In the Altai found the remains of a man who lived 50 thousand. Years ago – REGNUM

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Barnaul, August 17, 2015, 05:39 – REGNUM Siberian scientists during archaeological excavations discovered in a cave in the Altai Terrible Territory skeletal remains belonging to the period of 35-50 thousand. years ago. They will help to shed light on the interaction of modern humans, Neanderthals and denisovtsa on the territory of Altai, the press service of the Novosibirsk State University.

Earlier in the sediments of this age are just stone tools, analyzing that could only make assumptions about cave dwellers, experts say. Found skeletal remains have yet to be investigated in the laboratory, and these findings can either confirm the existing theory of anthropogenesis and force scientists to correct them.

«This year was a good one for archaeologists, – says Doctor of Historical Sciences, Head of Department Archaeology and Ethnography of the NSU Andrew Krivoshapkin . – In the course of excavations in the Pleistocene layers of the cave Terrible managed to discover new anthropological materials. In the layers belonging to the age of 35-40 thousand. Years ago, it was discovered a fragment of a nail phalanx man just below – a fragment of the skull, even lower – a fragment of rib, presumably as belonging to a man, but it remains to be seen in laboratory studies. The last two findings can not be less than 50 thousand years ».

If you found the bones preserved organic material, it will give an opportunity to genetic analysis and determine who they belong to. Before that, in 1989, the cave has been found anthropological remains (teeth modern humans), but associated with the later phase of the Upper Paleolithic – a little more than 20 thousand years ago.

«Ideally of course I would like to to the upper layers (the nail phalanx) would have been the man of the modern type which contains genes and Neanderthal, and denisovtsa; below the Neanderthal, as found here are similar to the tools industry Chagyrskoy cave where Neanderthal proved affiliation; and the most ancient fragment would apply to denisovtsu. But it’s just my imagination, the results of genetic research may be unexpected. In any case, they will help shed light on the interaction of modern humans, Neanderthals and denisovtsa on the territory of Altai “, – said Andrei Krivoshapkin.

A terrible cave located on the left bank of the river Inya, 2.5 km to the north Tigirek the village of Altai Krai. The cave is of great interest to the fossil and archaeological point of view. As a result of earlier excavations in the cave have been found as the Stone Age tools and various items (articles of bone, fragments of pottery), relating to the Bronze Age, Iron Age and the Middle Ages.