Unfortunately, cavemen never got the hang of comercial air travel.
Posted on 03/02/2012 10:22:47 AM PST by presidio9
IT LOOKS like Neanderthals may have beaten modern humans to the seas. Growing evidence suggests our extinct cousins criss-crossed the Mediterranean in boats from 100,000 years ago - though not everyone is convinced they weren't just good swimmers.
Neanderthals lived around the Mediterranean from 300,000 years ago. Their distinctive "Mousterian" stone tools are found on the Greek mainland and, intriguingly, have also been found on the Greek islands of Lefkada, Kefalonia and Zakynthos. That could be explained in two ways: either the islands weren't islands at the time, or our distant cousins crossed the water somehow.
Now, George Ferentinos of the University of Patras in Greece says we can rule out the former. The islands, he says, have been cut off from the mainland for as long as the tools have been on them.
Ferentinos compiled data that showed sea levels were 120 metres lower 100,000 years ago, because water was locked up in Earth's larger ice caps. But the seabed off Greece today drops down to around 300 metres, meaning that when Neanderthals were in the region, the sea would have been at least 180 metres deep (Journal of Archaeological Science, DOI: 10.1016/j.jas.2012.01.032).
Ferentinos thinks Neanderthals had a seafaring culture for tens of thousands of years. Modern humans are thought to have taken to the seas just 50,000 years ago, on crossing to Australia.
The journeys to the Greek islands from the mainland were quite short - 5 to 12 kilometres - but according to Thomas Strasser of Providence College in Rhode Island, the Neanderthals didn't stop there. In 2008 he found similar stone tools on Crete, which he says are at least 130,000 years old. Crete has been an island for some 5 million years and is 40 kilometres from its closest neighbour - suggesting far more
(Excerpt) Read more at newscientist.com ...
Ahh...that explains it. I am 2.7% Neanderthal (by genes) and don’t get seasick. Now I know why...
Unfortunately, cavemen never got the hang of comercial air travel.
It always boggles my mind how these folks living today know what happened 300,000-100,000 years ago concerning humans.
Much speculation here.
The Strait of Gibralter is only 14 km wide, which means that on a calm day one could paddle from one side to the other in a crude dugout, or even just a raft. Having Neanderthal musculature would be a help.
If Neanderthals were smart enough to make sails of animal hides, the crossing could be done in a few hours, with favorable winds. They would not even need to known much about seamanship.
Certain Celtic people traveled in coracles, generally round or almost round boats of skins stretched over a wood framework: crude, improbably shaped for a watercraft, but apparently serviceable. Similar boats have been made of reeds, and designs are found in many cultures.
He dresses nice though...
But the seabed off Greece today drops down to around 300 metres, meaning that when Neanderthals were in the region, the sea would have been at least 180 metres deep.
That being said, there are many plausible alternatives. For example, the tools may have been discovered in antiquity and brought to the island by a later culture.
“The Strait of Gibraltar is only 14 km wide, which means that on a calm day one could paddle from one side to the other in a crude dugout, or even just a raft.”
I crossed the Mediterranean twice. It was out of Spain to Morocco and back from Morocco back to Spain. The weather was great both trips, but the sea was bumpy and bad. There is no way these folks would have known before sailing if the sea was awful or not. (No satellites at that time. :) )
(And no, I did not get seasick, but several folks did.)
P.S.
I know you are talking about the Straits, but there can be no difference in the madness of the sea. Difference is, as you said, is about 14 km from one end to the other. But here, one is paddling like crazy.
The distance between Spain and Morocco does take a little sailing time…
The tidal currents are a real problem, though.
Thanks presidio.
75 of them could have formed a tower and walked across.
That would also explain their extinction.
A well-developed bureaucracy can destroy everyone as easily as it destroys any one.
- 2010 DNA analysis of Neanderthals in Germany : (GOOGLE it)
3 female Neanderthal specimens were tested
Western and Southern African “pre-modern human” (homo erectus) pigmented specimens were tested - they had 0% Neanderthal DNA- zero percent - and mucho closer to other biped primates than to Neanderthals, Euros and Asians. (2%-3%)
Small differences in DNS make a huge difference.
White Euro and Asian modern human specimens were tested - all had 2% Neanderthal DNA
Yet the PC bunch still insists that all modern humans are descended from homo erectus in Africa
Note the dates of any possible interaction or interbreeding between Euro very early man and Neanderthals have no evidence of homo erectus DNA.
Mucho early dates of any pigmentation in Europe (caves in what is now France) do not exist.
The “out of Africa” school (40,000-80,000 years ago) has seen fit to ignore and cover these 2010 NIH (US National Institute of Health) tests and reports.. for PC reasons I reckon -
Yes - now most of you have 2% Neanderthal DNA.
Sharpie Sharpton and Jesse “Baby Daddy” Hi-Jackson (he owes a ton of back chid support but he can still afford custom made Italian silk suits and London tailors)
- Kenya, Indonesia and Hawaii have not commented on any unanswered questions….. Lousy bowler and golfer, crappy roundball player, can’t surf - whatta macho man!
No 2% Neaderthal DNA perhaps?
What would that indicate?
Dating of specimens back to 80,000 - 400,000 years ago is iffy on carbon dating - but if that is true - where was the huge “Outta Africa” migration that does not show up in later years in DNA or pigmentation in Northern Europe?
- Is a puzzlement!
But you can keep your doctor! - Hey! - I heard him say it on TV!
- Oops - Gotta Gogh now - I see a DC area code on my TV screen Caller ID alert -
Note: this topic is from 03/02/2012. Just a re-ping. Thanks presidio9.
Wasn’t there a Far Side where a time traveler dropped a Coke bottle in ancient times and said, “Let’s see them figure THIS out!”?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
