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Recent studies have identified the probable period in ancient history when humans initially developed the ability to communicate through speech.
According to the research of British archaeologist Steven Mithen, it is believed that early humans began to develop basic language skills approximately 1.6 million years ago in regions of eastern or southern Africa.
According to Dr. Mithen, a professor at the University of Reading specializing in early prehistory, the advancement of human language was a crucial factor in enabling our physical and cultural progression. Therefore, establishing the origin of the first forms of language is highly significant.
Until recent times, the majority of human evolution specialists believed that humans did not begin speaking until approximately 200,000 years ago. However, Professor Mithen’s latest study, released this month, proposes that early forms of human language may have emerged much earlier, being at least eight times older. This conclusion is drawn from an exhaustive examination of all existing archaeological, paleo-anatomical, genetic, neurological, and linguistic data.
The collective evidence points to language originating within the timeline of human evolution and other advancements, between two and 1.5 million years ago.
Starting from 2 million BC, there was a significant increase in human brain size, and this increase accelerated after 1.5 million BC. This was accompanied by a reorganization of the brain’s internal structure, which included the development of the frontal lobe, a section of the brain that is linked to language production and comprehension. This part of the brain, known as Broca’s area, is believed to have evolved from previous brain structures that allowed early humans to communicate through hand and arm gestures.
Tanzania’s Olduvai Gorge, world-famous for its Stone Age archaeology, is one of the likely areas where humans first began to speak
Recent scientific studies indicate that the development of Broca’s area also played a role in enhancing working memory, an essential component for constructing sentences. However, other evolutionary advancements were also vital for the evolution of rudimentary language. Approximately 1.8 million years ago, the evolution of a more advanced form of bipedalism and adaptations in the human skull likely initiated modifications to the vocal tract, ultimately enabling speech.
There is compelling evidence suggesting that humans began speaking around 1.6 million years ago, based on findings in the field of archaeology. Unlike other creatures, humans were not known for their physical strength. In order to thrive, they had to find ways to overcome this physical disadvantage.
An artist’s recreation of Homo erectus, now thought to have developed humanity’s first rudimentary language around 1.6 million years ago
In terms of evolution, language likely played a role in the physical strength compensatory strategy. This enabled early humans to effectively hunt and defend against physically formidable animal competitors. The development of language would have been essential in facilitating group planning and coordination. Human hunting is believed to have started approximately two million years ago, but significantly increased around 1.5 million years ago. The period around 1.6 million BC also marked the emergence of advanced stone tool technology that was passed down through generations, indicating the presence of speech.
It is likely that effective communication played a crucial role in humans’ ability to adapt and thrive in diverse environments and climates. This is supported by the observation that humans dramatically increased their expansion across the globe roughly 1.4 million years ago, after the presumed emergence of language. The development of language allowed humans to accomplish three important tasks: envision and strategize future endeavors, and transmit knowledge.
Professor Mithen stated that language has had a profound impact on the human story. His recent study, described in his book “The Language Puzzle,” which was published this month, suggests that before 1.6 million years ago, humans only had a limited ability to communicate through a few gestures and noises that were restricted to certain situations. This limited communication did not allow for planning, and basic grammar and individual words were necessary for this purpose.
This round natural characteristic, known as the Richat Structure in the Sahara Desert, was previously a primary site for prehistoric tool production and hunting by Homo erectus.
According to Professor Mithen, his research shows potential connections between ancient and modern human languages. He also proposes that some elements of the earliest language 1.6 million years ago remain present in current languages. The professor suggests that primitive humans likely used words that resembled the sounds and length of the objects they represented.
It is possible for future studies to partially replicate the possible arrangement and framework of the initial languages. However, the emergence of language appears to have happened approximately 1.6 million years ago, but it was only the start of its evolution, not its ultimate form.
Over the course of hundreds of thousands of years, language slowly evolved, reaching its peak of complexity after the appearance of modern humans 150,000 years ago.
Source: independent.co.uk
