List of countries and islands by first human settlement
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Though fossils of hominids have been found dating back millions of years, the earliest known Homo sapiens remains are considered to be a group of bones found at the Omo Kibish Formation, near the Ethiopian Kibish Mountains. Though believed to be 130,000 years old at their discovery in 1967, recent studies have dated them as far back as 195,000 years old.[1] From this area, humans spread out to cover all continents except Antarctica by 14,000 BP. According to a recent theory, humans may have crossed over into the Arabian Peninsula as early as 125,000 years ago.[2] From the Middle East, migration continued into India around 70,000 years ago, and Southeast Asia shortly after. Settlers could have crossed over to Australia and New Guinea – that were united as one continent at the time due to lower sea levels – as early as 55,000 years ago.[3] Migration into Europe took somewhat longer to occur; the first definite evidence of human settlement on this continent has been discovered in southern Italy, and dates back 43-45,000 years.[4] Settlement of Europe may have occurred as early as 45,000 years ago though, according to genetic research.[5] The Americas were populated by humans at least as early as 14,800 years ago,[6] though there is great uncertainty about the exact time and manner in which the Americas were populated.[7] More remote parts of the world, like Iceland, New Zealand and Madagascar were not populated until the historic era.[8]
The following table shows any geographical region at some point defined as a country – not necessarily a modern-day sovereign state – or any geographically distinct area such as an island, with the date of the first known or hypothesised human settlement. Dates are, unless specifically stated, approximate. Settlements are not necessarily continuous; settled areas in some cases become depopulated due to environmental conditions, such as glacial periods or the Toba volcanic eruption.[9] Where applicable, information is also given on the exact location where the settlement was discovered, and further information about the discovery. Some dates are based on genetic research (mitochondrial, or matrilinear DNA), and not on archaeological finds.
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| Country | Date | Place | Notes | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ethiopia | 195,000 BP | Omo Kibish Formation | The Omo remains found in 1967 near the Ethiopian Kibish Mountains, have been dated as ca. 195,000 years old, making them the earliest human remains ever found. They are older than the remains found at Herto Bouri, Ethiopia (155-160,000 BP). | [1] |
| Morocco | 90,000-190,000 BP | Jebel Irhoud | Anatomically modern human remains of uncertain date, 90-190,000 years old. | [10] |
| Sudan | 140,000-160,000 BP | Singa | Anatomically modern human discovered 1924 with rare temporal bone pathology | [11][12] |
| United Arab Emirates | 125,000 BP | Jebel Faya | Stone tools made by anatomically modern humans. | [13] |
| South Africa | 125,000 BP | Klasies River Caves | Remains found in the Klasies River Caves in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa show signs of human hunting. There is some debate as to whether these remains represent anatomically modern humans. | [14][15] |
| Israel | 100,000 BP | Skhul/Qafzeh | Discovered in 1929-1935; remains exhibit a mix of archaic and modern traits and may represent an early migration from Africa that died out by 80,000 years ago. | [16] |
| Oman | 75,000-125,000 BP | Aybut | Tools found in the Dhofar Governorate correspond with African objects from the so-called 'Nubian Complex', dating from 75-125,000 years ago. According to archaeologist Jeffrey I. Rose, human settlements spread east from Africa across the Arabian Peninsula. | [2] |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | 90,000 BP | Katanda, Upper Semliki River | Semliki harpoon heads carved from bone. |
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