UPedro Cantalejo, inhloko yomhume wase-Ardales Andalusian, ubheka imidwebo yomhume waseNeanderthal emhumeni. Isithombe: (AFP)
Lokhu okutholiwe kuyashaqisa ngoba abantu bacabanga ukuthi amaNeanderthal angabantu basendulo futhi abanonya, kodwa ukudweba imihume eminyakeni engaphezu kuka-60,000 eyedlule kwakuyinto emangalisayo kubo.
Ososayensi bathole ukuthi lapho abantu banamuhla bengahlali ezwekazini laseYurophu, amaNeanderthal ayedonsa ama-stalagmite eYurophu.
Lokhu kutholakala kuyashaqisa ngoba amaNeanderthal abhekwa njengalula futhi anobulwane, kodwa ukudweba imihume eminyakeni engaphezu kuka-60,000 eyedlule kwakuyinto emangalisayo kubo.
Imidwebo yemihume etholakale emihumeni emithathu eSpain yadalwa phakathi kweminyaka engu-43,000 no-65,000 eyedlule, eminyakeni engu-20,000 ngaphambi kokuba abantu banamuhla bafike eYurophu. Lokhu kuqinisekisa ukuthi ubuciko basungulwa amaNeanderthal cishe eminyakeni engu-65,000 eyedlule.
Kodwa-ke, ngokusho kukaFrancesco d'Errico, umbhali-mbhali wephepha elisha kumagazini i-PNAS, lokhu okutholakele kuyaphikisana, "isihloko sesayensi sithi la ma-pigment angaba yinto yemvelo" futhi angumphumela wokugeleza kwe-iron oxide.
Ukuhlaziywa okusha kukhombisa ukuthi ukwakheka kanye nendawo yopende akuhambisani nezinqubo zemvelo. Esikhundleni salokho, upende ufakwa ngokufutha nangokufutha.
Okubaluleke kakhulu, ukuthungwa kwazo akufani namasampula emvelo athathwe emhumeni, okubonisa ukuthi umbala uvela emthonjeni wangaphandle.
Ukuhlolwa kwesikhathi okuningiliziwe kubonisa ukuthi la ma-pigment ayesetshenziswa ngezikhathi ezahlukene, iminyaka engaphezu kwe-10,000 ehlukene.
Ngokusho kuka-d'Errico wase-University of Bordeaux, lokhu “kusekela umbono wokuthi amaNeanderthal aye eza lapha izikhathi eziningi eminyakeni eyizinkulungwane ukuzophawula imihume ngopende.”
Kunzima ukuqhathanisa “ubuciko” bamaNeanderthal nemidwebo eyenziwe ngabantu banamuhla basendulo. Isibonelo, imidwebo etholakala emihumeni yaseChauvie-Pondac eFrance ineminyaka engaphezu kuka-30,000 ubudala.
Kodwa lokhu kutholakala okusha kunezela ubufakazi obengeziwe bokuthi uhlu lozalo lwamaNeanderthal lwaphela eminyakeni engaba ngu-40,000 eyedlule, nokuthi babengebona izihlobo eziluhlaza zamaHomo sapiens esezivezwe isikhathi eside njengamaHomo sapiens.
Ithimba libhale ukuthi la mapende awawona “ubuciko” ngomqondo omfushane, “kodwa awumphumela wezenzo zezithombe ezihloselwe ukuqhubela phambili incazelo engokomfanekiso yesikhala.”
Isakhiwo somhume “sadlala indima ebalulekile ohlelweni lwezimpawu zemiphakathi ethile yamaNeanderthal”, yize incazelo yalezi zimpawu isalokhu iyimfihlakalo.