A new study published in Nature claims that Homo Erectus, extinct species of archaic humans, lived in Europe 1.4 million years ago. The study authors based their claims on stone tools that have been found at the Korolevo site in western Ukraine. This marks the oldest evidence of Homo Erectus presence in Europe.
A total of 33 artifacts, including stone tools, have been uncovered at Korolevo since the excavations at the site began in the 1970s. However, they were only recently dated thanks to a new method that included examining the layer of sediment in which they were found.
Scientists previously discovered evidence of Homo Erectus presence in Georgia, which lies at the border of Europe and Asia, dated to 1.8 million years ago. Furthermore, findings in France and Spain indicate Homo Erectus was present in that region 1.1 million years ago. The new discovery now gives validation to the theory that Homo Erectus migrated from East to West of Eurasia.
“Until now, there was no strong evidence for an east-to-west migration,” Roman Garba, archaeologist at the Czech Academy of Sciences and author of the study, told Nature News. “Now we have it.”
The precise dating of Korolevo’s earliest occupation by hominins was made possible by a recent advance in mathematical modelling combined with applied nuclear physics.
— Czech Academy of Sciences (@CzechAcademy) March 6, 2024
R. Garba @romangarba, lead author of the study, sums up the findings and dating method used to determine the… pic.twitter.com/FmD9mGjWNK
Homo Erectus is the first predecessor of modern humans to spread through Eurasia. They had “human-like” body proportions, crafted and used stone tools, and were familiar with using fire.