Evidence of prehistoric recycling uncovered
Wednesday, October 16, 2013 - 11:28:35
While modern humans may pride themselves on their ability to recycle a wide variety of materials, whether it be turning old mobile phones into new handsets or simply reusing plastic bags, it seems that we were not the first to take this sustainable approach.
New evidence uncovered by archaeologists working in Europe and Africa, has shown that even Neanderthals were familiar with the recycling process, according to the Daily Mail.
Sites in Italy, Spain and even Israel contain clues which point to the presence of recycling techniques amongst Neanderthal communities, in which these cave-dwellers would harvest the components from old tools to make new ones.
Archaeological expert, Ran Barkai, said that this is the first time that modern man has found suggestions of recycling in early hominids. He said that finding discarded and damaged tools, which were then repaired and reworked, was an impressive feat for such early species.
The geographical spread of the recycling evidence and the variance in the techniques used shows that our early ancestors were quite ingenious and resourceful when it came to this now common practice.
Researchers have even said that recycling should be perceived as a core tactic for human survival, rather than something which humans have developed since the industrial revolution.
The same reasons for contemporary recycling impacted the Neanderthals, according to spokesperson, Avi Gopher. Being able to reduce the amount of energy that it takes to produce something new, as well as saving precious materials, was important for Neanderthals, just as mobile phone recycling is vital for 21st century homo sapiens.
The earliest recycling may have occurred around 1.3 million years ago, with bone tools created, used, abandoned and then reclaimed for refurbishment. So the next time you sell your mobile phone to be recycled, you are getting involved in a process as old as time.
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