Scientists have reconstructed how humans lived and died 100,000 years ago

This is about the period when humans were just beginning to disperse out of Africa.

Details

The study was conducted in the Afar Rift Valley region, one of the key regions for the study of human origins.

Scientists found about 1,800 stone tools and more than 130 animal remains. Most of the tools were made on site from local stone, but a small proportion were made from obsidian, which was probably transported from far away.

This may indicate human movement or early forms of exchange.

Analyses have shown that the area at the time was a seasonally flooded plain with forests and large numbers of animals ranging from rodents to large herbivores.

No traces of animal butchery were found on the bones, which may suggest that people were not always hunting or processing prey in the area.

Of particular interest were three human remains, each showing a different death scenario.

One man appears to have been buried quickly - his bones are almost intact.

The second was heavily exposed to fire, but it remains unclear whether this was accidental or the result of human action.

The third was partially eaten by animals, with teeth marks and damage to the bones.

These differences show how varied the conditions of life and death could have been.

Why it matters

Finds like these help us understand the behaviour of early Homo sapiens.

The study shows that:

• humans lived in complex environments alongside wild animals
• used different resources and materials
• faced different death scenarios, from natural to predator-related

This gives a more realistic view of ancient people's lives, not just tools or bones.

Background

The period around 100,000 years ago is considered key to the evolution of Homo sapiens - it was during this time that the behavioural and technological traits that later allowed humans to disperse around the world were formed.

Source

The study is based on archaeological findings in the Afar Rift Valley (Ethiopia). The work was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2026).