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The findings in Denisova Cave in the Altai can turn history

08/07/201117: 35

Maxim Koshmarchuk

Denisova Cave (Soloneshensky district, Altai region), July 8 - RIA Novosti. Denisova cave is located at the very beginning of the Altai Mountains in the heart of Asia. For thousands of years it served as a refuge for ancient people. Today it is one of the few places on Earth, which riveted attention of scientists engaged in the ancient history of mankind. On the accumulation of archaeological finds in terms of their importance to scientists, the cave is compared with the pyramids of Egypt. While digging in it has been going on for nearly 30 years on, archaeologists stumbled upon a sensational discoveries in recent years.

Ancient cave house

Denisova Cave is one of the mountains 250 kilometers from the Altai city of Biisk in the valley of Anouilh. Excavations began there in the early 1980s after it became clear that the territory of Altai by favorable natural conditions in ancient times was the seat of the ancestors of modern man. Age of the oldest finds in the cave - about 280 thousand years.

When one after another in Denisova Cave began to detect an unprecedented collection of unique artifacts of various ancient periods, it became clear that stumbled upon this storehouse of archaeological data. Scientists decided to break at this point field research camp. Now it has turned into a research hospital with a desk Laboratory, which carried out the primary work with found objects. Each year in the hospital for up to 100 archaeologists and scientists in other directions.

In the cave, archaeologists uncovered 22 lithological horizon - a layer of loose sediments, corresponding to different cultural epochs. "Lithologic horizons are literally larded artifacts, signs of economic activities of ancient inhabitants of the cave. The number of finds is simply unique," - told RIA Novosti the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography SB RAS Sergei Isupov. According to him, thanks to discoveries in the cave, scientists were able to take a fresh look at the culture and way of life of their ancestors.

According to scientists, for thousands of years the cave was inhabited by people, because it was convenient to stay. The cave has an area of ​​270 square meters, 110 meters long and consists of a large "Central Hall" at the entrance and two holes into the rock. Denisova cave scientists call Ancient cave house in North Asia and the focus of the story.

unknown population of people

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It's really a sensational discovery, archaeologists have learned from the 11th layer in the cave 50-thousands of years, revealing the remains of a previously unknown type of ancient man.

The fact that in Siberia before its territory occupied by representatives of Homo sapiens, lived previously unknown type of people, the researchers reported in the magazine «Nature» December 22, 2010. Their findings, scientists have made on the basis of the full genome decoding, preserved in two ancient human tissue samples from Denisova Cave - metacarpophalangeal finger bones and molars. According to scientists, a new type of people is akin to the Neanderthal man and lived about 50 thousand years ago.

These findings attracted the attention of scientists from different countries to the Denisova cave, because they violate the old model of human evolution, adding yet another type of ancient people. Apprehensive with loud statements, Novosibirsk, archaeologists say that the findings "have a completely new, unexpected hypothesis in the history of human evolution."

As director, told reporters the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography SB RAS Academician Anatoly Derevianko, after the excavations in the cave Denisova a new model of human evolution, and scientists "have the opportunity to approach the fundamental problem - the emergence of modern human type."

Scholars discuss

Reduce pleerPervym step in the recognition of this discovery was the international symposium, held from 4 to 9 July, right in the field camp of scientists at Denisova cave to foreign experts were able to personally see the place where he lived hitherto unknown type of person.

At a symposium attended by archaeologists, geneticists, anthropologists, paleontologists from Russia, Germany, Japan, China, USA, France, Czech Republic, Croatia. Among the keynote speakers - Professor Laboratory of the Max Planck Institute in Leipzig, Svante Paabo. It was under his leadership were found in genetic studies Denisova cave the remains of ancient people. Svante Paabo told RIA Novosti that he has not seen negative responses made by scientists about their genetic conclusion of a new type of ancient man.

Since the first publications was a little more time, and other scientists who may not yet be ready to respond. So, obviously, too early to say that will rewrite the textbooks as regards human evolution and to add there is another type of ancient man.

According to the academician Derevianko to definitively substantiate and prove a new model of human evolution, "the need for new research, new factual material."

Meanwhile, the German Max Planck Institute of Genetics in the current year have new evidence for the existence of a previously unknown type of ancient people, RIA Novosti reported the deputy director of the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography Michael Shunkov. According to him, the genome "Denisovskaya person" (as the archaeologists call a new type of ancient man, who had not yet received an official name) is taken from the remains of two, discovered in 2010 in the 11-m layer of Denisova cave. Thus, today already four findings suggest the existence of a previously unknown population of people.

According to the authors of an article published in the magazine «Nature», a new kind of people is akin to the Neanderthals. According to their hypothesis, it is derived from an archaic type of a group of people who left Africa about 300-400 thousand years ago, which is then divided at least into two parts, one of which gave rise to the Neanderthals. Scientists have found that only one now living of the people, the inhabitants of Melanesia - there are common genetic traits (4-6%) with "denisovtsami", whereas all other modern people, but Africans anywhere from 1%to 4%of the genome Neanderthals.

The oldest women's jewelry

Another important finding in Denisova Cave became part of a stone bracelet, which archeologists found in the same layer, where the remains of an unknown type of people. Scientists say that, based on age, the bracelet is the oldest known to date, women's jewelry.

On the bracelet is an opening through which, as scientists believe, pass through the rope with beads. Researchers believe that the trinket is likely to belong to some members of the aristocracy and was a symbol of prestige. Most scientists struck by the fact that the archaic form of humans possessed a high level of culture. According to archaeologists, the bracelet is complicated to manufacture, it made a neat hole and apparently used for drilling technology, comparable to a modern machine.
Once the information became available about the discovery of one of the jewelry corporations trying to enter the archaeologists with a proposal to buy the exclusive right to represent the image of this ancient bracelet.

The main opening in front

Archaeologists recognize that for nearly 30 years of excavations, they were able to examine only part of the cave. "We are at the beginning of the study, despite the fact that work is being done here in 1980. Our experts figuratively say that they are only little finger kolupnuli in numerous mysteries Denisova cave. These works are allowed to explore the central part of the estuary in southern and eastern galleries. But when this work of geophysics, they prozvoniv cave with its special equipment, came to the conclusion that the main hall and galleries - is but the prelude to the huge voids that are contained in the interior, "- says archaeologist Sergei Isupov.

According to him, the internal cavity cave littered with a layer of sediment.

"Similarly, we do not know the volume of internal voids, but according to some, it can range from a half to thousands of cubic meters. It is in the depth of these voids may lurk interesting and possibly unique finds," - said the source.

He noted that the findings in Denisova Cave really be compared with findings in the Egyptian pyramids.

"According to the importance of science to the process of anthropogenesis can compare them with findings in the tomb of Tutankhamen, with investigations Egyptian pyramids. The academic significance Denisova Cave is not inferior to the most famous archaeological finds in history. On the other hand, they (the findings in the cave) are not shocking, sensational to the public. But if we talk about an objective picture of anthropogenesis and ancient history of this part of Eurasia, such a comparison is possible and even correct, "- said the scientist.

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VIDEO: The ancients had the artistic taste and a lot of traveling - the conclusion made by Altai archaeologists found them exploring female bracelet, whose age is about 50 thousand years.