Ancient string shows Neanderthals were into fiber technology, scientists say
The latest discovery is a prehistoric piece of string that's more than 40,000 years old.
Researchers found the small piece of cord, which consists of twisted fibers, on a flint fragment in southern France. "Microscopic analysis showed that these remains had been intertwined, proof of their modification by humans," said the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) in a release on Thursday.
Though modern humans might find a piece of cord mundane, it represents some advanced abilities. "Understanding and use of twisted fibers implies the use of complex multi-component technology as well as a mathematical understanding of pairs, sets, and numbers," the research team, led by B.L. Hardy of Kenyon College, wrote in a paper published in the journal Scientific Reports on Thursday.
The fiber used in the cord came from the inner bark of a tree. The scientists suggest it may've been wrapped around a tool or could've come from a net or bag.
Neanderthals are an extinct branch of humanity, but they've long been popularly viewed as uncivilized cave people. Studies in recent years have been rehabbing the Neanderthal image by showing how they used marine resources and took care of their own. The ancient string now represents the oldest known direct evidence of fiber technology.
"Added to recent evidence of birch bark tar, art, and shell beads, the idea that Neanderthals were cognitively inferior to modern humans is becoming increasingly untenable," the researchers said in the study.
You should read it
- Great times to buy hi-tech
- Why can iPhone X become Apple's silly tech joke?
- Buy old hi-tech, go to 'tradesman' also tricked!
- N-Tech, a cheap 4K projector, all in one, wireless, compact
- The strange, thorny and sometimes sleazy origins of 11 tech terms you probably hear every day
- Reviews ThinkPad X1 and Project Limitless at Lenovo Tech World 2019
- 16 secrets are less known about tech village 'Iron Man' Elon Musk
- Cheap tips for hi-tech troubles
May be interested
- Rodents like hamsters ... can be the main dish of ancient Scotlanda new archaeological finding shows that hamsters may be the favorite food of ancient scottish residents.
- Summary of the hottest technology news in April 4, 2015aag fiber breakdown, pirate kings game rains, winds up facebook, 5 useful applications for small business owners ... are the most interesting news and applications of the week
- The groundbreaking archaeological findings about ancient Egyptso far, archaeologists have made many important discoveries about ancient egypt: tombs, mummies, pyramids, inventions before time ... around them there are always mysteries. strange makes scientists headaches.
- The new fiber optic sensor is capable of transmitting data 100 times fasterfiber optic sensors are sensors composed of an amplifier and an optical fiber, customized for each specific purpose. currently, fiber optic sensors have two main types, which are transceivers and diffuse types.
- 11 mysterious ancient buildings in the world that challenge the scientific worldsome massive ancient works in the world dating back thousands of years are built very elaborately and accurately, making architects, engineers and scientists to be surprised and admired.
- Scientists teach AI to diagnose brain cancera new research effort by an international team of scientists shows that machine learning algorithms can be a powerful tool for medicine.
- DeepScribe: AI can translate ancient texts thousands of years oldscientists at the university of chicago have recently developed an artificial intelligence system, based on machine learning technology that can analyze and translate ancient texts, found on clay tablets. thousands of years old into modern languages.
- Concussion: Discovering ancient seas off the Philippinesa strange sea in the oldest ancient earth has just been discovered off the philippines that shocked global scientists.
- Temperature rises, melting glaciers can release dangerous viruses from the Ice Agewhen studying two ice cores from the glacier in the tibetan plateau, a team of us and chinese scientists discovered 33 pathogens, 28 of which are unknown, having lived during the ice age, from 15,000 years ago.
- 4,300 year old color painting in an ancient Egyptian tomban ancient egyptian tomb, named mastaba - mast, discovered in the dahshur pyramid cemetery 25 kilometers south of the egyptian capital cairo, surprised scientists when witness what was found inside.