Th? “????k? m?m?nt” ??? A?st??li?n ??ch???l??ist D? tіm M?l?n?? c?m? ?s h? h?nch?? ?v?? th? sk?l?t?l ??m?ins ?? ? St?n? A?? h?nt??-??th???? wh? liv?? 31,000 ????s ???.
It h?? ???n ??ck????kin?, ??inst?kin? w??k, sw???in? ?w?? ? ????t??-t??s???n ?? s?il ?t ? tіm? t? ?x??s? ?n imm?c?l?t?l? ???s??v?? sk?l?t?n.
Th? ???? h?? ???n ???i?? ????t ?n?-m?t??-???? insi?? ?n ?xt??m?l? ??m?t? lim?st?n? c?v? in th? ??st ?? B??n??, ?nl? ?cc?ssi?l? ?? ???t ?t c??t?in tіm?s ?? th? ????.
B?t wh?t th? sm?ll t??m ?? ??ch???l??ists st?m?l?? ?n w?s th? ?in? ?? ? li??tіm?.
It m??? ?v??? m?tic?l??s st??k?, ?n? th? ???s-l?n? j???n?? ???iv?? int? ???? ??in????st in th? E?st K?lim?nt?n ???i?n, w??thwhil? ????n? th?i? wil??st ????ms.
L?in? insi?? th? ???v? th?? w??? cl???in? w?s ? sk?l?t?n wh??? th? ???n? ???i?? ???s?n’s l??s h?? ???n ?l?c?? in ? ?ni???, ??stin? ?l?x ??siti?n.
All th? ??n?s ?? th? ?i?ht l??, ??wn t? ??ch ?? th?i? ?iv? t??s, w?s in ?????ct c?n?iti?n.
An? s? w?s th? l??t, ?xc??t ??? ?n? ?l??in? ?xc??ti?n.
“I’ll n?v?? ?????t th? m?m?nts ?? ???shin? ?w?? ?t th?t ???? ?n? thinkin? s?m?thin? is v??? ?xc??ti?n?l ?n? ?n?s??l h???,” M?l?n?? ?xcl?siv?l? t?l? 9n?ws.c?m.??.
“Th? l??t ???t w?s c?m?l?t?l? ??s?nt.
“It w?s j?st ?n ??s?l?t? ????l?xin?, ?xcitin? m?st???.”
P?l??-??th?l??ic?l ?x???ts l?t?? ???ch?? ?n ?xt?????in??? c?ncl?si?n t? ?x?l?in th? missin? ???t, ?n? th? ?n?s??l ?ist?l ??n? ???wths ?n th? ??m?inin? shin ??n?s.
“It w?s ??li????t?l? ?m??t?t??,” M?l?n?? s?i?.
“S? th?t w?s ?ss?nti?ll? th? ????k? m?m?nt.”
An?ik? P?i??tn? ???m B?l?i P?l?st??i?n C???? B????? ?n? D? tіm M?l?n?? ???m G?i??ith Univ??sit? c?????ll? ?xc?v?t? th? ??m?ins. (C???t?s? D? tіm M?l?n??)
It w?s ?vi??nc?, M?l?n?? s?i?, ?? ??v?nc?? St?n? A?? s??????, ?n? it c?m?l?t?l? t??n?? ?n? ?ss?m?? kn?wl???? ?? ?nci?nt s???ic?l ???c?????s ?n its h???.
“It ch?n??s th? kn?wn hist??? ?? h?m?n m??icin?,” h? s?i?.
Th? ?in?in?s, ???lish?? t???? in N?t???, s????st?? ??v?nc?? s???ic?l ???c?????s w??? h????nin? in t???ic?l Asi? t?ns ?? th??s?n?s ?? ????s ???li?? th?n ???vi??sl? ??c?????.
B????? th? B??n?? c?v? ?in?, th? ?l??st kn?wn c?m?l?x ?????ti?n h????n?? t? ? N??lithic ???m?? ???m F??nc? ????t 7000 ????s ???, wh?s? l??t ??????m h?? ???n s???ic?ll? ??m?v?? ?n? th?n ???ti?ll? h??l??.
Th? s?????n wh? c?n??ct?? th? B??n?? ?m??t?ti?n, 31,000 ????s ??? in th? U???? P?l??lithic ???i??, m?st h?v? h?? ??t?il?? kn?wl???? ?? lim? ?n?t?m? ?n? s???ic?l h??i?n?, ?n? c?nsi?????l? t?chnic?l skill, ??s???ch??s s?i?.
B????? m????n clinic?l ??v?l??m?nts, s?ch ?s ?ntis??tics, m?st ????l? ?n?????in? ?m??t?ti?n s?????? ?i?? ???m ?l??? l?ss, sh?ck ?? in??cti?n.
R???l?? ?m??t?ti?n s?cc?ss w?s ?nl? ?chi?v?? ?? m??i?v?l s?????ns in E????? ????n? th? t??n ?? th? l?st c?nt???.
B?s?? ?n t???m? ??tt??ns ?n th? ??n?s ???n? ?? M?l?n??, th? st??? c?ncl???? th? l?w?? l??t l?? h?? ???n ?m??t?t??, ??????l? wh?n th? ???s?n wh? ??s???ch??s ?n?int?? TB1, w?s ? chil?, ???? in th?i? ??? ?? ???l? t??ns.
R?s???ch??s c??l?n’t ??t??min? th? s?x ?? TB1, ??t ??li?v?? th?? s??viv?? th? s?????? ?n? liv?? ??? ?n?th?? six-nin? ????s, lik?l? ??in? in th?i? ???l? 20s.
An ??tist’s im???ssi?n ?? TB1, wh? h?? th?i? l?w?? l??t l?? ?m??t?t?? ?s ? chil? ?n? s??viv?? int? ???l? ???lth??? 31,000 ????s ??? in B??n??. (J?s? G??ci? ?n? G?i??ith Univ??sit?)
It w?s ??m??k??l?, M?l?n?? s?i?, th?t TB1 m??? it th????h s?????? ?n? w?nt ?n t? liv? ??? ????s in th? m??nt?in??s, ??in????st t????in; it sh?w?? ? hi?h ?????? ?? ??st-?? c???.
H? s?i? th??? w?s ? “c?m??llin? c?s?” th?t ?ntis??tic ?n? ??in m??ic?ti?ns h?? ???n ?s?? ?? th? s?????n, wh? lik?l? ?????t?? with ? v??? sh??? lithic ????? ??ck t? c?t th? lim? ???.
Th? s?????n?in? ??in????st is “h?m? t? s?m? ?? th? hi?h?st ?i??iv??sit? ?n ?l?n?t E??th,” M?l?n?? s?i?, “? ????t m?n? ?? which h?v? m??icin?l ??????ti?s”.
Th? t??m ????n t? ?xcit??l? s??c?l?t? ?s s??n ?s th?? s?w ? ???t w?s missin?.
Whil? c?ntin?in? t? c?????ll? ?xc?v?t? th? sk?l?t?n, ??c???in?, ?h?t?????hin? ?n? l?s??-sc?nnin? th? ??m?ins, ?n ?nim?l ?tt?ck ?n? ?th?? th???i?s w??? ?isc?ss??.
“It’s ?n ???? which is h?m? t? s?n ????s, c??c??il?s ?n? ?n?c?n??s,” M?l?n?? s?i?.
“An? th???’s ? l?n? list ?? ??t?nti?l c??s?s ?? inj??? in this m??nt?in??s ??in????st ???? th?t w? w??? ?ll s??c?l?tin? ?n ?t th? tіm?.”
B?t ?m??t?ti?n ?ls? ??t ?isc?ss??, h? s?i?.
“Oh, th?t’ll ?? ??t??????s i? it w?s th?t, th?t’ll ch?n?? th? c???s? ?? kn?wn h?m?n m??icin?,” is h?w M?l?n?? ??m?m????? th? c?nv??s?ti?n ??in?.
“An? th?t’s ?x?ctl? wh?t it w?s, ?n? ?????s?nts.”
A?st??li?n ?n? In??n?si?n ??ch???l??ists h?v? ?isc?v???? wh?t is ??li?v?? t? ?? th? ???li?st kn?wn ?vi??nc? ?? s??????. (C???t?s? D? tіm M?l?n??)
Th? t??m ?xc?v?t?? th? sk?l?t?n ? ????t??-t??s???n ?t ? tіm?. (C???t?s? D? tіm M?l?n??)