[meteorite-list] artifacts in suevite?

From: Darren Garrison <cynapse_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Sat, 31 Jan 2009 00:40:24 -0500
Message-ID: <1uo7o41rc01of54hj6k25qg7cn6jr9sd2t_at_4ax.com>

I donno-- that just seems to fall in the uh, yeah-- suuuuuuure category. An
impact breccia is going to have chunks broken into all kinds of shapes-- some of
which look sorta like primitive stone tools.

http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Friday/National/2465951/Article/index_html

Rewriting 'Out of Africa' theory
By : Melissa Darlyne Chow

GEORGE TOWN: Universiti Sains Malaysia's (USM) Centre for Archaeological
Research Malaysia has found evidence of early human existence in the country
dating back 1.83 million years.
"This discovery may make the rewriting of the 'out of Africa' theory necessary,"
the centre's director, Associate Professor Mokhtar Saidin said.

The evidence was obtained from the discovery of artefacts in Bukit Bunuh,
Lenggong, Perak.

Mokhtar said the evidence found included stone-made tools such as axes and
chopping tools.

The artefacts were found embedded in suevite rock, formed as a result of the
impact of meteorite crashing down at Bukit Bunuh.
The suevite rock, reputedly the first found in Southeast Asia, was sent to the
Geochronology Japan Laboratory three months ago and carbon dated using the
fission track dating method.

Mokhtar said the results were sent back to USM two weeks ago and it showed the
rock was dated to 1.83 million years ago.

He said based on current studies, there was fresh evidence of human mobility
coming from Asia and Southeast Asia, and not just out of Africa.

Based on world evidence, there was early human existence "out of Africa" in
Georgia (1.8 to 1.7 million years ago); Sangiran, Jawa, Indonesia (1.7 to 1.2
million years ago); as well as Longgupo and Yuanmou in China (1.8 to 1.6 million
years ago).

He noted that with the new evidence, there was a possibility that the hominids
in Jawa could have migrated from Bukit Bunuh as a result of destruction from the
impact of meteorites.

The four square-kilometre site, which was first excavated between 2001 and 2003,
revealed a Palaeolithic culture, dated at 40,000 years ago.

The meteorite crash site was also discovered, the impact of which had caused the
stones in its original state at Bukit Bunuh to melt, congeal and subsequently
form the suevite rock.

USM Vice-Chancellor Tan Sri Prof Dzulkifli Abdul Razak said the discovery was an
important one for USM and the country as it would enable researchers to
understand the origins of early humans in this region.

He said the new discovery would also change the understanding of human
exploration in this region.
Received on Sat 31 Jan 2009 12:40:24 AM PST