The first prehistoric human settlements outside of Africa appeared about 300,000 years ago. These settlements were made by early Homo sapiens. However, it should be noted that Homo erectus migrated out of Africa 1,000,000 years ago.
Early Human Settlements in Africa
The earliest fossil evidence of Homo sapiens are found in Morocco. The fossils date 316,000 years old. From Morocco, the fossil record shows that modern man then appears in Ethiopia and South Africa 200,000 years ago. The next oldest fossils found in Sudan are from 160 thousand years ago (kya). Other locations during the Middle Stone Age are in the Sudan (160 kya) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (90 kya).
However, there is controversy about some of the findings. There is some debate whether or not all the fossils are H. sapiens. Nevertheless, the evidence indicates that H. sapiens had migrated throughout much of Africa during the Middle Stone Age.
Early Human Settlements Out of Africa
West and South Asia
The trail of Homo sapiens leads out of Africa about 300,000 years ago. The oldest prehistoric West Asian human settlements are found in Turkey. Other West Asian sites include Israel (195 kya) and the United Arab Emirates (125 kya).
Genetic research suggests that the earliest Homo sapiens reached India about 70 kya.
East and Southeast Asia
The Homo sapiens trail follows an Asian coastal migration route. Following the South Asian coast, settlements then appear in Indonesia (73 kya). Later, human settlements appear in the Philippines (67 kya) and Australia (65 kya).
Middle Stone Age Human Settlements
Europe
From 45 – 25 kya, Homo sapiens spread throughout Europe. Fossil and settlement evidence place modern humans in Russia, Lithuania, Italy, Romania, the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom, and Portugal.
Asia
At the same time, modern humans spread to Sri Lanka, Tibet, Laos, Malaysia, East Timor, New Guinea, and then Australia. This took place along a South Asian coastal route. From East Asia Homo sapiens migrated to Hong Kong, Taiwan, Okinawa, and Japan.
Reflections
Vocabulary
- Homo sapiens
- migration
- settlement
Notes
- The first human settlements are in Africa.
- Fossil evidence suggests the first humans migrated out of Africa.
- The early migrations followed a coastal migration route.
