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Mass-spectrometric U-series dates for Israeli Neanderthal/early modern hominid sites
F McDermott1, R Grün, C B Stringer
1Department of Earth Sciences, Open University, Milton Keynes, UK.
Nature
|May 20, 1993
Summary
Neanderthal and early Homo sapiens coexisted in Israel around 100,000 years ago, challenging previous timelines. New dating methods confirm this overlap, crucial for understanding human evolution.
Area of Science:
- Paleoanthropology
- Archaeological Science
Background:
- The relationship between Neanderthals and early Homo sapiens is a key question in human evolution.
- Middle Palaeolithic sites in Israel are crucial as they contain both hominin types.
Purpose of the Study:
- To accurately date Neanderthal and early Homo sapiens remains from key Israeli sites.
- To resolve the chronological relationship between these hominin groups.
Main Methods:
- New mass spectrometric 230Th/234U dating applied to dental fragments.
- Integration of new data with existing electron spin resonance (ESR) dates.
Main Results:
- Dental fragments from Tabun (Neanderthal) and Qafzeh (Homo sapiens) sites are dated to approximately 100 ± 5 kyr ago.
- Some hominin material from the Skhul site is younger than previously thought.
- Combined 230Th/234U and ESR dating proves effective for archaeological sites beyond radiocarbon dating limits.
Conclusions:
- Neanderthals and early Homo sapiens were contemporaneous in the southern Levant around 100,000 years ago.
- This finding has significant implications for understanding hominin interactions and evolution.
- Advanced dating techniques enhance the reliability of archaeological chronologies.
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