AFRICA, WHERE HUMANS ORIGINATED FROM

By archaeological proves the birth place of the human race lies in southern and eastern Africa.  There is no doubt and archaeologists are still discovering finds from as far back as 4million and 1.5 million years ago.  At first the ape like creature slowly developed into behaviours and appearances of human beings.  They only spread into Europe and Asia after one million years.

The climate of Africa was ideal to the earliest human’s way of life. Conditions were also ideal to preserve their bones and tools.  Most important archaeological sites are Hadar in Ethiopia; Koobi Fora in Kenya; Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania and Sterkfontein in South Africa. It is not known whether the first human lived in these parts but these sites gave so far the most evidence.

The earliest skeletons found are usually in a very fragmented state. Therefore, it is impossible to guess any physical difference could have been, even within a small population.  They also show a great avariation.  However, experts do agree on one thing that there were two types.

Australopithecus (southern ape) which seems to become extinct because there were no further finds so far.

Homo (man) from which all the races seemed to have developed from.  The first species Homo habilis (handy man) and it thought it was living around 2 million years ago.  They were the first creatures showing evidence of having stone tools. It is not known what they used them for.  Experts were also trying to find out whether these creatures were reaching a stage of social behaviour like food sharing. 

Homo habilis developed into Homo erectus (upright man). It was the hominid to move further from Africa.  Tools also became more useful in Africa as well as in the rest of the world. The tools slowly developed into smaller ones and it is assumed they were attached to handles like arrows and barbs. It is also thought that the bow and arrow was first invented in Africa.  These microliths were used in around 20,000 years ago but had been used already in the extreme south  80,000 years ago.

The microliths were made by people like the modern man.  Homo sapiens sapiens and it is still not known, in spite of great many finds, where and when the came from.  However, the oldest fossil, so far, was discovered in South Africa.  Dating back to about 100,000 years ago.  Genetic evidence established that these could be the oldest skeletons of fully modern people

When people became more responsive to climate changes they spread further.  Between 10,000 and 6,000 BC the Sahara desert was a wet region with lakes and rivers. Before that the Sahara was a dry area as well.  The semi-permanent communities settle there and lived on great supplies of fish and started farming. It was there were the ground was laid for the following African cultures.