Evidence of hominins building wooden structures half a million years ago

[boingboing]

Originally published at: Evidence of hominins building wooden structures half a million years ago | Boing Boing

…

[allenk]

It’s counterintuitive to think of high water levels helping to preserve the wood but the same happened to the Vasa ship, which sank on its maiden voyage. When people went down hundreds of years later to pull the ship back up, the metal bolts that had originally held it together had rusted away to nothingness but the wood was all still there. To bring it up (as one piece) they needed to put new bolts in all those holes. To think of wood as longer-lasting than metal still blows my mind.

[Mister44]

This discovery challenges the prevailing view that Stone Age humans were nomadic. At Kalambo Falls these humans not only had a perennial source of water, but the forest around them provided enough food to enable them to settle and make structures.

I didn’t know that it was thought Stone Age humans were all/mostly nomadic.

Woods Indians weren’t nomadic per se, they would stay in places depending on seasons and cycles. They wintered in a different place than in the summer, and after a few seasons would move around to let the area rejuvenate.

Assuming the environment allowed for it, I would assume many cultures had long term structures and villages. Not permanent in a modern sense, but not nomadic either.

[smulder]

@boingboing

Note that the article refers to “humans,” but these beings predate Homo sapiens (and were possibly Homo erectus?)

… yes, as we can tell from the letters in the word, “human” refers to the Homo, not to the sapiens

If we wanted to discriminate against erectus, we could identify ourselves as “sapients” instead of as “humans” — but why would we want to do that

[Elmer]

Here’s an orangutan building a hammock.

Orangutan builds a hammock

The “specialness” of Homo sapiens continually becomes less and less meaningful.

[Fred_Cairns]

The thing that depresses me about information like this is that humans haven’t really got any better…

[OWYAC]

That is absolutely amazing! I had no idea that they could tie knots, and also modifying the design for optimal comfort.

[euansmith]

It is tying fucking knots!!! And adjusting the anchor points for a better sling!!! What a shame that the environment looks and sounds so bleak.

"How can they cut the power, man?! They're animals!" (ALIENS)

[Tamsin_Bailey]

I saw a TV show with an orangutan that was taught some sign language, and also to trade washers for fruit treats.

Eventually, the keepers noticed the orangutan had more washers to “spend” than they had given her. She had dismantled parts of her swings and equipment for the washers.

When the keepers realised, and tried telling her off, she signed “I love you,” as she tried to lie.

Cheeky, but very clever.