The first human culture lasted 20 thousand years longer than expected

Scientists have discovered that the first human culture actually lasted 20 thousand years longer than

Science previously believed.11 thousand years ago, western Africa became the habitat of the last populations of ancient man. It is believed that it was here that the traditions of making tools that were used by people of a new generation were preserved.

The research was carried out by specialists from the Institutehuman history by Max Planck in Germany and Sheikh Anta Diop University in Senegal. They managed to record the youngest period of the Middle Stone Age.

The finds were made on the territory of modernSenegal are stone tools - scrapers and flakes. It is noteworthy that much less is known about the ancient cultures of West Africa than about the eastern and southern parts of the continent. Therefore, scientists have drawn up a research map of the study of the territory of Senegal. Found instruments from the sites of Laminia and Saxomununya are dated from 22-21 and less than 11 thousand years ago.

History of the rest of Africa before our worksuggested that long before 11 thousand years ago, the last traces of the Middle Stone Age and the way of life that reflected it had long disappeared,” said one of the study’s authors, Hadi Niang. Among the possible reasons for the length of this period is that the West African region is isolated from the rest of the continent, with tropical forests to the east and the Sahara Desert to the north.

Hadi Niang, one of the study authors

These discoveries demonstrate the importance of exploring the entire African continent. 

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