VOA慢速英语--史前阿拉伯吸引了来自非洲的早期人类

New evidence suggests that the desert of the Arabian Peninsula once had water and plants that brought early humans and large animals from Africa.

Until 10 years ago, scientists trying to rebuild the story of early human movements out of Africa knew little about the Arabian Peninsula.

Much more is known about early human settlements in the Levant region. The Levant is the area that includes modern-day Israel, Jordan, Lebanon and parts of Syria. Archaeological research has been carried out there for more than one hundred years.

But a recent study published in Nature suggests that the Arabian Peninsula may have served as a bridge between Africa and Eurasia.

Michael Petraglia is one of the writers of the study. He is an archaeologist at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History in Jena, Germany. The research team included scientists from Germany, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Britain and other countries.

He said, "Arabia has not been part of the story of early human migration¹ because so little work was done there before."

Huw Groucutt is also based at the Max Planck Institute. He travels to archaeological places in the northern Arabian Peninsula where rolling sand dunes², or hills, extend as far as the eye can see.

Scientists started to look closely for archeological remains³ in the region after satellite images showed signs of prehistoric⁴ lakes in the areas that are now desert. "We noticed color patterns made by ancient lakes — sand dunes are kind of orange-colored, while ancient lakes are tinted⁵ white or gray," said Groucutt.

Over the past 10 years, archeologists have found stone tools from several periods of prehistoric settlement by early human groups. The oldest was from 400,000 years ago.

Researchers found that, during several periods in the past, the region had lakes and was covered with grassland⁶, or savannah. Study of rocks and soil from the ancient lakes and remains of animals like hippopotamuses⁷, or hippos, suggest water was available.

The researchers said early humans and animals moved from northeast Africa into the Arabian Peninsula during these windows of welcoming climate.

Petraglia said, "flowing rivers and lakes, surrounded by grasslands⁸ and savannah, would have attracted animals and then the early humans that were in pursuit of them."

Hippos require bodies of water several meters deep to live. Remains of other animals, including ostriches⁹ and antelopes¹⁰, show "a strong biological connection to northeast Africa," he said.

Rick Potts directs the Human Origins Program at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. He said the research has combined archaeology¹¹ and climate records going back 400,000 years. It showed that early humans moved across the land when the climate changed.

Potts was not involved in the new study. But he said the periods in which there were and were not humans in the area followed changes in climate.

Words in This Story

region – n. a part of a country or of the world that is different or separate from other parts in some way

archaeological –adj. related to the science that deals with past human life and activities and the study of bones, tools and objects of ancient people

pattern – n. something that happens in a regular and repeated way

pursuit – n. the act of following or chasing someone or something

1 migration   

n.迁移，移居，（鸟类等的）迁徙

参考例句：

• Swallows begin their migration south in autumn.燕子在秋季开始向南方迁移。
• He described the vernal migration of birds in detail.他详细地描述了鸟的春季移居。

2 dunes   

沙丘( dune的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The boy galloped over the dunes barefoot. 那男孩光着脚在沙丘间飞跑。
• Dragging the fully laden boat across the sand dunes was no mean feat. 将满载货物的船拖过沙丘是一件了不起的事。

3 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

4 prehistoric   

adj.（有记载的）历史以前的，史前的，古老的

参考例句：

• They have found prehistoric remains.他们发现了史前遗迹。
• It was rather like an exhibition of prehistoric electronic equipment.这儿倒像是在展览古老的电子设备。

5 tinted   

adj. 带色彩的 动词tint的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• a pair of glasses with tinted lenses 一副有色镜片眼镜
• a rose-tinted vision of the world 对世界的理想化看法

6 grassland   

n.牧场，草地，草原

参考例句：

• There is a reach of grassland in the distance.远处是连绵一片的草原。
• The snowstorm swept the vast expanse of grassland.暴风雪袭击了辽阔的草原。

7 hippopotamuses   

n.河马（产于非洲）( hippopotamus的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Hippopotamuses teem in this river. 这条河里有很多河马。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 grasslands   

n.草原，牧场( grassland的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Songs were heard ringing loud and clear over the grasslands. 草原上扬起清亮激越的歌声。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Grasslands have been broken and planted to wheat. 草原已经开垦出来，种上了小麦。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 ostriches   

n.鸵鸟( ostrich的名词复数 )；逃避现实的人，不愿正视现实者

参考例句：

• They are the silliest lot of old ostriches I ever heard of. 他们真是我闻所未闻的一群最傻的老鸵鸟。 来自辞典例句
• How ostriches could bear to run so hard in this heat I never succeed in understanding. 驼鸟在这样干燥炎热的地带为什么能疾速长跑，我永远也理解不了。 来自辞典例句

10 antelopes   

羚羊( antelope的名词复数 )； 羚羊皮革

参考例句：

• One jump, and you're out, and we'll run for it like antelopes.' 你只要一跳就出来了，我们可以像羚羊那样飞快地逃掉。”
• Most antelopes can withhold their young for weeks, even months. 绝大部分羚羊能把分娩期推迟几个星期，甚至几个月。

11 archaeology   

n.考古学

参考例句：

• She teaches archaeology at the university.她在大学里教考古学。
• He displayed interest in archaeology.他对考古学有兴趣。