Grăunceanu: 1.95-million-year-old cut marks push back European hominin date. Site at Grăunceanu in southern Romania, on the border with Bulgaria Archaeologists recovered 4,983 ancient animal bones Bones were initially thought to be naturally deposited by a river
Grăunceanu in southern Romania yielded 4,983 animal bones originally thought river-deposited. But cut marks on 20 of them date to ~1.95 million years ago — among Europe's oldest hominin evidence. No tools or remains found, hinting that small-brained hominins (perhaps Homo habilis-like) had greater habitat flexibility than expected. 🔪
Key Facts
- Site at Grăunceanu in southern Romania, on the border with Bulgaria
- Archaeologists recovered 4,983 ancient animal bones
- Bones were initially thought to be naturally deposited by a river
- Clear cut marks and scratch marks were identified on 20 of the bones
- Cut marks dated to approximately 1.95 million years ago, making this among the oldest evidence of hominins in Europe
- No stone tools or hominin remains were found at the site
- If correct, the first hominins in Europe may have been small-brained, resembling Homo habilis, showing greater habitat flexibility than expected
Source: The First Humans To Venture North by Stefan Milo