1.7 Homo Sapiens in Europe

Homo Sapiens probably moved from the Middle East into Southern Europe about 60,000 years ago, and reached Western Europe about 45,000 years ago. Pierced shells used as a necklace have been found in Turkey dated to 42,000 years ago, and a skull of Homo Sapiens in Romania dated to 40,000 years ago, indicating the route the first Europeans took from the Middle East north and along the Danube. DNA evidence can link 10% of Europeans to one female (now called Europa) who lived some 40,000 years ago. By this time they had developed better tools that were characteristically carefully chipped flint tools and weapons that have been found in many countries. They now included stone knives, scrapers, chisels and borers, as well as bone needles for sewing, and spear throwers that extended their arms giving as much as four times the distance thrown. From 35,000 years ago early European Homo Sapiens (also called Cro-Magnon) used such tools and quantities have been found in the Czech Republic, Germany and Romania. As early as 34,000 years ago European Homo Sapiens was using musical instruments such as the one found in Germany in the form of a flute, and carving effigies such as a man’s body with lion’s head.

In Europe, settlements would still be temporary, as food was inadequate all year round so possessions had to be portable. In more northern areas the food would have been predominantly meat, typically from herds of reindeer the people would follow. As the population grew, splinter groups would break off and move to new areas. At about 35,000 years ago the population of Homo Sapiens in Europe was likely to have been about 120,000 people.  They buried their dead with grave goods that included food, tools and artistic ornaments, indicating the development of social awareness and ritual.

A second wave of Homo Sapiens entered Europe around 25,000 years ago, bringing a new culture, and again DNA points to a predominant female now called Iris. Around the last glacial maximum, 21,000 years ago, Western Europe must have been pretty inhospitable to people from warmer regions. While Neanderthals were reasonably suited to the cold weather, Homo Sapiens was tall and slender, much more suited to warmer climes. There was clearly some temperature dependent ebbing and flowing of human habitation from the more northerly regions, as it was impossible to survive the worst of the intense cold and dryness, and there was an increase in cave dwelling. However, by this time Homo Sapiens had further developed his technology, some of which helped him survive in cooler climates. These included better shelters, using wood, bone, antlers and hide, and warmer clothes, the key being the use of the bone needles to stitch hides together. They also developed better food processing and preservation.

It is also suggested that the lesser sunlight in these northern areas would have been inadequate to form vitamin D in sufficient quantities to prevent disease if the skin still had its protective brown pigment, causing skin to progressively lighten, as today. As a point of interest, the blue eyes that are exclusive to Northern Europe were a mutation that took hold from about 11,000 years ago. The benefit it must have endowed is not yet clear, although it was probably to do with sexual attraction.