Denisova Cave

Denisova Cave
Денисова пещера
Denisova Cave
Denisova Cave in 2008
Denisova Cave in Russia
Denisova Cave in Russia
Location in Russia
Denisova Cave in Russia
Denisova Cave in Russia
Denisova Cave (Altai Krai)
Denisova Cave in Russia
Denisova Cave in Russia
Denisova Cave (Russia)
Alternative nameАю-Таш
LocationSoloneshensky District, Altai Krai
RegionSiberian Federal District, Russia
Coordinates51°23′51″N 84°40′34″E / 51.39750°N 84.67611°E / 51.39750; 84.67611
Altitude700 m (2,297 ft)[1]
Typelimestone, karst
Area270 m2 (2,900 sq ft)
History
PeriodsPaleolithic 30,000 to 48,000 years ago
CulturesDenisovans, Neanderthals, Homo sapiens sapiens
Map

Denisova Cave (Russian: Денисова пещера, romanizedDenísova peshchéra, lit.'the cave of Denis'; Altay: Аю-Таш, romanized: Ayu Tash, lit.'Bear Rock'[2]) is a cave in the Bashelaksky Range of the Altai mountains, Siberian Federal District, Russia. The cave has provided items of great paleoarchaeological and paleontological interest. Bone fragments of the Denisova hominin originate from the cave, including artifacts dated to around 40,000 BP. Remains of a 32,000-year-old prehistoric species of horse have also been found in the cave.

The cave is located in a region thought to have been inhabited concurrently in the past by Neanderthals and by modern humans. A bone needle dated to 50,000 years ago was discovered at the archaeological site in 2016 and has been described as the most ancient needle known[3][4][5] (though another possible needle dates to about 10,000 years earlier from South Africa from c. 61,000 years ago[6]).

Denisovans, Neanderthals and related hybrids may have inhabited the Denisova Cave for extended periods, but perhaps not at the same time.[7] The attribution of the needle and certain other artifacts at the cave, whether to Homo sapiens or to the Denisova hominin (also sometimes known as Homo denisova), is uncertain.[8]

  1. ^ Anatoly P. Derevianko; Alexander V. Postnov; Eugeny P. Rybin; Yaroslav V. Kuzmin; Susan G. Keates (2007). "The Pleistocene peopling of Siberia: A review of environmental and behavioural aspects". Bulletin of the Indo-Pacific Prehistory Association. 25: 57–68. doi:10.7152/bippa.v25i0.11915. Archived from the original on 25 December 2016. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference showcaves was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Siberian Times 2016 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Zenobia Jacobs; et al. (Jan 30, 2019). "Timing of archaic hominin occupation of Denisova Cave in southern Siberia". Nature. 565 (7741): 594–599. Bibcode:2019Natur.565..594J. doi:10.1038/s41586-018-0843-2. PMID 30700870. S2CID 59525956.
  5. ^ Michael V.Shunkov; et al. (Sep 10, 2020). "Initial Upper Palaeolithic ornaments and formal bone tools from the East Chamber of Denisova Cave in the Russian Altai". Quaternary International. 559: 47–67. Bibcode:2020QuInt.559...47S. doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2020.07.027. S2CID 225494150.
  6. ^ Blackwell, Lucinda (2008). "Middle Stone Age bone tools from the Howiesons Poort layers, Sibudu Cave, South Africa". Journal of Archaeological Science. 35 (6): 1566–1580. Bibcode:2008JArSc..35.1566B. doi:10.1016/j.jas.2007.11.006.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference NYT-20190130 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ The Siberian Times reporter, "Homo sapiens or Denisovans? Who made stunning cave jewellery and artefacts up to 48,000 years ago?" Archived 2019-09-02 at the Wayback Machine, The Siberian Times, February 4, 2016.

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