The earliest human occupation of the high-altitude Tibetan Plateau 40 thousand to 30 thousand years ago

X. L. Zhang; B. B. Ha; S. J. Wang; Z. J. Chen; J. Y. Ge; H. Long; W. He; W. Da; X. M. Nian; M. J. Yi; X. Y. Zhou; P. Q. Zhang; Y. S. Jin; O. Bar-Yosef; J. W. Olsen; X. Gao

doi:10.1126/science.aat8824

The earliest human occupation of the high-altitude Tibetan Plateau 40 thousand to 30 thousand years ago

X. L. Zhang, B. B. Ha, S. J. Wang, Z. J. Chen, J. Y. Ge, H. Long, W. He, W. Da, X. M. Nian, M. J. Yi, X. Y. Zhou, P. Q. Zhang, Y. S. Jin, O. Bar-Yosef, J. W. Olsen, X. Gao

Anthropology, School of

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183 Scopus citations

Abstract

The Tibetan Plateau is the highest and one of the most demanding environments ever inhabited by humans. We investigated the timing and mechanisms of its initial colonization at the Nwya Devu site, located nearly 4600 meters above sea level. This site, dating from 40,000 to 30,000 years ago, is the highest Paleolithic archaeological site yet identified globally. Nwya Devu has yielded an abundant blade tool assemblage, indicating hitherto-unknown capacities for the survival of modern humans who camped in this environment. This site deepens the history of the peopling of the “roof of the world” and the antiquity of human high-altitude occupations more generally.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	1049-1051
Number of pages	3
Journal	Science
Volume	362
Issue number	6418
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aat8824
State	Published - Nov 30 2018

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Zhang, X. L., Ha, B. B., Wang, S. J., Chen, Z. J., Ge, J. Y., Long, H., He, W., Da, W., Nian, X. M., Yi, M. J., Zhou, X. Y., Zhang, P. Q., Jin, Y. S., Bar-Yosef, O., Olsen, J. W., & Gao, X. (2018). The earliest human occupation of the high-altitude Tibetan Plateau 40 thousand to 30 thousand years ago. Science, 362(6418), 1049-1051. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aat8824

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abstract = "The Tibetan Plateau is the highest and one of the most demanding environments ever inhabited by humans. We investigated the timing and mechanisms of its initial colonization at the Nwya Devu site, located nearly 4600 meters above sea level. This site, dating from 40,000 to 30,000 years ago, is the highest Paleolithic archaeological site yet identified globally. Nwya Devu has yielded an abundant blade tool assemblage, indicating hitherto-unknown capacities for the survival of modern humans who camped in this environment. This site deepens the history of the peopling of the “roof of the world” and the antiquity of human high-altitude occupations more generally.",

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AU - Zhang, X. L.

AU - Ha, B. B.

AU - Wang, S. J.

AU - Chen, Z. J.

AU - Ge, J. Y.

AU - Long, H.

AU - He, W.

AU - Da, W.

AU - Nian, X. M.

AU - Yi, M. J.

AU - Zhou, X. Y.

AU - Zhang, P. Q.

AU - Jin, Y. S.

AU - Bar-Yosef, O.

AU - Olsen, J. W.

AU - Gao, X.

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The earliest human occupation of the high-altitude Tibetan Plateau 40 thousand to 30 thousand years ago

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