Posted on 12/01/2012 6:42:09 PM PST by SunkenCiv
Prof Xing Gao of the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology in Beijing, co-author of the paper, said: “Shuidonggou site includes 12 localities, ranging in date from Early Late to Late Paleolithic. The engraved stone artifact was found at Locality 1, which is about 30,000 years old.”
Dr Peng added: “we used a digital microscope to observe all the incisions, obtaining many 3D images. After excluding the possibility of natural cracking, trampling and animal-induced damage, and unintentional human by-products, we believe that the incisions were made by intentional behavior. Although we cannot be sure of the function of these incisions, the straight shape of each line shows that it was incised once over a short time interval without repeated cutting, implying the possibility of counting or recording at that time.”
“Furthermore, creation of such an engraved object may indicate the possible existence of complex communicative systems such as language,” he said.
“In addition to the engraved stone artifact, one ostrich egg bead was unearthed from Locality 1. The lithic assemblage of this locality includes blade production and elongated tool blanks. The blade technology was probably introduced from the Altai region of Russian Siberia, according to comparison between lithic assemblages. The flake technology is typical of the Late Paleolithic in north China.
(Excerpt) Read more at sci-news.com ...
The date usually attributed to Bishop Ussher is 4004 BC, iow 6016 years ago, plus a month or so. Off with your head!
Not sure, but likely was done by the tool types in the same context.
High quality Carbon dating might go back for 30KY. I read somewhere that the limit was 45KYBP, but don’t quote me.
The Carbon in the Ostrich shell and possible wood fragments in the strata with the marked stone might provide enough Carbon to measure the Carbon ratios with statistical confidence.
This is a significant find, if it really is valid, as the dawn of literature will have been pushed back by at least 5 X.
At this time Central Europe was a Polar desert.
It will be interesting to find out the elevation of this site.
The practical limit for RC dating of a field sample is about 50K before present, a perfect theoretical sample (whatever that is) the limit is about 60K (the equipment’s more sensitive now).
Thanks! I was in the ballpark, which shores up my confidence in my memory just a tad.
Now I can quote you!
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