Until now, the oldest remains of Homo sapiens outside of Africa (Israel) were dated to about 90,000 - 120,000 years ago.

An international team has just described the oldest modern human fossil ever discovered outside of Africa: the left side of an adult upper jaw, with most of its teeth. The fossil was discovered at the Misliya cave archaeological site, located on the slopes of Mount Carmel in northern Israel, near the city of Haifa.

The researchers applied several dating techniques to different materials present at the site and to the human fossil itself to determine its age. The results suggest that the fossil dates to a period between 177,000 and 194,000 years ago.

Approximately 160,000 years ago, the roof of the Misliya cave collapsed, protecting the human fossil and the other archaeological artifacts buried in the sediment until today. According to the remains that were found, the inhabitants of the cave were large game hunters (aurochs, Persian deer, gazelles) who could control the production of fire in their homes. They made extensive use of plants and mastered sophisticated techniques to carve stone (Middle Paleolithic).

Not surprisingly, the Middle East is at the forefront as it was a natural corridor for the migration of the first humans during the Pleistocene (between 2.58 million years and 11,700 years ago), and it has been occupied at different times by modern humans, Neanderthals and even earlier human species.

This discovery is the result of the collaboration of researchers from the CNRS, the CEA, and the Universities of Versailles St-Quentin-en-Yvelines, Bordeaux Montaigne and Bordeaux.