Support NeoGAF

[GK86]

Link. Didn't see a thread.

As a group of ancient humans walked across a muddy beach in England nearly a million years ago, little did they know that one day, their footsteps would thrill modern discoverers.

The find—believed to be the oldest known human footprints found outside of Africa—wouldn't have happened without a rare combination of mud with just the right consistency, still or slow-flowing water, and a bit of perfect timing on the part of some modern humans.

"We found them by pure chance in May last year," writes Nicholas Ashton, a curator at the British Museum in London, in a blog post about the find. The footprints might help us understand how some of our early human predecessors made their way in the ancient world.

When Ashton and colleagues were at Happisburgh, a beach site in southeastern England, Martin Bates, an archeologist with Trinity Saint David University in Lampeter, England, noticed some hollowed-out holes in hardened sediments, located at the base of a cliff.

Bates thought they looked like footprints, so the researchers decided to investigate. They published their findings online February 7 in the journal PLOS ONE.

"We knew the sediments at Happisburgh were over 800,000 years old," says Ashton. So if the hollows turned out to be footprints, they would be older than anything outside of the cradle of humanity, Africa. (Footprints found there, near Lake Tanzania, are about 3.7 million years old.)

Driving rain, incoming tides, and poor light hampered efforts to study the prints in the field. Eroding cliffs and relentless tides often uncover and then destroy archaeological sites in the area, so the scientists couldn't be sure how long the footprints would remain. (See "Expedition Underway to Extract Latest Fossil Find From Cradle of Humankind Cave.")

But Ashton and colleagues acquired a series of pictures of the footprints over a two-week period. The footprints were completely gone by the end of May.

They stitched the photographs together in a computer program to produce 3-D images of the site. That enabled the researchers to get length and width measurements of the footprints, and even to estimate the height and weight of the owners. Heights among the group topped out at 5.6 feet (1.7 meters) tall.

Twelve of the footprints were clear enough that Ashton and colleagues could determine that five individuals—likely a mix of older and younger individuals—left them behind. In one instance, the researchers could even make out toes.

The study authors were also able to determine that most of the footprints seemed to be traveling in a southerly direction along the ancient estuary.

Height estimates made from the footprints point to early humans known as Homo antecessor as the likely creators of these ancient tracks. (Read about the "Case of the Missing Ancestor" in National Geographic magazine.)

This species, also known as "Pioneer Man," lived in Europe and walked upright on two legs, Ashton explains. "They were smaller-brained than ourselves," he adds.

"We actually know very little else about the people who left these prints," Ashton says.

 

[Madness]

Everyday there's some new "evidence" about where humans were, what they looked like, where they possibly came from. Damnit science, either you get your shit together or I'm joining the "were you there" crowd. Lol, no this stuff always interests me. There is so much we don't know, so much information lost to the sands of time. If you really ask me, I'd be willing to believe Prometheus. Some bald guy who looked like the villains from blade 2 or I am Legend came here thousands of years ago, drank some shit, puked into a river and dissolved and here we are.

 

[Espada]

Man, that is absolutely fascinating. The conditions under which these were made (and then discovered)... wow. I can't even imagine how they must've felt to find those. It's things like these that always get my mind racing as to what the next discovery will be.

 

[BocoDragon]

You weren't there.

 

[rjc571]

God clearly put those footprints there to test us

 

[Draper]

God clearly put those footprints there to test us

He tests me because he loves me.

 

[ymmv]

You can see a few pictures at the British Museum blog: http://blog.britishmuseum.org/

 

[beast786]

Imagine being able too see earth 800,000 years in past and our ancestors living the life. man, I would give anything to witness it.

The type of animals, there relationship , insect, plants, communication, fire, damn so much mystery

 

[Scarecrow]

I'd think erosion would have worked those prints over by now, right?

 

[Aaron Strife]

There have always been answers. They're in this book...

 

[Madness]

I'd think erosion would have worked those prints over by now, right?

If you read the link, it says erosional processes don't leave marks like that, and that even if you stood on them today, they don't leave those impressions. Pretty crazy to think 800 millenia ago, people were walking near Britain. They said they could identify heels, arches, toes etc.

 

[Intheflorsh]

I'd think erosion would have worked those prints over by now, right?

The layers that hid the footprints eroded, which is why we only know about this now.

The site lies beneath the beach sand in sediments that actually underlie the cliffs. The cliffs are made up of soft sands and clays, which have been eroding at an alarming rate over the last ten years, and even more so during the latest winter storms. As the cliffs erode they reveal these even earlier sediments at their base, which are there for a short time before the sea washes them away.

 

[diggmcbadass]

History of ancient man blows my mind. We've only had writing for a few thousand years, but what is arguably humans have existed for hundreds of thousands of years before that. So strange to think that everything we know only represents the extreme minority of human history.

 

[-Plasma Reus-]

Footprints found there, near Lake Tanzania, are about 3.7 million years old

We knew the sediments at Happisburgh were over 800,000 years old,

Exactly how old is the human species? I thought humans were much more ape-like at that point in time.

 

[Pandaman]

Exactly how old is the human species? I thought humans were much more ape-like at that point in time.

the homo genus is about 2.4 million years old.

 

[TacticalFox88]

Funny. For all we know, we could've been technologically advanced like the Ancient Humans in Halo, and bam! some event reset us back to the stone age because ultimately we have at best 6-10k years of human history.

That's freaking mind blowing.

 

[capslock]

A group of ancient humans walked on a beach; you won't believe what happened next.

 

[pestul]

Funny. For all we know, we could've been technologically advanced like the Ancient Humans in Halo, and bam! some event reset us back to the stone age because ultimately we have at best 6-10k years of human history.

That's freaking mind blowing.

Given how far we've come in the last few hundred years alone.. nothing would surprise me anymore with regards to ancient humans and how far they developed (before being wiped out obviously).

 

[DBT85]

Any sign of a chip fork nearby?


Always fascinating to think what life might have been like that long ago.

 

[GK86]

You can see a few pictures at the British Museum blog: http://blog.britishmuseum.org/

Even better, they have video (YT link).

 

[Zane]

You weren't there.

God clearly put those footprints there to test us

He tests me because he loves me.

There have always been answers. They're in this book...

oh i get it

 

[dan2026]

There have always been answers. They're in this book...

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy?

 

[Cyan]

As a group of ancient humans walked across a muddy beach in England nearly a million years ago, little did they know that one day, their footsteps would thrill modern discoverers.

And did those feet in ancient times...

 

[The Technomancer]

Funny. For all we know, we could've been technologically advanced like the Ancient Humans in Halo, and bam! some event reset us back to the stone age because ultimately we have at best 6-10k years of human history.

That's freaking mind blowing.

The time scale involved wouldn't have been enough to cover up all of the mining they would have needed to have a comparable level of technology. Iron doesn't rise up to the crust in a few hundred thousand years.

 

[commedieu]

Imagine being able too see earth 800,000 years in past and our ancestors living the life. man, I would give anything to witness it.

The type of animals, there relationship , insect, plants, communication, fire, damn so much mystery

You know, I really want someone to do a Game Of Thrones style show for ancient us. Our brains are the same, these guys are us. They had language/art/wars/love. I think theres always this push to make cavemen seem so barberic and dim. But, the brain dont lie..

 

[Can Crusher]

I have a theory...

The reason why we are starting to find more and more new shit is because time travel has been invented in the future, and now you have these chinese tourists leaving their footprints all over the past. Can't wait till we find a drawing of a dick in some ancient place.

...

Or aliens.

 

[Demon Ice]

Satan's forgeries grow more and more complex every year.

 

[Odrion]

I have a theory...

The reason why we are starting to find more and more new shit is because time travel has been invented in the future, and now you have these chinese tourists leaving their footprints all over the past. Can't wait till we find a drawing of a dick in some ancient place.

...

Or aliens.

I like this theory.

 

[To Far Away Times]

But this is based in historical science. If you want the answers, there's a book...

 

[Tesseract]

why we still got feet?

 

[TCRS]

3.7 million year old footprints? damn. hard to imagine.

 

[DOBERMAN INC]

Fascinating, the video explains that it was most likely a family too. Makes me wonder about the whole roaming warriors and hunters aspect of ancient humans.

 

[GK86]

3.7 million year old footprints? damn. hard to imagine.

Science can't prove science though.


London-gaf, they are opening an exhibition called "Britain: One Million Years of the Human Story" on Feb 13th.

 

[PsychBat!]

The time scale involved wouldn't have been enough to cover up all of the mining they would have needed to have a comparable level of technology. Iron doesn't rise up to the crust in a few hundred thousand years.

Maybe whatever wiped us out before also completely obliterated any monuments, buildings, etc we had.

That would be interesting.

 

[GK86]

Maybe whatever wiped us out before also completely obliterated any monuments, buildings, etc we had.

That would be interesting.

Sounds like something Aliens are capable of.

 

[EmCeeGramr]

Maybe whatever wiped us out before also completely obliterated any monuments, buildings, etc we had.

That would be interesting.

There were be burn marks and traces of destroyed buildings. We would find some trace of technology; quarries, mines, building outlines, impacts and marks left by alien weaponry and fires, something. There would be a gap in the fossil and artifact record where and when these advanced prehistoric humans lived. We don't find any.

I mean, it's technically possible that aliens could have technology so advanced that they could wipe us out and not leave any trace and also create fake evidence that humans have evolved biologically and advanced technologically in a normal predictable fashion, but at that point you might as well say that humans were actually hyperadvanced before 1900 and aliens wiped all of that out and put a bunch of fake old buildings and books down.

 

[kyser73]

He tests me because he loves me.

'Do this algebra test!'

 

[maxcriden]

There were be burn marks and traces of destroyed buildings. We would find some trace of technology; quarries, mines, building outlines, impacts and marks left by alien weaponry and fires, something. There would be a gap in the fossil and artifact record where and when these advanced prehistoric humans lived. We don't find any.

I mean, it's technically possible that aliens could have technology so advanced that they could wipe us out and not leave any trace and also create fake evidence that humans have evolved biologically and advanced technologically in a normal predictable fashion, but at that point you might as well say that humans were actually hyperadvanced before 1900 and aliens wiped all of that out and put a bunch of fake old buildings and books down.

So are you saying that's *not* what happened? :-/

 

[PsychBat!]

There were be burn marks and traces of destroyed buildings. We would find some trace of technology; quarries, mines, building outlines, impacts and marks left by alien weaponry and fires, something. There would be a gap in the fossil and artifact record where and when these advanced prehistoric humans lived. We don't find any.

Spoiler

were you there? lol

Of course, if I've learned anything about being a fan of post-civilization stories/environments, there's always evidence of a past race waiting to be found. Nothing's ever completely gone. I wasn't actually taking the idea of a past technologically advanced human race seriously or anything.

Spoiler

Or was I?

 

[beast786]

It really is unlikely. There's the common misconception that Middle ages took humanity back. However, technology never stopped having accelerated growth. While it is true that philosophy and beliefs went backwards at that time, technology continued to evolve until it reached a point when it exploded and overcame the dark ages.

Timeline of historic innovations:

1.8 million years ago: Fire and then cooking
500 thousand years ago (ka): Shelter construction
400 ka: Pigments in Zambia
400 ka: Spears in Germany
200 ka: Glue in Italy
160–40 ka: Burial
110 ka: Beads in Israel
77 ka: Bedding in South Africa
64 ka: Arrowhead in South Africa
61 ka: Sewing needle in South Africa
60 ka: Bow
36 ka: Cloth woven from flax fiber in Georgia
35 ka: Flute in Germany
28 ka: twisted rope
16 ka: Pottery in China
6000 BC: Kiln in Mesopotamia
5000 - 4500 BC: Lacquer in China
5000 - 4500 BC: Rowing oars in China.
3630 BC: Sericulture in China
3500 BC: the Wheel
3200 BC: Sailing in ancient Egypt
3000 BC: Cuneiform in Mesopotamia
3000 BC: Bronze in Mesopotamia
3000 BC: Papyrus in Egypt

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_historic_inventions

The further back, the more time inbetween technology innovations.

If people had advanced technology thousands of years ago, we would have found out by now.

Damn , wheel only 3500BC, humans you been slacking

 

[Rebel Leader]

Any sign of a chip fork nearby?


Always fascinating to think what life might have been like that long ago.

 

[zsswimmer]

But thats impossible, the earth is only 6000 years old!

 

[beast786]

But thats impossible, the earth is only 6000 years old!

God year =\= human year noob

We are just flies

http://www.theguardian.com/science/2013/sep/16/time-passes-slowly-flies-study

 

[Napoleonthechimp]

I actually saw a documentary (or news report) a few years ago about ancient footprints being preserved in mud in similar circumstances (also in Britain). But I believe those footprints may have been only a few thousand years old.

 

[Kevtones]

I think at this point, Satan and God are working together on these forgeries. They're just so well done.

 

[RustyNails]

Finally they found where Larry King was born.

 

[GK86]

It really is unlikely. There's the common misconception that Middle ages took humanity back. However, technology never stopped having accelerated growth. While it is true that philosophy and beliefs went backwards at that time, technology continued to evolve until it reached a point when it exploded and overcame the dark ages.

Timeline of historic innovations:

1.8 million years ago: Fire and then cooking
500 thousand years ago (ka): Shelter construction
400 ka: Pigments in Zambia
400 ka: Spears in Germany
200 ka: Glue in Italy
160–40 ka: Burial
110 ka: Beads in Israel
77 ka: Bedding in South Africa
64 ka: Arrowhead in South Africa
61 ka: Sewing needle in South Africa
60 ka: Bow
36 ka: Cloth woven from flax fiber in Georgia
35 ka: Flute in Germany
28 ka: twisted rope
16 ka: Pottery in China
6000 BC: Kiln in Mesopotamia
5000 - 4500 BC: Lacquer in China
5000 - 4500 BC: Rowing oars in China.
3630 BC: Sericulture in China
3500 BC: the Wheel
3200 BC: Sailing in ancient Egypt
3000 BC: Cuneiform in Mesopotamia
3000 BC: Bronze in Mesopotamia
3000 BC: Papyrus in Egypt

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_historic_inventions

The further back, the more time inbetween technology innovations.

If people had advanced technology thousands of years ago, we would have found out by now.

Bees??

Do we have an idea where the wheel originated from?

 

[Oblivion]

Man, this just isn't Bill Nye's week.

 

[Parch]

Every new discovery is another piece of the puzzle, but there are no boundaries for improved knowledge. There will always be more to discover and learn.

 

[xbhaskarx]

And did those feet in ancient times...

...walk amongst these dark satanic scientists.