Oldest miniaturized stone toolkits in Eurasia

Microliths are often interpreted as being part of composite tools, including projectile weapons, essential to efficient Homo sapiens hunting strategies. In Europe and Africa, these lithic toolkits are linked to hunting medium and large-sized animals in grassland or woodland settings, or as adaptations during periods of climatic change. The presence of microliths in Sri Lanka suggests the existence of more diverse ecological contexts for these technologies by some of the earliest members of our species.

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Insight into competitive advantage of modern humans over Neanderthals

A team of researchers have evidenced mechanically delivered projectile weapons in Europe dating to 45,000-40,000 years — more than 20,000 years than previously thought. This study indicated that the spear-thrower and bow-and-arrow technologies allowed modern humans to hunt more successfully than Neanderthals — giving them a competitive advantage. This discovery offered important insight to understand the reasons for the replacement of Neanderthals by modern humans.

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Traditional fisherfolk help uncover ancient fish preservation methods

Archaeologists have little insight into the methods used for the long-term processing and preservation of fish in the past. A study of traditional fish preparation employed by fisherfolk in Panama and Egypt, revealed patterns of modifications to the fishes' skeletons which are comparable to those found among fish remains recovered in archaeological sites.

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