DNA tests help clear up questions about who lived in Denisova Cave in Altai Mountains

[rogue06]

Rushed for time so going to make it quick. Two good articles for those interested

Unearthing Neanderthal Population History Using Ancient Nuclear DNA From Cave Sediments

Archaeologists Discover Who Really Lived in Siberia's Denisova Cave

And the abstract for the paper Unearthing Neanderthal population history using nuclear and mitochondrial DNA from cave sediments below:

Abstract

Bones and teeth are important sources of Pleistocene hominin DNA, but are rarely recovered at archaeological sites. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) has been retrieved from cave sediments but provides limited value for studying population relationships. We therefore developed methods for the enrichment and analysis of nuclear DNA from sediments and applied them to cave deposits in western Europe and southern Siberia dated to between 200,000 and 50,000 years ago. We detected a population replacement in northern Spain about 100,000 years ago, which was accompanied by a turnover of mtDNA. We also identified two radiation events in Neanderthal history during the early part of the Late Pleistocene. Our work lays the ground for studying the population history of ancient hominins from trace amounts of nuclear DNA in sediments.

While the full paper is behind a paywall, where they show the abstract has more information.

[Sparko]

It was mossy, wasn't it?

[Ronson]

When I think about written history going back a mere 4,000 years or so, it boggles my mind to think about day-to-day life 20,000 years ago, or 250,000 years ago. While we worry about who is occupying the White House, they were worrying about the mammoth that got away.

[rogue06]

When I think about written history going back a mere 4,000 years or so, it boggles my mind to think about day-to-day life 20,000 years ago, or 250,000 years ago. While we worry about who is occupying the White House, they were worrying about the mammoth that got away.

While not likely true hundreds of thousands of years ago when our ancestors were still living in caves, we tend to think of the Stone Age societies as being very crude, unsophisticated and unorganized but we tend to forget cultures like the Incas, Mayans and Aztecs were effectively Stone Age societies when Europeans first encountered them.

[Ronson]

While not likely true hundreds of thousands of years ago when our ancestors were still living in caves, we tend to think of the Stone Age societies as being very crude, unsophisticated and unorganized but we tend to forget cultures like the Incas, Mayans and Aztecs were effectively Stone Age societies when Europeans first encountered them.

"Stone age" inasmuch they had scant writings, but they were civilizations and within the past 2,000 years. There were no civilizations beyond 10,000 years back (none discovered anyway) and barely any farming.

So, it appears they were living like primitive cultures today live; small villages, hunting and gathering. Not necessarily in actual caves.

[rogue06]

"Stone age" inasmuch they had scant writings, but they were civilizations and within the past 2,000 years. There were no civilizations beyond 10,000 years back (none discovered anyway) and barely any farming.

So, it appears they were living like primitive cultures today live; small villages, hunting and gathering. Not necessarily in actual caves.

Stone Age insomuch that they didn't employ metal tools, weapons etc... but still used wood, stone and bone.

[shunyadragon]

"Stone age" inasmuch they had scant writings, but they were civilizations and within the past 2,000 years. There were no civilizations beyond 10,000 years back (none discovered anyway) and barely any farming.

So, it appears they were living like primitive cultures today live; small villages, hunting and gathering. Not necessarily in actual caves.

Ancient humans were to a large etrent nomadic, but the evidence demonstrates that caves were important as seasonal shelters, and important places for burial and possibly cerimonial purposes.