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Recent studies have identified the probable era in prehistoric times when humans initially began to communicate through speech.
According to Steven Mithen, a British archaeologist, research indicates that early humans began developing basic language approximately 1.6 million years ago in either eastern or southern Africa.
According to Dr. Mithen, a professor of early prehistory at the University of Reading, the development of the ability to communicate through speech was crucial in enabling human physical and cultural progress. This is why determining the origins of language is of great significance.
Previously, the majority of specialists in human evolution believed that humans began to speak around 200,000 years ago. However, Professor Mithen’s latest research, released this month, puts forth the idea that early forms of human language are actually much older, with estimates at least eight times greater. This conclusion was reached after a thorough examination of various sources including archaeological evidence, paleo-anatomical findings, genetic data, neurological studies, and linguistic data.
The available evidence points to language being developed within the range of human evolution and other advances, approximately between 2 and 1.5 million years ago.
In the course of human evolution, there was a significant growth in brain size, specifically during the time period between 2 million BC and 1.5 million BC. This increase in brain size also brought about a restructuring within the brain, particularly the development of the frontal lobe. This area, known as Broca’s area, is closely linked to the production and comprehension of language. Scientists believe that this specific area evolved from earlier brain structures responsible for communication through hand and arm gestures.
One of the places believed to be where human language originated is the well-known Stone Age archaeological site, Olduvai Gorge, in Tanzania.
Recent scientific studies indicate that the development of Broca’s area was associated with enhancements in working memory, which is crucial for constructing sentences. Additionally, other evolutionary changes were integral to the development of basic language skills. About 1.8 million years ago, the evolution of a more advanced erect posture and alterations in the structure of the human skull initiated the transformation of the vocal tract, enabling the ability for speech.
There is significant proof suggesting that humans began speaking around 1.6 million BC, based on information found in the archaeological record. Humans were generally not as physically strong as other animals, so they relied on communication for survival and success.
An artist’s recreation of Homo erectus, now thought to have developed humanity’s first rudimentary language around 1.6 million years ago
From an evolutionary standpoint, it is likely that language played a crucial role in compensating for physical strength. This was necessary in order to successfully hunt and protect themselves from physically strong animal competitors. The development of language would have been essential in enhancing group planning and coordination abilities. Interestingly, evidence suggests that human hunting began around two million years ago but significantly increased in speed around 1.5 million years ago. It was also during this time, around 1.6 million BC, that advanced stone tool technology emerged and was passed down through generations, indicating the presence of speech.
Additionally, the use of language was likely vital in facilitating human adaptation to various environmental and weather conditions. Interestingly, it is likely not a coincidence that around 1.4 million years ago, shortly after the estimated emergence of language, humans were able to rapidly expand their migration across the globe. Language allowed humans to have the ability to think and plan for future actions, as well as to share knowledge with each other.
Professor Mithen explained that language has greatly impacted the human experience. His latest findings, described in his newly published book, The Language Puzzle, indicate that prior to 1.6 million years ago, humans had a more restricted means of communication. This likely consisted of only a small number of noises and arm gestures that were limited by context and unable to be used for future planning. To plan and convey more complex ideas, basic grammar and individual words were necessary.
This circular natural feature (the so-called Richat Structure in the Sahara Desert) was once a major prehistoric tool-making and hunting centre for Homo erectus
Based on Professor Mithen’s research, there seems to be a connection between ancient human languages and contemporary ones. He suggests that certain elements of the initial development of language from 1.6 million years ago are still present in modern languages. He posits that the early human’s use of descriptive words, denoted by their sounds or length, were likely among the earliest forms of language.
Future studies may potentially reconstruct the probable formation and arrangement of the initial languages. While the emergence of language is believed to have taken place approximately 1.6 million years ago, it signified the start of its evolution, rather than its completion.
For countless millennia, the development of language occurred at a slow pace, with its ultimate sophistication being achieved after the arrival of anatomically modern humans 150,000 years ago.
Source: independent.co.uk
