This Discovery Rewrites Human History Forever (Michael Button)

Evidence Suggests Human Construction 800,000 Years Ago. If true, this completely re-writes the story of human history and civilization...

Early humans were apparently nomads — roaming the land, hunting and gathering. Civilization, we’re told, didn’t begin until only 5,000 years ago.Permanent settlements? Not earlier than 10,000 years ago. And real intelligence — language, culture, abstract thinking — supposedly didn’t appear until just 50,000 years ago, during the so-called 'Cognitive Revolution.'

But what if that story is wrong?

One archaeological site in particular shatters the traditional timeline: Gesher Benot Ya’aqov, in modern-day Israel. Dated to nearly 800,000 years ago and linked to Homo heidelbergensis, this site isn’t just a scattering of ancient tools. No, It shows signs of repeated human occupation — and not for days or weeks, but across multiple layers spanning millennia. This wasn’t a quick stop-off. It was almost certainly a permanent settlement...



Human ancestors living permanent settlements for hundreds of thousands of years? The problem with our very ancient history is that any shelters made of wood or straw would not have survived - although post holes may, or may not, have survived. Certainly any constructions near the sea would now be under water. Was the ancient standard of living to build shelters near a shoreline and rely on fishing and hunting and gathering?

Best comments from You Tube:

@headcheese5306
I will never understand why "they" accept that our early ancestors discovered firemaking well over 1 million years ago but can't accept them engaging in structural development projects. I mean, firemaking definitely takes more cognitive skill than building a basic home. After all, non-human species now build rudimentary homes and display tool use, but we're the only ones making fire. If I were stuck in the woods by myself, I'd have a much easier time building a basic hut to live in then starting a fire with what's around me

@claudermiller
All they had to do is observe birds and other animals. Birds build shelters. Some are quite elaborate. It wouldn't take a lot of brainpower to mimic a bird. I just added this, I remember seeing birds nests, which are basically daub and wattle.

@doctaran
People have been making fires for two million years and rowing boats across oceans for one million years- this is firmly established in the archeological record. Anybody who thinks that you can row a boat across an ocean without language or culture has not ever even rowed a boat.

[Posted at the SpookyWeather2 blog, July 18, 2025.]