考古发现:人类可能起源于中东

　　Isreali scientists claimed that modern man did not originate in Africa as previously believed, but in the Middle East. The new discovery may force archeologists re-write the history of the evolution of modern man。

　　According to the study published last week in the American Journal of Physical Anthropology, scientists from the Institute of Archeology at Tel Aviv University found eight human-like teeth in the Qesem cave near Rosh Ha'Ayin and they are 400,000 years old, making them the earliest remains of homo sapiens discovered in the world。

　　In addition, the researchers found evidence of a sophisticated early human society that used sharpened flakes of stone. The Israeli scientists said the remains found in the cave suggested the systematic production of flint blades, the habitual use of fire, evidence of hunting, cutting and sharing of animal meat, and mining raw materials to produce flint tools from rocks below ground。

　　Before that, scientists have argued that human beings originated in Africa 150,000 to 200,000 years ago - remains of homo sapiens were discovered in Ethiopia, from 160,000 years ago - and homo sapiens gradually migrated north, through the Middle East, to Europe and Asia。

　　The explorers said they were continuing to investigate the cave and its contents, expecting to make more discoveries that would shed further light on human evolution in prehistoric times。

　　据英国《每日邮报》27日报道，以色列科学家宣称现代人并不像人们之前认为的那样起源于非洲，而是来自中东。这一新发现将可能迫使考古学家改写现代人的进化史。

　　上周发表在美国生物医学杂志《体质人类学》的一篇研究报告表明，以色列特拉维夫大学考古研究所的科学家们在以色列城市Rosh Ha'Ayin附近的Qesem洞穴内发现了8颗40万年前的类似人类牙齿的化石，这使得它们成为世界上已出土的最早的智人遗留物。

　　此外，研究人员还发现证据表明这是一个成熟的早期人类社会：他们使用磨砺过的石斧。以色列科学家称这些洞穴遗留物向人们展示了打火石刀口的制作、火的习惯性使用、打猎、割肉、共享食物的证据、从地下岩层开采资源制作取火工具等。

　　而在此之前，科学家曾声称人类起源于15万到20万年前的非洲——人们曾在埃塞俄比亚发现了16万年前的智人遗留物化石——随后智人逐渐向北迁移，经过中东，最终到达欧洲和亚洲。

　　(以色列)科学家称他们仍在继续研究Qesem洞穴及其内部情况，希望能够得到更多关于史前人类进化状况的线索。