Modern Culture May Have Emerged 30,000 Years Earlier Than Thought

Modern Culture May Have Emerged 30,000 Years Earlier Than Thought

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Poisoned-tipped arrows and jewelry made of ostrich egg beads found in South Africa show modern culture may have emerged about 30,000 years earlier in the area than previously thought, according to two articles published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The research shows that the 44,000-year-old artifacts are characteristic of the San hunter-gatherers. The descendants of San people live today in southern Africa, so the items can clearly be traced forward to modern culture, unlike other archaeological finds, researchers said.