Science, Homo Sapiens, and Neanderthals: A Coexistence That Lasted 2,000 Years

Modern humans may have coexisted with Neanderthals in France and northern Spain for between 1,400 and 2,900 years. described in the magazine Scientific ReportsThis hypothesis was formulated by scientistsLeiden University. team led by Igor Djakovic, analyzed 56 artifacts made by the two species, from 17 archaeological sites in France and northern Spain. The samples were radiocarbon dated using a number of modern techniques to get more accurate results. The authors estimated the time ranges in which human groups were present at the sites by developing models useful to fill in the gaps in archaeological documentation. Thanks to this approach, the authors found that the typical Neanderthal artifact first appeared between 45,343 and 44,248 years ago, only to be replaced between 39,894 and 39,798 years ago. The first appearance of human-made artifacts dates back to a time period between 42,653 and 42,269 years ago. The authors conclude that this work indicates that the two lineages seem to have coexisted for a period of 1400-2900 years, even if it is not clear whether further investigations will be necessary to see if at this time both species span. They interacted with each other.