An ancient footprint has been newly uncovered, and it turns out that humans were walking around 30,000 years earlier than we previously thought. Rarely does a solitary scientific breakthrough have the power to revolutionise our perception of human history as a whole.
A recently exposed prehistoric footprint has revealed that humans roamed the Earth much earlier than our previous estimations, extending back by 30,000 years.
Concrete evidence has emerged, affirming the existence of bipedal Homo sapiens in South Africa, thanks to the unearthing of a track dating back 153,000 years.
These footprints surpass the age of any previously uncovered traces, with the nearest findings in neighbouring regions dating back 124,000 years.
The utilisation of the optically-stimulated luminescence dating technique played a crucial role in these remarkable discoveries. This method examines the duration since sand grains were last exposed to sunlight.
According to Charles Helm from Nelson Mandela University and Andrew Carr from the University of Leicester, who shared their insights in an article for The Conversation, the current scenario in 2023 contrasts significantly. It seems that previous investigations lacked sufficient thoroughness or may have focused on incorrect locations.
Currently, there are a total of 14 identified hominin ichnosites (encompassing tracks and other traces) in Africa that have been dated to be older than 50,000 years.
Considering the limited number of skeletal hominin remains discovered along the Cape coast, the traces left behind by our human predecessors as they traversed ancient landscapes serve as a valuable complement, enriching our comprehension of ancient hominins in Africa.
The scientists engaged in this research hold the belief that the region holds great potential for numerous enlightening discoveries, given the soil composition and characteristics it possesses.
According to their statement, the scientists express a belief that additional hominin ichnosites remain undiscovered along the Cape South Coast and other coastal areas.
Furthermore, they emphasise the importance of expanding the exploration to include older deposits in the region, spanning from 400,000 years to over 2 million years in age.
Looking forward, the scientists anticipate that in the next ten years, the catalogue of ancient hominin ichnosites will significantly expand beyond its current extent.
