.
Subscribe to our Voices Dispatches email and receive a comprehensive summary of the top opinions from the week.
–>
Subscribe to our Voices newsletter for free on a weekly basis.
Recent studies have identified the probable period in ancient times when human beings first started communicating verbally.
according to British archaeologist Steven Mithen’s research, it is hypothesized that early humans may have started developing basic language skills approximately 1.6 million years ago in either eastern or southern Africa.
Dr. Mithen, an early prehistory professor at the University of Reading, explains that the development of speaking in humans was crucial for their physical and cultural evolution. This is why determining the timing of the first forms of language is significant.
Previously, the majority of specialists in human evolution believed that humans did not begin speaking until approximately 200,000 years ago. However, Professor Mithen’s latest research, released this month, proposes that the development of basic human language occurred at least eight times earlier. His findings are a result of a comprehensive examination of archaeological, paleo-anatomical, genetic, neurological, and linguistic data.
Based on all the available evidence, it is believed that language emerged alongside other human evolutionary changes around 2-1.5 million years ago.
During the time span between 2 million BC and 1.5 million BC, there was a significant increase in human brain size. This led to a reorganization of the brain’s internal structure, which included the emergence of the frontal lobe area responsible for language production and comprehension, known as Broca’s area. This area is believed to have evolved from previous structures involved in ancient communication using gestures with the hands and arms.
Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania is renowned for its Stone Age archaeological discoveries and is considered a likely location where humans first developed language.
Recent studies indicate that the development of Broca’s area played a role in enhancing working memory, which is essential for constructing sentences. However, other evolutionary advancements were also significant for the development of primitive language. The transition to a more advanced form of upright walking about 1.8 million years ago, paired with modifications in the structure of the human skull, likely initiated changes in the vocal tract, enabling the capability of speech.
Additional significant proof indicating that humans began speaking around 1.6 million BC can be found in the existing archaeological evidence. In comparison to various other animal species, humans did not possess extraordinary physical strength. As a means of survival and success, they had to counterbalance this physical vulnerability.
A depiction by an artist of Homo erectus, who is believed to have originated humanity’s initial primitive language approximately 1.6 million years ago.
In terms of evolution, the use of language likely played a role in the strategy of compensating for physical strength. This was necessary in order for early humans to hunt large animals and defend against physically strong competitors. The development of language was crucial in enabling group planning and coordination for these tasks. It is noteworthy that human hunting began around two million years ago and significantly increased around 1.5 million years ago. This period also saw advancements in stone tool technology, which suggests the oral transmission of knowledge and skills between generations. This further supports the existence of speech.
Furthermore, language was likely essential for human survival in varying ecological and climatic landscapes. It is not coincidental that, around 1.4 million years ago, humans were able to rapidly expand their reach across the globe – this is around the same time that language is believed to have emerged. Language allowed humans to accomplish three important abilities: to envision and prepare for future actions, and to transfer knowledge to others.
Dr. Mithen explained how the use of language has greatly impacted the course of human history. His latest findings, laid out in his recent publication, The Language Puzzle, which was released this month, propose that prior to 1.6 million years ago, humans had a more limited ability to communicate. Their communication likely consisted of a small number of sounds and gestures that were only used in specific situations, thus making it difficult to make future plans. A more complex grammar and individual words were necessary for advanced planning.
This circular geological formation, referred to as the Richat Structure, served as a prominent location for tool-making and hunting by Homo erectus during prehistoric times in the Sahara Desert.
According to Professor Mithen’s research, there seems to be a link between the earliest human languages and modern ones. He finds it remarkable that certain elements of that initial linguistic evolution from 1.6 million years ago still exist in current languages. He is suggesting that primitive humans likely used words that described objects through their sounds or length as some of their first communication.
Future studies could potentially reconstruct the probable organization and makeup of the earliest languages. While evidence suggests that language emerged approximately 1.6 million years ago, this marked the initial stages of language development, not its ultimate achievement.
Over the course of hundreds of thousands of years, the complexity of language gradually increased, and it became even more sophisticated after anatomically modern humans appeared 150,000 years ago.
Source: independent.co.uk
