups in Costa Rica and Panama. Co-author and researcher at Universidad Nacional de Colombia Andrea Casas-Vargas explained how the bizarre disappearance of the original population's genetic traces is rare in South America. She said: "Up to now, strong genetic continuity has been observed in the population of the Andes and the southern cone of South America over long time periods and cultural changes." As new arrivals came to the Bogota highlands, the population changed significantly as time went on. But the shift didn't come with any signs of war or invasion, nor violence, according to the archeologists. The change may have just occurred gradually through migration, cultural exchange, or intermarriage. Therefore, the Checua people's unique DNA faded - and eventually vanished. The unbelievable discovery is the first example of Colombia looking at ancient DNA - but experts say it's just the beginning. Surrounding regions like western Columbia, Venezuela, and Ecuador have never received genetical analysation. Krettek said: "Ancient DNA from those areas will be crucial in understanding how humans migrated into South America."
Daily Mail
07-06-2025
- Science
- Daily Mail
Mysterious 6,000-year-old skeletons with never-before-seen DNA rewrites human history
Archaeologists have uncovered 6,000-year-old skeletons in Colombia that belonged to a mysterious group of people that could rewrite human history. The remains, discovered at the ancient preceramic site of Checua near Bogotá, were of hunter-gatherers whose DNA does not match that of any known Indigenous population in the region today. Instead, their genetic signature reveals a distinct and now-extinct lineage that may have descended from the earliest humans to reach South America, one that diverged early and remained genetically isolated for thousands of years. By analyzing ancient DNA from 21 individuals who lived in the Bogotá Altiplano between 6,000 and 500 years ago, researchers reconstructed a rare genetic timeline spanning nearly six millennia. The DNA samples, extracted from bones and teeth, show that the oldest individuals at Checua carried a unique ancestral signature that has completely vanished from the modern gene pool. Their lineage didn't simply blend into others, but it disappeared entirely. 'This area is key to understanding how the Americas were populated,' said Kim-Louise Krettek, lead author and a Ph.D. student at the Senckenberg Center for Human Evolution in Germany. 'It was the land bridge between North and South America and the meeting point of three major cultural regions: Mesoamerica, Amazonia, and the Andes.' Genetically, these early people were not related to other ancient groups in South America, such as those found in Chile or Brazil, nor did they share ancestry with early North American populations, including those from California's Channel Islands. The study also offers new insights into the so-called Isthmo-Colombian area, a cultural and genetic transition zone that stretches from Honduras through Panama and into the northern Andes of Colombia. 'Our results show that the Checua individuals derive from the earliest population that spread and differentiated across South America very rapidly,' explained Kim-Louise Krettek, the study's first author and a Ph.D. student at the Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution in Germany. 'We couldn't find descendants of these early hunter-gatherers of the Colombian high plains, the genes were not passed on. 'That means in the area around Bogotá there was a complete exchange of the population.' Around 2,000 years ago, the genetic landscape of the Bogotá highlands changed dramatically. The unique lineage found in the earliest Checua remains disappeared, replaced by a new population with DNA closely resembling that of ancient Panamanians and modern Chibchan-speaking groups in Costa Rica and Panama. Andrea Casas-Vargas, co-author and researcher at Universidad Nacional de Colombia, said genetic evidence suggests the culture that followed in the Altiplano arrived with migrants from Central America. Along with technological advances like ceramics, these migrants likely introduced the Chibchan languages to what is now Colombia. 'Branches of this language family are still spoken in Central America today,' Casas-Vargas said. She also noted that the complete disappearance of the original population's genetic traces is rare in South America. 'Up to now, strong genetic continuity has been observed in the population of the Andes and the southern cone of South America over long time periods and cultural changes,' she said. These new arrivals are connected to Central America and show that the population of the Bogotá highlands changed significantly over time. They brought with them the Herrera tradition, a culture known for its pottery and early farming. Their descendants helped shape the Muisca civilization, which dominated the region until the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th century. But the shift didn't come with signs of war or invasion. Archaeologists found no evidence of violence. Instead, the change may have come gradually through migration, cultural exchange, or intermarriage. Over time, the Checua people's unique DNA faded, diluted and eventually erased. Scientists analyzed both maternal DNA and broader markers to trace ancestry. While Checua males carried a common Native American Y-DNA signature (Q1b1a), the rest of their genetic profile showed deep isolation and no link to later populations. Later groups who lived on the plateau had stronger ties to Venezuela and Central America, suggesting the region eventually became part of a larger network stretching across the northern part of the continent. Even though Chibchan languages are still spoken in Costa Rica, Panama, and northern Colombia, today's Indigenous Colombians are not directly descended from the Checua or even from the early Chibchan-linked Herrera people. Professor Cosimo Posth emphasized the importance of distinguishing genetics from culture: 'Questions about history and origins touch upon a sensitive area of the self-perception and identity of the Indigenous population. 'The genetic disposition must not be viewed as equal to cultural identity.' He added that the research team engaged with the Guardia Indígena Muisca, the living descendants of the Muisca culture in the high plains of Bogotá, to respect and incorporate community-based knowledge. 'As scientists addressing questions relevant to the Indigenous communities in Colombia, we respect and value the wealth of community-based knowledge.' This research marks Colombia's first look at ancient DNA, and scientists believe it's just the beginning. Many surrounding regions like western Colombia, Venezuela, and Ecuador have never been genetically analyzed. They could hold more clues about the waves of people who helped shape the continent. Scientists say this is just the beginning. Since this marks Colombia's first ancient genomic dataset, many unsampled and potentially unknown populations may still lie hidden beneath the soil. 'Ancient DNA from those areas will be crucial in understanding how humans migrated into South America,' Krettek said.
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Traces of Mysterious Ancient Human Population Discovered in Colombia
Colombia sits on the land through which Homo sapiens first spread from Central America to South America more than 14,500 years ago, making it a crucial population gateway. Researchers have now found evidence of a previously unknown people who once lived there. Specifically, an international team has traced back 6,000 years of history, based on DNA analysis of 21 sets of carefully chosen human remains. The remains were collected from five sites across the Altiplano plateau, in central Colombia. These DNA records reveal a fascinating timeline, including the existence of an ancient population with genetics unrelated to any modern descendants – a group of people who may have been some of the earliest settlers in South America, but who subsequently disappeared completely. "We couldn't find descendants of these early hunter-gatherers of the Colombian high plains – the genes were not passed on," says anthropologist Kim-Louise Krettek, from the University of Tübingen, in Germany. "That means in the area around Bogotá there was a complete exchange of the population." DNA contains the genetic instructions we need to grow into the people we are, with contributions from parents, grandparents, and generations before them. By studying it, scientists can work out links between generations – and see how these generations moved and evolved over time. While one group was settled in the Colombian region around 6,000 years ago, a different community, with completely separate genetics, called the area home starting about 2,000 years ago. These people, who would've most likely spoken Chibchan languages, do have known genetic links to modern groups from the lower part of Central America. This later group also represents a cultural shift, from the hunter-gatherers of the original population, to people who were skilled in pottery-making and more sophisticated types of agriculture. It seems that these people stayed in place until settlers from Europe started arriving in the 16th century. "That genetic traces of the original population disappear completely is unusual, especially in South America," says geneticist Andrea Casas-Vargas, from the National University of Colombia. What happened to this newly discovered group, established 6,000 years ago, is something the researchers don't speculate on – though the usual causes of conflict or disease may be responsible. It's something future studies could look into. Even with many questions remaining unanswered though, the research offers some valuable insight into the history of South America and some of the earliest people to venture down from the north. Earlier studies have suggested that the story of indigenous people in the region may be more complex than previously thought, and genetic links to South America have connected its people to places as far away as Australia. With Colombia sitting right on the land bridge between South America and the continent to the north of it, however, it's a particularly important place to study – and it likely has more secrets to give up yet. "These are the first ancient human genomes from Colombia ever to be published," says anthropologist Cosimo Posth, from the University of Tübingen. The research has been published in Science Advances. Here's How to Detect a Fake Smile, According to Science What Makes Someone a Narcissist? Scientists Just Found a Big Clue Remains of 3,000-Year-Old Maya City Discovered in Guatemala
